After work, start to speedrun the other world-Chapter 616 - 248: Civilization Self-Destruction_2

"Goddess, is there still hope for this world?" She directed her inquiry to the Goddess of Life, then slightly lowered her gaze.

"Unless someone reaches the omnipotent level to confront the King of Ash directly, all things would be consumed by the Ash Fire and turned to ash—it is utterly incapable of resistance."

This was the conclusion reached by humanity in the simulation world: Only those who ascend to the level of omnipotence are qualified to oppose the King of Ash, and only then could they inflict harm upon him. Otherwise, no ability or creation could ever bypass the inherent resistance of the King of Ash.

An alchemy bomb potent enough to destroy an entire continent wouldn’t have any effect on the conceptual defense of the King of Ash.

This despair... pervaded every corner of the world.

In the past, humanity had understood that the King of Ash would burn the world, but they had never comprehended the nature of his existence—until their attempts to surpass him resulted in even greater despair.

Lionheart Castle.

Lakefront Mansion.

"Why so glum?" The Pestilence Witch, wearing a white shirt and exposing her snowy-white legs, walked to the sofa, sat down, and picked up a bunch of grapes on the table. While eating the grapes, she asked the Goddess of Salvation beside her, "Took another hit, didn’t you?"

The Goddess of Salvation puffed up her cheeks slightly and looked at the Pestilence Witch beside her: "To confront Teacher, the absolute minimum condition is reaching the omnipotent level; otherwise, there’s simply no way to inflict any harm on him. But..."

"Lack of time for growth, am I right?" The Pestilence Witch yawned and spoke languidly, "So, are you thinking of giving up?"

The Goddess of Salvation shook her head in response: "I haven’t thought about giving up, but it seems everyone else has."

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate." The Pestilence Witch stretched lazily, causing her white shirt to lift, revealing her slender waist and brown shorts.

"If someone manages to surpass Ragnarok, I’ll shout hurrah for the Savior and hitch a ride to the new world."

"And if no one can surpass Ragnarok, then I’ll make sure I die in comfort." Her unambitious outlook was both exasperating and oddly amusing.

Yet, in a certain sense, it reflected profound self-awareness.

"Salvation, don’t give up the effort," the Pestilence Witch suddenly changed her tone, patting the shoulder of the Goddess of Salvation beside her. "You possess the talent to save the world..."

The Goddess of Salvation rolled her eyes: "I haven’t decided to give up, okay? I’m just feeling a bit disheartened. Besides, there’s a chance I might research a way to break through the King of Ash’s defense; I just need a little... time to think."

The Pestilence Witch pondered for a moment before asking, "Why are you all so fixated on breaking through the King of Ash’s defense?"

"Only by doing so can we intervene with Teacher," explained the Goddess of Salvation. "Whether it’s turning everyone into Teacher’s avatars or becoming his companion, it all requires breaking through his defense first."

The Pestilence Witch rolled her eyes: "Then why not just pout at Ahtal and ask him to disable his defenses? That’d be a lot faster."

The Goddess of Salvation: "..."

For some inexplicable reason, the Pestilence Witch’s suggestion seemed oddly reasonable. Perhaps it was worth a try next time—requesting that Teacher disable his defenses.

...

...

Day after day passed.

Unknowingly, more than two months had gone by—sixty long days and nights—representing over sixty decades lived in the simulation world, each filled with despair.

This accumulation of sixty waves of despair led most people to abandon the pursuit of overcoming Ragnarok, focusing instead on living for themselves until they grew weary of life and sought the Delusional Demon for a proper death.

Simulation World.

At the edge of a cliff.

The Delusional Demon stood on the grass, asking the alchemical puppet in front of him: "Are you certain you want a proper death?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"The meaning of living has essentially... disappeared," the alchemical puppet raised its mechanical hand and explained its reason for wanting a proper death.

"Initially, I thought that freeing myself from a human body would allow me to experience all the joys the world has to offer. With the right information input, I could taste any cuisine. By crafting the appropriate puppet, I could experience any beauty I desired. I’ve lived as a man, as a woman, I’ve loved and been loved—I’ve experienced just about every thrill I once thought exciting."

"At first, I was immensely satisfied, but soon... I felt an unprecedented emptiness. To counter this, I even became a prostitute, but that only provided the briefest of distractions before I was engulfed by a profound void once again."

The Delusional Demon: "..."

The words of the alchemical puppet did not surprise him in the slightest. Civilization in the simulation world developed at lightning speed, and when most people gave up on surpassing Ragnarok, they turned to the technologies they had created for personal pleasure. This led to games and practices so perverse that even he felt they were outrageous—turning oneself into a prostitute was hardly uncommon.

"No wonder the Goddess of Life designed our original bodies to be so fragile," the alchemical puppet raised its hand and then clenched it into a fist. "After easily attaining fulfillment, I found myself experiencing a profound emptiness. Perhaps limitations on satisfaction are not entirely a bad thing."

The Delusional Demon sighed and said: "You could search for something more meaningful, such as defeating Ragnarok."

The alchemical puppet shook its head and responded: "I am just an ordinary person. I lack the innate powers of witches or demons—the impulses that enable them to preserve their sense of self and avoid emptiness over prolonged periods. Right now, all I want is restful sleep."

There are many extraordinary individuals in this world who manage to retain their sense of self amid the passage of endless time without succumbing to emptiness. However, they are typically demons or witches, gifted with innate powers that drive them to perpetually pursue unattainable goals.