Chapter 400: Breakthrough! Diamond Tier!

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ID: Luo Yan

Race: Human

Soul Level: Diamond (Level Cap LV130)

Level: LV. 111 (+1)

Constitution: 102 (+6)

Strength: 48 (+7)

Agility: 55 (+7)

Intelligence: 427 (+80)

Spirit: 407 (+100)

】

After pacifying the many researchers who were concerned about him, the first thing he did was sink his consciousness back into his sea of consciousness to confirm the gains from this trip.

Soon, a string of brand-new data panels quietly appeared on the stone stele standing within his sea of consciousness.

Just as Luo Yan had sensed, his level had increased.

And it hadn't just increased by a little—

But by a large margin!

Following his soul level breaking through to Diamond, the transcendent power he mastered had finally reached the Diamond tier as well!

"Incredible, Great Demon King... You just chatted with the Curator, and you actually gained so much experience?!" You You's figure quietly appeared beside his spiritual entity, her exclamation filled with disbelief.

If he had stayed a while longer, wouldn't he have hit the level cap directly?!

As the memories of the soul mirror gradually synchronized with his physical body in reality, You You, as a divinity, already knew of her master's experiences behind the Void Realm.

It was just that she couldn't understand why it had turned out this way.

"It's not that simple."

Merely sensing the surging energy radiating from the depths of his soul, Luo Yan calmly denied You You's speculation and put forward his own point of view.

"If my hypothesis is correct, this promotion of mine shouldn't stem from mere knowledge or 'experience'. The root... should be that 'Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena'."

"The moment it merged into my sea of consciousness, it brought not only the power of the artifact itself," Luo Yan continued to analyze in his heart, "but also a stream of pure energy from another spacetime... I think that should be the 'Aether' the Suolipuxi spoke of."

At this moment, his spiritual power was carefully sensing the butterfly pendant deep in his sea of consciousness, searching through the ripples it emitted.

He could clearly feel that the pendant had already bound itself to his soul, becoming a part of his power, and even a part of his soul.

Just like a prosthetic limb attached to the soul!

Following this, he was also endowed with an ability similar to that of the Suolipuxi humans—manifesting a spiritual entity in reality.

Based on some information the Curator mentioned while telling the story of their civilization, Luo Yan could roughly infer that when the Suolipuxi civilization developed to a certain degree, they collectively evolved a method to construct their own soul mirrors using Aether, and used this as a foundation to conduct intergalactic travel!

And even—

Travel across spacetime!

Of course, this kind of travel was not achieved through the soul mirrors they created themselves.

Just as the Curator said, soul mirrors cannot cross the barriers of the Void; they can only serve as vessels for the will of another world.

However, referencing the way the players exist, Luo Yan could boldly make a conjecture—

The Suolipuxi's method should be to enlighten civilizations in other spacetimes with similar spiritual frequencies through Void Realm channels, just like what he had done more than once behind the Void Realm.

Then, they would teach those enlightened civilizations the method of creating soul mirrors and project their own wills onto the soul mirrors in the opposite world, in order to experience a completely different "life" in another spacetime.

As for why they didn't teach him this incredible technology, there were many possibilities.

Perhaps they discovered he actually possessed similar abilities, perhaps the technological gap between the two civilizations was too vast, perhaps because the other party believed there were unpredictable risks involved, or perhaps they hadn't done such things for a long time.

An immature civilization mastering advanced technology it cannot control is far more likely to destroy itself before it destroys others.

It's like placing a handgun with the safety off into the hands of an infant; the Suolipuxi themselves had suffered losses in this regard.

Standing from the perspective of someone who had been there, they knew very well that the "Os people," who shared a similar past to them, would always eventually grasp these mysteries.

But there was no need to do so now, while they were still immature...

"So that's how it is..." After listening to Luo Yan's explanation, the expression of sudden realization appeared on You You's abstract face.

After a while, she said in a low voice.

"Then... will we be able to see that Curator again?"

Luo Yan was silent for a while.

"Probably not."

Fate is limited.

Although the time they met was very short, both sides benefited greatly from each other's worlds. The story of the Ancient God Kelin had long since become a part of the universe where the Suolipuxi resided, and their story would also be collected in the Academy's library before long.

Luo Yan, who had finished his meditation, opened his eyes.

What met his eyes this time were not anxious expressions, but pairs of uneasy and expectant gazes.

Moke looked toward his direction longingly, wanting to know if he had sorted things out, yet he was too embarrassed to ask.

Luo Yan pondered for a while, and in a calm tone, spoke of his observations behind the Void Realm, as well as the current situation and future of the Suolipuxi.

He used a way that everyone could understand as much as possible, just like the Suolipuxi Pope telling his people about his observations of the Divine Kingdom.

As for the discussion regarding time and Nover, it was kindly omitted by him.

That was not the focus of their conversation.

Moreover, it might lead to too many misunderstandings.

The air in the Kelin Tower grew quiet.

After listening to their story, the researchers, including Moke, all wore complex expressions on their faces, their hearts filled with a thousand emotions for a time.

They were shocked by the incredible fusion that occurred in Void Realm No. 440 after it parted ways with them, and marveled that those frail "Octopus People" could actually accomplish such a remarkable miracle, the peak of whose great power could even cause an entire starry sky to perish beneath their tentacles!

And what they found even harder to accept was that a civilization as powerful as the Suolipuxi still could not escape the ending of destruction...

Fifty centuries is very long, but for a civilization, it is not considered long-lived. Just the empire on the Os Continent alone had one-fifth of their lifespan.

After a long silence, Moke took a deep breath and said in a complex tone.

"Will we have that day too?"

Luo Yan pondered for a moment, and like a true mentor, answered the unease in his heart in a gentle tone.

"That depends on what choices we make when facing the trials from the Void..."

"But regardless, that day is too far away for us living in the present; we can only faithfully record it in the scrolls, and hope that our descendants will recall the insights from another world when they face their own choices."

Digesting such a massive amount of information takes time.

He instructed Moke and the other researchers to continue maintaining observation of Void Realm No. 440 while completing the writing of the relevant papers.

He certainly knew that there was probably nothing new to be observed behind the Void Realm.

The reason that Void Realm channel could still be maintained was entirely because the Suolipuxi were still conducting a ritual called "Harvest" in their own way, while the observers on the other side of the Void Realm were also conducting a ritual called "Observation."

Once this tacit understanding was broken, the connection between the two sides would be severed.

Even if he stayed there a while longer, the channel might not be able to be maintained, because he had already acquired too much knowledge that did not belong to the world he was in through the Curator.

However, there was no need to tell the mages of the Academy these details; there were too many things that needed explaining, which would only make things troublesome.

Let them observe for now.

The "Sage's Report" would definitely be full of interest in the "Aether" and the insights into the subspace generated by this observation, and it might even become the most outstanding research achievement of the last decade!

Additionally, Miranda, the magic apprentice who was researching "transcendent particles" in his Demon King territory, should also be full of interest in this.

Afterward, Luo Yan would bring the papers completed by the researchers back to the Demon King territory and share the insights from behind the Void Realm with the mages of the Demon King territory and even Hell.

He had actually already copied a lot of knowledge about magic from the Academy's library to update the setting collection of "Disaster OL."

There were also some blockheads trying it out on Earth.

It was just that the players of "Disaster OL" were still too few compared to the total population of Earth, and Earth clearly already had its own set of rules.

Otherwise, those death-seeking guys might have really managed to test out "transcendent power"...

After arranging everything, Luo Yan left the noisy Kelin Tower alone, took a carriage borrowed from Professor Hector, passed through the Artisan Street overflowing with a festive atmosphere, and returned to the vicinity of the Great Sage's Tower.

After returning the carriage, he did not go directly back to his faculty dormitory, but detoured to the back of the dormitory tower, finding a quiet and deserted corner.

He sensed the mysterious 【Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena】 pendant from his sea of consciousness, deciding to immediately test just how powerful this gift bestowed by the Curator was.

The moment he sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness, that crystal-clear pendant appeared before him almost immediately.

Everything was as natural as breathing.

With a smile curling the corner of his mouth, Luo Yan concentrated his spirit, injecting a wisp of faint spiritual power toward the sleeping butterfly deep in his sea of consciousness.

The response was instantaneous.

In the air, formless Aether energy gathered out of thin air; they chased and entwined with each other, as if following a weaving law from an ancient universe.

In just a short breath, a translucent butterfly shimmering with seven-colored light condensed into shape; it lightly flapped its wings, which seemed to carry the starlight of a world, and landed on Luo Yan's extended fingertip.

"Hum—"

A wondrous sense of severance arrived.

The moment it was born, Luo Yan's perception was split in two.

His main body still stood in the snow, feeling the biting cold wind of the North, while his other half of consciousness had already entered a kaleidoscope world composed of countless magnificent facets.

"Fly higher."

A thought was issued, and the Aether butterfly on his fingertip immediately circled upward obediently.

His field of vision rose accordingly, the snow-covered earth rapidly shrinking beneath his feet; that feeling of the soul breaking free from the shackles of the flesh and soaring freely made him squint his eyes involuntarily.

This feeling was very wondrous.

Although a Necromancer could also project their consciousness onto the bodies of summoned creatures for micro-management, it was far from reaching such an immersive sense of substitution.

And at the same time, this sharing of vision would not expose his main body to danger; he could switch his primary perspective and zoom in and out at any time, everything as natural as moving a window on a desktop with a mouse when operating a computer.

Most crucially, he did not need to rely on a "spellcasting medium" like a player's helmet, nor did he need to let his original body fall asleep!

And—

He could also swap the positions of the two!

"... Then, what about physical-level interference?"

Luo Yan, whose interest had been piqued, cast his gaze toward a thick, heavy rock wall covered in ice and snow not far away, a bold idea forming in his heart.

He ordered the butterfly to fly straight toward it.

The moment it was about to collide, Luo Yan almost subconsciously prepared to meet the impact, yet that butterfly was like moonlight passing through the surface of water; without stirring up a single ripple, it passed right through silently!

As if that solid rock were nothing but a void projection!

"... A perfect stealth tool!"

Luo Yan's breathing hitched slightly, a hint of joy rising in his heart.

After the physical level, the next thing to verify was the magical level!

The dormitory tower of the Source Magic school itself had a powerful warning barrier, shielding it from prying eyes from the outside.

It was said that this was a restriction set personally by the Great Sage Duoliuke; although this did not mean it had demigod-level defensive power, at least in terms of the ingenuity of its design, it far exceeded the level of an average mage.

Let's try it with that!

Luo Yan controlled the butterfly, flying straight toward the dormitory tower.

In his shared vision, that magical light curtain composed of countless warning runes was clearly visible; any intrusion by an uninvited guest would trigger an alarm the moment it touched the barrier.

However, the Aether butterfly was like a drop of water merging into the sea, passing through the barrier with ease; the entire formation remained unmoved, actually having no reaction to its arrival.

Before long, "Luo Yan," having passed through the wall, saw through the butterfly's vision a servant tidying up a broom, as well as a teaching assistant giving orders to the servant.

Today's dinner was carrot stew and honey-roasted pig's trotters, the red wine accompanying the meal was a rare treasure produced in the Campbell region of the southern Lei En Kingdom, and the side dish was pickled cucumbers from the Luo De Kingdom.

Not all professors liked to cook for themselves; although every dormitory floor had a kitchen regardless of size, many kitchens were not used.

He confirmed that this butterfly could even ignore high-level warning magic!

However, what was interesting was that the moment the butterfly he controlled was discovered by a spider lurking in the shadows, an accident occurred.

It, which even heavy walls and the Great Sage's warning formation could not block, was actually stuck on a light, floating spiderweb.

The spider crawled toward it, preparing to feast. However, the moment its forelimbs touched that butterfly, the latter instantly dissipated like a collapsing sandcastle.

At the same time, the warning formation was still not triggered, leaving only a bewildered spider pacing uneasily on the web, unable to figure out where its prey had gone.

"Was it because the act of active observation canceled its 'virtualization'?"

"It seems any perfect tool has its weaknesses."

While Luo Yan understood this in his heart, his mind stirred, re-summoning an Aether Butterfly, and then his index finger lightly pointed.

A miniature fireball spell struck first, accurately hitting the butterfly circling in the air.

There was no violent explosion, not even any reaction; that beautiful Aether butterfly silently decomposed in the flames, turning into dancing Aether light dust and dissipating into nothingness.

And that fireball, having lost its target, passed straight through, hitting the wall behind the butterfly with undiminished power, knocking down several icicles hanging on the wall.

"So that's how it is."

Although the Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena can ignore most passive warning magic, it can be damaged by actively released offensive magic.

However, its destruction did not cause him any spiritual backlash, nor would it leave any traces of its having been there.

"A 'True Eye' that can be moved and deployed, and it comes with a TP effect."

A playful arc curled the corner of Luo Yan's mouth, and at the same time, an interesting idea quietly sprouted in his heart.

Speaking of which, his cat was at home watching a certain foolish lizard for him; he wondered what they were doing while he was away.

Let's take a look.

In a playful mood, he controlled the Aether butterfly to soar upward, familiarly arriving at the high floors of the dormitory tower, passing through the wall like a ghost, and silently flying into his own spacious room.

Inside the room, a warm scene appeared in his shared vision.

Tafu was acting contrary to her usual self; she was actually not napping in front of the fireplace, but pestering Sarah to help her read, teaching her to recognize the characters of the Os Continent.

He didn't know if it was because of the previous events that had stimulated this guy, but this little dragoness who originally only ate and slept had suddenly started to "strive for self-improvement."

Although Sarah's face had no change in expression, her eyes were very soft, patiently explaining every word she didn't understand, just as Luo Yan had once taught her hand-in-hand.

This warm scene made Luo Yan very satisfied; it seemed that when he was away, the cat and the lizard hadn't fought.

Really nice.

Just as the butterfly circled and flew to the side of the fireplace, Sarah, who was teaching attentively, suddenly paused. Although she did not sense that translucent butterfly, her instinct as a top-tier assassin still made her notice a hint of abnormality in the corner of her eye.

Her figure instantly tensed, her eyes, which had been gentle as water a moment ago, now becoming as sharp as a leopard's. This sudden change made Tafu, who had been lying on her lap, roll onto the carpet with a "thump," her short tail sticking up into the sky.

"Hey!! What are you doing, you stinky cat?" Tafu cursed as she climbed up, about to complain, but saw those icy eyes.

A bolt of electricity surged through her spine, making the blood in her whole body feel as if it had frozen, leaving her stiff in place and unable to move.

The dragon's bloodline was indeed powerful, but she was only a cub right now; even Alakto, who had come to his senses, could suppress her.

Let alone Sarah, who was already approaching the Gold tier.

"Don't move!" Sarah's voice was pressed extremely low, filled with unquestionable killing intent, "Someone is..."

Tafu was instantly terrified; the little dragoness, who had been aggressive a second ago, burrowed under the sofa with a "whoosh" the next second, revealing only a trembling tail tip.

"Who? It wouldn't be that guy's enemy coming to the door, would it? Wait, I have nothing to do with him! I, I, I... I'm just a useless person here for free food and drink, don't come for me!"

Hearing Tafu's spineless voice, Luo Yan, who was observing everything through the butterfly's perspective, couldn't help but smile.

'This guy...'

Where would he have any enemies.

The moment Sarah's gaze locked onto that Aether butterfly hovering in mid-air, Luo Yan activated the core ability of the "Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena"—

"Phase Swap!"

A slight distortion of space for an instant.

▲￠o

The butterfly that had been in the room a moment ago disappeared, and in its place, Luo Yan himself suddenly stood beside the fireplace.

He looked as if he had crawled out of the fireplace, startling Sarah, who had just assumed a combat stance, and she immediately shoved her dagger back into its leather sheath.

"Great Demon King?!"

Those dilated pupils were filled with bewildered panic; looking at Sarah, who was about to kneel on one knee to beg for forgiveness, Luo Yan walked to her side with a smile and lightly patted her shoulder.

"Sorry, I was just joking... *cough*! I'm very satisfied with your vigilance; I hope you continue to maintain it."

It seems this thing is easy to fool a mage's eyes, but it's still a bit difficult to evade the detection of a high-agility assassin.

"Yes..." Sarah had a bewildered expression on her face, but it wasn't confusion as to why the Great Demon King had suddenly appeared in the dormitory, but rather not understanding why he had to say sorry.

She had only done her duty.

It was she who felt a bit guilty; the "Great Demon King" she had blurted out just now, thinking about it carefully, actually shouldn't have been said.

What if it was a fake?

Although a single statement was not enough to serve as evidence, in this mage tower full of powerful people, it would eventually bring trouble to the Great Demon King.

Sarah silently reflected in her heart; she must be more careful next time...

Just as the two were talking, Tafu finally crawled out from under the sofa. She had run too hastily just now, and accidentally burrowed too deep, her head almost getting stuck inside.

"You guy, can't you walk through the front door when you come home?! You scared, you scared me to death!"

This guy belonged to the type that would shine if given a little sunshine; Luo Yan pondered that he hadn't even pursued her "rudeness in a moment of panic," yet she had started picking at his faults first.

However, Luo Yan didn't bother to lower himself to the level of this brat, merely saying in a teasing tone.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, but having said that... I've discovered you have a very profound understanding of your own positioning."

"%￥#@!" Tafu's little face flushed red, probably because she was triggered, and she cursed very nastily in Zeta language.

Luo Yan couldn't understand those abstract words of the Zeta people anyway, so he waved his magic wand and muted her, then looked at Sarah.

"Has anyone come to look for me today? Or was there any package?"

He was just asking casually.

But he didn't expect Sarah to nod with a serious expression.

"An apprentice named Skain came downstairs to the dormitory tower; he claimed to be a student of Professor Hector."

"Professor Hector is looking for me?" Luo Yan raised his eyebrows slightly.

He had just returned the Pegasus carriage to Hector earlier, and hadn't seen that old man have any business with him, only seeing that guy probing for the latest research progress of the Kelin Tower.

Of course, he could understand.

Professor Hector's apprentice didn't necessarily represent Professor Hector's interests, just as Teaching Assistant Keji was clearly more like his own person.

Good birds choose good trees to perch in; rigid guys can only keep fools, and cannot keep true talent.

Sarah shook her head lightly.

"He didn't mention Professor Hector's business, just entrusted me to bring you a letter... saying that you must hand it to you personally after you return."

While saying this, Sarah took out the letter.

After Luo Yan took it, he first habitually cast the "Alchemy Eye" spell, confirming there were no strange curses on it before cautiously opening it.

An apprentice's tricks couldn't hurt a Diamond-tier mage, but no one could guarantee who was standing behind this pawn.

The content of the letter was very short, only a few lines.

However, every letter on it condensed tangled emotions; it could be seen that this magic apprentice had spent great determination to make the decision.

【... Respected Your Highness, there is no evidence for what I have said above, and it even contains elements of speculation; however, based on my understanding of Professor Alister, he, who stops at nothing to achieve his goals, is capable of doing such things.

I could have chosen to remain silent, but in your class, you let me see another possibility in life.

Perhaps the mage I initially wanted to become was exactly someone like you, who harbors noble ideals and pursues truth, rather than constantly selling one's soul for the sake of immediate survival, and finally rotting into dust in a corner where no one cares...

If you feel that I am alarmist or stirring up trouble, I also respect your choice. But please, with a heart of pity for a weak believer, let me off; do not hand this letter to Professor Alister, as he would crush me to death as easily as stepping on an ant.

Of course, you are too.

】

Seeing the letter to the end, a smile of interest curled the corner of Luo Yan's mouth.

"... A bit interesting."

Looking at Sarah, who was looking over here curiously, Luo Yan didn't hide anything, handing the finished letter to her casually.

"Burn it for me after you finish reading it."

After Sarah took the letter and glanced at it, her eyes instantly became sharp.

"Someone wants to be detrimental to you?"

Tafu stretched her neck and wanted to see too, but unfortunately, she wasn't tall enough, and didn't see a single letter until the letter flew into the fireplace.

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"To be precise, it's using an apprentice's jealousy toward another apprentice and Miss Orphia's conceit to be detrimental to Miss Orphia, thereby triggering a conflict between me and the Castellion family, making me leave this mage tower."

This conspiracy took a big detour; Sarah was stunned for two seconds before she sorted it out.

"This... can it be done?"

"Why couldn't it? Even if Duke Andre is cold-blooded enough not to care about an accident happening to his own flesh and blood, Prince Kelin would still have to worry about the impact on the cooperation between the two sides and return to the Holy City to explain to the Duke. He doesn't necessarily need to make me and another Duke turn against each other; it's enough to just make me unable to stay on this snowfield..."

When he said this, Luo Yan paused for a moment, his gentle voice carrying a hint of contemplation.

"Hmm, it can be seen that he is very concerned about the constantly expanding influence of the 'Science' school. Combined with some of his recent abnormal actions, I'm even a little curious... whether he has had some incredible 'encounter'."

The moment his voice fell, You You's shadow floated out, and with a heart-voice that only he could hear, she excitedly added a sentence.

"Could it be a divinity?!"

Luo Yan smiled and replied in his heart.

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

If that were really the case, he couldn't treat this matter as a "trial" left to him by the Great Sage Duoliuke so carelessly.

He had to rethink the position where Alister was, and... what kind of role this Great Sage, who hadn't shown his face in front of him from beginning to end, was playing in it.

Sarah couldn't hear his heart-voice, only looking at him earnestly, saying loyally.

"What do you need me to do?"

Luo Yan pondered slightly and issued an order.

"The labyrinth trial of the All Souls Festival is about to begin; it is said that Mentor Moke is responsible. I need you to scout the area around the labyrinth for me... but be careful, don't get too close, and don't let anyone discover you."

(End of this chapter) ===== CHAPTER 401 =====