After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

After finishing their meal, Oswald and John went to the office together.

As soon as he entered, John sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes to rest, waiting for the arrival of the new saintess.

Oswald then activated his clairvoyance skill again and opened the letter that Luna had brought, which was written to him by Elene.

In addition to the planned report on the spoils captured in the central district, Elena also briefly mentioned the Second Regiment's battle against Marquis Herder's army with the cavalry.

The uprising of the nobles in the central district was something Oswald had anticipated. After all, some people, having been in high positions for too long, lose sight of their own limitations.

Perfect timing! Taking down this scapegoat will make the Northern Army's subsequent plundering plans go much more smoothly.

What truly surprised Oswald was the information revealed by the abstract elf.

(Do gods really exist in succession?)

[It's probably true. Many worlds have the concept of old gods and new gods, but compared to the wars between gods in other worlds, the succession of gods in this world is quite peaceful.]

Is it peaceful?

Oswald folded the letter and put it away, then took out his pipe, lit it, and took a few puffs. He felt more and more that the world was shrouded in mystery.

It's still a world of butter...

(Tongzi, do you think it's possible that the mechanical god is the next god representing the future?)

[Uh, this system doesn't know either.]

It's understandable that people in this world don't understand the function of machines.

Oswald was a time traveler; didn't he know what machines meant to civilization?

The machine is probably only in its early stages; the full form of that god likely symbolizes technology, science, or perhaps something more transcendent.

Moreover, he and the system had argued in their previous life that an electrical revolution would be more successful than a steam engine.

The only problem is that the technology tree is hard to develop; it's like gunpowder—if you can't make it, you just can't.

From the moment the goddess herself took away his sight, Oswald realized that the world had always been under the goddess's surveillance.

He needs to be careful about every step he takes from here on out.

(What would happen if the goddess simply erased my existence?)

[This is known to this system]

The system's tone was cheerful; the host had finally asked a question that it knew the answer to.

[If the host's goal is to become a god, then the goddess will not be punished for eliminating you. However, in role-playing missions like ours, it is highly likely that the goddess actively invites us to intervene, so generally speaking, she will not eliminate the host.]

[The goddess inexplicably killed the host. The system will definitely intervene to protect the host's soul, and then send an ace system with professional transmigrators to restore order to this world. After that, a divine war is highly likely to break out.]

Oswald was inexplicably thrilled. (Ace System, what kind of configuration is that?)

[......]

[Ace Systems refer to systems that have completed cosmic-level missions; the benefits they provide to their hosts start at the level of planet-destroying and world-annihilation...]

The system thought the host would dislike it, but Oswald suddenly changed the subject.

(So, if I don't walk the path to godhood, I can't defeat the goddess, right?)

[Yes, wait! Host, what do you want to do!]

(I don't want to become a god, and I probably don't have much of a chance to become one. What I want is the power to pull that god hiding in the shadows down from his pedestal.)

[But host, if this happens, and the goddess attacks you again, the system world won't be able to protect your soul...]

(As you just said, this kind of mission should have been requested by the goddess herself. But if our guess is correct, given how things were already in the first life, why is she still insisting on following the original plot? What do you think she's worried about?)

Oswald quickly formed a mental network, though of course no one knew exactly what had happened; all he could do now was deduce a plausible but questionable answer.

In the first incarnation, it is certain that: first, someone initiated time reversal; second, Oswald's original soul had already been destroyed.

This is the power of two wishing stars. Oswald can also confirm that there is no name for the Machine God in the original work. It only says that the Church is purging heretics.

However, in the current third generation, the Machine God has a precise name, and both Paul and the elves have confirmed the existence of the Machine God cult.

Returning our attention to the first life, if the time rewind occurred after the story ended, Maria in the original story also solved the plague, and Lilith also revived the hero Thorne.

This already represents the power of four Wishing Stars. Considering the rule that Wishing Stars cannot be used again after being retrospectively activated, where did Maria and Lilith's power come from in the second life?

Why didn't the curse erupt at that time? Was it because there was still one that hadn't been used, or did the goddess use extra power to forcefully advance the original plot, resulting in the appearance of a new god in the third life?

New gods, new powers, singularities...

Oswald slammed his fist on the table, startling Archbishop John, who was dozing off, so he jumped up. Before he could figure out what was going on, he saw Oswald rummaging through drawers and cabinets, searching through piles of letters.

"What's wrong, Oswald?"

"Wait, don't come any closer. I'll explain later."

Oswald forced himself to calm down and finally found the letter that Count Camaro had given him in chronological order, reporting on the battlefield situation.

At that time, the gates of Starfall City were breached by the demon army, something that had never happened in the second life. According to Lisa, she sensed some kind of eerie and unsettling magic before the sturdy gates were suddenly breached.

Count Camaro also recorded in detail that the city gate was corroded by some strange liquid, and the strangest thing was that after the battle, the thousands of goblin army corpses outside disappeared without a trace.

The elven words written by Elene lingered in Oswald's mind.

The new gods are like a tossed coin, symbolizing wisdom and the end; no one knows whether it will bring rebirth or destruction...

Have they already come into this world?

The machines that transform flesh and blood, the corrosive substances that devour corpses—it's clear they're after the power to live...

Oswald smiled slightly. From the moment the last Wishing Star of the Second Incarnation was used to rewind time, the world had already fallen into chaos, which was not limited to calamities and curses.

But what exactly do the system's superiors want us to do by leaving us here...?

After a long while, Oswald calmed down, put the documents away again, and spoke to John the moment Jenny pushed the door open.

"Old man, I'm thinking of launching a rebellion in a few years. Would you support me becoming emperor then?"

……

Jenny didn't know how to accept this bizarre scene.

She gripped the doorknob and fell silent the moment she heard the Duke's words, not daring to move an inch.

John was stunned for a long time. His mouth was slightly open. Oswald's tone did not seem fake, but even now, he still found that he could not see through Oswald.

He sat back down on the sofa, picked up the now-cold teacup and put it down again. After hesitating for a moment, he said calmly, "With so many people supporting you, you don't need me."

"Others are others." Oswald laughed and beckoned Jenny to come in, but his second sentence made Jenny freeze in place.

"Anyway, I'm determined to get to that position. We'll see who's truly capable then."

The most sophisticated political maneuvering often employs the simplest methods.

Previously, everyone speculated that Oswald had rebellious intentions. After learning about the possibility of time travel, they also discovered that Oswald was just talking and had not actually taken any action for the rebellion.

Things are different now. John didn't know why Oswald had suddenly become agitated, but Oswald's tone had turned cold.

He made a rational choice.

John stroked his beard. Faced with such a major event, he needed to remain calm and at least figure out Oswald's true intentions.

"Why? Is it because you're unwilling to be inferior to others, or is it for your ideals?"

"I have them all." Oswald put his pipe back in his mouth, slowly walked towards him, and waved to Janet again.

"But most importantly, I don't trust anyone else with that position."

He clapped his hands, and after the maids brought him hot tea, Oswald exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, gesturing for the two of them to sit down and have a sincere conversation.

"Meet your successor first. She is my and Eleanor's best friend. I'm not bragging, but no matter how picky you are, she is the clergy who best meets your expectations."

"Well..." John looked at Jenny, "I'm sorry, child, we can talk about the saintess later. As for what happened earlier, I need to explain it to your duke."

Jenny smiled gently; she was also concerned about the topic from earlier.

"Please proceed, Archbishop."

John took a deep breath. "Oswald, you are the commander. I won't say anything more to you, but I want you to understand one thing: your choice will cost many lives."

"Yes, I also have something to tell you, old man." Oswald put down his pipe, and even though he had lost his sight, the two of them could still feel a heavy pressure emanating from him.

"The world has changed. This is not just a calamity or a curse, but the birth of a new god."

"Just now, I can say with certainty that the demon race has already begun to use the power of the new god. This is not only a catastrophe for humanity, but also a catastrophe for your entire Holy See."

Upon hearing this, John's pupils trembled violently, a scene precisely captured by Oswald using his clairvoyance skill.

Sure enough! There are people among the high-ranking officials of the Vatican who also possess knowledge about the gods, and even restrict the dissemination of this knowledge!

John's face paled, his lips turned white, and he clenched his fists, veins bulging on his loose skin, as he suppressed his anger.

"Tell me! Oswald, tell me, which god was born!"