75 Chapter 74: You save the world, and I'll save you.

"Are you Char?"

When Char came to his senses from being engulfed in endless white light, he found himself standing on a layer of clouds. At the end of the clouds hung a radiant sun, dazzling but not glaring.

The Land of Radiance.

After having visited Beatrice's Moonlit Kingdom and Selina's Abundant Kingdom, Char recognized this place immediately.

Then he turned his gaze to the source of the voice he just heard.

A female figure bathed in golden light appeared in front of him. She had a tall figure, a holy temperament, and radiated an affinity that illuminated everything, like a warm sun.

"Your Majesty, the Goddess."

Char slightly bowed, following the etiquette he used when meeting Miss Witch.

Due to being bathed in golden light all over her body, Char couldn't clearly see the other party's appearance, but from the silhouette, she was undoubtedly a beauty no less than the other goddesses.

Upon hearing the curious tone of the other party, which was not as high and mighty as Char had imagined, and without any malice, he couldn't help but relax a little.

"Yes, I am Char... but how did you know?"

Upon hearing this, the Goddess of Light smiled gently. "No need to be so formal. Since you are chosen by Agnes, then you can just call me Paniyara."

Paniyara.

This is the fifth deity's name that Char knew.

"As soon as you stepped into my divine realm, I automatically traced back through the river of time and saw some fragments related to your past."

"But it's strange. Although I know you have the ability of infinite resurrection, every time you are reborn, there is a considerable amount of time in a hazy state of nothingness, even I cannot observe it."

Char was slightly stunned, but then he felt relieved.

It seemed that the system's existence was even above that of the deities.

After all, he had been to the Abyssal Palace so many times, but Miss Witch had never discovered any clues related to the system.

"Um... but as a mortal favored by Agnes, you are a bit too ordinary," Paniyara carefully scrutinized Char and made an evaluation without any malice.

Char sighed softly.

The residual consciousness of the Goddess of Abundance made a similar evaluation after seeing him last time.

It was normal for a mortal to not catch the attention of the gods.

"Do you have any instructions for me, Lady Paniyara?" Char asked.

For some reason, since receiving the blessing of the Goddess of Light today, he had a vague premonition.

This premonition might be related to Miss Witch.

The Goddess of Light seemed surprised by Char's sensitivity. After a moment of silence, she spoke, "Agnes gave you my core of light... Do you know what that means?"

"..."

Char slightly frowned imperceptibly, then shook his head.

Upon hearing this, the Goddess of Light turned around gently, leaving behind a tall and slender figure.

She walked forward slowly, and it took a long, long time before she answered the previous question.

"It means she wants you to live."

"What... are you saying?"

Char was stunned for a moment, then said with an incredulous tone.

"When I sensed that the core of light appeared on you, I was just as surprised as you are," the Goddess of Light silently smiled, seemingly a bit bitter. "But Agnes... she has always been such a willful child."

"Long, long ago."

"And now... it's still the same."

"I don't understand."

Char remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"Regarding the situation of the apocalypse, you should have heard from Selina or Beatrice, right?"

"I've heard some bits and pieces, combined with my own guesses. The so-called 'apocalypse' is probably the evil force from the depths of the earth continuously corroding reality. If not stopped, it will lead the whole world to destruction."

"That's right." Paniyara nodded, "But in reality, the severity of the problem far exceeds your expectations."

"The seal... may not hold for much longer."

Upon hearing the word "seal," Char subconsciously thought of the things Selina said last time.

As the only channel for the invasion of the Black Mist into reality, the Abyssal Palace plays a role similar to a seal. For thousands of years, it has been guarding the entrance to the Abyss, isolating the majority of the dispersed Black Mist from the world.

According to Miss Witch, she is there to atone for her sins.

How heavy must her sins be to keep her imprisoned in a place like hell for over ten thousand years without being able to offset them?

For some reason, Char's heart trembled slightly.

"When you say the seal won't hold for much longer... what do you mean?" he asked.

"Exactly as it sounds," sighed the Goddess of Light, Paniyara. "Agnes is nearing her limit."

"What will happen to her?"

Char didn't hesitate and immediately asked.

Seeing his anxious expression, Paniyara nodded gently. "It seems that the Core of Light wasn't given to the wrong person... To know what will happen to her, you first need to understand one thing."

"And that is, what kind of existence Agnes truly is."

With that, the Goddess of Light fell silent for a while, then lightly touched her face with her hand.

In an instant, the light faded away, revealing a familiar and beautiful face in front of Char.

"Mi... Miss Witch?" he exclaimed, momentarily stunned.

"I am not Agnes," Paniyara said calmly. "To understand all of this, first, you need to hear a story."

...

A long, long time ago, when this continent was in a chaotic and ignorant state, a beam of light emerged between heaven and earth.

That light broke through the darkness, dispelled it, and created infinite life on this desolate and lonely continent, granting them the power to multiply and thrive.

Let us call this beam of light the Father God.

After accomplishing the feat of creation, it seemed that the Father God exhausted all his power and began to wither away. The authority he possessed gradually fragmented and scattered throughout the world, disappearing without a trace.

It's unknown how much time passed.

After a long and profound passage of time, those fragmented divine authorities gradually gave birth to their own independent consciousness.

Awakening from their slumber, they took on human forms and walked among the world, leaving behind countless legends and miracles, gradually gaining faith and worship.

They were called deities.

There were deities who governed wisdom, elements, and magic, bringing enlightenment to humanity and granting them the power to contend with nature.

There were deities who governed justice and righteousness, bringing judgment and law to humanity, guiding them into civilization.

There were deities who governed power and strife, plunging the earth into war and conflict, unleashing great battles.

As each deity descended into the world, a splendid era of the united pantheon slowly arrived.

And among them, the most radiant existence was the Goddess of Light, who held the authority of light, and the Goddess of Creation, who held the authority of creation.

These two authorities were the Father God's most powerful forces.

Although the other authorities fragmented, these two remained intertwined with each other.

From these two authorities, a pair of twin goddesses were born.

They looked alike but had completely different personalities.

As the elder sister, the Goddess of Light was dignified, steady, holy, and kind.

But as the younger sister, the Goddess of Creation was somewhat unconventional.

She possessed the power to create all things and immortality, and under the influence of such immense power, her personality became mischievous and playful.

No matter what happened, the authority to create all things could resolve any situation, leaving no regrets in the world.

She loved the sea, so she filled the gaps around the continent with azure seawater.

She loved ice and snow, so with a wave of her hand, she turned the northern part of the continent into a frozen land.

She loved excitement, so she created many humans, to the point where the population became overcrowded, and people fought each other to compete for resources, plunging the land into endless war.

During those days, countless people died every day.

And that was the beginning of the disaster's have spirits that, after death, turn into a void power that floats between heaven and earth, nourishing all things.

Of course, this is only the ideal situation for a human after death.

But in that era of endless war and turmoil, the God of War wreaked havoc on the earth. A conflict between nations could easily result in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, leading to widespread devastation and suffering.

Under such circumstances, the deaths of all humans carried a strong resentment that lingered for a long time without dissipating.

At first, there were no clear signs, as the continent was vast enough to accommodate many things.

However, as the number of deaths increased, reaching millions, tens of millions, and even billions, the accumulating resentment became almost substantial curses, enveloping the entire continent.

It seemed that the overwhelming resentment and death energy caused the awakening of a certain entity that had been dormant in the heart of the land, giving birth to the source of calamity.

It was a hidden danger that the Father God had not discovered before dissipating.

Due to its overwhelming power, even the gods were unable to resist it.

The Chaotic Demon Core.

That is the name the gods gave to the indescribable entity at the heart of the land.

And that indescribable entity seemed to have existed in the center of the continent even before the creation of the Father God. It had been slumbering, perhaps destined to remain dormant until the entire continent returned to its solitude and desolation.

But unfortunately, the sudden surge of death energy on the entire continent awakened a trace of its consciousness.

Although it was just a trace of consciousness, on the day the Chaotic Demon Core awakened, the entire continent suffered almost apocalyptic devastation.

Black mist, capable of devouring everything, surged forth from the heart of the land, spreading wildly to every corner of the continent, swallowing all life it encountered, growing stronger, and then continuing to spread.

It was like an incurable plague, and even the most brilliant "physician," the Goddess of Light, was powerless against it.

Death.

Death.

Death.

There was nothing but death, nothing else.

Just as the entire continent was on the verge of collapse, the Goddess of Creation, the instigator of the disaster, stepped forward.

Due to inheriting the power of the Father God, she possessed eternal life and immortality. Even the black mist, which had the characteristic of "inevitable death," could not kill her in a short time, although it caused her immense pain.

After witnessing the immense tragedy of the mortal realm in a short period of time, she was consumed by unprecedented remorse and self-loathing.

As the Goddess of Creation, she should have brought blessings to this world, just like her sister.

But due to her negligence and indulgence, she brought catastrophic disaster upon all living beings.

So, she decided to atone, to repent.

To prevent all of this, she pleaded with the other gods to unite and reluctantly seal the entrance to the Abyss in the heart of the land.

And the core of the seal was herself.

That's right.

To withstand the black mist, the Goddess of Creation made herself the core of the seal, paying the price of eternal life and an immortal body, blocking the entrance to the Abyss. She absorbed the vast majority of the black mist surging into the real world into her own body.

As punishment to herself, she not only had to exist in the seal like a prison for endless ages but also endure the pain brought by the curse of the black mist every moment.

This is the final redemption of the Goddess of Creation, fulfilling her role as the creator.

Since then, after thousands of years of transition, the mortal realm gradually regained its former vitality.

However, due to deliberate spreading by certain gods who still held a grudge against her past actions, the legend of the wicked witch began to spread throughout the land.

.....

"So... that legendary Goddess of Creation... is Her Excellency Agnes?"

After listening to this story, Char, who was deeply shocked like never before, remained silent for a long time. After a while, he spoke with a strained voice.

He looked somewhat lost.

Although he had some guesses before, he really didn't expect the truth to be like this.

The former identity of Miss Witch was actually a legendary goddess?

No wonder, no wonder she could create anything in the Abyss Palace.

Even the city in Char's memory, according to what she said, could manifest in the real world.

"So this is Agnes' origin." Paniyara nodded her head. "After knowing all this, do you... feel some disgust towards her?"

Char remained silent for a moment and sighed softly. "If you want to put it that way, no matter how deep the sins are, they are enough after enduring the torment of the Black Mist Curse for tens of thousands of years."

He was well aware of how much pain the Black Mist could inflict on a person, having experienced it himself.

Paniyara closed her eyes gently.

She was, of course, very concerned about her sister, but as the head of the gods, she had to set an example.

In fact, even to this day, many deities still harbor ill intentions towards Agnes.

For example, Selina, the bountiful goddess of life, and even the moon goddess, Beatrice.

"This is her punishment to herself," Paniyara closed her eyes, "but what she needs now is not punishment, but redemption."

"Although... as the seal's core, she can't hold on much longer."

The Goddess of Light sighed.

After all, the Chaos Demon Core at the center of the Earth was on the same level as the father god, and even slightly surpassing him.

Being corroded by the Black Mist for a long time, Agnes, despite having eternal life and an undying body, was ultimately worn to the limit.

In simpler terms, she was dying.

"What you just said, that the Core of Light represents the power of life, what does that mean?"

After a moment of silence, Char spoke again.

Paniyara glanced at him. "When the end of the world comes, this core will automatically generate an alarm and instantly teleport the one who possesses it to my divine realm."

"Except for the divine realm of the gods, no living being can survive under the Black Mist Curse."

"That is the true power of the 'Chaos Demon Core.' Even if you have the ability to be infinitely reborn, there will eventually come a day when your will is extinguished."

"In other words, Agnes anticipated this situation, which is why she entrusted this thing to you."

"She... cares about you a lot."

Upon hearing this, Char took a deep breath, and a surge of impulse seemed to well up from deep within his heart.

But Paniyara did not perceive Char's inner thoughts. She turned gently, gazing at the glaring sun at the edge of the clouds.

"I didn't tell you all this to make you do something. I just hope that after Agnes leaves this world, you can be one of the few who still remember her existence."

"Although the lifespan of you humans is short, I believe that everything you have experienced must be the most brilliant light in her long life."

Char's heart pounded.

He couldn't help but recall the second time he met Miss Witch and the words he said to deceive her.

"Witch, from now on, I will bear the curse of misfortune that will plague you throughout your life!"

Originally, those were just empty words Char said to absorb the Black Mist Curse.

But now, he realized that perhaps in Miss Witch's heart, those words carried immense weight.

He seemed to understand to some extent the significance of the liberation he promised and the redemption he described to Agnes.

Perhaps, from that moment, her heart had started to crack slightly.

And then, unbeknownst to Char, a ray of sunlight seeped into the crack.

It was the only and most radiant ray of light remaining in Miss Witch's desolate and dark life, sealed for tens of thousands of years.

Its name was redemption.

"Perhaps..." Char took a deep breath. "Perhaps there is one more thing I can do."

The Goddess of Light suddenly turned around.

"Before that, can I return to the real world and say goodbye to the people around me?"

...

After gaining complete control over this body, Ember let out a sigh of relief.

Looking around the plain, she confirmed multiple times that she didn't sense any trace of Char.

But she knew very well that he had just gone to the divine realm of the Goddess of Light.

At the thought of this, a hint of fear flashed in Miss Ember's eyes.

Originally, she had some thoughts of wanting to escape from here, but how could she possibly escape the grasp of the Goddess of Light?

It seemed that her life was completely in the hands of that guy.

Fortunately, human lifespans are short, while the life of an demon is long-lasting. Even if it takes time, she will exhaust him to death!

As soon as this thought emerged, a portal of light appeared before Miss Ember.

Her body tensed up quickly.

Soon after, a familiar figure walked out of the portal.

"You're obedient," Char smiled and said.

At this moment, he had lost the power of light and returned to his original Totem Knight state.

However, Miss Ember couldn't summon the slightest resistance against the young man before her.

"Don't be so nervous, I won't eat you," Char chuckled lightly, "Although I have to admit, you do look pleasing to the eye."

Miss Ember let out a sigh of relief. "If you're willing, I can serve you with this body. I've checked, and she's still a virgin."

Upon hearing this, Char laughed. "Let's save that talk for the next time we meet."

"Next time we meet?" Miss Ember was confused. "Where are you going?"

"That's not something you need to be concerned about," Char shook his head, "Listen carefully, there are three things you must accomplish in the next few years."

"First, protect the people close to me. Don't let them suffer any harm. I believe that now that you have this body, you'll soon be able to restore your status as a demigod."

"Second, use the identity of Mevis to delve deep into the organization known as Twilight of the Gods. Try to become a high-ranking member of the organization and uncover the list of all its members."

"Third, gradually gain control over this country by utilizing the relationships within Mevis and the royal court."

"Is that all?"

Miss Ember was somewhat surprised.

Clearly, these tasks were not difficult for her.

"That's all, but the prerequisite is that you truly devote yourself to completing them," Char glanced at her, "I have good relationships with many deities. How you go about it, you should carefully consider."

"By the way, the organization Twilight of the Gods is not as simple as you imagine. If you underestimate them, you'll definitely suffer a great loss."

After all, it was a fanatical organization aimed at hunting down divine beings. It wouldn't be surprising even if there were a few long-lived demigods within the organization.

"I understand..." Miss Ember said with a complex expression.

Char's departure was sudden, and he had given her such freedom and authority before leaving, leaving her somewhat taken aback.

"I'm leaving, take care of yourself."

...

Mr. Char, why haven't you come to pick me up yet?

How many days have passed?

With a slight hint of resentment, Novala, who was deeply in love, pouted and silently wondered.

Clearly... there was a surprise she wanted to tell him.

At this thought, Novala gently caressed her flat abdomen, a soft and gentle look flashing in her eyes.

Just then, a figure dressed in a green dress suddenly appeared in front of her.

Selina glanced at her and said softly, "Char came by just now."

"Mr. Char came?"

A hint of joy flashed in Novala's eyes. She stood up and eagerly looked around for that figure.

Upon seeing this, a complex expression flashed in Selina's eyes.

"He only stayed for a short while and quickly left, saying that before parting, there was no need to add to the sadness."

"Parting?" Novala was a bit confused. "Where is he going?"

"He didn't say, just told me that he might not come back for a short while."

Selina remained silent for a while, ultimately deciding not to reveal the truth of the matter to her.

"Um..."

Novala's eyes turned red, and she lowered her head with a sense of disappointment, wanting to look at her own feet but realizing she couldn't see them at all.

"This is what he left for you before he left."

As she spoke, Selina threw a book towards her.

Novala instinctively caught the book and found that it was "Jane Eyre" written by Char.

She flipped open the first page and saw a sentence.

"Miss Jane Eyre, the next time we meet, it will be your turn to elope with Mr. Rochester!"

"Hehe!"

Novala couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

...

Inside the Mevis Mansion.

Nia was sitting silently at her desk, reading the text on a scroll.

At a certain moment, a flash of green light suddenly appeared in her lifeless pupils.

In an instant, the shackles that had bound her consciousness and reason were shattered.

She raised her head in a daze, looked around, and then fixed her gaze on the curtains that had been opened at some point.

She vaguely felt that someone had been there just now.

Nia slowly stood up and walked towards the window.

Behind the curtains, which were constantly swaying in the gentle breeze, there was a box filled with various exquisite candies.

Nia was stunned.

She gently moved aside the pile of candies and took out a letter at the bottom of the box.

There was only one sentence written on the letter.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you a happy childhood."

Nia's hands trembled, her eyes looked around in confusion, hoping to find the person who left this letter, but there was no trace of anyone.

After a moment, she gently held the envelope to her chest.

A strong sense of acidic emotion filled Nia's chest, and she bowed her head deeply, silently crying.

Tears fell heavily, dropping onto the carpet.

She cried so quietly, as if being engulfed by overwhelming sadness.

"Brother."

....

"That startled me."

Upon seeing the young man who suddenly appeared before her, Sally rolled her eyes and then revealed a bright smile.

Char also smiled and said, "Things happened suddenly, so I'll keep it short."

"For the next period of time, maybe a few months, maybe a few years, I will disappear from everyone's sight. So, before I go, I came to find you to say goodbye."

"Take me with you."

Sally didn't hesitate, nor did she ask for any reasons. She reached out and embraced Char's neck.

Char gave a bitter smile. "I'm going to save the world."

"Isn't that even better?" A glimmer flashed in Sally's eyes. "According to what was written in 'The Three Musketeers,' you are the hero, and I am the heroine. Aren't we a perfect match?"

"Don't be silly." Char shook his head. "During the time I'm away, take care of yourself, be careful of the Fifth Prince, be careful of your father, Count Violet... It's hard to explain these things to you, but you must believe me."

"..."

Sally frowned deeply.

Only then did she understand that the young man standing before her, who had just performed miracles in the capital, was really saying a serious farewell to her.

"...Is it related to the power you showed back then?"

After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

"More or less."

"Then...take care of yourself too."

Upon hearing this, Char smiled strangely.

"I'll do my best."

...

"Young Master..."

Dahlia lay on the bed in her bedroom, murmuring Char's name with a somewhat confused mind.

At this moment, she had a high fever, and her body temperature was burning hot.

Char, who appeared in the room, gazed at the maid who had accompanied him since childhood, and a hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes.

He quietly approached the maid's bedside, gazing at her innocent sleeping face, and after a while, he gently planted a kiss on Dahlia's forehead.

"Goodnight."

Dahlia's originally furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

After doing all this, Char turned around, preparing to use the power of the Goddess of Light to return to the Kingdom of Light.

But just at that moment, a cry stopped him.

"Char?"

Sylvasta entered the room, holding a bowl of medicinal soup, apparently prepared for Dahlia to drink.

Char sighed.

"Long time no see, Sylvasta."

He made a "shush" gesture, and then quietly left the bedroom with her.

"I'm leaving."

As soon as they arrived in the living room, Char got straight to the point.

"You..."

This caught Sylvasta, who was full of doubts, off guard.

After a while, she whispered, "Is it dangerous?"

"It's manageable."

"Well, before you go, I want to show you...the other me."

Saying that, Sylvasta reached up and took off the hairpin she used for disguise.

With a wave-like ripple, a delicate and beautiful half-elf girl appeared before him.

She smiled charmingly, "Char, I wish you a smooth journey!"

...

"Is everything taken care of?"

Paniyara, who once again met Char in the Kingdom of Light, looked at the young man before her with a complex expression.

"Almost," Char smiled. "And it's not like it's a life-or-death farewell, there's no need to make a big fuss."

Paniyara shook her head. "You don't understand. The things you're about to do, the risks involved, can't even be described as risking your life."

"Funny, the thing I fear the least in my life is death."

Char shrugged.

"Let me ask you one more time... Are you really sure about doing this?"

"I'm sure."

"Even if you have to endure endless pain that is a thousand times stronger than Agnes, even if it's for a year, two years, five years, or even ten years... even if it breaks your mind and will?"

"That's right."

"Oh, and don't tell Miss Witch about this, please."

"...You really are a strange man. I take back what I said earlier."

After a moment of silence, Paniyara sighed and placed her hand on Char's shoulder, looking at him with an indescribable gaze.

Then, she gently extended her hand, and there was a ripple of spatial teleportation. Char's vision blurred.

When he came to his senses, he found himself in an incredibly dark place.

Here, darkness seemed to be the dominant theme. Besides darkness, even the concepts of space and time seemed to have completely disappeared.

A familiar and chilling aura enveloped Char.

At the same time, Paniyara, the Goddess of Light, ignited a golden divine fire in her hand, providing illumination.

Only then did Char see everything clearly.

It was a mysterious space far more vast than any land. Wherever his eyes could see, there was an immensely powerful black mist, even denser than the Abyssal Palace, entwined and condensed like an abyssal beast.

Even the air seemed to be devoured by the black mist here.

In the center of the cavern, a huge mass resembling a heart occupied the majority of the space. With a slight pulsation, countless deep gashes on its surface emitted bursts of intensely thick black mist from time to time.

The Chaotic Demon Core.

A powerful and unknown entity.

"Now that you have the protection of divine power, you seem to be handling it with ease," Paniyara said softly. "But once I leave here, everything will depend on you."

"This is your last chance to turn back."

"The pain of being consumed by this black mist is something even deities cannot endure for long. Even Agnes could only alleviate most of it with divine power."

"And you... you're just a mere human."

"You're quite talkative. There's a world of difference between you and Lady Agnes."

Char looked at Paniyara with some disdain, pursed his lips, and then leaped forward.

Below him was the abyssal depths, and endless black mist capable of annihilating the entire surface of the earth.

Compared to this place, the so-called Black Mist Zone shrouding the Northern Continent was like child's play.

Accompanied by intense and excruciating pain and a chilling aura, the surrounding cursed black mist surged like a swarm of sharks smelling blood, completely engulfing Char in an instant, penetrating his body, leading him towards death.

Sensing the faint sense of falling, Char gently closed his eyes.

Endless loneliness and darkness enveloped him.

Goodnight, Miss Witch.

You save the world, and I'll save you.

[Set this location as the respawn point?]

"Yes."