Slap!

Wayne kept his hand on Filomina’s face. “Don’t think that I can’t tell what you’re thinking just because you don’t say anything. You must be having malicious, rude thoughts.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

Wayne huffed. He knew the expression all too well since he saw it in his own reflection often. He was no man of integrity, so it wasn’t easy to fool him.

“Whether I’m having bad thoughts or not, you are my husband. Honey, let me go.” Filomina smiled. Her warm smile had a hint of seduction to it, which made her even more alluring.

Wayne sighed. He could not save this world. He scattered the white foam with a wave.

Getting on her feet, Filomina looked down at her single-edged sword and pistol. When Wayne didn’t stop her, she put them away in her personal storage. She clenched her fists. Her power had returned to her peak, enough for her to survive in this doomed world. However, it wasn’t enough!

She grabbed Wayne’s elbow. “Honey, why are you here in the inner world?”

The greed of a human heart was on full display at this moment. She had only wanted to survive, but now she wanted more—power, riches, freedom. She even wanted to go to the surface world to replace her other self and take everything from her.

Since the inner world was the negative representation of the world he came from, Wayne knew that he shouldn’t hold any expectations for Filomina, but he still couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He shook his head and said, “It’s a long story. Just tell me, what has this world become?”

“It all started two years ago...”

The surface world and the inner world followed the same timeline. Two years ago would be November 1937. The inner world exploded and replicated the surface world anew, beginning another storyline.

Wayne had transmigrated in January 1938, and it wasn’t until three months of living with potatoes later that the trio of magical girls came to his doorstep. Therefore, the Wayne replicated by the inner world wasn’t him.

Since the world’s rebirth, everyone could look up and see the mirror in the sky, on the other side of which was the surface world of the Chosen Land. Black, negative information constantly fell from the sky and exerted omnipresent influence, disrupting balance and leading everything to destruction.

Realizing that they only existed in the mirror’s reflection and would meet certain doom, all inhabitants of the inner world went mad. The regular people stocked up on firearms and supplies, the governments lost control, and the mages attacked each other. With their negative feelings amplified to the limit, they did everything they had wanted but not dared to do.

Hell was empty because the demons were in the human world. In less than a year, wars destroyed the order in the inner world.

There was no longer any government across the world, and the churches had fallen apart during civil wars. In the post-apocalyptic world, the strong controlled everything, and the weak either died or served the strong as slaves, leading a pitiful life under their protection.

Wayne took Filomina out of the sewer, finding himself in a ruin. Rubble and twisted metal pieces stacked together to create a desolate street view. What had been a prosperous world was no more. All that permeated the air was the rotten smell of wasteland, and every time the wind blew, dust and ashes would rise and obscure the view.

It was deathly silent, gloomy, lonely, and despairing.

Yet looking up, they saw the warm surface world of the Chosen Land.

The world on the other side of the mirror was bright and beautiful, but the more beautiful it was, the more the sight aggravated the inhabitants of the inner world. All resentment stemmed from an assumption: inhabitants of the inner world believed that the surface world could only have peace because the inner world had shouldered all their burden for them.

“This is despicable. Who made the mirror...”

Wayne scowled. Comparison bred dissatisfaction. Those who had never seen light wouldn’t fear the darkness. If not for the mirror, the inner world wouldn’t have fallen so far. Even with endless black smog descending from the sky, the church higher-ups would’ve been able to come up with justifications, and the governments would’ve sent experts to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection.

However, the mirror was so big that anyone with working eyes could see it.

It was no longer about simple comparison. The mirror was fueling the inner world’s hatred for the surface world. Though Wayne could not imagine the feeling, he came to understand Filomina’s resentment for herself a little.

She shouldered the tragedies while her other self gained happiness. Anyone would find it difficult to accept.

“Where is this place, Filomina?”

“Palis.”

Hearing Wayne address her with her full name, Filomina felt a pang in her heart. Her intense jealousy made her want nothing more than to replace her other self.

“Palis?” Wayne sucked in a breath and shuddered, thinking of the Headless Knight with no head, no mount, no sword, and no self. He shouldn’t be here. The Headless Knight had warned him that as soon as he stepped into Palis, he would come and take Shadow Nightmare.

Was the Headless Knight on his way?

Wait, was this ‘Wayne’ also under the threat of the Headless Knight? Wayne cocked his head bemusedly, remembering what Darienne had said about the inner world. She had said that another her didn’t exist, so she wouldn’t get into a fight with herself. Yes, it was because the Moonlight Knight was so strong that the mirror couldn’t reflect her.

If there wasn’t another Darienne, the even more powerful Headless Knight most likely didn’t exist, either...

Then what about the reincarnated angels? Did they exist? Were the deities observing the inner world?

There were too many things to sort through, and Wayne was far from informed. He only knew that Darienne, the Moonlight Knight, was conducting a mission in the inner world. Hopefully, she was still around to take him back.

“Filomina, take me to the landmark, the underground catacombs.”

“I can’t. The Moonlight Knight has occupied it.”

“Huh?!” Wayne was surprised, and then ecstatic. That was convenient. Speak of Darienne, and she appeared. She was as quick as a devil.

“Then I should go there.”

“No, the Moonlight Knight is too powerful. He will kill us...”

“Wait, he?” Wayne interrupted, caught off guard. “The Moonlight Knight is a man?”

“Yes, he was the Great Sage of the church named Garville. After acquiring White Night Creed, he killed all church higher-ups who opposed him, so he’s now the Moonlight Knight, the Pope, and the Great Sage.”

The Great Sage was similar to a High Prophet, both high positions that served the church’s god. They held a similar status to the Holy Maiden and the Pope and were one of the important figures that had to be included when talking about the church’s leadership.

There was no Darienne in the inner world because she was too strong, but the divine artifacts of the chosen knights had been replicated by the mirror. At the inception of the world, the unclaimed artifacts found the new knights.

That was how Garville became the Moonlight Knight. According to Filomina, he had suddenly had a change in personality and craved blood and conquest. Those who obeyed him would be spared, while those who opposed him had to die. No mercy shown.

Under his iron rule, Garville had forcefully recruited a large group of strong members of the church, including a good number of legendary mages.

“So he only rules over them? The world has no future. What could he possibly do even if he reaches the peak of power?” Wayne asked.

Negative information could twist one’s will and awaken their dark sides, putting them in a compelled state of bloodlust, destructive instincts, and violence. However, they should still retain some intelligence. The Great Sage sounded like someone with great wisdom. Why would he slaughter people to concentrate power? It couldn’t just be violence for violence’s sake.

While speaking, Wayne extended the tendrils of his thoughts and had the Book of Greed capture the negative information to fill its cover. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet.

“There is no future in the inner world, but those with absolute power wouldn’t be under the same constraints. As long as he becomes a demigod, he could escape this world rather than face destruction with it.” Filomina’s eyes glinted. Demigod. What an attractive prospect it was.

If she could become a demigod, she could live and kill her other self in the surface world, taking everything from her and replacing her.

Her killing intent was so obvious that Wayne didn’t have to think to figure out that she was daydreaming again. He habitually patted her bottom and pinched her. “Keep talking and stop getting ideas.”

Filomina shuddered. She realized to her shock that while her heart found Wayne’s intimate touch repulsive, her body did not. The man knew her body too well.

That only made sense. Wayne and her other self had a child, so they must have done the deed many times.

She concealed her envy and said, “Due to the omnipresent negative information throughout the world, legendary mages cannot grow stronger through training. Everyone is getting weaker.”

“Given the circumstances, the divine artifacts of the chosen knights, existing outside the framework of formal training, are incredibly precious. By holding a divine artifact for a prolonged period, one would find the door to demigodhood open to them halfway.”

They talked as they moved at an incredible speed. When they reached the entrance to the underground catacombs, Filomina frowned and said, “It’s been half a year since Garville acquired White Night Creed. No one at the church is his match. I suspect that he’s already a demigod.”

“Then why is he still here?”

“...”

The question was beyond Filomina. She said instead, “There is still opposition in the church against Garville, and long ago, the dissenters retreated to the underground catacombs in Palis. Garville had caught up and occupied the place.”

“Are you one of the dissenters?”

“Yes.”

“What were you summoning?”

“The goddess. I’ve modified the formulas of divine art to summon the thoughts of the goddess.”

You’re as good at math as ever!

Wayne glanced at Filomina. He didn’t ask why exactly she had summoned the Goddess of Moonlight since the answer was obvious: she wanted to pledge her loyalty to the goddess to take White Night Creed.

Filomina wasn’t Wayne’s white moonlight, but she was so beautiful that he would treat her as one. He refrained from asking the question to avoid damaging her image.

Speaking of which, Wayne’s white moonlight was actually Anastasia, and out of his admiration for her, he had taken good care of her like a new car. When they did it, he did it as hard as possible.

Out of his admiration for her, he also felt heavy regret every time he put his pants back on, but he would do it again!

“Are you sure you’re going to enter, Wayne?”

“Of course. To tell you the truth, I don’t find a mere Moonlight Knight a threat. I’m also—”

He reached into the Void, but failed to draw White Night Creed. He tried Shadow Nightmare and failed, too. He couldn’t draw any of the five divine artifacts.

Strange, was he doing it wrong?

“You’re also what?” Filomina saw nothing after a while and couldn’t help but ask.

“Hmph, I’m also a strong individual of my generation! Moonlight Knight or not, I’ll still throw my punches!”

Wayne stared at the dark hole and touched the seal on the Goddess of Darkness on his chest. After 0.25 seconds of consideration, he strode in.

It didn’t make sense for all divine artifacts to be out of reach. It might have something to do with the inner world. He should look into it.

Garville the Moonlight Knight? I’ll start with you!