Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 358

Chapter 358

The fire burning over his body did not hurt at all.

He ran through the crimson flames in his Beast Form, but there seemed to be no end in sight.

That was not a good sign. Perhaps the flames had already consumed him.

Just as the thought surfaced in Clarence’s mind, he heard someone speak.

“The World Sleeps-”

In an instant, a dazzling Light filled Clarence’s vision.

He did not know how to describe the sensation. His sight should have been obscured, because he could see nothing except flawless white.

Someone was speaking, their voice emotional and incoherent, tinged with the tearful joy of someone overwhelmed with relief.

Clarence strained to listen, but he could not make out a single word. Still, he knew there was someone else besides the person speaking.

That other person merely listened in silence.

A moment later, they both fell quiet.

Clink-clank-

Clarence heard the sound of Chains scraping against one another.

Perhaps because of those Chains, the person walked very slowly as they passed in front of him.

“Is that… Miss Bartholomew?”

Clarence had to struggle before his trembling throat finally managed to utter the name.

The sound of Chains stopped abruptly.

Clarence distinctly felt two gazes fall upon him at once. One held confusion, while the other held surprise.

“Mr. Clarence, you…”

Someone spoke in astonishment.

Clarence recognized that voice.

“Cassius… Magic Mentor.”

He did not know whether that was the appropriate form of address under the circumstances, but hearing a familiar voice eased some of his anxiety.

“Is Miss Bartholomew all right?”

That was all he cared about.

Magus Cassius was silent for several seconds, as though seeking someone’s permission.

Clink-

The Chains sounded again.

Someone touched his eyelids, and the white veil blocking his vision instantly dissolved.

The figures before him sharpened from indistinct blurs into clarity.

Two people stood before him: Mr. Cassius and Miss Bartholomew.

At least, they seemed to be them, yet somehow they did not.

The two people before Clarence bore only a one-tenth resemblance to the people he remembered.

There was something inhuman about them.

That was especially true of the Light behind Mr. Cassius. Perhaps it was merely a coincidence, but the Light had taken the shape of wings.

As for Miss Bartholomew…

He could not see her face clearly.

Clarence did not know how to describe it.

His eyes were clearly fixed on Miss Bartholomew’s face, yet his gaze seemed to slide around it. All he could see were the black Chains wrapped around Miss Bartholomew, coiling like serpents, and her tattered gray wedding gown.

“As you can see, she is well.” Cassius stood respectfully behind Bartholomew, his voice as gentle as ever. “But she does not have much time left.”

Does not have much time left.

That sounded like bad news.

Clarence did not understand what he meant, nor could he control his limbs. Anxiety welled within him, but all he could do was remain where he stood and ask, “What can I do?”

“You don’t need to do anything. The Light Wings behind you have already explained everything.”

The young woman finally spoke.

Light Wings?

Clarence suddenly regained control of his body. He instinctively turned his head and saw a pair of wings formed from golden-white Light behind him.

He looked first to the right, then to the left.

“This means you now possess the ability to become a Divine Attendant, Mr. Clarence,” Cassius said in wonder. “This has never happened before…”

After all, aside from the Divine Attendants personally created by God, almost no one was capable of harboring love for God that was pure and utterly free of blasphemy.

“So, make your choice-”

The young woman’s voice drifted to his ears, carrying what seemed to be the faintest hint of a smile.

“Become a Divine Attendant and repair the Divine Temple with Cassius, or return to the Human Realm and begin anew.”

The two choices were presented very simply, yet Clarence intuitively understood far more than her words alone conveyed.

Two different scenes appeared in Clarence’s mind-
On one side was the world he had lived in. The three kingdoms of Sainthos, Nauze, and Tilisha had all been restored to their former state.

It was as if they had all awakened from a very, very long dream. Now that the dream was over, everyone returned to where they belonged and resumed their former lives.

But every memory of her had been erased.

Their memories had been erased. Yes.

For God, this was a simple matter.

After all, this was a world she had created.

On the other side stood a ruined Divine Temple, ravaged by fire.

If he chose to become a Divine Attendant, he would remain in the Divine Temple with Cassius for all eternity.

There, he would neither age nor die. Through the long years, only his longing and loneliness would remain unchanged.

Unfortunately, no matter which option he chose, he would never see Miss Bartholomew again.

Clarence considered it for a few seconds before making his decision.

“I choose the first option. I am willing to become a Divine Attendant.”

Restoring the Divine Temple might be the only thing he could still do.

And if circumstances ever changed, if Miss Bartholomew… No, perhaps he ought to address her differently now. God.

What if God changed her mind and returned to the Divine Temple one day…?

Clatter-clatter-

The Chains wrapped around the young woman suddenly tightened, as though urging her to hurry.

The young woman sighed.

[It is time to wake up.]

Her voice echoed in Clarence’s mind.

After becoming a Divine Attendant, a vast amount of information suddenly flooded into his mind.

He sensed the flames disgorging everything they had consumed.

Everything around him seemed to be taking shape anew.

The others stood in neat rows, eyes closed and bodies perfectly still, like puppets stripped of all thought.

Clarence blinked again.

They all vanished, and the burned-out Divine Temple appeared before him.

He, too, had taken on the appearance of a young child.

“God is gone.”

He spoke aloud the knowledge that had entered his mind.

“In exchange, the Demon released the imprisoned souls.”

Clarence’s meekness and shyness had disappeared. There was now an extraordinary air about him.

“You ruined God’s plan, Cassius.”

Beneath his short, wavy brown hair, Clarence’s bright blue eyes blinked softly. He turned to the boy beside him, who had also assumed the appearance of a child.

“Despite your selfishness, you received no punishment at all and were even allowed to return to the Divine Temple… God is far too merciful.”

Clarence spoke with a trace of anger.

“What you did deserves the harshest punishment.”

Cassius, the selfish blond-haired, green-eyed boy Clarence had condemned, merely smiled gently.

“I simply understand God better than anyone else does.”

He made no attempt to defend his actions. Instead, he sighed calmly.

“If I had not underestimated how despicable the Demon could be, God would be standing between you and me right now instead of going to Hell.”

Clarence’s brows drew together slightly.

“Then… will God ever return?”

“I do not know. But judging from how strongly God resisted before, if she remains unable to return…” Cassius said softly, “the position of God of Dreams may pass to someone else, or cease to exist altogether.”

“Then can we go to…”

Clarence’s voice abruptly faltered. The word “Hell” lodged in his throat like a fishbone, refusing to come out.

“…Can we bring God back?”

“No.”

Cassius knew where Clarence meant, but he shook his head at the new Divine Attendant’s suggestion.

“That place is not connected to any Divine Temple. A Demon can only appear in a world created by God-in other words, the Human Realm.”

“Almost no Demon would willingly enter the Human Realm. The moment they do, they become extremely weak.”

“You mean there is nothing we can do? If God is to return, she can only rely on herself?”

Cassius nodded.

“There must be another way…” The boy shook his head stubbornly. “I will not give up.”

Light Wings appeared behind Clarence. He turned, and his figure vanished from the ruined Divine Temple.