Chapter 120: Partridge's Library

Deep in the North Peak mine, in the Demon King's teleportation room, Luo Yan received a reply from the Demon City.

And just from that opening greeting, he could feel how anxious the demon who wrote this letter was.

"Mad Speaker? How could you provoke that thing? Listen to me, stay away from him! Don't let your curiosity get the better of you! Stay as far away from that thing as possible!"

Looking at the letter in his hand, Luo Yan couldn't help but smile lightly.

It's a pity that this letter came too late.

At this moment, Mia clearly didn't know that that thing not only provoked herself, but also ran to her territory to open a door, released a bunch of monsters, and had a fight with her.

Luo Yan was actually very hesitant about whether to report this matter.

Joining forces with surface humans is his strategy to spread the corruption of the Netherworld, but the trouble is that the people in the rear may not think so.

From the perspective of creating chaos, the Netherworld side probably doesn't hope that he will deal with this trouble for the Ryan Kingdom.

Even if he does nothing, the Netherworld might permanently lose this enclave.

Unable to assume the attitude of the cabinet, Luo Yan continued to look down the letter from Miss Mia.

After skipping a large pile of meaningless intimidation and dissuasion rhetoric, the letter finally mentioned something useful.

"As for Professor Lilith, don't even think about it, that 'old guy' wouldn't tell you even if she knew, and she might not know much about things like Chaos in history."

"However, me, it's different. The strength and historical heritage of the Partridge family are not comparable to a small succubus. Things she has only heard of in legends, my grandfather's grandfather has seen with his own eyes, hehehe."

"Forget it, I say so, you definitely can't imagine it, and the letter can't explain this kind of thing that can't be written in a letter at all. I left a key in the envelope, you hold it and enter meditation, and you can let your consciousness dive into my family's library."

"Thank this lady for her grace, that is a place that many people dream of entering but can't, giggle. Also remember, don't look around after going in! Go directly to bookshelf No. 42, the thing you are interested in is placed at the leftmost position of the 8th row."

"And remember! You must not copy the knowledge inside! You know what you see yourself! Unless you want to die! The reason I let you see that thing is not because I want you to understand Chaos, but because I'm afraid you will be harmed by your own curiosity."

"Finally, finally, the key is one-time use, you'd better see the problem you want to see clearly at once before coming out. The exception is only this once, next time you beg me, it's impossible."

"By the way, the superior department is very satisfied with the emergency report of the Brass Pass you reported, this is a very important piece of information. Previously, news came from the front line that the Aus Empire had withdrawn a large number of troops and didn't know where they went, it turned out they were transferred to the east for reinforcements, it seems the stalemate on the front line will soon be broken."

"Of course, this may not be a good thing for you, you must carefully control the influence, and never be caught between the reinforcements sent by the Aus Empire to the east and the Chaos forces."

"The outside world is getting more and more chaotic, do you really not consider transferring back to the Demon City? Many classmates have returned from the front line, oh. The Dragon family seems to have a fool willing to take over the mess in Lei Ming County, if you are willing to bow your head and ask me for help, it's not impossible for me to operate it for you, giggle..."

Like the previous letter, the letter sent by Miss Mia was still burned after reading, and after reading, the beautiful handwriting burst into flames, burning the whole paper until not even ash remained.

Actually, with Luo Yan's own magic level, even without his current silver-level strength, it wouldn't be difficult to "keep" this letter, a recording crystal worth 2000 Kaira would be enough.

It's just that he wouldn't do such an unromantic thing.

Unlike the past, this time it wasn't just a letter, but also an antique-looking key.

Honestly, he was actually very surprised in his heart.

He didn't expect that in order to help himself, Mia actually stole the key to her family's private collection.

Even in the relatively open Demon City, "Chaos" is a taboo among taboos.

Even if the Partridge family is strong, privately hiding the knowledge of Chaos is definitely not something that can be easily told to outsiders.

Clearly, this has already exceeded the scope of taking care of each other between classmates.

However, Luo Yan thought about it and felt relieved.

With the strength of the Partridge family, if the news really leaked out, the one who would disappear in the end would probably be himself.

With a sense of gratitude and respect, Luo Yan held the key in his hand, then sat cross-legged on the ground, and sank his spirit into that boundless ocean of consciousness.

And at the same time, he saw a door floating in the ocean of consciousness.

The key he was holding in his hand in reality was inserted into the door.

Without hesitation, Luo Yan pushed the door open and stepped in, and soon his body was sucked into a dark blue channel.

The rapidly flashing magic light flew past him like data streaming.

He was like standing in a high-speed flowing tunnel, watching the destination being sucked from the end of the tunnel to his front, and then swallowed him in one bite.

The next moment, Luo Yan stumbled across the end of the door and soon fell into a majestic and strict library.

This place is a very special existence in the Soul Realm! In this world, the Soul Realm is a very special existence.

It is different from the subspace where the storage space is located, it is not a truly existing physical space, but a conceptual space built on the spiritual world.

Its history can be traced back to the "prophetic dreams" of priests in ancient times.

Some priests who mastered transcendental power claimed that they could communicate with gods in dreams and obtain revelations about the future... and these unusual dreams are the earliest Soul Realm!

In the late First Epoch and early Second Epoch, after the meditation theory developed and matured, the vast majority of magicians mastered the ability to sink their spirits into the "Sea of Consciousness".

And this "Sea of Consciousness" is actually the single-player version of the "Soul Realm" domain.

People can examine their own spirits and talk to themselves in it, but they cannot directly establish contact with others or even gods... unless through some medium.

And for some powerful magicians, they can not only influence others' spirits with their own powerful spiritual power, but also open up a territory belonging to themselves in the "Soul Realm", allowing all spiritual entities that meet the conditions to connect in.

It's like a public server.

Actually, from the development of the Soul Realm theory, it can be seen that this world is not completely a completely stagnant world as described by Lint Isaac, but the scholars of this world are mostly magicians, and the objects of research are naturally dominated by transcendental power.

Compared with the magicians of the ancient period, the contemporary magicians' understanding of transcendental power is almost like the existence of gods. Even if people have lost some knowledge, it is more similar to elimination than forgetting.

Standing in the library of the Partridge family, Luo Yan marveled at the richness of its collection, and couldn't help but feel that the heritage of this "famous family" is indeed extraordinary.

Putting aside bloodline and talent, just by placing these books here, he had already lost an unknown number of starting lines.

Without delaying time, Luo Yan went straight to the theme, went to bookshelf No. 42, and found the book at the end of the 8th row on the left.

It was an antique-looking book, the old leather had turned yellow, there was not a single word on the book cover, yet it seemed to be full of words, emitting an ominous aura.

Without hesitation, Luo Yan opened the title page and read along the first line of text.

"... Research on Chaos can be traced back to the distant Barbaric Epoch."

"In the Barbaric Epoch when the spirits of mortals were not yet stable, a group of gods from outside the domain came here, trying to impose their spirits on us."

"We don't know where they came from. There are records saying they came from the stars, and there are also sayings they came from places even further away than the stars. That is a pitch-black fertile soil, where only death and annihilation can obtain eternal growth. They have only one purpose, and that is to extinguish the fire, let the mountains collapse, let the rivers freeze, and let everything return to deathly silence... until the end of the world restarts the world."

"We don't know why they want to do this, and they have never told us the reason for doing so. In the era of ignorance and bloodshed, we fought with their believers for thousands of years, and finally defeated the evil spirits from Chaos, and also defeated the ignorance and barbarism deep in our own hearts, finally avoiding the destruction of the world."

"That is a story even more distant than the 1st Epoch and the 2nd Epoch, an epic recorded on stone tablets with ancient inscriptions... that is a history even more distant than the emergence and decline of the gods."

"The best way to avoid the erosion of Chaos is not to study Chaos, but to completely ignore them, cover your ears, and block the whispers from behind the black curtain of the stars."

"However, I know deeply that even if I warn my descendants to do so, there will still be people who, out of unintentional acts, uncover ancient graves and complete those rituals disguised as gifts."

"We have met, and we are destined to meet again in the not-so-distant future. If my children are all the same as thousands of years ago, knowing nothing about the enemies they are about to face, then history will repeat itself... For this, I must take a certain risk and write these knowledge that should not be left behind in a corner that no one knows."

Luo Yan read very intently, sitting cross-legged beside the bookshelf, completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

The four Chaos Gods are "Crown of Pride" Avaro, "Claw of Eternal Hunger" Urgos, "Mist of Deception" Novell, and the final "Flame of Destruction" Carmandes.

The four Chaos Evil Gods correspond to different chaos, and the forms of expression are also strange, making people hard to guard against.

For example, Crown of Pride Avaro.

Unlike the Mist of Deception, He doesn't even have a fixed form, sometimes it exists in the form of a crown worn on the head of the God-Chosen, and sometimes it exists in the form of a ring or necklace, etc.

As the head of the four Chaos Gods, the destructive power He brings far exceeds the other three deities.

According to the records of "The Book of Nameless", Avaro's corruption is special and the most difficult to detect. On one hand, he reaches out to nobles, kings, and wise men who think they know everything, and on the other hand, he simultaneously erodes the bottom of the kingdom, those who believe in authority.

Whether it is the foolish act of acting arbitrarily, or unconditional blind obedience, it can please Him.

And the former is called "Dominator", while the latter is called "Fanatic".

For the Aus Continent, which is still in the feudal era and under the rule of theocracy, Avaro's corruption is the most difficult to resist and the most difficult to reverse.

For another example, Claw of Eternal Hunger Urgos, which symbolizes endless greed... not just lust, but everything including all worldly desires.

His followers are mostly licentious nobles, greedy robbers, and merchants with insatiable desires. After realizing their mission, they will call themselves "Cravers", and in order to satisfy desires that can never be satisfied, they will dedicate their souls and lives to Urgos.

The method to please Urgos is also quite twisted.

Pure famine or poverty cannot satisfy Urgos, it must be the inequality of distribution created by humans—

That is, two states must exist at the same time—

That is, some people's needs can never be satisfied, and they can only survive with difficulty. While others are also never satisfied, but because of insatiable desires.

Then there is the "Mist of Deception" Novell that Mist Town just encountered.

His entity is an indescribable smoke body, composed of thousands of twisted faces and nightmares.

He has similarities with Avaro, yet is completely different. The objects eroded by Him are often not the highest power holders of the kingdom, nor the bottom of the kingdom, but detectives who crave the truth, explorers seeking treasures, judges examining conspiracies, and scholars who over-explore the spiritual world.

His followers are more of the middle-class elites of society, and His corruption often happens unconsciously, and the landmark event is deriving the name "Novell" from void reasoning—that is the beginning of the "Mad Speaker" going crazy. The way to please Novell is to weave huge conspiracies, involve more people, actively or passively pass on arrogant words, and spread distorted reality conspiracies.

"

As for the "Flame of Destruction," as the last of the four Chaos Gods, it symbolizes slaughter itself, and its image is a burning skeletal giant.

Its body burns with an inextinguishable fire, and it holds a long sword in its hand that can split city walls; the land it passes over turns into scorched earth, and everyone who has fought it uncontrollably becomes its follower, contributing the power of faith to it... regardless of whether they believe in it or not.

As for those who devoutly believe in it, they call themselves "Doomsday Warriors." They often please their deity through the purest and most primitive methods—

That is, kill, kill, kill!

As long as one slaughters enough sentient beings, one has the potential to become a "Chosen of the Flame of Destruction."

However, according to the "Book of the Nameless," warriors who fight for faith are actually not corroded by Kalmandes; the Chosen of the Flame of Destruction are often born in ignorant, barbaric tribes, especially beastman tribes.

The totems of those tribes are like their chaotic bloodlines; sometimes, as they go along, the totem turns into the shape of Kalmandes... this seems to be an unconscious act.

Although the Flame of Destruction is extremely dangerous, because its method of spreading fear is relatively straightforward, and the "Doomsday Warriors" who believe in Him often fall into self-destructive slaughter, the actual threat it poses is not as great as the first three.

"... Novier rarely abandons a conspiracy that has already been unfolded; people targeted by Him are highly likely to be targeted again, even if they enter the path of reincarnation. His mark is like nectar, which will continuously attract Mad-Speakers to approach; before deducing His name, they will first deduce his name, until the massive conspiracy is finally completed. And the person who escapes His conspiracy time and time again will become the most dangerous Eternal Chosen, becoming His spokesperson in this world."

Reading this line of text, Luo Yan felt his heart contract slightly.

He even faintly felt that there was a pair of eyes watching him from behind the bookshelf.

Calm down—

Novier cannot appear here; the corruption that bewitches people's hearts can only appear in people's hearts.

Luo Yan took a deep breath, drove the thought of scaring himself out of his mind, and chose to face the corruption of Chaos and the fear hidden deep in his subconscious.

"Novier's corruption subjectively stems from people's deep-seated ignorance and long-term living in lies, and objectively stems from the suppression of the search for truth by divine and monarchical power... thus falling into paranoia on the path of exploring truth, eventually going astray."

"It is worth mentioning that although Novier's corruption is common among the middle class of society such as scholars and presiding judges, it often appears in remote areas of civilization and rarely appears in the capitals of various countries and cultural and academic centers where such people are relatively concentrated."

This clue is very important.

It could even be said to have done him a great favor.

"It seems that wanting to crack Novier's conspiracy is not very difficult..."

Promoting education and ideological enlightenment can eliminate ignorance to a certain extent, and establishing a relaxed academic exchange environment can avoid the appearance of "Mad-Speakers."

These things that Lin Te·Isaac once did should all be effective; the troublesome part is just how to avoid the backlash of feudal conservative forces.

After all, this is not Earth.

The role played by gods is not only an anchor for people's chaotic spirits but also a tool for people to gather the power of faith, and even more so, a city wall to prevent outer gods from taking advantage of the situation.

No matter what strategy he promotes, he cannot deviate from reality.

Otherwise, it will become a castle in the air.

Luo Yan pondered for a long time, closed the book in his hand, and got up to return it to the bookshelf.

Looking at the vast sea of books, for a moment, the thought of staying here a little longer flashed through his mind, but in the end, he smiled and gave up the idea, returning the way he came to the portal.

Not long after Luo Yan left, a feminine and handsome face appeared behind bookshelf No. 42.

One couldn't tell the man's race just from his appearance, but anyone could feel his extraordinary bearing and sinister aura.

But if Headmaster Aiwen, who is keen on gossip, were here, he would definitely be able to recognize his identity—

This person is none other than the son-in-law head of the Partridge family, Festin Partridge!

His identity is that of a Grandmaster-level Shadow Demon, only one step away from the demigod level and the cabinet of the Demon God.

Of course, considering that he hasn't crossed this step for so long, his strength is suspected to have reached a bottleneck in soul level; if there is no fortuitous encounter that can please the Demon God, his life is probably at its end.

However, strength is only one aspect.

Even if the Partridge family head only has Grandmaster-level strength, it doesn't prevent them from being a first-tier family in the Demon Capital.

After all, what makes the Partridge family powerful has never been just the son-in-law head, but the other person who is addicted to character development, as well as the many elders watching over the younger generation and the intricate network of relationships in the internal affairs system.

Having been in love with his wife for so many years, Festin has also been somewhat influenced by his other half's temperament.

For example, being keen on secret observation and character development.

Judging from the behavior of his cute and stupid precious daughter, "who would rather lie and steal the key from him just to help this kid," this person should be the guy she keeps talking about all day long.

Long before Luo Yan stepped into this library, he had already ordered his servants to obtain his information.

And now seeing him in person, this kid is indeed a character, with quite a bit of his own shadow from back then.

Watching the empty library entrance, the corners of Festin's mouth curled into a playful smile, and he whispered to himself.

"An illegitimate child suspected of having the blood of the Prince Prince Kelin family, who became a Demon King through his own efforts, and as a human, promoted from Bronze to Bai Yin in less than two months... tsk tsk, interesting."

What surprised him most was that this kid actually resisted the temptation of knowledge and didn't stay in the library.

You have to know that this is the Partridge library.

It's not him bragging, even if the current head of the Prince Prince Kelin family—that demigod-level vampire—were standing here, he might not be able to resist the temptation to find out.

An indecisive next head of the family and an ambitious illegitimate child... and he's the older son.

It seems there will be fun to watch in the next change of the Prince Prince Kelin family head and the designation of the heir.

Compared to his daughter's feelings, he is actually more curious about this.

Leaving the Partridge library located in the Soul Realm.

Luo Yan, sitting cross-legged on the ground, opened his eyes and woke up from meditation.

The key he was holding in his hand had turned into powder and dissipated, just like the previous letter, leaving no trace of thought.

Patting the dust off his trouser legs, Luo Yan stood up from the ground. Hearing You You, floating beside him, flew around him and giggled, saying.

"It seems the reverse psychology was quite useful."

Earlier, when he was in the Soul Realm, it didn't follow him in but waited in the Sea of Consciousness.

Luo Yan: "Reverse psychology?"

Hearing You You said with a wicked smile.

"Didn't you ask her to beg Professor Lilith? As expected of Lord Demon King, the level of cunning makes Hearing You You bow down!"

Luo Yan thought for a while; it seemed there really was such a thing, but how this thing got related to reverse psychology, he didn't quite understand either.

But this is not the point.

The point is that the forces of Chaos are awakening.

Being regarded as a "thorn in the side" by both Saint Xisi and Novier, he didn't know whether to be helpless or happy about this honor.

Returning to the magic workshop, Luo Yan took out letter paper, and after repeatedly weighing his wording, he finally decided not to beat around the bush and wrote it exactly as it was.

"... The matter of the Mad-Speaker has come to an end; there is no need to worry about me, everything is fine here."

"Additionally, I have currently recaptured the first four floor areas of the labyrinth and reclaimed the territory lost by Lei Ji Dragon from the hands of adventurers."

"The corruption of the surface is spreading, but the facilities on the fourth floor of the labyrinth have been damaged and are in urgent need of repair."

"In order to solve the technical difficulties, I would like to apply to return to the Demon Capital to seek advice from experts; please approve, organization."

Demon Kings are not allowed to leave their territory without authorization, especially returning to the Demon Capital without authorization.

Although the teleportation array has been repaired, wanting to go back still requires approval from the Demon King Management Department.

Just like asking for leave.

I heard that the relevant procedures are quite troublesome, but Luo Yan felt that Miss Mi Ya shouldn't make things difficult for him over this small matter.

Although this guy has a sharp tongue, she has been quite caring toward her old classmate in all aspects.

At worst, he'll just be a bit sweeter with his words.

If one letter doesn't work, he'll write two.

(End of chapter)