Chapter 55: Lady Agnes, welcome to my home!

Although the capital city did not enforce a curfew, the city gates between the upper and lower districts were not open all day.

Fortunately, Char's current identity was a low-ranking inspector of the Tower of Judgement. After presenting his identification, the city guards respectfully let him out of the city.

At this moment, as the dawn began to break, the faint sunlight scattered lightly on the streets, awakening this somewhat dilapidated city.

From the expressions on people's faces, Char could only see apathy and indifference.

"The harvest in York Town this season is much less. I hope the Goddess can bless us."

"I heard that all the crops and fields withered overnight. Even the followers of the Abundant Church were alarmed."

"What does that have to do with us? It just means there's one less place for labor."

"Sigh, if this continues, we won't even have enough to eat..."

"Poor little Mary in my family, only two years old, and she has to go hungry with her useless father."

"I wonder how those noble gentlemen in the city are living. With such a low food yield, they're probably in the same predicament as us, right?"

"Do you have the time to worry about them?"

Similar conversations kept reaching Char's ears as he crossed the Sik Street.

York Town was the closest town to the capital and was known for its abundant wheat production, often referred to as the "granary of the capital."

However, from their tone, it seemed that they were affected by some unusual circumstances, which caught the attention of the Abundant Church.

Recalling the scenes that unfolded at the Violet Manor last night, Char began to form daring speculations.

Perhaps there was a problem with the Goddess.

Char pondered for a moment, planning to inquire about Miss Agnes after visiting the Witch's Palace.

As for Ember, she was currently digesting the memories of the Archmage, so he would not be discussed for now.

When passing by the shack of the Irene family, he slowly halted his footsteps.

On the previous trip to perform the ritual, he noticed that the little one wasn't at home. At the time, he didn't think much of it, assuming that Old Peter was taking care of the child, so he hurriedly left to meet the witch.

However, this time, as he peered through the somewhat dilapidated wooden door, Char discovered that the shack was still empty.

Tattered bedding and pillows were placed at one end of the straw bed, indicating that no one had used them for several days.

Char furrowed his brow.

In such a chaotic and troubled area like the lower district, anything could happen.

So he returned to the main street and stopped a shoemaker on the side of the road.

"Do you know where Old Peter lives?"

He handed the person a copper coin, and with tears of gratitude, the shoemaker accepted it and pointed him in a direction.

After a short while, Char arrived at the doorstep of a somewhat dilapidated single-story dwelling.

After knocking on the door several times, Old Peter opened the door for him.

"Mr. Char?"

He paused for a moment, then invited him inside with some joy while leaning on his cane.

But Char shook his head and spoke frankly, "Is Irene here with you now?"

"I was just worried about how to pass on this news to you." Old Peter lightly tapped his cane on the ground, smiling as he replied, "A few nuns from the Abundant Church passed by here recently. After hearing Irene's story, they felt pity and, with permission, took her back to the church for adoption."

"The Abundant Church?"

Char asked with confusion.

Somehow, terms related to the Abundant Church seemed to be constantly appearing in Char's life these past few days.

"Can we trust those people?" he inquired.

Old Peter nodded, "Of course, of course. My wife and I have visited the little one at the church several times. The nuns there are kind and treat her like a younger sister."

"Oh, by the way, would you like to come with this old man to see Irene later?"

Recalling the figure that resembled a thin, black beggar, Char gently shook his head, "No, it's fine. Thank you for your offer."

The care for Irene itself was born out of a fleeting moment of pity, and he didn't want to develop this relationship into a responsibility or overly interfere with her life.

Since everything was fine now, he felt relieved.

After bidding farewell to Old Peter, Char went straight to the ritual.

At present, there was nothing more important than enhancing his own strength.

....

Silver flames rose and a mirror-like teleportation passage stretched out before Char.

Taking a step into it, accompanied by a slight jolt of spatial displacement, he once again found himself in the depths of this Abyss Palace.

The scene from the last time was still vivid in his mind.

He raised his head and looked at the interior of the palace.

He had assumed that it had become Miss Agnes's daily routine to sit silently on the cold steps of the palace, reading a book. But unexpectedly, this time, she didn't appear to be reading.

What appeared before him was a serene countryside scene.

Miss Agnes sat amidst a gently swaying rice field, wearing a tattered black veil dress, her beautiful jet-black hair flowing freely in the wind.

In the distance, windmills turned slowly, and a vast expanse of green fields occasionally saw a few birds flying by.

And Agnes sat quietly on a wooden chair, her left hand holding a palette stained with various colors, her right hand twirling a paintbrush, facing a blank sheet of paper on an easel, seemingly contemplating something.

She indeed possessed the authority to create tangible objects within a certain range.

Could this... be somewhat similar to a creator deity?

Char couldn't help but speculate.

In his imagination, even the absurd plot of "Miss Agnes being an original creator deity, then having her authority usurped and being falsely accused, resulting in her being sealed in the abyss" emerged.

After snapping out of his thoughts, Char shook his head.

"..."

It seemed that Miss Agnes sensed Char's presence. She gently set down her paintbrush, stood up, and gazed at the young man standing at the entrance of the palace, as if welcoming him.

"Lady Agnes, good afternoon."

Char greeted her as usual.

To my surprise, this time Miss Agnes nodded slightly in response.

Then, she raised her hand and turned the scene before her into a watery illusion, dissipating into the air. The once cold and desolate grand hall reappeared before our eyes.

It seemed like she was in a good mood today.

Recalling what happened during our previous encounter, I instinctively lowered my gaze to her ankles.

Miss Agnes was slowly ascending the steps, her black veil dress swaying gently, occasionally revealing a glimpse of her slender and fair legs.

On her crystal-clear and delicate feet were the high-heeled sandals that I personally put on her last time.

The contrast between the black high-heeled sandals with their lace-up straps and the black veil dress against Miss Agnes's fair complexion was strikingly beautiful, breathtaking even.

It was as if... Cinderella, who was already beautiful, had put on glass slippers and become even more dazzling.

Unfortunately, the veil dress she was wearing now seemed quite worn-out.

I wonder if there are hidden reasons behind it, just like her insistence on walking barefoot before.

As she reached the velvet chair at the top of the steps, Miss Agnes adjusted her long skirt and gracefully sat down, crossing her slender legs.

Unlike Sally, Miss Agnes didn't have a fondness for nail polish. As a result, her ten pristine white toes were tightly aligned like seashells, with a subtle, elegant blush on the tips of her nails.

"..."

It seemed that she noticed my gaze, and Miss Agnes subconsciously recalled what happened last time.

At that time, the peculiar sensation of having her feet gently cradled in Char's hands left her feeling strangely peculiar, a bit ticklish, and unusually warm.

No one had ever done such a thing for her before.

With an indescribable mix of emotions, Miss Agnes discreetly withdrew her feet beneath her skirt.

After a moment, in a cold tone, she asked, "Do you have something to discuss?"

Char pondered for a moment and decided to get straight to the point.

"Did you know the Goddess of Abundance before being sealed here?"

"..."

Miss Agnes lightly rested her right hand against her cheek, remaining silent for a moment.

"Yes"

He continued to ask, "How is the current state of that being?"

"Has it encountered certain extreme situations that have weakened its control over the human world?"

"Is that all you want to ask?"

Upon hearing Char's inquiry, Miss Witch's expression turned colder, and she didn't provide a direct answer.

"Um..."

Char was taken aback by the question.

Seeing his perplexed state, Miss Witch didn't conceal her emotions.

"I'm asking you," her voice ethereal and elusive, "For you, every time you leave this place, it means going through the torment of the curse all over again. Though you won't truly die, that bone-chilling pain is undeniably real."

"Is it worth it?"

At the same time, her gaze fixed upon Char, as if she sought to find an answer from the depths of his eyes.

"Of course," recalling the benefits he had gained from Miss Witch, Char nodded without hesitation, "For me, encountering you in this palace... only this thing, is something I have never regretted."

Nonsense.

To level up so significantly with just one death, the price being the pain of death that I've long grown accustomed to—endure it and it's over. Who wouldn't be willing?

Moreover, occasionally, there are rewards and mysterious gift packages bestowed by Miss Witch.

"You..."

Miss Witch seemed about to say something further, but upon seeing Char's serene and clear gaze, she let out a soft sigh.

She believed what Char said.

However, as a result, her mood became even more resigned.

In Agnes's eyes, she was just a filthy sinner imprisoned here. Even if she had some interaction with Char, in the end, it would inevitably bring him certain death.

Although Char didn't care about such matters at all and never asked her for any exchanges of benefits, only inflicting harm upon himself and offering himself.

But it was precisely this attitude that made Agnes feel somewhat weary.

After a moment of silence, she leaned her body back, gently resting against the soft chair.

"As for the situation outside, I am not well-informed for now," Miss Witch spoke slowly, seemingly responding to Char's previous question. "However, I can make some conjectures based on your inquiries."

"The Goddess of Abundance has existed since the time I roamed the continent. She is not a specific individual but a creature composed of countless converging consciousness, like a great tree with a common trunk but branching out into numerous twigs."

"Based on what I knew before being sealed, her main body has suffered severe damage."

"If my guess is correct, she... should have disintegrated or fallen."

This statement exploded in Char's mind like thunder!

Oh my heavens!

He initially thought that it was just a matter of the deity's condition being off.

But now, according to what Miss Witch said, the actual situation might be even more explosive!

Char's breathing couldn't help but become heavier.

Having finally regained composure, he eagerly looked at Miss Witch, hoping to hear more.

However, it seemed that she was not inclined to continue revealing secrets and histories related to the deities. Instead, she cast a calm gaze.

"You... Do you have any wishes you want to fulfill for yourself?"

Miss Witch seemed uninterested in the events of the outside world, quietly observing Char.

Damn it, I really want to hear what comes next!

Now I understand the feeling of readers urging for updates!

But seeing Miss Witch's indifferent expression, Char could only sigh and temporarily set aside his curiosity.

"There is indeed something I would like to ask of you, if I may."

"Speak."

Miss Witch spoke indifferently.

"Do you possess the ability to create environments and influence reality to a certain extent?"

Char, feeling somewhat nervous, asked, as if he had thought of something.

The witch remained silent but nodded slightly.

"Can you materialize a specific scene that someone imagines in their mind?"

"That person must have concrete knowledge of everything in the scene in order for it to be possible."

The witch answered softly.

"In that case, Lady Agnes, I would like to ask you to assist me in a bold experiment."

...

Five minutes later.

Miss Witch stood in front of Char, lightly touching her index finger to his forehead.

The distance between them was closer than ever before, but Char had no romantic thoughts in his mind.

What mattered more to him was whether this experiment would succeed.

After opening up his memories to her without any resistance, the scenes in Char's mind immediately appeared before Miss Witch's eyes.

"Can you materialize it?"

For some reason, Agnes detected a slight trembling nervousness in Char's voice.

"Yes."

Agnes nodded, then gently raised her hand.

As the scenes gradually shifted, the images and objects from Char's memories materialized within the hall.

Then, a peculiar-looking house, as Agnes perceived it, emerged from the ground. With each detail being perfected through Char's recollection and supplementation.

Char's fist clenched slowly.

It actually worked.

The initial attempt was merely to reproduce this scene in the realm of consciousness, but unexpectedly, after Miss Witch accessed his consciousness, it truly materialized in reality.

Of course, this relied on Char's absolute familiarity with this scene to make it possible.

"What is this place?"

Agnes looked at the bizarre structure in front of her with some confusion and asked.

"This is my home."

My home from my past life on Earth.

A sense of nostalgia emerged in Char's heart.

Gazing at the familiar scene before him, he took a deep breath, then turned around and smiled, extending an invitation to Miss Witch.

"Lady Agnes, welcome... to my home."