Chapter 51: Does God Love the World?

On the second day after leaving the City of Allenson, you wake up to Cressa’s apologetic morning greeting.

She feels sorry for falling asleep while you were talking last night and hopes you will punish her for it.

You tell her not to worry, but the girl insists.

So, you lightly flick her forehead with your finger, claiming this is her punishment.

You start washing up.

You start eating.

From the mountaintop, you gaze at the distant City of Allenson, still ravaged by demonic creatures. The twisted, wailing flames show no signs of fading.

You decide to wait, communicating with the elements on the mountaintop, attempting to create broader and more comprehensive magic.

Elemental Perception continues to activate… Wisdom of Mortals continues to activate…

Your understanding of magic deepens further.

…

On the third day after leaving the City of Allenson, the weather turns gloomy, and a heavy rain suddenly pours down.

The rain is so intense that it extinguishes the fires in Allenson, but the demonic creatures lingering in the city do not disperse, as if waiting for something.

You wait patiently as well.

At the same time, you notice a change in Cressa’s eyes.

The once chaotic mix of black and gold seems to be transforming into an orderly pattern. You vaguely feel that the girl’s eyes have become more beautiful.

In your spare time, you choose to flip through magic books to pass the time and attempt to develop your own magitech tools.

…

On the fourth day after leaving the City of Allenson, the weather clears up.

You begin to doubt whether your judgment was wrong. Under your observation, the City of Allenson remains a demon-infested ruin, showing no signs of change.

You choose to stay here.

The Spatial Ring contains plenty of food, enough for you and the girl to survive for a long time, though life in the wilderness lacks a sense of stability.

Cressa stays by your side and actively trains her magic. She feels her strength is too weak to be of help to you.

The Witch’s cultivation speed accelerates.

On the fifth day after leaving the City of Allenson, your patience finally pays off as you witness a new change.

The earth trembles.

The mountains quake.

A dark “wave” emerges on the horizon.

Countless Steam Armored Magitech Vehicles roll forward, their roaring steam forming towering white pillars that pierce the sky.

Amidst the rising and falling whistles, the synchronized stomping of iron boots creates a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

The gears of steel turn.

The scorching steam roars.

Armies bearing the emblems of various Divine Churches march forward with thunderous momentum. High above, mages stand ready, praising the glory of the deities.

Prayers, roars, and stomps blend together, culminating in a unified cry:

“By the gods above, eradicate these heretics!”

Dark steam cannons begin charging, and magic staffs gather elemental energy, preparing spells.

War.

Has begun.

The armies of the human kingdoms and the Divine Churches launch a lightning-fast assault on the demonic creatures in Allenson with an ironclad resolve. Explosions erupt wildly.

The first wave of attacks alone kills thousands of powerful demonic creatures.

The results seem promising.

But.

Xu Xi furrows his brows deeply.

The scene before him appears normal—human armies and deity-worshipping mages joining forces against the demonic horde—but in reality, it is filled with many doubts and oddities.

For example, the beastmen that appeared in Allenson should have been blocked by the Divine Churches.

Why did they break through the defenses?

And why did the armies arrive so late? After several days, there are almost no survivors left in Allenson.

Lastly, and most crucially.

Xu Xi murmurs, “With just these steam weapons and mages of this caliber, victory is impossible.”

When he left Allenson, Xu Xi briefly clashed with those demonic creatures.

In most cases, Xu Xi could overpower them with his overwhelming strength, but among the numerous enemies, there were special individuals that even he found dangerous.

They were at least Grand Magisters, possibly even Saint Magisters.

From Xu Xi’s observations, the armies attacking the demonic horde can only deliver strikes equivalent to those of a Grand Mage, at best clearing out the weaker foes but incapable of truly reclaiming Allenson.

“Those high officials, the ones truly in power, couldn’t possibly be unaware of this…”

“What exactly are they trying to do?”

Xu Xi gazes at the distant battlefield, his expression grave, feeling that the truth is drawing closer.

…

You witness a scene that surprises you.

Countless armies arrive from afar, bearing the emblems of different human factions and Divine Churches, their momentum overwhelming, their attacks fierce.

But you frown, sensing that things are not as simple as they seem.

You observe patiently and notice the human armies’ advance stalling. They are horrified to find that their proud weapons cannot penetrate the demonic creatures’ defenses.

A massive, ferocious dragon-like creature charges into the vehicle formations with unstoppable force.

With a swipe, a toss, and a stomp, it reduces the towering armored vehicles to rubble.

Mages soaring through the sky with the Wind Riding Technique are harassed by poisonous wyverns and blood wasps. They retaliate swiftly, eliminating many demonic creatures, but soon find themselves surrounded.

The tide turns, and the battlefield is filled with wails of despair.

You grow increasingly unable to comprehend—did the high officials send these armies here just to die?

You are puzzled, confused, and silent.

Suddenly, you hear intense prayers rising from the battlefield. Under the intense stimulation of death, more and more soldiers break down mentally, begging the gods to save their lives.

And so, you see it—the so-called “gods.”

“Save me, great gods who created the world! Please, save me! I don’t want to die!”

“Atona, Atona! No, no, someone save him!”

“Don’t come any closer, you monster!”

“Ah!!!!”

Cries for help, shouts of anger, screams of terror.

On the blood-soaked battlefield, whether they are ordinary soldiers or elemental mages, all show fear in the face of death, their spirits fragile and helpless.

They call out, begging for the gods’ mercy.

To save their pitiful lives.

But can the lofty gods truly hear the pleas of mortals?

Xu Xi cannot give a definitive answer, but at this moment, in this place, he indeed witnesses the descent of “gods.”

The heavens and earth change color, turning dark and lightless.

Thunder rolls through the clouds, and lightning illuminates the land.

A single, infinitesimal yet world-illuminating “light” drifts down from the sky, pressing down on the earth until it silently crumbles.

At this moment.

All falls silent.

Listening to the “gods'” gospel.