Chapter 12: Call me Demon King

Grandpa at the village entrance: "... In my opinion, the development team is playing a massive game of chess! The current black screen is all to pave the way for the surprise later!"

Against-Heaven Dragon Emperor: "How do you know it's not to take a big dump?"

Grandpa at the village entrance: "..."

Rock Sugar Gourd: "Surprise your head! I want to go online!"

Roasted Lamb Skewer: "The character creation page! Hurry up and get it out for me!"

Excited Netizen: "Exactly! GKD (Hurry up)!"

A Ye Ye Zhiqiu: "Everyone calm down, the game is obviously still in the development stage, the content that can be experienced is just this much! I think compared to directly taking down the DEMO, this transition of covering the crystal ball with clothes is already very clever!"

Dragon-Slaying Warrior: "Holy crap, what is this? You guys really played it?"

Knowledge Explodes: "Fake, right!"

Arrogant Life: "I don't care! Not giving me a helmet must be a shill!!! (Going crazy)"

A Ye Ye Zhiqiu: "Helmet? No need for a helmet, any VR glasses will do... (Sweat)"

Pig-headed Knight: "Holy crap, brothers can go online! Hurry up and log in!!!"

A Ye Ye Zhiqiu: "?!"

Little Late Can't Eat Full: "If you lie to me again, I'll shark (kill) you all! (Anger)"

Official website of "Disaster OL".

Ever since a certain NPC covered the crystal ball, the forum had been noisy for a whole day, but the development team hadn't made a sound from beginning to end.

Zhao Jinyan had been observing in the dark.

Currently, the posts on the forum could basically be divided into two types: one believed that the development team had really developed an epoch-making RPG online game, and the other simply didn't believe the pie drawn by the developers and the so-called promotional PV.

Isn't AI technology very popular recently?

Generating videos is said not to be a difficult thing either.

Honestly, Zhao Jinyan was more inclined to the latter.

After all, a completely immersive virtual reality online game, no matter how you look at it, is too exaggerated. And if such technology really existed, would someone first use it to make a game?

There should be more profitable choices!

However, what surprised Zhao Jinyan was that after the internal test qualifications and DEMO program were released yesterday, some people on the forum seemed to have really played it?

Although it was only a few hours, what they said sounded like it was true, even theories like hypnosis were brought out.

These people couldn't be AI too, right?

Speaking of which, this was also the most surprising place for him.

A game that had only been promoted for a few days, relying on a PV that was neither here nor there, actually cultivated a group of die-hard fans?

"... Could it be that this game is really this awesome?"

Unable to make up his mind, Zhao Jinyan muttered to himself, and after some hesitation, he finally picked up his phone and chose to buy the cheapest second-hand VR equipment online.

Completely real virtual reality online game...

He had already spent his savings to support it.

The development team of this "Disaster OL" had better not let him down!

The most prosperous street district of Thunder City was concentrated in the southeast corner near the bay, so the further north you went, the more visibly desolate it became.

Especially outside the city gate, the civilian houses crowded against the city wall were as broken as cow sheds, squeezing out wrinkled small alleys on the vast land.

Due to frequent wars, the houses against the city wall were always torn down and rebuilt, rebuilt and torn down... so whether it was people or livestock living here, they lived quite sloppily.

Following behind Ms. Chris, Luo Yan soon met up with her few teammates.

Just as he expected, these four fierce brothers were the few he had seen in the tavern earlier.

But here, they still pretended to be meeting for the first time, greeting Luo Yan enthusiastically, and even started making yellow jokes about him and Chris.

The bald man among them was called Amu, a Berserker, specializing in using two-handed axes, with Bronze-tier strength.

The other three were called Lei Kesen, Bond, and Gray Dog, one Black-iron tier two-handed swordsman, and two scouts without extraordinary power.

This is the top combat power for exploring the labyrinth?

Not as intimidating as Yige...

Having spent three years at the Demon King Academy where Silver-tier was everywhere, Luo Yan was somewhat disappointed in these guys.

"Where is the entrance to the labyrinth? When do we start?"

Luo Yan made an eager look, as if he couldn't wait to dive into the labyrinth immediately.

That eager look made Chris giggle, and she teased him.

"Don't worry, there are many entrances to the labyrinth, rushing in recklessly will only get you lost. The secret passage we found must be entered from the northernmost entrance, we have to take a carriage in a while... speaking of which, don't you need to go to a hotel to open a room and put your luggage? Sister can accompany you."

This guy looks quite to her taste; it would be a pity not to have a taste before the 'Crack!'.

Moreover, moving luggage back and forth is very troublesome, throwing it in a hotel beforehand and taking a key back after finishing the business is just right.

However, as it happened, a certain person was also a guy who was afraid of trouble and was too lazy to come back again.

Pretending not to understand her hint, Luo Yan smiled shyly and said.

"No need, there are some materials in my box, in case someone gets hurt, I can prepare medicine."

Chris looked at him in surprise.

"You also know how to make magic potions?"

"Of course!" Luo Yan nodded with a smile, "I know many formulas, including healing potions and strength potions."

"Amazing, kid, didn't expect you to have this ability," bald Amu laughed and patted his shoulder, hooking his neck and back with him, "Starting to like you!"

"Overpraised."

Luo Yan smiled embarrassedly, his thumb hidden in his fist had already unintentionally touched the ring.

"Hurry up and finish... I mean hurry up and find the Demon King's treasury and come back to sleep."

The scout called Gray Dog yawned, interrupted the pleasantries between the two with impatience, and jumped onto the carriage by the road first.

"Go to Beifeng Mine."

Hearing the destination, the coachman's expression was a bit nervous.

"Going there at this time?"

The sky in the distance had already floated with dusk, and it would be dark in at most two hours.

Although this place is the hinterland of the human world, it is still quite far from the word safety.

To the southwest is the territory of the Lizardmen, and in the mountains to the north wander the undead.

Not only that.

When it's deep in the night, the most dangerous thing is not the undead, but people with ghosts in their hearts.

"Less nonsense, hurry up and start the carriage."

Gray Dog threw a few silver coins next to the coachman's seat, urging impatiently.

Seeing those few silver coins, the coachman gritted his teeth and finally accepted this business.

The group got on the carriage, and after more than thirty minutes of bumping, finally arrived at the northern entrance of the labyrinth.

This used to be a mine, said to be an industry under the famous Andi family, with several iron and coal veins of quite good quality buried underground.

However, as it happened, during a mine blasting, the miner master accidentally opened the mine pit into the labyrinth.

Since then, the whole mine had become the territory of the undead and monsters.

Because it is close to the edge of the labyrinth, such places usually can't find any valuable treasures, so generally, without a special reason, adventurers simply don't want to come here to explore.

The coachman insisted on not going up the mountain, so the group had to get off the carriage at the foot of the mountain.

Fortunately, the distance from here to the mine cave is not very far, about ten minutes' walk.

On the sunny side not far from the mine cave, Luo Yan saw a dilapidated hotel.

The appearance of that hotel was still quite unique, but the riddled appearance looked like it had been abandoned for many years.

"Speaking of which, I've always been curious... since the local lord is so troubled by the Demon King problem, why not seal the entrance to the labyrinth?"

"Hahaha, do you think the Demon King underground is a fool? Well, although he is indeed not very smart, they dig up much easier than we block the road." Amu laughed and patted his shoulder, as if he had become completely familiar with him.

"Yes, I heard that there is a kind of core-like thing in the labyrinth that can easily change the terrain underground. Plus the Demon King's servants are Hell species, they are too good at digging holes, I even heard they built a city called Demon Capital in the deepest part of the underground."

Chris narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the direction of the mine cave and using a chatty tone to say.

"But it's thanks to the sewers of Thunder City that the labyrinth can't spread to the main city area, at most in the area where we just took the carriage... that is, the area outside the city wall."

The drainage system built during the Isaac Dynasty seems to be still running today, and has unexpectedly become a copper wall and iron wall protecting this city from the invasion of regional forces.

Luo Yan estimated that the senior traveler probably used things like reinforced concrete.

In short, he already understood the basic situation.

The labyrinth of the old Demon King mainly occupies the north of Thunder City, south to the city wall, and north to the Beifeng Mine.

Considering that this group of two-five-boys has already rebelled, he might have to put his home a bit further north, expand towards the Broken Rock Peak of the Wan Ren Mountain Range, and wait until the situation is suitable to connect with the labyrinth of the old Demon King territory.

But then again, why haven't these few cheap guides made a move yet?

He had been waiting for a long time.

Looking at Ms. Chris, who was playing with two daggers and walking towards the mine cave with graceful steps, a trace of strangeness couldn't help but rise in Luo Yan's eyes.

Could it be that these guys are really here to find the Demon King's treasure?

Impossible...

Chris, who possesses extraordinary power, took the lead, and two scouts followed closely.

Luo Yan followed closely behind Amu and Lei Kesen, holding a torch and stepped into the gloomy mine cave.

Perhaps because he had lived underground for many years, when he stepped into this mine cave, he felt for a moment as if he had returned home.

Too familiar.

He felt the whole world brighten up, as if every pore had grown eyes.

Chris and her group were fully focused on guarding against the surroundings, while he only needed to pay attention to the few humans around him.

The group moved forward for a distance along the mine path, and a rustling sound soon came from afar.

It's Rat-men!

And they are slave rats!

Luo Yan had already guessed the identity of the comer.

However, Chris, who was walking in front, frowned and pondered for a long time, and it took a long time to reach an ambiguous conclusion.

"There is a situation... if it's not undead, it's rats! Prepare for battle!"

Just as her voice fell, the Rat-men hiding in the darkness had already rushed up with squeaking sounds.

Those red bean-like pupils exuded a chilling fierce light, and the monkey-like anxious look was as if they had been hungry for a long time.

"Hahaha! Good coming!"

The muscular Amu grinned hideously, threw away the torch in his hand, pulled out the two battle axes hanging from his waist, and rushed up with the pace of this meal, waving the sharp blades openly and closedly, and knocked down more than a dozen Rat-men carrying knives, guns, and sticks in an instant.

Lei Kesen, holding a great sword, was not to be outdone, took a deep breath, and his legs accumulated strength, then carried the half-person-high great sword and bombarded the squeaking Rat-men soldiers like a cannonball.

Although he only had Black-iron strength, the terrifying blade was not inferior to the two-handed axe in Amu's hand, and he slashed and swept a piece of corpses in just a few pushes and pulls.

The not-so-spacious mine cave was blocked by two axes and one sword, and the two scouts and the thief who were supporting on the side simply withdrew.

Chris proudly glanced at "Qin Shi Huang" standing behind, just wanting to show off a few words, but saw the latter indifferent.

She felt a bit wrong in her heart, but she couldn't say where it was wrong.

And just at this time, the battle ahead had ended, Lei Kesen knocked the great sword on the ground, took a breath and said.

"Done, no time to lose... let's hurry forward."

"Oh, hard work."

Gray Dog patted his shoulder and walked forward as if nothing had happened, while Lei Kesen frowned.

Always feel more tired than usual?

Could it be that his strength has regressed?

He shook his head and threw that trace of unnatural trouble behind him.

Must be an illusion.

Maybe the state is not good today.

Fortunately, it wasn't just his state that wasn't good, those little mice were the same. After leaving behind dozens of corpses, they screamed and ran away.

Rat-men are mostly like this, swarming up, and scattering in a crowd, as cannon fodder troops, they are not even as difficult to deal with as Goblins.

After a fierce battle, the group finally arrived at the deepest part of the mine cave—the northern entrance of the Thunder City underground labyrinth after continuously breaking through four or five waves of Rat-men attackers.

From the moment he stepped into this last section of the mine path, Luo Yan felt a strange aura gradually permeating the surroundings.

The gloomy mine path corners were full of chilling white bones and corpses that hadn't completely rotted.

This aura, Luo Yan was too familiar with it, so much so that a touch of surprise couldn't help but appear on that handsome face.

He thought it would be good if these guys could take him to find the entrance to the labyrinth.

Didn't expect these guys not only to send him to the destination, but also bring him to such a good place.

"Not bad."

He was worried about being unfamiliar with the place and not finding a grave to dig, didn't expect there to be ready-made ones under his feet.

Luo Yan smiled lightly, reached into his bosom, and took out the core of the Demon King territory.

That was an ink-green cubic cone crystal.

Just looking at the appearance, this thing was no different from ordinary faith crystals, at most just a bit greener. However, the magic formula integrated inside this green crystal was the crystallization of the wisdom and hard work of the Hell magic academic world for a thousand years.

Only this thing could open up a territory belonging to Hell on the land covered by Holy Light!

Most people on the surface only knew that the Demon King territory core was a Demon God statue, but didn't know what it looked like before it was unfolded.

At this very moment, Chris and her group didn't notice the abnormality of Luo Yan's expression at all, but instead breathed a sigh of relief for "accomplishing the mission".

"It should be about here, right? This place is already not Saint Xisi's territory... don't tell me we really have to go into the labyrinth?"

The first to break the silence was Gray Dog.

Luo Yan could see that this gloomy-looking man had been displeased with him for a long time, just holding back from taking action for some reason.

"That... Qin... uh..." Chris suddenly turned her head, looking at that handsome face, but couldn't remember what his name was for a while.

"Optimus Prime."

"Optimus Prime? Haha... little brother, your name is really hard to pronounce." Chris smiled embarrassedly.

Speaking of which, is that his name?

She couldn't remember.

But it didn't matter, anyway, the names of dead people weren't important.

"It's alright."

Luo Yan wanted to say that he actually had a harder name to pronounce, three syllables was actually showing mercy.

Chris took a deep breath, and the corner of her mouth suddenly tilted with a meaningful arc.

"Have you heard? It is said... that people who are not devout will become homeless undead after death."

Luo Yan: "Seems to have heard of it, what's wrong?"

Actually, let alone the surface, it's the same in Hell.

Except for the clergy serving the Demon God, most humans, demons, or low-tier demons would lose most of their memories after death and become undead.

This isn't all because of the Necromancer's spell, but the fate of the vast majority of living beings in this world since the Second Epoch when the Netherworld fell.

To understand it simply, it's that the public toilet was smashed, and a few robbers called gods moved the toilets inside to their own homes.

Because they weren't specialized in managing toilets, the toilets suddenly became scarce resources, some people could sit and poop, and some people could only poop in their pants.

Those who became undead belong to the latter.

Among them are witches who died unjustly like Mrs. Susan, as well as poor people who couldn't be buried in the church purely because of poverty, and unlucky guys who died in Hell or the labyrinth where the Holy Light couldn't shine.

As for nobles, maybe there is a special channel?

He didn't know the situation on the surface, but Hell was indeed like this, High-tier demons generally couldn't die, and if they died accidentally, they could be reincarnated as High-tier demons in the next life.

Luo Yan suddenly understood what these guys were planning, and almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

It turns out they were worried that he was actually some fallen noble, and his soul would run to Saint Xisi to complain after death, so they planned to kill him and throw him into the labyrinth.

Speaking of which, is Saint Xisi so idle?

Actually still managing this kind of thing?

Or is it that the Adventurers' Guild has a mechanism similar to "Red Name".

"Later... I found out that they were actually just poor and couldn't afford holy water, haha." Chris talked to herself, and suddenly laughed out loud.

"So, being poor is really scary."

"Indeed." Luo Yan nodded and said seriously, "I have deep experience with this... the feeling of not having a penny in my pocket."

"Really? I don't think so, that ring of yours looks very valuable, and your skin color... I guess you should be a noble from the Os Empire?"

Chris giggled and said in a coquettish voice.

"But dear Qin... little brother, you should not worry, you are different from people like us, you should be able to be reincarnated into a good family, just remember to be more careful in the next life... ah, by the way, I almost forgot this is a labyrinth, maybe there is no next time."

"So that's it... the one you targeted is not the Demon King's treasure, but me?" A strange smile appeared on Luo Yan's face, "It's a pity, originally, in return for helping me return to the throne, I wanted to seal you as a Great General of the Kingdom."

"Chris, you talk too much, let's hurry up and send this little brother on his way."

Lei Kesen curled his lips, the great sword in his hand danced a sword flower, but didn't expect a slip of the hand, the great sword flew out directly, brushing past Gray Dog next to him.

Almost becoming a ghost under the sword, Gray Dog was scared into a cold sweat and glared at Lei Kesen fiercely.

"What are you doing?!"

Lei Kesen was also stunned.

Even if he was indeed a bit weak today, he wouldn't be unable to hold the sword!

"I don't know—"

His words were only halfway through when his body suddenly sank, and the whole person fell to the ground as if he had been hollowed out.

Everyone was suddenly shocked.

The first to react was Bond.

He, who had been silent from beginning to end, pulled out a flintlock gun and held it in his hand, pulling the trigger at Luo Yan without hesitation.

"Bang—!"

Small bullets sprayed like raindrops! However, Luo Yan, who was shot, was like a person who was fine, just looking at him with a smile.

"Stone Skin Armor!"

A creepy feeling instantly crawled all over Chris's body, and she finally understood what that ominous premonition was.

She screamed.

"This guy is definitely not Black-iron! Hurry up and do it!"

"Ah—!"

Amu, who had set up two axes, had already rushed up, and the whistling axe blade rolled towards Luo Yan like a storm!

However, there was no accident, this guy also followed in the footsteps of the great swordsman, fell heavily to the ground, and was sucked dry by Professor Lilith's ring.

From the moment he entered the cave, Luo Yan had been stabbing them in the back bit by bit, just didn't suck them dry at once.

"Too late."

After chanting the prayer, he released his right hand, and the green cubic cone crystal fell onto the magic circle he drew with his heel with a clatter.

Creak—

A dark gray statue rose from the ground, and together with it stood up the skeletons that had fallen crookedly in the corner of the mine cave.

They held mine picks, and a chilling coldness exuded from their hollow eyes.

Perhaps seeing something, Bond, who was still calm, suddenly screamed, threw away the unfinished flintlock gun, and turned to run.

However, he hadn't run two steps before he was chopped into meat paste by the skeleton soldiers who surrounded him with mine picks.

Gray Dog still wanted to resist, but just as he set up his dagger, he became weak and paralyzed, and could only watch helplessly as the skeletons surrounded him, scared into shitting and pissing everywhere.

"What did you do?!" Amu was still struggling, trying to stand up.

He was the only Bronze-tier in Silver Scimitar, but at this moment he was suppressed by this self-proclaimed Black-iron magician without any power to fight back.

Realizing that the strength of the opposite side was far above them, Chris widened her terrified eyes, her pale face full of despair.

"You, you are a Necromancer?!"

Standing in the center of the pentagram exuding dark green light, Luo Yan looked at the faith value slowly rising with satisfaction.

【Faith Value +1】

【Faith Value +2】

【...】

The taste of fear—

Really not bad.

Although this growth rate couldn't compare to the graduation ceremony of the Demon King Academy, the increase of dozens of points could be considered better than nothing.

By the way.

Sharing joy is better than enjoying it alone.

"Necromancer?"

He took out a turbid crystal ball from his bosom and held it in his hand, quietly appreciating the despair carved on those few faces, and by the way, harvested another wave of faith.

"Call me Demon King." ===== CHAPTER 13 =====