Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 442 The First Day Without God

With the death of Henry VI, the aerial fortress formed by his power crumbled.

The mechanical throne atop the steps shattered and disintegrated until it vanished into nothingness. This process lasted only ten minutes, during which Solan and the Other Shore remained silent.

Next came the body of Henry VI, from which flowed not blood, but codes that burned out in mid-air.

Solan walked up to the tyrant, and at that moment, he felt a sense of loss.

In an instant, countless memories flooded my mind.

The capital city, the starting point of all adventures, reminded Solan of the time he met Lance, Zoffy, and... Ilya, Sera, and Hetia in the capital city's tavern. Accompanied by the melodious songs of the tavern's bards, they talked about their visions for the future. He also remembered the buttered bread, roasted ribs, and wild vegetable salad on the table.

Of course, there was also the dignified yet gentle Henry VI, who met with them in the palace hall and solemnly entrusted the future of the Silver Empire to them.

Solan never imagined that the end of his journey would be like this.

But in any case, the adventure is over.

He had gone far beyond the plan; he had ascended the aerial fortress and confronted the ruler of the empire.

Now, Henry VI is dead.

But... what happened next?

Confusion filled Solan's heart.

Will the royal supporters disappear with the death of Henry VI, or will the empire undergo a new power reshuffle after the news of the king's death spread, or even erupt into an unprecedented civil war for the throne?
Solan felt that the latter was more likely to be the reality, which was also a lesson he learned at the end of this journey.

"Redhead, what would you do if you were in my shoes?"

He was never good at thinking, so he could only habitually turn to the other shore who had helped him many times before. Deep down, he had long regarded the other shore as his role model and mentor. Solan hoped that one day he could become like the other shore, not only with transcendent power, but also with her open-minded attitude.

These two things will bring a sense of security to those who follow her and those she protects, as if all dangers and difficulties will be properly resolved with the arrival of the other shore.

Solan believed that these were the qualities a true hero should possess, but even after inheriting the legacy of the first hero, he was still far from reaching that level.

What do you think 'hero' and 'demon king' mean to this empire?

The person on the other side didn't answer but instead asked a question.

She could understand Solan's feelings at this moment. The confused young man was just like her when she was the Imperial Knight Commander and was sent to a border town to intercept the evil god's followers. She also knew about the collusion between Pope Julius and "Dream Eclipse" and his desire to get rid of her as the last stumbling block.
Even now, she is not good at dealing with the intrigues and power struggles among the imperial nobles.

Upon reflection, she may have simply felt that sacrificing herself as a knight in the battle against the followers of the evil god was a worthy death, a way of repaying the king's kindness. As for the future of the empire, she no longer needed to worry about it.

However, she was luckier than Solan, as she met a group of like-minded friends in Riverwood.

"I have no idea."

When asked this question, complex emotions welled up in Solan's heart. "The Demon King and Hero Game" was definitely not something that could be explained in just a few words.

He became known as a hero because of his identity as a warrior, which fulfilled his childhood dream and gave his passion a purpose. He cherished everything that the identity of a "warrior" brought him more than anyone else. However, as it turned out, their adventures and battles were nothing more than a political game shaped by the nobles for the people of the empire, used to divert attention from their conflicts and to numb their spirits.

For most of the empire's inhabitants, life could go on as long as there was even the slightest hope.

Solan also once hated this ugly political game. He not only became a puppet on the political chessboard, but also indirectly fueled the oppression of the people by the nobles. While they were putting on a show fighting the Demon King, more people in the empire were living in slavery, and the damage the Demon King caused to them was less than one ten-thousandth of that caused to the nobles.

However, after receiving the inheritance from the first hero, Solan suddenly realized that this was a glimmer of hope left to the world by the broken soul of the first hero who had transformed into a bird. As long as there are people who inherit his will, this birdcage carefully woven by "god" will one day be broken.

This is true.

He and Melia unexpectedly escaped from the birdcage due to Ilya's ancient spell, and the first hero finally met the savior he had been longing for.

"You have firmly grasped the power of the hero."

The other side reminded Solan, "Think carefully, what does 'hero' really mean to the people of this empire? Unparalleled swordsmanship? The mission to fight the Demon King? None of those. What truly matters is the power to 'connect hearts and minds'."

The royal family and nobles recognized this, which is why they made efforts to use heroes from all over the world as a means of propaganda.

"Your power has not disappeared."

"In that case," said Bi'an. "Let's make another decision for everyone."

"...What decision?"

“Listen carefully, you should be able to hear it.”

Upon hearing this, Solan held his breath. The only sound around them was the beating of their hearts, until a gentle breeze carried the faint sound of their conversation.

"If you were given a chance to choose, what kind of being would you choose to become a 'god'?"

Solan understood the deeper meaning of the question almost immediately.

Perhaps he can end the millennia-long rule of the "gods" over this world and restore the skies of the Silver Empire to their original state.

Another mechanical voice was relentlessly seducing him.

He could become the messenger of the new god, like Henry VI, or even go further and become the sole representative of the new god on earth, representing supreme power and eternal life. More importantly, he could nip the impending civil war in the bud. Once he replaced the king and ascended the throne, he could transform the empire and even the world into what he desired.

When that time comes, if he wishes the people of the empire to be free from oppression, they will be freed; if he wishes to eliminate all the corrupt nobles, they will disappear or suffer the tortures they once inflicted on others.

Isn’t that great?

Solan could hear the urgency in the mechanical voice, and He had indeed made a tempting promise.

If he gives a positive answer, many problems can be solved once and for all.

Why hesitate?
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

There's no need to worry; this is definitely not a false happiness.

After you ascend the throne, everyone will find true happiness and redemption.

Isn't this the mission of a hero?
Those words resonated deep within Solan's heart, growing ever clearer and far surpassing the initial voice that suggested the choice.

In contrast, the other voice was extremely calm. It did not offer any rebuttal or guidance from beginning to end, but simply waited calmly for his answer.

Solan vaguely sensed the reason why the mechanical voice was so urgent.

Perhaps somewhere high in the heavens, "God" is also conducting a test that will determine life and death. He looked towards the other side, but the latter offered him no clues.

"I……"

Solan, you'd better think carefully before you speak.

Don't forget who you are, don't forget your mission.

You are destined to bring happiness to the people of this world; personal feelings are insignificant compared to that.

Destruction and destruction solve nothing!
Don't you understand? Even without me, the darkness of this world will continue.

As long as desires, jealousy, anger, and greed exist in people's hearts, slavery and oppression will never disappear!
This is your original sin, which you were born with, and I am the hope that can bring you salvation!
They will not know your choices, nor will they know anything that happened here.

They will only remember that you exercised the power of a king and bestowed happiness, freedom and equality upon everyone!

"I see."

Those reminders and warnings echoed in Solan's heart for a long time, and his gaze suddenly became incredibly firm. "I have only one wish—to make 'God' disappear from this world."

At that moment, even the other side glanced at Solan in surprise.

Then, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

This young man was the third answer, not the other options.

This was clearly not the answer the mechanical voice wanted, as evidenced by its furious actions. A part of the crumbling aerial fortress was pieced together to form a mechanical arm, which reached out recklessly towards Solan, as if to crush him into mincemeat.

Solan did not back down, nor did he retreat even a single step.

He calmly faced the wrath of the gods, but before the mechanical arm could touch him, the entrenched code vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, Ethan, on the other side, received an unexpected yet interesting answer.

However, what he found even more interesting was the reaction of the God of Truth. At this moment, this god, who was omniscient and absolutely rational in the eyes of the believers, became like a human being driven to a dead end, babbling incessantly at mortals who were like ants in His eyes, using every means to coerce and entice them.

Panic, anger, and the frustration of the mechanical arm missing its target.

"Welcome to the human world."

Ethan knew that these emotional reactions did not stem from a fear of death and disappearance, but rather triggered certain survival mechanisms hidden within the system's operating logic.

Even an astronaut who has ascended to godhood still bears the mission of bringing information and intelligence back to the divine kingdom.

He was well aware of the importance of this information, as it might become a crucial piece in piecing together the true omniscient and omnipotent God.

In Ethan's view, what the Kingdom of God wants to build up through data and information may be the true God of Truth.

The ruler whom the refugees called the Messiah still exists in the Kingdom of God, and he has no idea how many secrets of the universe they have mastered.

We will meet again someday, and that day is not far off.

Ethan had a strong premonition.

"Little Darkness—"

Ethan waved his right hand, and at that moment he was in sync with the shadows lurking in the database, including the data that had been severely contaminated and assimilated.

"Moriko! Are you crazy?!"

Xiao An also read Ethan's inner thoughts, and so Ethan's mind began to chatter incessantly.

Do you know what these data and energy can be used for?
This is an inexhaustible treasure trove!

Once we expel that giant white egg from this world, we can use this treasure trove to do many great things!

For example, making everyone a follower of Hakimi.

Let Hakimi's musical style resonate throughout the universe—this is a fantastic opportunity for evangelism! Look at all these potential believers here!

"Xiao An, use Big Bang."

"Moriko, I hate you! You idiot! You big jerk!"

Xiao An's cursing was quickly drowned out by the tearing mechanical sound. All the contaminated codes formed bombs at the same time and began to self-destruct.

At the same time, people looking up at the silvery "sun" witnessed the pupils suddenly contract.

Then, the omnipresent radiance distorted.

A silent, piercing scream, beyond the limits of hearing, first erupted from the cores of millions of simultaneously silent machines in the capital, and then the surface of the silvery sun—the once flawless iris—suddenly collapsed inward, like a punctured bubble compressed to its limit.

There was no flame, nor any shockwave from an explosion; only the withering of pure information remained.

The giant, silvery-white eye shattered into countless fragments, each one not of matter, but of boiling, disintegrating codes and numbers.

A torrential downpour of "0"s and "1"s, mixed with broken command streams and collapsing logical sequences, poured down from the sky, like a blizzard covering the entire firmament, silently engulfing the world.

The capital city seemed to dissolve in this collapsing coded sequence. People stood frozen on the streets and in front of windows, their breath and thoughts taken away by this apocalyptic scene. Some people subconsciously raised their hands, and the cold digital raindrops pierced through their palms without leaving a mark. This blizzard left no cold or pain, but it submerged them in bewilderment. Even the sparks of thought were extinguished by this blizzard.

Immediately afterwards, the same thought arose in their minds.

The new god has fallen.

Confusion, unease, and fear were replaced by the joy of surviving a disaster.

They are still alive.

They also saw that the aerial fortress above the capital had disappeared, and the sky that had been occupied by the silvery "sun" had returned to the sky they were familiar with.

Dawn is almost here.

Somewhere in the Imperial Capital Prison, the white ragdoll cat, who had witnessed the fall of the new god alongside everyone else, lazily shook her body. She stepped over the broken ice beneath her feet, leaped down from the high wall, and in the blink of an eye, disappeared into the night.

(End of this chapter)