Chapter 104: It’s uncomfortable, but it won’t be uncomfortable soon* …

*

I returned to the elves' settlement again and revisited the old place. However, this forest was a little different from what I remembered.

The air was filled with a faint smell of kerosene, and the druids walking by had serious faces. The driven monsters hovered at low altitudes, and whenever they found the enemy, they would immediately give the alarm.

Many elves I had seen were running through the forest, hurriedly and swiftly. Odysseus led us through various groups of monsters, and the deer I had fed came over, gently rested its head on my shoulder, and rubbed my cheek affectionately.

"It misses you."

Odysseus said softly. Not far away, Sean snorted coldly, his eyes fell lightly on the deer, and then moved back to me. His voice was low, revealing a hint of cynicism: "A deer? It's so cute and fragile. A little thing like this will have its neck strangled if you are not careful."

He paused deliberately, as if waiting for my reaction. Then he smiled nonchalantly, "So, you still have to protect it well. After all, it would be bad if it was taken away, right?"

Odysseus's expression changed slightly, and his eyes shot towards Sean like arrows. A hint of coldness appeared on his calm face, and his pale golden pupils looked particularly sharp in the sun: "A wolf is still a wolf. No matter how many skins it has, it still has the nature of biting people."

The two people's eyes crossed in the air, as if the silent swords collided, sparks flew. I couldn't help but twitch my mouth, and I saw Samuel watching the fun with interest. Remiel looked at them hesitantly, as if he was thinking whether to intervene.

This scene reminded me of a fight between wild animals: the wolf and the deer were fighting each other, the fox was watching with glee, and the leopard was hesitating. I held my forehead and sighed, stepped in between the two, and said with a little helplessness: "Don't you two look like a group of small animals fighting?"

Sean raised his eyebrows, with his usual smile on his lips, but there was an imperceptible chill in his eyes: "I was just making a casual comment. I didn't expect that the dignified Elf Saint would be a deer slave. Ha, only a place like the Elf Forest can raise such a delicate thing. The outside world is not so leisurely."

Odysseus's expression instantly darkened, and his usual calmness was instantly ignited. He stared at Sean, his eyes so sharp that they seemed to be able to pierce through people: "At least my elegance does not need to be set off by bloodthirstiness."

Hearing this, Sean's smile became even more arrogant: "Elegance? Ridiculous, how long can elegance alone keep these deer alive?"

The atmosphere between the two suddenly became tense, as if a conflict would break out if they weren't careful. I glanced at Samuel, who was gloating over the misfortune, and warned him coldly, "Don't just watch the fun. If these two really fight, don't think you can get away with it."

Samuel spread his hands and smiled innocently: "Fighting won't kill you, and it can also enhance your relationship, which is a good thing. Besides, you will take care of it anyway."

"...I'll deal with you later."

I gritted my teeth, turned around and gave each of the two men a cold look: "Don't forget our business. Sean, if you cause trouble again, I will throw you and your 'elegance' into the wild beasts."

Sean chuckled and shrugged, apparently not paying attention to my warning. Odysseus took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. The noble elf couldn't say anything harsh, so he could only say coldly: "A wolf is a wolf."

Sean didn't respond, but just looked at him meaningfully, then turned away. There was still a hint of gunpowder in the air, but it finally quieted down. I rubbed my brows and sighed inwardly: Why can't I have a few worry-free people around me?

In order to ease the tense atmosphere, I coughed and tried to change the subject: "Where are we going next?"

Odysseus replied calmly, but his tone was faintly solemn: "Go see the high priestess. She is the spiritual pillar of the elves, can communicate directly with the goddess of nature, and is also the most respected person in the forest."

Samuel walked in front, leading us through a series of towering ancient trees. These ancient war trees stood quietly in the forest like immortal guards, with vines and mosses entwined in their thick branches. As we walked forward, the surrounding scenery became more and more thriving, as if the war had not yet infected this holy land.

Finally, we came to a clearing that looked like a fairyland. The soft sunlight penetrated the dense tree canopy and sprinkled on a temple woven from flowers and branches. The high priest was sitting there.

I recognized her at a glance. It was Aisha, Odysseus's cousin and a companion who assisted him in the outside world. I still remembered that she had helped me before, and I had a very good impression of her.

In the game, she is also incredibly beautiful. She is blessed with the blood of the elves, with long silver hair that falls to her ankles, and plants and trees forming a seat. In the sunlight and the forest, she is as beautiful as a lake. Aisha smiled at us and said in a beautiful voice: "Thank you for coming. On behalf of the elves, I thank you for your support."

Aisha nodded slightly, but there was a hint of worry in her tone: "I'm sure you all know that the Elf Forest is facing an unprecedented crisis. Although the enemy is coming in full force, the elves are not powerless to resist. What really worries us is that our connection with the Goddess of Nature has been cut off."

The goddess of nature is missing?

I was shocked and looked at Samuel. We quickly saw the same doubt in each other's eyes. The loss of contact with the Goddess of Nature was no accident. There must be something else behind it. Aisha's eyes swept over us, as if she knew everything: "Has the Church of Light also noticed similar abnormalities?"

I suppressed the thoughts that were surging in my heart and answered carefully: "Don't worry, we will try our best to re-establish the connection with the Goddess of Nature through the guidance of the Lord of Light."

Aisha's expression relaxed a little, and she said solemnly, "Then I'll leave it to you. The elves will remember your kindness." As she said this, Aisha nodded to her chest and made a prayer gesture. "May the goddess protect you, friends of nature."

...Forget about this. The first thing your goddess will do when she sees me is to kill me.

I complained in my mind. As Aisha's voice fell, this meeting came to an end.

As soon as I walked out of the palace, I used the excuse of being thirsty to get rid of Remiel. The blond knight looked at the others and asked me softly, "Is there anything I can't listen to?"

Before I could answer, Remiel lowered his eyes and said, "...I'm sorry, I said too much. I'll go get you some water, Saint Son."

After the remaining few people gathered together and confirmed that no one was following us, Samuel and I spoke at the same time: "The disappearance of the Goddess of Nature must be related to the Mastermind."

Samuel explained thoughtfully: "No god would lose contact for no reason. Although high-level NPCs have certain freedoms, they still need to complete basic tasks. For example, I need to listen to prayers and purify evil, and the God of Death needs to guide the dead and maintain reincarnation. These are instructions written in the program, and only higher-level commands can block them."

Speaking of this, I remembered another thing: "By the way, is your group chat still working?"

Xia Ping'an used the identity of the Grim Reaper, and I didn't even dare to open his contact list, for fear of being discovered.

“That one.”

Samuel checked it and frowned. "Yes, it can be, but I haven't checked it for a while. Wait, let me check it." He flipped through the information quickly, and his expression became more and more serious. "The records of the goddess of nature show that everything is normal, but the recent speech is a little strange. I suspect it is a disguise."

I thought about it and said, "Send her a message and do as I say. Ask her if the Grim Reaper has arrived at her door."

Samuel's mouth twitched: "...Wait for me, I'll send a message."

After a few seconds, he said with certainty: "It's absolutely false. She only cursed me eight times, and she didn't even call me your running dog."

Sean: "...you guys usually have a lot of fun."

"She is a goddess of nature after all, so it's normal. She is a famous female warrior."

I answered casually, thought about how to solve it for a while, and finally decided to ask someone to solve the problem.

They have a mastermind, and so do we!

The exit button in the corner of my vision flickered slightly, as if to indicate that Remiel was always watching me. I pressed the game exit button. But this time I didn't exit the game.

The light blue data stream flows, and soon, a voice rings in my ear: "What do you need me to do this time?"

"Help me check the affairs of the gods."

"No problem, give me some time."

The speed of the main brain is not to be underestimated. After only a few minutes, Remiel's voice sounded again, "It is indeed Xia Pingan and his men who did this. All the gods in the game have fallen into..." He used a euphemism. "...sleep."

Sleeping? I felt a chill in my heart. To ordinary people, this is just a harmless word, but to NPCs, this state means the stagnation of data flow - almost equivalent to the prelude to complete demise.

Remiel lowered his eyes, as if waiting for my instructions. His existence was my last trump card, but even so, I was still upset. That name - Xia Pingan - appeared again. What is he planning? We are obviously the same person, but I can't understand his thoughts.

"Can you still maintain your current state?" I asked in a low voice.

"No problem." Remiel agreed without hesitation, "I will always be by your side. Just call me if you need anything. But next, you should consider another thing..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp whistle was heard from the sky. A giant black eagle swooped down from the clouds, circling and descending, stirring up a gust of wind as it flapped its wings. Odysseus' figure followed, his face grim, and his voice hurried: "Sir, the enemy has begun to attack! We need your command, and the support of the Knights of Glory!"

"Son of God?" I raised my head subconsciously, and then realized that it was not calling me.

Odysseus raised his head, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes: "I understand, let's set off immediately."

*

The battlefield to meet the enemy in Natural Forest is located outside the forest.

The wind suddenly grew stronger, and the fragrance of grass and trees in the air was gradually replaced by the smell of blood and fireworks. The whistling sound was accompanied by the sound of killing, like a war drum beating in my heart.

What came into view was a horrifying scene—countless corpses struggled to rise from the ground, with hatred flashing in their empty eyes.

These souls that should have been sleeping in peace were now forcibly revived and became the cruelest weapons on the battlefield. My chest felt tight, as if I was being crushed by a huge rock. My ears were buzzing, and anger surged up my throat. I could hardly speak: "How dare he..."

In my dunes, all souls sleep peacefully, freed from the pain of life and resting in the silence of death.

And at this moment, they woke up from death and were forced to become new warriors. At this moment, I seemed to hear a loud noise from ancient times.

That was the palace my followers built for me. I walked through it and listened to their prayers. When their lives came to an end, I closed their eyes for them. I walked with them in their last moments. After they died, I personally sent them to sleep.

It was a long contract, with humans offering their faith, and the gods accepting the heavy bloodstone and setting it in their crown, promising to protect them until the day they die.

Samuel patted the back of my hand silently, signaling me to calm down. I heard my own voice flowing out coldly, like some kind of empty echo.

"Get rid of them."

Remiel jumped on his horse, holding a spear as white as silver snow. The galloping horse roared out of the dense forest, the knight's roar shook the earth, and the power of glory crashed into the corpses like a surging tide.

"For the glory!"

The battle cry shook the sky, and the silver armor flashed a dazzling brilliance in the sun. The arrows of the elves fell like rain, and the roars of the tree people and druids tore through the air. Wherever the light of the unicorn passed, the wounds of the warriors healed quickly and recovered as before.

As I spoke, Remiel waved his arms. The sound of horses treading on the ground was deafening, and the rushing torrent crashed into the corpses. A strong energy tide erupted. The elves bent their bows and drew their arrows, and the tree people and druids fought in close combat. The snow-white unicorns healed their companions wherever they went, and the human priests blessed their companions with buffs.

I stretched out my hand and lightly tapped the air. Samuel smiled happily: "Did you finally remember me? You only ask me for power when you need it. You are so willful."

He looked very happy when he said this. I glanced at him and said, "It's up to you if you want to give it to me. If not, take it yourself."

"Why wouldn't I give it to you?"

The knight standing next to me laughed softly, and took a step forward. Using his body to conceal his presence, he whispered in my ear, "I am willing to give you everything."

Instantly, the sky shone with dazzling morning light. The surging light poured down on me, and I turned to look at the players in the distance. They had lined up and were about to enter the battlefield.

I gently nodded to them: "Go, the light will heal you, and never let death rob you of your life."

In an instant, the sky was torn apart by brilliant light, and threads of morning light poured down, dyeing the battlefield a holy golden white. My body seemed to be enveloped by the stars, and a brilliant light that was difficult to look at was surging around me. The light overflowed like a tide, accompanied by a low and solemn chant, weaving into an invisible curtain.

Samuel gave me so much, and I gave that strength to everyone.

Golden runes ignited in my palms, leaping and flying like living things, turning into a brilliant meteor shower, sweeping towards the players lined up in front of me.

The light fell on everyone, and in an instant, their tired faces were covered in the divine light, and their armors ignited with the luster of sparks. The light was like soft wings, making each sword indestructible and each piece of armor as solid as a rock.

[You cast group magic [Cat's Agility], [Light Element Affinity], [Courage Inspiration], [Angel's Sharpness]...]

[You have cast group magic [Accelerated Recovery], [Holy Armor], [Fearless Heart], [Bloody Immunity]...]

The players looked at each other, raised their weapons, and their eyes were burning with a burning desire to fight.

"For the glory!"

They shouted in unison, and the deafening shouts echoed between heaven and earth. Even the wind, snow and roars of beasts could not cover it.

At this moment, they are no longer lonely mortals, but a holy war army walking with glory. All the shining knights shouted: "For glory!"

Two torrents of different colors collided, squeezed and swallowed each other.

The two-headed ogres swung their huge hammers and roared as they charged at the elves' defenses. The enemy monsters in the rear surged like a tide. Samuel whispered, "I'll go deal with them."

He leaped down and instantly transformed into a huge silver-grey wolf. His strong limbs crushed the earth, and his eyes flashed with the power of the beast god. His roar reached the sky, shocking the enemies. He leaped down and transformed into a giant wolf and rushed into the beast tide. The power of the beast god surged in his body. The ogre priest roared angrily and waved his staff to attract the attention of the Lord God.

But Sean laughed and charged at him fiercely. The beasts pounced on him, but were shot dead by the long arrows. Odysseus was surrounded by a natural aura, and blood would splash wherever the arrows landed.

The night rolled like a veil, and deeper darkness came from afar, covering everything.

The smell of death, the smell of shadows, the smell of Warcraft.

And the breath of my family.

*

The air was filled with singing, and the gentle melody blended into the night. It seemed gentle and harmless, but in fact it made the shining knights gradually faint and fall to the ground.

I looked into the distance. The cool breath was like an eye, quietly staring at all living things. The master slowly walked out of the darkness, with long black hair falling softly on his shoulders, and scarlet eyes just like Kajol. The mermaid stood by the boy, staring at everyone coldly. She was filled with a sense of alienation and indifference.

Without a doubt, this is a CD player. The last time we met was when we were clearing out the Beast God. After that, he continued to diligently carry out my orders and protect the Dark Son vest for me. Even now, he has not stopped.

We looked at each other and both recognized each other's identities. We remained calm on the surface, but secretly exchanged glances. Samuel saw it and smiled softly. He knew that the CD player was my believer and that he knew the alias of the Dark Son. But the others didn't know about the alias. Even when I was thinking about how to deal with this meeting, someone had already rushed out.

A storm of arrows flew straight at the black-haired boy. Odysseus' eyes turned red.

"So it's you—how dare you show up in front of me!"

The magic power poured out at all costs, sweeping the entire battlefield in an instant. I was terrified and felt that Odysseus almost hit me in the face.

I once again made up my mind not to reveal my true identity and would never tell him the truth even if I die.

The mermaid flicked her tail lightly, easily neutralizing Odysseus' attack. Odysseus continued to move forward like a madman, step by step, with an icy tone: "Do you still remember the child you killed? I always remember how you teased me that day."

His long silver hair fluttered in the wind, and he chanted the spell coldly, using the most powerful magic. I was sweating profusely, and I never expected that Odysseus still remembered that incident.

Arrows gushed down like a storm, and the CD player sneered. The mermaid had a bad temper to begin with, and now it completely exploded.

The hazy bubbles drifted, forming a beautiful illusion that submerged everything. All attacks were transformed into images between reality and illusion, twisted into blurred and dim shadows by the illusion. I protected my allies and was about to dispel the illusion brought by the song. Suddenly, someone held my hand. His palm was cold and carried the moisture of the tide. I guessed who it was at once. So I didn't struggle.

Maybe there is another reason -

I smelled a familiar scent on the mermaid.

That's my artifact, where my cat lives.

*

The mermaid let go of my hand and the black-haired boy stood next to her.

Seeing the vest I made so casually again, I just felt regret. If I were given another chance, I would never make this face look like Kajol.

As if it could see my discomfort, the CD player dispelled the illusion, or maybe it was because there was no need to continue pretending. This was a secluded and dark open space, and the air around was unusually quiet. The mermaid looked back at me, still with that beautiful face. Her tone was light, making me sweat inexplicably: "I didn't expect you to remember me. I thought you had forgotten me."

I:"......"

He said expressionlessly: "You didn't really forget it, did you?"

I almost knelt down to the CD player, lowered my head and said: "I'm sorry."

The CD player was almost laughing out of anger: "I asked you if you had forgotten me, and you answered yes? What if you just lied to me?"

I stood firm. “No, I never lie about this. I’m not a jerk who plays with other people’s feelings.”

The mermaid was speechless for a while, and then she spoke in a deep voice: "Okay, you are not a bastard, I am. You don't need to apologize, how can I deserve your apology. I will work hard at your command. Or I will work for you, and even if I die, it will be yours. Whatever you do is right."

"No way, I'm definitely thinking about you... I'll give you a holiday when I get back. I don't mind you playing drums with the bearded man's skull."

I was sweating profusely after hearing this. CD player is actually quite arrogant. All immortals have this problem, but CD player is more so. So when he said this, it meant that he was really angry.

"...Do you think I want his skull?"

The mermaid sighed, and his tone finally softened. He lowered his proud head, like a fluffy little animal, "...Don't do it again. I know you are very busy. God will not stare at a believer for too long, but since you have given me a mission, given me meaning, and given me mercy, then please look at me one more time, my Lord."

God has too many followers, so a person becomes insignificant. But the followers always have only one God.

I think I am a bit soft-hearted. Every time I hear this kind of words, my heart softens. After coaxing the mermaid for a long time, I finally got down to business.

After hearing my question, the CD player frowned and thought for a moment: "...I did see your mirror. You took it back."

The "you" here is of course not me. Although I had expected it, I still felt a little headache: "I know... Do you know where I put it?"

It may seem strange to ask, but I trusted the CD player. A good believer never asks what the gods think. It turns out that my thoughts were correct. The CD player didn't even think: "It's at Kadjo's place. [You] seem to be very busy recently, so you left the mirror... and the adult in Kadjo's care."

He paused, "...you've been...I mean, the one in the Kingdom of God is not right. In the past, you would never get involved in such matters...I haven't seen you personally mobilize the army for a long time."

I understood what he meant, but could only smile bitterly in silence.

The CD player did not continue the topic, but said, "There is one more thing I need to tell you. The power of this phantom of mine is about to run out. When the phantom merges with the main body, the memory will also merge. So I want to ask you... do I need to erase this memory?"

"Do you know what you are saying? If you do this, you are betraying the current [Death God]."

My expression suddenly became strange, and I couldn't believe that I heard this from the CD player. He just chuckled: "I don't know what happened, but I can see that this is not a play you put on, but a real need. I always remember the way you saved me. I prayed to so many gods, but in the end only you responded to me. You are death, but you have a soft and fair heart."

The mermaid looked up at me, eyes sparkling. "You are the only destination of all things. You are the only one who is immortal and accepts everything with tolerance. We respect and love you, not because of your identity, but because you can destroy everything, but you choose to be tolerant. You have the right to tear everything apart, but you voluntarily follow the rules. You can do whatever you want, but you never abuse this power. Although I know nothing about what happened, I remember your promise... your promise to the Styx."

I vaguely remember what he said, it was a long time ago.

The Fountain of Eternal Life granted immortality to all until one day, a child was sacrificed to it.

An ordinary human died, and an immortal god was born.

All the fountains of eternal life were collected in my kingdom of God and gathered into three rivers of the underworld. The newly born god of death promised the underworld and endless chaos: "From now on, this is the kingdom of the dead. I will select every grain of sand from the underworld to create the most suitable place for you to sleep forever."

The weary have nothing to fear or worry about. Souls who no longer want to experience the wind and rain have a place to rest.

Now that I think about it, a big part of the reason why I hate work so much is because I was too diligent when I first started working. I was a slave in the early days, but if you ask me if I regret it, the answer is of course "Boss, I did everything voluntarily."

I opened my mouth and half smiled and half sighed: "If there is one thing I regret the least, it is becoming the god of death. If not for this, I would not have met you."

Someone has to do this kind of work, even if it is hard and long, and it exhausts my energy. But someone has to carry the sky when it falls. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sigh again. I was really immersed in the work and even felt a sense of responsibility. With infinite melancholy, I accepted the mermaid's inquiry.

He bowed to me and said softly, "I understand. I will wait for your return in the Kingdom of God."

The figure in front of me quietly disappeared. He left me with an identity, an identity that can walk under the night.

If Xia Pingan knew about this, wouldn't he be furious? Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel secretly happy. Even though we have the same shell, the facts prove that I am still better than him!

My hair turned pure black, my eyes turned red, and the night was like a veil, softly hanging on my shoulders.

The noise of the battlefield gradually faded away, and countless strange and bizarre figures could be vaguely seen in the darkness. Those creatures sunk in the shadows danced gracefully and let out wild howls.

They didn't attack me, but watched something. I didn't ask where the CD player Kazo was, and the mermaid didn't tell me, but we both understood that the dark gods naturally coexist with the night.

I seemed to sense something, so I stopped and looked at the figure in the distance. He looked back at me with a lazy expression. His black robe melted into ink in the night wind, engraved with silent silence. With a playful smile on his lips, he played with a cracked mirror in his hands, as if playing with a broken heart.

My eyes were glued to the mirror, my heart was pounding. I wanted to rush over and grab my mirror back. My cat was still in the mirror, how could I let others touch it! ?

"Ah, what a coincidence! Isn't this my little saint?"

Kazhuo raised his eyebrows, lifted my chin nonchalantly, and looked at my face. The dark god will naturally be in the dark night. As long as he wants, we will meet him no matter what. His eyes were misty and his emotions could not be seen clearly. His voice was like fine wine. He pretended to be surprised even though he knew it.

He noticed my gaze and shook the mirror in his hand deliberately: "Are you interested in this? I can't give it to you."

I stared at his hand, feeling like a wire in my brain was broken. Kazhu looked at me thoughtfully for a while, and suddenly changed his tone: "Well... It's not impossible. Someone asked me to keep it. Play with me and I'll let you touch it, how about it?"