Chapter 80

"Respected Lord Demon King, according to your instructions, the laboratory has been prepared for you."

In the newly developed area deep in the mine, Alakeduo stood at the entrance of the construction site and proudly showed the latest achievement of the Shadow-Weaving tribe to the Demon King.

After consuming one hundred earth-wood spiders and 100 kilograms of picric acid explosives, the Shadow-Weaving tribe once again created a new miracle in the field of engineering—they comprehended the "four-spider parallel explosive tunneling" technique! Although this professional technique is very troublesome to explain, Alakeduo still tried his best to gesture with all eight feet, trying to make Lord Demon King understand the mystery within.

However, it is a pity that Lord Demon King is not interested in whether these cave spiders step with their left legs or right legs first on the construction site.

He only looks at the results.

Incidentally, Luo Yan stopped Alakeduo's impulse to demonstrate on the spot. He could accept the little spiders dying on the construction site, but dying in a rehearsal was somewhat unnecessary.

"In general, that means construction efficiency +30%, right?"

Alakeduo: "That's what it means!"

"Got it."

Luo Yan praised the Shadow-Weaving tribe a few times, and then handed this place over to Ouke.

"I'll leave this place to you. The things you need to study are in the box. If there are new materials, I will have someone send them to you."

"Also, this is not the Xuebang of the Empire, nor is it Hell. You don't need to care about too many worldly rules; just complete the research according to my instructions and report the results to me. If I feel angry about something, it must not be because you cursed the Demon God or anything else, but because you mixed useless nonsense or flattery into your report."

The spacious corridor connected eight rooms. The main laboratory was not only equipped with the most basic furniture such as tables, chairs, bookshelves, and storage boxes, but also equipped with experimental equipment that Luo Yan purchased through the church in Yinsong Town.

This included alchemy tools and professional operating tables, as well as some utensils that he couldn't name himself but could probably guess how to use.

These things were relatively common in human society on the surface and had not been exported to Hell.

However, since Ouke had worked for the mages there in the Xuebang, he shouldn't be unfamiliar with the usage of these instruments.

Facing such a generous master, Ouke's eyes were moist with emotion, and he bowed deeply.

"It is Ouke's honor to serve you, my master."

Seeing this guy's spirited appearance, Luo Yan nodded.

He suddenly felt that it wasn't bad that a goblin came.

If Hell really sent a powerful gnome over, he, this Demon King, might have to coax him to work.

And at that time, it's hard to say who would be supervising whom.

Perhaps, his superstition about the erudition of gnomes was still too strong. Although the latter has a reputation, the path-dependence problem might be much more serious than that of goblins.

He has to reflect on this, at least mentally learning from his predecessor Lin Te Aisake!

Looking at the respectful Ouke, Luo Yan continued.

"No need for formalities, go and busy yourself with the task I gave you... Also, if you have any needs or troubles, call my name loudly with your hands together. Read unimportant things three times, read important things ten times, and if it's an emergency, keep reading. I will naturally send someone to find you, or come myself."

As long as it is on the territory of the Demon King, it is strictly under Hearing You You's control.

Although Hearing You You cannot stare at every corner every moment, he can set screening conditions that trigger Hearing You You's active attention.

For example, calling Lord Demon King in the Hell language or the common language of the Aosi Empire is one of them.

Being noticed by Hearing You You naturally means being noticed by Luo Yan.

However, this rule only works in his Demon King territory; after going out, it only works around him.

Looking at the bowing and scraping Ouke, Alakeduo's eyes were contemptuous.

This guy equally discriminates against everything smaller than him, especially those who are smaller than him and like to flatter just as much as he does.

After leaving the cave, Alakeduo immediately remonstrated.

"Lord Demon King, I don't think that goblin is a good thing! They have no concept of loyalty in their brains at all, just like rat-men. You must not listen to his slander!"

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"Alakeduo, you don't know goblins well enough. The rebelliousness of rat-men is engraved in their bones, but goblins are a kind of monster that deceives themselves. When they are licking you, don't doubt it; it must be from the heart."

Although equally capricious, the capriciousness of goblins is always traceable. When they should be filial, they are indeed filial; when they are not, a good lesson makes them filial.

And this is one of the reasons why the status of goblins in Hell is slightly higher than that of rat-men.

Being familiar with the civilizational differences between different monsters is one of the compulsory courses at the Demon King Academy. As a top student who has scored full marks, Luo Yan can handle this kind of thing with ease.

Alakeduo was greatly shocked, rubbing his front limbs on the top of his head, really not figuring out the difference between the two.

As expected of Lord Demon King! Although he, as the "number one wise general of the Shadow-Weaving tribe," couldn't understand the difference between the two at all, he felt that what Lord Demon King said seemed to make some sense.

No—

It's simply incisive! Stopping at the entrance of the cave, Luo Yan pondered for a while, troubled Sarah to take a wooden sign for him to hang at the entrance, and then carved a line of words on it with his magic wand.

【Ouke's Magic Workshop】

Let's just call it this name.

Reinforcements from the Demon Capital cannot be counted on for the time being. After finishing his work, Luo Yan returned to the daily routine of leveling up with a group of underlings.

His fixed teammates are basically Bangde and Sarah, while Okeduo and Alakeduo take turns, after all, they have other work.

As for why he doesn't look for players, that is naturally out of consideration for balance.

The jealousy of these guys far exceeds that of Alakeduo; the matter of him using a few little skeletons to pull monsters has almost become an indelible black spot for Ye Zhiqiu.

Even if speaking impartially, most of the experience was eaten by himself, and the experience shared by the players was about the same as when they usually brushed monsters themselves.

In short, since the players want him to keep a sense of distance and maintain the aura of a BOSS, then satisfy them.

Under Luo Yan's intentional cultivation, the henchmen of the Great Cemetery are growing very rapidly.

Especially Okeduo, who possesses the "Soul of Gold," because he outputs very actively every time he brushes monsters, his strength has broken through the bottleneck of Black Iron and reached the realm of Bronze.

Secondly, Bangde's performance is also quite good. A great sword that can attack and defend, belonging to a balanced type that takes into account both offense and defense.

Another one is Sarah.

As a "cat-type demon," she has a special growth bonus in agility.

And as her strength broke through the threshold of the Black Iron-tier, her body finally showed the potential for extraordinary power. When running, she was as fast as a gust of wind, and the dagger in her hand was like being cast with lightness magic!

For the changes happening to her, Sarah felt exceptionally excited, an excitement identical to that of adventurers who first awakened extraordinary power.

However, it was precisely because of this that she, who was too aggressive in battle, overturned the car as expected and was almost swallowed by a giant worm lurking behind a protruding rock.

That monster did not have extraordinary power, just an ordinary monster, but there were many adventurers who overturned the car in the hands of this guy. Its digestive fluid can even decompose steel, and the paralytic toxin contained in the saliva can make Bronze-tier warriors and even Bai Yin-tier mages unable to move.

Fortunately, Luo Yan threw a wind wall into the monster's mouth in time, and Okeduo, wielding a scimitar, flashed and killed his way to cut it in half, which allowed Sarah to escape a disaster without danger.

Looking at this stupid cat who was scared to the point of bristling all over and sitting on the ground stiffly, Luo Yan almost twisted his nose in anger and couldn't help but want to hit her on the head a few times with his magic wand.

If it were him who committed the same stupid thing, he believed that any professor at the Demon King Academy would 100% do this... even Lilith.

However, seeing that she had already learned her lesson, Luo Yan didn't have the heart to do it.

A lesson is just a means, not the goal.

Staring coldly at that terrified face, he said in a voice without emotion.

"You didn't follow my orders, I am very disappointed, I hope this is the last time."

He didn't say what would happen next time.

However, hearing this sentence, Sarah trembled all over, and tears even faintly seeped out of her slightly red eye sockets.

Looking at her scared appearance, Luo Yan couldn't help but ponder whether this guy had misunderstood something, thinking that he was going to do the same thing to her as he did to those prisoners.

That wouldn't go that far.

Making a mistake is not breaking the law.

If there is a next time, he would at most withdraw her from the combat post and go back to continue being a mascot, no matter what, he wouldn't throw his subordinates into the dark room because of this little thing.

"Sarah... will not let you down, definitely!"

Not failing Luo Yan's expectations, Sarah, with tears in her eyes, raised her arm to wipe her eyes, sniffed hard at the snot that flowed out ungratefully, and stood up from the ground while holding the wall.

She is a strong girl after all, not to be defeated by this little setback.

Luo Yan nodded appreciatively.

"I wait for you to prove it with action. Now, let me see your wound."

Sarah nodded with a red face and extended her right hand.

Just now when avoiding the attack, her arm accidentally bumped into the wall of the cave.

Although she was wearing the wind barrier cast by Luo Yan, she was still cut by a sharp stone.

This is the consequence of not being familiar with one's own power.

Luo Yan softly chanted the healing spell, and soon smoothed out the wound that was not very deep.

"Be careful next time."

"Thank you..."

Sarah, who had finished the treatment, said thank you, carefully retracted her arm, jumped away to the side, and returned to her combat position.

Those two raised ears swayed uneasily, making it impossible to tell whether she was guarding the surroundings or letting her imagination run wild.

Looking at the cat who suddenly distanced herself from him, although there was no expression on Luo Yan's face, he was actually a little hurt in his heart.

Collecting the monster's poison sac, magic crystal, and other useful materials, the party continued on the road, moving forward along the second-layer cave toward the south.

While walking on the road, Luo Yan took the time to glance at the lizardman ghoul walking beside him and said in a casual tone.

"Okeduo, am I too strict with you guys?"

Okeduo was still expressionless, his voice respectful.

"How could that be? I have benefited a lot under your guidance, please be even stricter."

"Glad you think so."

Luo Yan nodded, feeling relieved in his heart.

It seems his subordinates can still understand his painstaking efforts.

Even if they can't understand it now, they will gradually understand it in the future...

Based on Luo Yan's understanding of the power system of this world, levels are actually a bit like academic qualifications on Earth.

High-level old monsters having things is really having things; after all, what is destined by heaven is just the invisible and intangible soul level, and the visible and tangible level still requires effort to practice up bit by bit.

However, having said that, it is not necessary to extremely understand levels as the whole of life.

Even without citing examples in the labyrinth, female knights who were captured by goblins due to overconfidence are numerous, not to mention succubi who overturned the car surrounded by human soldiers.

After all, no matter how high your level is, how heaven-defying your panel attributes are, and how many graduation certificates you have, you can't expect your opponent to kowtow to you before doing anything, right? Luo Yan still remembers Professor Enuosi saying that some demons from academic backgrounds often make such mistakes, because they are graduates of the Demon King Academy, they look down on everything, and end up losing to a group of human adventurers whose strength is far inferior to their own.

It is precisely because of this that Professor Enuosi has always strongly opposed students who have not participated in practical combat exercises from going to the battlefield.

And presumably, actively encouraging his students to write letters home is for this very reason.

However, Luo Yan does not have the problem of underestimating the enemy; after all, when he was at the Demon King Academy, he was a stubborn Bronze, being tortured by a group of Bai Yin-tier show-offs every day.

As for the torture of society, he had already experienced it in his previous life, and no matter what, he wouldn't be as pure as a college student who just graduated.

Even when dealing with ordinary-level monsters, he would very cautiously put twelve buffs on himself and his underlings before doing anything, and if he can strike first from behind, he will never strike second from the front.

For his "academic" background, Luo Yan has a profound self-awareness. Even compared to most demons from academic backgrounds, he is still missing a year of practical combat classes.

Sacred Sacred Lake of experience can only be made up for with caution.

After all, he is not like a player, with countless lives to squander and try and error...

The party later encountered several waves of monster attacks, and Sarah, who served as a scout, was also very cautious and did not make the previous mistakes again. After encountering the enemy, she immediately retreated from the reconnaissance position to the back row, handed the first move to Bangde or Okeduo, and at the same time guarded Luo Yan's surroundings—especially behind him.

It seems she really learned her lesson.

For Sarah, who grasped the future, Luo Yan was very gratified.

This feeling is like seeing the stray cat he picked up not only learn to use the flush toilet at home but also learn to backflip and catch cockroaches.

Just as he was thinking this, Sarah, who was walking in the front row, suddenly sniffed, her bright eyes instantly widened like copper bells, and her cat ears stood up like antennas.

"Human scent! Ahead!"

Human?

Luo Yan immediately raised his hand to signal the team to stop.

"Prepare for battle." -(Tenosynovitis flared up again, getting old, getting old, please catch bugs!) (End of chapter)