Chapter 97

Demon King's territory, Quality Plaza.

Later that day, when Ouke returned from the third layer of the labyrinth, he shouted excitedly as soon as he saw Luo Yan.

"Lord Demon King, your 'players' are simply geniuses!!!"

Luo Yan was long used to Ouke's exaggerated reaction.

After all, this guy's obsession with sucking up had reached the point where he would savor the profound meaning of even the slightest fart he let out.

Honestly.

That's quite perverted.

"Ouke, my ears are almost calloused from hearing this sentence; just tell me what happened."

"Yes! Lord Demon King!"

Ouke, whose every cell in his body was trembling with excitement, vividly described everything that happened in Iron Yacheng today.

Although Luo Yan had already seen the spoilers on the official website forum before this guy returned.

But hearing Ouke's description, an expression of surprise still appeared on his face involuntarily.

"They have already started using Nether Inscriptions to design robots?"

No—

Isn't that too big of a leap?!

Ouke nodded excitedly.

"That's right, that's right! Ouke saw it with his own eyes! They have already made a big arm! The kind that can be used once connected to a magic stone!"

"And there's more, not just the big arm, they also carved inscriptions into the cannon barrel! Blasting magic energy directly out!"

Good heavens—

Could this be a Magic Crystal Cannon?! Although Luo Yan didn't know what kind of blasting method this "blasting magic energy directly out" was, just hearing Ouke's description was outrageous enough.

He had thought the post 【One Gulp of Chemical Pool】 made on the forum was bragging; he didn't expect the latter to have been conservative! In the original plan, Luo Yan sent these life-profession players to Iron Yacheng for visits and exchanges, mainly to help the mole-men there open up their design ideas for Nether Inscriptions.

He didn't expect these players to be like matches thrown into an oil drum when they went to Iron Yacheng, directly dragging that group of big-nosed mole-men to skip industrialization and play with mechanical ascension?!

This is too heaven-defying! However, after Luo Yan thought about it, he felt relieved.

He could even accept magic; using magic on machines didn't seem hard to understand.

Even for the players, doing so was actually the true optimal solution.

After all, coming from Earth, they weren't good at extraordinary powers; they had to learn for a long time just to cast a fireball, and without patience, they wouldn't even be able to learn it.

On the contrary—

Things like Nether Inscriptions didn't have these obstacles!

It was more like a rule; anyone who mastered the rule could use it, and it wasn't limited to extraordinary beings granted by divine power! Therefore, as long as one mastered the relevant knowledge and prepared the corresponding materials and energy, even a LV0 player could exert its maximum effect! Looking at the greatly shocked Demon King, Ouke smiled cheekily and carefully made a request.

"Lord Demon King... in order for your minions to better train those little mice, please grant Ouke more translation crystals... one translation crystal is really not enough for them to use."

Recovering from the shock, Luo Yan said.

"That's easy to say; I have already placed the translation crystals on the shelves of the NPC shop; just have them go there and buy them."

Currently, the price of a translation crystal is 100,000 Nether coins each, containing 2,000 words and basic grammar for the surface common language.

Without it, players can only listen to NPCs talk and look at the subtitles on the player system interface. But with it, whether the player is playing a skeleton soldier or a lizardman, they can communicate with most NPCs using the surface common language.

For these players who have been in the server for a month, coming up with 100,000 Nether coins is not a difficult task.

However, considering that a considerable number of these players belong to the type that doesn't do quests properly, the Nether coins in their accounts might not be much.

Luo Yan pondered for a moment and said.

"... Additionally, considering that your apprentices have special needs, I will provide them with a batch of 'specially customized translation crystals' separately. These customized crystals not only contain more professional vocabulary but can also be rented, costing only 100 Nether coins per hour... I call it the Translation Crystal Enterprise Edition."

Hearing the Demon King's special care for him, Ouke's eyes were filled with moved tears.

Too late to carefully analyze whether this was a gift or harvesting leeks, he kowtowed and said gratefully.

"Thank you for the gift, Lord Demon King!"

If he didn't know this guy's character, Luo Yan would have suspected he was being sarcastic.

"No need for formalities, you're welcome... is there anything else?"

Ouke raised his head, nodded hurriedly, and said with some difficulty.

"It's like this, my lord... your minions are nominally my apprentices, after all, but they are all clamoring to establish some magic workshop. Of course, I'm not questioning your decision, I just want to say... wouldn't this be a bit redundant?"

Luo Yan was amused upon hearing this.

He didn't expect that even a goblin who didn't care about dignity would care so much about the master-apprentice relationship.

Although he could have not explained at all, he was a Demon King who cared about his subordinates' feelings, so he straightened his expression and said.

"Ouke, they are undoubtedly your apprentices; there is no doubt about that... as for establishing their own magic workshops, I don't think the two are conflicting things."

"But..."

Looking at Ouke, who was still struggling, Luo Yan continued unhurriedly.

"Broaden your perspective; is your positioning of yourself just a small workshop owner running a magic workshop?"

Ouke opened his eyes in surprise.

"My lord... isn't it? That is the work you personally entrusted to Ouke..."

"That is only temporary," Luo Yan continued drawing a blueprint without blushing, "In the future, you won't just have a magic workshop, you will even have your own Mage Tower, and even a Mage Territory! But that's not the point; the point is that I have greater expectations for you... do you know? Ouke, I think highly of you."

"Lord Demon King... has greater expectations for Ouke?!" Ouke's eye sockets turned red.

This guy was as fond of being moved as ever, and a few words could make him tear up.

What a good goblin.

"That's right," Luo Yan nodded approvingly and continued in a persuasive tone, "You will become the smartest and most cunning minion under my command... and there is no one else! Think about it, how will people evaluate you then?"

"They will say you are the smartest, most evil, and most cunning goblin in the history of the Os Continent, even smarter than the smartest gnomes! Even the mages of the Academy have to learn from you!"

"Because all the magic workshops in the entire Necropolis and their owners were trained by you!"

"Now, do you still care that your apprentices have failed your painstaking efforts? Even that is not a failure at all, but spreading your teachings and carrying them forward..."

"Do you understand now?"

"Ouke, I understand!" Ouke clenched his hands excitedly and suddenly bowed deeply, "Sorry, Lord Demon King, stupid Ouke was actually blinded by the vanity in front of him and failed your expectations... please don't take it to heart."

"How could I take it to heart? I see your loyalty, and I am very satisfied for now; I hope you will continue to maintain it." Luo Yan smiled and continued in a gentle tone, "By the way, it's just the right time, stay for dinner before going back."

Hearing that Lord Demon King had summoned him for dinner again, Ouke straightened his back excitedly.

"Yes! Lord Demon King!"

In just 24 hours, six magic workshops popped up in the Necropolis.

The most prominent and largest one was undoubtedly the "I Think It Can Magic Workshop" established by the player "One Gulp of Chemical Pool."

As the first person to eat crab, he relied on exquisite Nether Inscription technology and modern mechanical engineering to attract a large wave of engineering rats to join, and the number of employees reached more than 100 on the day of establishment. To fulfill the promises made to his employees, this guy simply DIYed a large iron stove and started roasting sweet potatoes himself outside Iron Yacheng on the third layer of the labyrinth.

With the appetite of mole-men, one sweet potato is enough for them to gnaw on for a day; it's not expensive.

Compared to its output, the profit here can simply be described as shockingly high.

Besides that, "Zheng Fangxing," "Magic Energy Technology," "World Under Heaven," and others were also born.

I don't know what method those players used, but the mole-men of Iron Yacheng worshipped them almost to the point of treating them like gods!

As for how Luo Yan knew, it was also very simple, because these beliefs would ultimately be counted on him.

That night, just as he was enjoying dinner, the faith value kept rising, and finally, the "temporary growth" was directly merged into the daily growth.

That was a sign of complete submission, just like the adventurers he locked in the dark room.

Not just humans.

Mole-men also contribute faith values, but there is a difference in the value.

Thanks to the mice of Iron Yacheng, Luo Yan's faith value has now broken through the 5,000-point mark and is heading toward 6,000 points...

The next day.

Luo Yan got up early, and after enjoying breakfast, he wrote a letter to the Demon King Management Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, reporting that a "natural disaster" had occurred in the Dimensional Desert and Brass Pass was in jeopardy, while also inquiring about the "Mad Speaker."

Considering that his counterpart, Miss Mi Ya, was a poor student, and she obviously couldn't know the secrets he didn't even know himself, Luo Yan specifically mentioned in the letter that if she couldn't answer, there was no need to force it, and please pass the question to Professor Lilith of the Demon King Academy.

If it were Professor Lilith, this little thing should be easy for her.

After finishing the daily chores, Luo Yan began to prepare for exploring the fourth layer of the labyrinth.

Unlike the traditional labyrinth of the first three layers.

The fourth layer of the labyrinth is called the "Mist Forest," an open area without traps or walls dividing the route.

According to the information Luo Yan exchanged for a meal from the Little Devil Mixi, the fourth layer of the labyrinth is an underground forest with day and night rotation.

Its area is unimaginably large, even comparable to the Silver Pine Forest, and its resources are incomparable to the first three layers.

It's just that since the death of the previous Demon King, the dome crystal maintaining the day and night rotation has lost its energy source, and the entire forest is currently in a half-dead state.

The local rulers are said to be a group of Dark Elves who are good at dark and wood magic.

When Demon King Lei Ji Dragon died, these Dark Elves once invited the "rulers" of the first five layers of the labyrinth to the fourth layer in the name of the fourth layer's lord to hold a "Summit Meeting" to discuss the future of the labyrinth.

It is said that the former Earth Dragon clan leader Sanu was one of the participants in the meeting, as the ruler of the first layer.

According to Mixi, Queen Cici had a very poor impression of him, describing him as having pitifully weak strength but a temper as irritable as a hellhound.

That meeting did not reach any mandatory agreement, but simply agreed that the rulers of each layer would not infringe on each other's boundaries, and would continue to fulfill their obligations as members of the labyrinth—preventing adventurers from exploring deeper.

The Nightmare Homeland could be considered to have complied with the first article; after all, the Little Devil didn't have such a large demand for territory, and the environment of other floors wasn't comfortable for them.

As for the second agreement, not only did Cici not take it seriously, but most of the rulers of each layer were paying lip service.

After all, the warlords in the deep labyrinth cut off the supply to the upper labyrinth, so they really had no reason to risk being killed by adventurers to ensure the interests of those misers.

Rather, they hoped that the adventurers from the surface would invade deep into the labyrinth.

That is the dreamland truly full of treasures!

In contrast, the first five layers are just places where the poor in the labyrinth stay.

It is worth mentioning that Luo Yan learned from Mixi that the ruler of the third layer was not a mole-man; the one who participated in the meeting at that time was a clay golem suspected of possessing silver-level strength.

That guy was made by Demon King Lei Ji Dragon himself, but for some reason did not go on the expedition with the latter, but existed as the BOSS of the third layer of the labyrinth.

The clay golem actually gained self-awareness.

This was the first time Luo Yan had heard of such an interesting thing.

However, before contacting those golems, he planned to go to the fourth layer to see the situation there and figure out the background of that group of Dark Elves.

If he could handle the relationship with that group of black-skinned, pointed-eared people, he could fully utilize them to hold another meeting and "round up" the lords of the first 5 layers of the labyrinth.

This is much more efficient than him gnawing down layer by layer.

"... Lord Demon King, what potion is this again?" Looking at the Demon King shaking the dark green flask, Hearing You You, who was floating on the side, asked curiously.

"This is a disguise potion, used to change appearance." Waiting for the impurities in the flask to settle at the bottom, Luo Yan skillfully removed the upper test solution and sealed it in a test tube the thickness of an index finger.

This thing is a prohibited drug in the Demon Capital, but it is not restricted outside the Demon Capital.

By taking the disguise potion, except for not being able to change height and race, one can turn their face into the appearance they want within a certain period of time... even lengthening their ears to disguise as an elf.

Of course, he didn't want to become an elf, just to make minor adjustments to his appearance at necessary moments to appear slightly more low-key.

Doing this is, on one hand, to facilitate his integration into the adventurer group, and on the other hand, to avoid being recognized.

It is said that there are more adventurers on the fourth layer of the labyrinth, and there is even an outpost established by the Adventurer Guild, a place similar to a safe zone.

When going to the fourth layer, Luo Yan planned to pretend to be an adventurer to go there and take a look.

For this reason, he also specifically entrusted the Silver Pine Town Adventurer Guild to handle a black iron-level identity card for him and Sarah respectively, in case of need.

By the way, his adventurer name is Luoluo, and his registered race is human. Sarah is just called Sarah, but her registered race is not a Demon, but a Beast.

However, although Luo Yan planned it this way, Hearing You You didn't know, and instead asked in surprise.

"Change appearance? Lord Demon King, aren't you handsome enough?"

Luo Yan was amused upon hearing this and replied with a smile.

"It is precisely because I am too handsome that I am worried that people who shouldn't remember me will recognize me at a glance."

Hearing You You couldn't help but be surprised.

I don't know if it's its illusion, but it always feels that Lord Demon King is more shameless than usual.

In addition to the disguise potion, there are also red potions, blue potions, antidotes, etc., that might be used in the adventure, and Luo Yan also prepared some, packed in two backpacks.

Including coins from the human world and some dry rations.

Especially the former, it might be used when arriving at the outpost of the Adventurer Guild.

Looking at Sarah waiting at the door, he handed one of the backpacks to the latter.

"Let's go, we are going to the fourth layer today."

Sarah, who took the package, nodded seriously and asked considerately.

"Do I need to call the others?"

Usually, she was the one who notified Ouke or Alakdu and the others to gather at the Blood Hall on the first layer of the labyrinth.

But this time, Lord Demon King's answer exceeded her expectations.

"No need."

"Just the two of us this time."

(End of chapter)