After work, start to speedrun the other world-Chapter 615 - 248: Civilization Self-Destruction

The door creaked open.

Outside the window, the night was deep and profound; fireflies danced in the darkness, and faintly, the sounds of chirping insects and birds could be heard.

Xi Mu stood at the doorway, turning back to glance at Mist behind him. She was wearing a beige gown that accentuated her graceful figure, her crimson hair tied into a single ponytail draped over her shoulder, exuding a gentle yet dignified air.

A blade sharp enough to wound gods appeared, in this moment, gentler than the moonlight outside, making it hard to part from its presence.

"Go now." Mist smiled softly, her delicate hand brushing aside the hair from Ahtal’s forehead, then adjusted his collar with care.

"If there is still a future, we will have a long time to be together."

Now, Ahtal was about to descend into Hell to work with the Witch of Death in analyzing the world within death itself. If their plan succeeded, everyone could smuggle themselves into a brand-new world.

That would be the time for companionship. But now was not the moment for love; it was the time to make calm sacrifices.

The continuation of the world was far more important.

"Mist, what kind of future world do you wish for?" Xi Mu suddenly asked, catching Mist off guard. She folded one arm thoughtfully, the evening wind brushing through her hair as she considered the question for a moment.

"I don’t really care what kind of world it becomes, but it seems my brother wishes to create a gentle one."

"A gentle world is anything but easy," Xi Mu chuckled lightly before turning and stepping into the night, gradually disappearing from view.

Mist stood there for a long while before lowering her folded arms. Closing the door behind her, the warm light of the room faded into a thin line, disappearing entirely.

In truth, her time with Ahtal was not just a matter of days. Including the years they had spent together in the simulated world, it amounted to over a decade—a long stretch of time that, to her, was already enough. It was why she could accept Ahtal’s departure with such peace.

...

...

Hell.

The Twin Towers.

Xi Mu appeared from the void, a hint of surprise in his eyes, only to see the Goddess of Lies sitting elegantly on a chair, her chin resting lightly on her hand.

"I thought you’d lose yourself in that realm of gentle affection." The Goddess of Lies smiled slyly, "I never expected you’d come back on time."

"Sometimes, death is the greatest gentleness of all," Xi Mu replied casually, then curiously asked, "Why have you suddenly come to Hell?"

A look of dejection swept across the Goddess of Lies’ charming face. "Isn’t it because my plan failed? There was no way to endure the process of the world’s burning, so I had no choice but to come here and help the Witch of Death finish creating the world within death."

Upon realizing she couldn’t exploit a loophole to smuggle herself into the new world, she gave up on trying and chose instead to assist the Witch of Death and the Goddess of Death in completing the plan.

Xi Mu nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to where an eerie blue flame ignited in the void. From the fire, the Witch of Death appeared, her hands intertwined at her chest, her sapphire eyes looking calmly into his.

"Now that everyone is here, let’s begin the experiment," the Goddess of Lies said with a playful grin, leaning partway out from behind Ahtal and waving at the Witch of Death.

The Witch of Death said nothing, merely motioning for the group to follow her into the world within death.

This was not a world on the physical plane; its existence was purely conceptual—a "death-world" that could only exist as an idea.

It was completely unobservable from the outside.

Shrouded in darkness and devoid of form, it was as though the place itself were a coffin for worlds, an eternal burial ground.

And then, in the midst of the void—

A sudden flicker of firelight illuminated the emptiness, quickly expanding to fill every corner.

Soon, within the inferno, a figure emerged. It was the Witch of Death, suspended amidst the flames, gazing at her delicate hands.

"Having a body is a flaw, after all," she murmured. Indeed, she had succeeded in creating a world within death, but her very existence as a real being caused flaws to manifest in it.

Xi Mu smirked slightly and asked, "Witch of Death, surely you’re not planning to kill yourself?"

The Witch of Death nodded faintly, indifferent to her state of life or death. Having ascended to this level, she could freely determine her own existence. Even if she completely abandoned her body, she could reconstruct it at will.

"Abandoning your body seems like such a waste," Xi Mu suggested. "Why not entrust it to me instead?"

The Witch of Death was silent for a time, then glanced down, following Ahtal’s gaze to her flawless feet.

She subtly withdrew her feet, hiding them beneath her gown.

"No need."

"What a pity," Xi Mu chuckled, amused by her reaction. He had no real interest in her discarded body but enjoyed seeing the Witch of Death’s rare expressions.

She merely cast a cold glance at Ahtal before continuing their discussion on how to perfect the world within death.

...

...

The Simulated World.

Before the world was about to burn completely—

"This... this is hopeless." A voluptuous nun wore an expression of utter despair, clenching her hands tightly. She looked out at the inferno engulfing the world beyond the castle walls. "Can humanity really survive Ragnarok?"

Her doubts were voiced aloud, only for her body to be consumed into ash by the blazing King of Ash, and then she awoke from her dream.

Sunlight streamed through stained glass, falling upon the nun kneeling before the goddess’ statue. She slowly lowered her praying hands and opened her eyes, her gaze settling on the statue of the Goddess of Life.