FPD Chapter 423 – Machine Sliced Bread

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For a Fleeting Last Chance (2)

Meanwhile, in a certain place.

A never before seen gathering was being realized.

None of the individuals participating in this gathering were normal people.

Each individual here was someone who had broken through the limits of humanity.

They were gods.

A total of eight gods, from several different races, were gathered here.

Suddenly, though, two people arrived.

One of them was a petite white-haired girl, so beautiful like a snowy landscape, emitting a feeling of purity.

Strangely, though, the girl was currently frowning deeply, her expression filled with struggle.

And beside her, there was a goddess-like black-haired woman.

She was beautiful, very beautiful. So beautiful that even the beauty of all the gods combined fell short of her.

Her beauty, though, was not just her physical appearance.

Instead, it was also the feeling that she unconsciously emitted.

As though everything in this world was under her control.

The gods noticed the arrival of the newcomers immediately. Instantly, tens of godly gazes were fixed on the woman.

But even the gods could not help but become dazed when they saw such a beautiful being.

In the end, though, they were gods, and the woman was not trying to bewitch them intentionally. Thus, they managed to snap out of their daze quickly.

[… You were the one that gathered us here?] One of the gods asked bewildered.

The woman nodded. “I am. You can call me, [Witch of Unending Fates].”

The gods frowned. No matter how much they thought about it, they did not remember someone like her existing.

However, they could feel an intense sense of danger coming from her.

Due to that, none of the gods dared to underestimate the beautiful woman.

[Why did you call us here?] Another god asked. Curiously, it was the same god Alice called ancestor.

The [Witch of Unending Fates] moved her gaze through each god. She then put on a beautiful smile and opened her mouth, speaking endless temptations.

“I have a way to make you break away from the world’s shackles. Moreover, you will be able to conserve most of your current power.”

[[[[!!!]]]]

The gods were stunned. They instantly looked at the woman in front of them with expressions of astonishment.

But soon, that astonishment was turned into desire and then into greed.

[… You… Are your words true?] A god asked while trying to suppress the greed he was feeling.

The woman nodded calmly. “I don’t have any reason to lie to you. Not only I know about the method to break through the world’s shackles. I don’t mind giving it to you either.”

This time, the gods were unable to keep their calm.

In an instant, several of them were unable to suppress their auras, crushing everything around them with impunity.

To their surprise, though, the woman remained standing there calmly, as though their auras were nothing more than a pleasant breeze.

In fact, even the white-haired girl near her was completely unhurt, their godly powers ineffective on her.

Due to that, the gods quickly calmed down.

And once they calmed down, they realized things could not be so simple.

There was no way someone was going to give them such a gift without a reason.

[… What do you want, woman?] A powerful-looking god spoke up. She was one of the strongest gods in this place, strong enough to make the place shake with her voice.

The [Witch of Unending Fates] looked at her and smiled.

“Simple, I need your help stalling someone.”

[Huh?]

“Just like you heard. When the time comes, you just need to fight against someone and stall him as much as possible. You don’t even need to defeat him. It’s not as though you can do something like that, though.”

The gods looked at each other with suspicious expressions. For some reason, they had the feeling something was wrong.

Moreover, how can there be someone that so many of them joining hands can not defeat?

Suddenly, one of the gods opened his mouth.

[… Your proposal interests me. But I have a better one.]

“Oh? Do speak?”

[We can simply catch you right now and force you to reveal the secret. Is it not easier that way?] The god said with a playful expression.

Several gods glared at the witch at that moment, as though considering the god’s words.

The witch smiled. Her smile was so beautiful that it seemed to bewitch the world itself.

But at the same time, it was filled with such coldness that the gods felt a chill running through their spines.

With that smiling expression, the girl snapped her fingers.

Instantly, fate shivered.

Hundreds of threads emerged without warning around the witch. Then, they all surged towards the gods!

The threads were very strange, there but not there. Tangible but intangible. Real but unreal.

Feeling an immense sense of danger, the gods tried to retaliate against them, using their powerful abilities to face the threads.

But everything was useless.

In less than one second, the threads had trapped each god in this place.

As though they were nothing more than bugs.

“Catch me? Ants like you? Hahahahaha, what a funny joke. Mere watchdogs dare to talk like that to me.”

The gods paled. A feeling of immense fear filled them. A fear greater than anything they had felt before.

The woman smiled once more, this time, though, her smile was so cold that the gods felt themselves freezing.

“Let me repeat my words again. I don’t mind helping you to break the world’s shackles. However, you must do what I ask of you. Otherwise, you can only dream, or perhaps, you can die here. Then, what is your choice?”

[… Is it dangerous?] One of the gods hesitated and asked.

“It is.” The witch admitted easily. “But if you survive, your future will be limitless. Perhaps one day, one of you will become the absolute ruler of this world.”

The gods’ eyes brightened. Greed greater than before appeared inside their gazes.

It was as though they could see themselves becoming the supreme ruler of the universe.

Even so, some of them did their best to keep their minds clear.

[… I have a doubt, though. I can see neither the Goddess of Order and Lightning nor the Demon God here… They are two of the strongest gods in this world. Why did you not call them?]

“Simple. Because one of them will soon be killed when she attempts to touch something she should not touch, and the other has been already bewitched by the [Bringer of Doom and Destruction]. Now choose, I don’t have much time to lose with you.”

The gods looked at each other. Even now, they felt incredibly wary about the witch’s words.

However, they could not suppress the greed coming from their hearts.

Escaping the world’s shackles. That was the greatest desire of any god.

In the end, they agreed, one by one.

Without realizing they were nothing more than pawns in a woman’s game of fate.

However, it was nothing strange.

Because the woman’s game of fate involved much stronger beings.

Just like the person she loved most that anything in existence.

Just like the pitiful fox girl longing for the love of her dad.

Everything was for her goal.

“… To be beside you once more, Willian.” The woman whispered to herself.

Even so, she had to be very careful.

Currently, she was using a fate clone to fool him. It was a trick she learned recently, something that even he did not know about.

But in the same way, she was sure he had some new tricks she did not know about.

Who knew? Perhaps, he had already seen through her plan.

Even so, she could not stop.

Because this was her last chance.

Therefore, she was going to grasp it, even if she had to make rivers of blood flow through the world.

Beside her, the white-haired girl could not help but shiver in fear.

“… Is it truly alright?” She asked confused.

The witch looked at her and smiled.

“Why? Is this not what you want, Miss Alice? To be the greatest existence in the world? To have everything controlled by your threads. I’m just teaching you the way. And you only need to help with that. It’s not a bad deal, right?”

“You are right, but…” The girl looked at the ground with a frown.

For an instant, she could not help but be consistent.

Is this truly what she wants?

Is this her true desire?

For some reason, she could not help but look at the woman beside her.

She was powerful, so powerful that Alice could not start to comprehend her power.

But despite it, she seemed so lonely… So, filled with despair.

Then, if she followed the same path, was she going to finish like that as well?

Suddenly, she remembered the face of a young man.

That mysterious young man. The only person she admired, feared and loved.

The prince that appeared always in her dreams.

The prince she wanted to put under her thumb.