Chapter 171: Alice
"Rumble——"
I tightly held Alice in my arms, desperately fighting the Death God in that narrow Spiral Staircase. Almost as soon as my front foot stepped on the Stairs, the step behind immediately collapsed. The sound of heaven and earth collapsing coming from behind was like a ferocious Fierce Beast, desperately whipping my Footsteps, making me truly Experience a "desperate escape" often seen in Hollywood movies. Rolling Boulders from above constantly smashed onto my Body. I could only Barely protect Alice; I'm tough and durable anyway, a few hits wouldn't even drop two points of Health. As for Alice, being able to sleep so peacefully in such an environment made me filled with admiration and tears.
Amitabha, Hallelujah, Amitayus Buddha, circle circle you a cross cross... I almost recited everything I could think of, because I was practically standing on the line of Death. As long as even a Single Point of obstacle appeared In Front that could make my Footsteps Pause for half a second, I would very likely be Devoured by the darkness behind me and be buried forever in this Great Hall along with the beauty in my arms.
Fortunately, perhaps even Heaven was moved by my awesome prayer. This Spiral Staircase that extended to who knows where kept extending In Front of my eyes. When the Light In Front gradually brightened, I knew that this time I had finally saved my Life again.
"Whoosh... whoosh..."
Just having burst out from the Secret Door, the subconscious Feeling of Safety made me disregard everything else. I fell headfirst onto the ground, holding Alice, my Chest heaving violently. My whole Body was like a bellows, desperately squeezing out the heavy, turbid Aura within. The fresh oxygen constantly penetrating into my alveoli made all three hundred and sixty of my pores open up, as if I had come back to Life.
Damn, from the moment I started escaping, I seemed to haven't had Time to catch a breath, holding it in until now. Class Changer are Humans too, you know.
I looked back at the Passage behind me. I don't know when, but the violent collapse inside had already stopped. Only the occasional vibration from falling Boulders reminded me of my narrow escape from Death just now.
After Resting for a while, I picked up Alice, Summoned Light Snow and the others, and walked out of this unforgettable Side Room step by step.
"Damn, no way..."
A dazzling Light Thrust made me instinctively shield my eyes In Front. Then, Dumbfounded, I looked outside. Is this still the original Cathedral? That circular Ceiling, hundreds of meters high, like the firmament, the huge stained glass Walls embedded high up on the Walls, revealing warm and bright Light, filling the entire Church with a solemn and Holy Aura, made even me, someone who never believed in God, slow my breathing and Footsteps, standing inside. Feeling as small as an Ant.
This is the Offspring of art and sweat. Even calling it the greatest Building of Humans would not be an exaggeration.
However, the Cathedral that was previously dark and spooky, how did it suddenly change its Appearance? The Transformation was so great, it was simply more Incredulous than a wrinkled old witch suddenly turning into a loli beauty. I, who was busy escaping underground, did not know how much tremendous trouble I had caused. At this moment, many unrelated thoughts were spinning in my Head.
However, that's good too...
I laid Alice down leaning against the Wall. My whole Body immediately relaxed. I was just worried that Alice's sparkling Body would attract attention like a firefly, ha... Now it seems, under such a strong Holy Aura, it would be truly strange if the Monster in the Church could still Exist. It would be more likely for a few Birdmen to suddenly jump out from the Wall.
I leaned against the Wall. The Muscle in my front Body was screaming in protest. My Spirit was tense. The high-intensity Battle made my eyelids gradually heavy. After vaguely giving Light Snow a warning Command, my Consciousness quickly went black...
When I opened my eyes, just as a ray of golden Light shone between my brows, in the blur, it was as if the entire Church was paved with gold, sparkling with golden Light, extraordinarily beautiful.
And in this expanse of brilliance, a unique scene entered my line of sight. It was the tranquil beauty like a silver moon reflecting on the rippling crescent Small Lake. And the owner of such Holy silver moon eyes, without a doubt, a Maiden's exquisite Appearance appeared in my Head.
"Alice, are you awake?" I smiled slightly at the owner of the eyes. She sat upright In Front of me, her posture as proper as a devout Saintess preparing for prayer.
She nodded with a light smile, trying hard to show me her strong and cheerful side, but the heavy Sorrow in her Gaze undoubtedly exposed the fragility in her heart.
"What do you Plan to do next?" Although this was a cruel Question, I'm not a professional caretaker; I can't possibly take care of her for a Lifetime, right?
Alice lowered her Head slightly. Her straight moon-colored Hair gently covered her forehead along her bangs.
"I... I'm alright. Over the years, thanks to Father constantly providing Strength to me, I was able to Survive until now. Now that Father is gone, I will probably also quickly return to the embrace of God."
"Is that so?..." My Gaze dimmed. Besides the feeling of loss, I also felt a bit relieved in my heart.
"So, please don't mind me, continue moving forward. I want to pray quietly here by myself, before my Life ends..."
Alice raised her Head. Her flawless smile carried a poignant and resolute Attitude. Then she stood up, and with the most solemn etiquette, pulling her white Robe with both hands, she bowed deeply to me.
"Please be sure to Accept this insignificant apology of mine. Your Favor, Alice will surely never forget. If, if there is a Next Life, I..."
Next, Alice didn't continue speaking. She smiled sweetly at me. The sunset behind her seemed to drape a pair of golden Wings over her, making her appear so Holy and Radiance...
Facing the Fact that could not be Refuted, and her resolute Attitude, I could only stand there Dumbfounded, as if something was stuck in my Throat, unable to say a single word. I could only watch as that golden Back View slowly disappeared from my line of sight.
Is this the final ending? Why is my Mood still so heavy? Didn't I already help them escape the imprisonment of the ten-thousand-year Cage?
I dragged my Pace as if my Footsteps were weighted with lead, walking aimlessly, always Feeling uncomfortable in my heart. It was as if a Quest that was about to be completed in a Game suddenly disappeared; that empty Feeling of something unfinished and about to arrive was incredibly uncomfortable.
What is she doing now? She should be kneeling in the Prayer Hall, praying silently, until the moment her Strength is completely burned out.
Praying? I was struck as if by Lightning. My whole Body froze there.
That's right. She said she was going to pray. How is that possible?
As if grabbing a thread of Light in the darkness, with a gentle pull, my entire Head suddenly cleared up. I finally realized the reason why I always gave up halfway, which had been suppressed in my heart.
Having witnessed the Light Power mercilessly Devour her Father and Mother, could Alice still hold Expectation for the so-called God, the so-called prayer? The Maiden who had lost her Father, Mother, and everything, even her final resting place, that ideal Paradise she originally yearned for——Heaven, has probably now become a place like a Nightmare in her heart. And yet she is now stepping into her own Nightmare step by step. That Feeling of Fear and Despair, why couldn't I have noticed it at the time? ...
Having figured this out, I no longer hesitated. I immediately ran towards the Prayer Hall.
"Whoosh whoosh..." Arriving at the Prayer Hall, I carefully slowed my Footsteps. I immediately spotted the Ghost Maiden emitting White Light, at the highest point of the entire Prayer Hall——on top of the high Cross. At this moment, she was like a mischievous child who had climbed a Tree, sitting on the horizontal beam of the Cross without any regard for her Image. Her two fair little feet gently swinging, her tightly pursed pale lips casually humming a cold, lonely, Despair-filled melody, slowly echoing throughout the Great Hall. Those silver eyes that had lost their focus, listlessly piercing through the distant horizon, her white Robe, her Holy Glow, made her look like a lost Angel, full of Despair and helplessness.
"Tap tap——" I deliberately made my Footsteps heavier, making her whole Body tremble slightly, and the sorrowful melody lingering in the Great Hall also dissipated.
"Why, why did you come back? Haven't you been avoiding me all this Time?" She didn't turn her Head back. Her eyes were still tightly staring straight up, like a sulking child.
"I'm sorry." I lowered my Head deeply. So this Angel-like girl's Feeling was so sharp. Perhaps when I first avoided her Gaze, she had already sensed my Intent.
"How cunning. You're just like Father and Mother. Always waiting until others want to cry, want to get angry, only then do you suddenly apologize." She finally turned her Head around, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, sparkling with a crystal clear Glow. Then, she made a Movement that left me Dumbfounded. She suddenly rushed down from the Cross with Strength, hugging me fiercely. The huge impact almost knocked me to the ground. If it weren't for the crying that followed, I would have thought she was trying to teach me a lesson to vent her anger.
"Waaah~~" She tightly hugged my waist. Long-accumulated tears gushed out like a collapsing dam, instantly soaking the Cloak on my Chest.
"Alone... I'm really scared... Father is gone... Mother is gone too... I'm so scared... so scared to go to that terrible place. They are the murderers... they are Demon... Wuwu~~~~"
I tightly held the delicate Body in my arms, constantly rubbing her soft, long Hair with my Hand, with my face. That hoarse, desperate crying seemed to pierce into my Chest like a sharp blade, making my entire heart ache as if it were bleeding.
It was a long, long Time later before the violent crying gradually turned into muffled sobs.
"I might disappear at any Time. Is that really okay?" The girl in my arms asked in a slightly hoarse Voice.
I trembled slightly. She had already known the reason why I was hesitating and avoiding her. How ridiculous. It turns out every unintentional Movement of mine was hurting the Maiden's strong and pure Spirit. Even so, she still silently treated me with a gentle and innocent smile...
"Mm, no problem. I will try hard to treat it like a cute little flower or grass I planted that accidentally died from the sun."
I lightly chuckled and pinched her delicate and smooth Chin, lifted her face, which looked like a Kitten from crying, out of my arms, and our eyes met tightly.
"That's truly a bittersweet answer..." She pouted, seemingly not very satisfied with my answer.
"Also, I might not be the kind of girl you imagine. Perhaps I'll be very willful. Is that okay too?"
"No problem, just think of it as raising one more mischievous Kitten." A girl who can say such things can't be *that* willful, I answered as a matter of course. But I didn't expect that one misstep would lead to eternal regret. Looking back later, I could only sigh that I was possessed by a Demon, regretting my actions then.
"Really?" Alice stretched her slender, fair neck up, her hot, sweet breath directly exhaling onto my lips.
I heavily pressed my lips onto her alluring lips that were within reach, using the most direct Action to show my Intent.
"Mm-hm..." Alice let out a weak soft cry from the Corner of her mouth, immediately followed by my lips sealing hers tightly. Her silver pupils instantly widened, revealing an Incredulous look. But immediately after, she did not show any resistant Movement. Instead, she gently closed her eyes and awkwardly responded to my 'plundering'.
Perhaps sensing that the Time we had left together was not much, both of us indulged ourselves. Our lips touching and melding again and again, our slightly extended tongues just touching, then retracting like a startled Rabbit, then extending out gently again as if savoring the taste, probing again. The gentle touch on our lips, the alluring fragrance filling our mouths, and the sweet nectar received by our tongues, was the sweetest taste I had ever experienced in my Life.
A passionate kiss, as if never tiring. I don't know how long we hugged each other. Until the last ray of Light in the sky disappeared, only then did we reluctantly separate.
"You..." Alice lowered her Head, looking troubled at my rough Large Hand tightly covering the most Holy protrusion on her Chest.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself, hehe..." I chuckled awkwardly. Imprinting that warm, soft, and smooth sensation in my heart again, only then did I reluctantly move my Hand away.
"What the Book said is indeed not wrong. A Man's heart hides a Demon. That was really too Danger just now. I need to be more careful in the future..." Alice seemed to recall something, muttering softly in a Voice I couldn't detect.
"What are you saying?" I asked, full of Question.
Alice gently released the hands that were hugging my waist, tidied up the messy white Robe on her Chest, and gently took a step back.
"Your Name?"
"..."
"I still don't know your Name?" Alice pursed her cherry lips, which appeared slightly red and swollen from my prolonged sucking, her sparkling silver eyes revealed a hint of bright smile, allowing me to see a completely different personality from before.