I don't want to conquer witches anymore.

"Duke, what do you mean?"

Ida's voice echoed in Duke's mind. She seemed to realize something as well. Although Ida's analytical ability was not as good as Anne's, her humanity as a deity allowed her to obtain far more information than Anne. At this moment, she realized the hidden meaning in Duke's words much earlier.

"What I mean is very simple. No wonder this witch's game seems to have no solution, and our previous plan was impossible to complete the game—because we never really uncovered the game's worldview from beginning to end."

Duke snapped his fingers and looked at Ida:

"In fact, I was given a hint from the beginning: why is it that in this world, being 'silent' can lead to the path of godhood?"

Ida frowned: "Because I lost the ability to sing the song of the soul, this imperfect state of 'silence' inadvertently created a sense of divinity for me."

"No, no, no, how can 'muteness' be sacred? Imperfection and regret may be one of the conditions needed to create divinity, but they are definitely not necessary conditions. There are so many mute people, deaf people, and disabled people in the world, but there are not many disabled gods. Therefore, the necessary condition for you to embark on the path of the mute is not 'muteness,' but the song of the soul."

"You attain sacredness by voluntarily relinquishing it."

"So the question is, what is the Song of the Soul? What level of being is it?"

Duke's words shocked Ida; she had never thought about these issues before, but what Duke said next was even more shocking.

"This is an asymmetrical competitive virtual game that has been repeated countless times. The players are Alice and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

"And the sole purpose of this game is to give birth to the Song of Souls."

Chapter 327 The End of the Virtual World, The End of the Real World

The status of the mute is very high.

As the sole deity of the floating city, He does not have a strictly defined domain of authority; He is not a god of war, not a god of fire, not a god of love… In other words, He governs everything and possesses supreme divine power to intervene in any field. This is generally something only the chief gods of a few pantheons can achieve.

Such a deity's status is higher than most legends, and can even surpass most planes. An incomplete alternate dimension like Witch Game cannot be compared to the status of a main god. This is why the world rules of most alternate dimensions are ineffective for the mute.

And Ida's path to becoming a mute... actually began simply by "abandoning the song of the soul" in the witch game.

So here's the question: what exactly is this "Song of the Soul" thing?

Duke looked around at the vibrant mermaids who seemed to be perfectly normal residents of the Witch Game. He then looked at Alice, who stared back at him with wide eyes, seemingly not understanding the meaning of Duke's words.

The music of the Soul Requiem had not yet stopped.

Duke closed his eyes, no longer hesitating even for a moment. He followed the music of the Soul Requiem, humming a tune that was out of tune, and soon caught up with the music and began to sing the Soul Song.

He certainly learned the song of the soul.

All beings in this world who possess their own souls can learn the Soul Song. Alice was able to become the strongest Tide Singer in this world because she possessed the most complete soul among the inhabitants of this world. The powerful Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse took a different path, creating fictional souls through mechanical simulation of personalities and using various sound effects and musical effects to create the Soul Song.

Are they really that talented? Not necessarily, it's just that the creators of this world had no other choice.

Even so, Duke's talent in soul songs is indeed not as great as Ellie's, let alone the genius Ida. His tone-deafness makes it difficult for him to properly convey his emotions and desires through soul songs. However, there is a type of soul song that is just right for the tone-deaf Duke to sing loudly.

A song of destruction that will destroy the world!

“Lift the veil of secrets…”

The soul-soothing hymn engraved on Duke's chest consists of only three lines of music.

"Tear apart the false truth..."

The requiem playing is repeating the same tune.

"Destroy, hopeless despair..."

The three heart-wrenching lines of the song were repeated over and over.

The world, already teetering on the brink of collapse after more than three thousand cycles of reincarnation, inevitably succumbed to destruction amidst Duke's heart-wrenching and horrifying music.

Before destruction, the world descended into madness. Countless space-based weapons locked onto Duke, robots suddenly appeared, and divinely granted spaceship cities descended from the sky. These attacks were all-out from the start, aimed at taking Duke's life. The scale of these attacks was beyond what Stephanie, Annie, and even the god-like Alice could withstand. Especially the space-based weapons that bore the brunt of the attack; when that beam of light with a diameter of more than ten meters descended from the sky, no one had time to react.

Except for Ita.

She watched Duke with great interest, listening to his unbearable singing, yet she felt more relaxed than ever before.

Ida didn't reveal the whole truth to Duke. For example, she said that the divinity of the mute was dormant in Duke's body, which is indeed true. However, she didn't say that she had gained a certain degree of authority over the mute, and that the divinity was merging with her.

Having never been a god, Ida naturally wanted to experience the life of a god. However, after entering Duke's body and merging with humanity, the mute became different from before. If Ida wanted to further become a mute, she had to find a body that could accommodate her.

Without a doubt, Duke's divine body was the best option, and Ida had indeed considered whether or not to try to seize his body.

If Duke truly believes in the mute, then Ida has already taken over his mind and body. And persuading Duke to learn the Song of the Soul, further attain the state of "muteness," and embark on the path of mythology is, to some extent, preparation for her to take over his body.

But now, Ida has changed her mind.

You can always create your own divine body, but Duke only has one.

We can't waste Duke's potential for a mere "divine body".

"Keep singing, don't open your eyes, let me see the truth of this world."

Ida's soft laughter echoed in Duke's mind, completely putting his mind at ease. In reality, she stretched out her hand towards the sky, and her petite body suddenly grew into a mature woman in her twenties, becoming the "Mute" familiar to the believers of the floating city.

She snapped her fingers lightly, and the laser attack of the space-based weapon, which was over ten meters in diameter, collapsed and disintegrated. She snapped her fingers again, and the robots in the distance turned into scrap metal. The last snap turned the sunken spaceship, which was the size of a super-city, into a dazzling display of fireworks above.

The world's final madness failed to breach the omnipotent gods.

This false world met its end.

……

Duke opened his eyes and then struggled to sit up.

He quickly realized that his legs had returned and he had transformed back into a human from a mermaid. Then, Stephanie's surprised exclamation rang out beside him, making him turn around to look at his companion.

Stephanie and Anne, now back in their human forms, stared in astonishment at the scene before them.

This was a crowded room with no door and only one window. In the center of the room was a virtual game pod, a type of game pod commonly seen in online novels from Duke's previous life. A girl who looked 90% like Alice opened her eyes in the pod, looking around the room with a confused expression. Around Alice were four other virtual game pods, but their doors had been violently smashed by external force, along with the heads of the players lying inside.

Those four players are long dead, now only skeletons remain. In the virtual world, their remains may have transformed into the four mechanical knights named Apocalypse.

Duke stood up, walked to the only window in the room, and went to Ida, who had reverted to her child form, to look out the window with her.

There was nothing outside the window, just emptiness.

"This is the whole world. A cramped room, five virtual game pods, a still-intact player, and four skeletons."

Ida spoke slowly, the heavy weight of witnessing the world reach its end in nothingness pressing down on the two who were witnessing this scene:

"The Song of the Soul is the last hope for this world to save itself, but this hope was... hopeless from the very beginning. Before it could even be conceived, the world had already reached its end. What I gave up were the relics left behind by the end of the world, and that is why I gained the divinity necessary to become a god."

"Ah."

"What exactly is the Witch's Game?" The omnipotent guardian of the floating city asked, somewhat helplessly. "Who connected these worlds to the floating city? And why? Is it to make us save them? Or to make us plunder them?"

“I don’t know the answer to that question.” Duke didn’t look at the emptiness outside the room again, but turned back and pointed to the only intact virtual game pod. “I only know that… even in such a terrible world, we can at least save the last person.”

“You might not be suited to be a god,” Date shook his head, “or perhaps you are too suited to be a god.”

“Nonsense literature, huh? What are you doing here?” Duke rolled his eyes, ignoring Ida, and instead directed Annie: “Annie, let’s figure out how to pry open this virtual game pod. This thing is old and dilapidated, Alice might not be able to open it herself… Then we’ll find a way to bring it home. Zun will love this gift.”

Chapter 328 Celebrity Head Transplant

At the same time.

Joan clutched her head, staring at the Gate of Truth that emanated a terrifying aura, and let out a mournful cry of incomprehension: "Why? Why would Amber go in here on her own? She doesn't seem like the type to act impulsively."

After Joan said those words, everyone present turned to look at her. The Dream Witch, somewhat bewildered, shrank back and timidly asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

Joseph, Kazuki, and Natasha all showed somewhat subtle expressions.

Clearly, they all recalled the astonishing scene after the Cinderella game ended—those who witnessed it would hardly say that "Amber doesn't seem like an impulsive person." However, given that Joan was kidnapped by Talia and wasn't present at the time, her thoughts are understandable.

Joseph reached out and ruffled his fiancée's hair, comforting the bewildered Joan, before turning to Natasha: "So, you can actually walk through the Gate of Truth? I always thought it was a forbidden zone that couldn't be entered."

“No, no, no, theoretically, the Gate of Truth can be entered. Inside is a vast and endless sea of ​​knowledge.” Natasha shook her head, her face somewhat pale. To keep the Gate of Truth open, she had maintained a certain output, and was now exhausted, but even so, she still gritted her teeth and persevered. “However, generally speaking, no one dares to enter. Even the professional researchers from the floating city stand in the real world, using magic and research equipment that I don’t understand to study the truth within the Gate of Truth.”

Ge Yue added from the side, "That's why their research progress is so slow... They're too cowardly. If they were all as reckless as Amber, the magical technology level of the floating city would have exploded long ago."

“It’s mortal danger! Geyue, don’t talk like the Gate of Truth isn’t dangerous. Knowledge contamination has already ruined so many researchers who needed my help!” Natasha pouted unhappily. “Although they aren’t in mortal danger, they have all suffered irreversible soul damage—and you know they didn’t even personally enter the Gate of Truth! What are you going to do, Miss Amber?”

“If someone’s going to go crazy and commit suicide, there’s nothing you can do to stop them,” Ge Yue said stubbornly, but her gaze still turned to Joseph, and Natasha also looked at Joseph, whom they had invited. “Kuang Ge, do you have any good ideas?”

Joseph didn't refuse. He knew perfectly well the gap between himself and Duke. If Duke were here, any miracle could happen; the seemingly omnipotent Duke would surely have a way to save Amber, while he wasn't that kind of genius. But he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Because of Joan, he already owed Duke a favor, and to watch Amber, who had such a close relationship with Duke, die... he couldn't do it.

Joseph began by asking:

"So why did Amber willingly enter the Gate of Truth?"

"She said she wanted to become a legend."

"Become a legend? Can you become a legend just by entering the Gate of Truth?" Joseph frowned. "No, what she needs is knowledge, the knowledge that can make her a legend... As long as you enter the Gate of Truth, you can naturally obtain any knowledge, but finding a specific kind of knowledge in the endless sea of ​​knowledge is as difficult as climbing to the heavens."

"That's right, and the endless sea of ​​knowledge can cause swimmers to lose their way, and ultimately their souls will be polluted by knowledge."

Natasha nodded, agreeing with Joseph's statement.

Joseph frowned, reached out and bit his thumb nail, lost in thought.

How can amber be saved?

Or rather… why did Amber dare to enter the Gate of Truth? She is indeed impulsive, but not to the point of courting death on impulse. Judging from Natasha's brief account after their meeting, Amber specifically sought her out, meaning she had planned to enter the Gate of Truth beforehand.

How dare she?

Does she mean she's absolutely certain that Duke will make it in time to save her, no matter what? Is this the confidence that comes from being favored by a genius?

No… Amber should be confident she won't die in the Gate of Truth, and she's not even worried about Natasha closing the Gate of Truth. Her confidence likely stems from her spatial abilities. Amber is confident that she can maintain her right to "act" no matter what world she enters.

"In that case, the only thing we need to do is build a lighthouse for her and light her way back."

Joseph snapped his fingers, turned to Natasha and Kagetsu, and asked, "What kind of equipment do the official researchers of the Floating City usually use to study the interior of the Gate of Truth?"

"Here."

Joseph had assumed that such important equipment was mostly kept in the laboratory and was preparing to go there together, but when he heard his request, Ge Yue carried a bulky magical mechanical device over from next door.

She slammed the magical mechanical device onto the ground and said expressionlessly, "While I was calling you over, I went to the lab and stole this thing back."

As a near-legendary figure, Ge Yue may not be a match for the few top-tier fighters in the floating city, but she can move freely in most places.

"...Aren't you a mercenary hired by the floating city government?"

"Adventurers like you who come to participate in the Witch's Game are essentially mercenaries hired by the Floating City. Do you think you can abide by the law?" Kagetsu shrugged and patted the magical mechanical device. "Do you need it?"

"use."

Joseph nodded and walked to the magical mechanical device. When Ge Yue stole this thing, she also thoughtfully stole the instruction manual. After looking down at the manual for a while, he confirmed that this thing could allow the spellcaster's soul and spell effects to cross the Gate of Truth and touch the Sea of ​​Knowledge. Then he turned around and called to Joan: "Joan, you operate it."