Chapter 120 Padrich's Library
Deep in the Beifeng Mine, in the Demon King's teleportation room, Luo Yan received a reply from the Demon City.
And just from the greeting, he could feel how anxious the demon who wrote the letter was.
"Mad Talker? How did you get involved with that thing? Listen to me, stay away from him! Don't let your curiosity get the better of you! The farther away from that thing the better!"
Looking at the letter in his hand, Luo Yan couldn't help but smile softly.
Unfortunately, this letter arrives too late.
At this moment, Mia obviously didn't know that the thing not only provoked her, but also ran to her territory, opened a door, and released a bunch of monsters to fight with her.
Luo Yan was actually very hesitant about whether to report this matter.
Joining forces with humans on the surface is his strategy to spread the corruption of hell, but the trouble is that the people in the rear may not think so.
From the perspective of creating chaos, Hell might not want to deal with this trouble for the Kingdom of Ryan.
Even if he did nothing, Hell might lose this enclave permanently.
Unable to assume the cabinet's attitude, Luo Yan continued reading Miss Mia's letter.
After a lot of meaningless threats and dissuasion, the letter finally mentioned something useful.
"As for Professor Lilith, don't even think about it. Even if that 'old fellow' knew, she wouldn't tell you. Besides, she might not know much about things in history like Chaos."
"But it's different for me. The strength and historical heritage of the Padrich family are not something a small succubus can compare to. She has only heard of things in legends, but my grandfather's grandfather has seen them with his own eyes, hehe."
"Forget it. You definitely can't imagine what I'm saying, and it's impossible to explain something like this in a letter. I left a key in the envelope. If you hold it and meditate, you can let your consciousness sneak into the library in my house."
"Thank you for your kindness, young lady. That's a place many people dream of but can't get into, haha. Also, remember, don't look around after you go in! Go directly to bookshelf No. 42. The things you are interested in are on the far left of the 8th row."
"And remember! You cannot copy down the knowledge in it! Just know what you see yourself! Unless you want to die! The reason I let you see that thing is not to make you understand chaos, but I am afraid that you will be killed by your own curiosity."
"Finally, the key is a one-time use. You'd better look at the problem you want to see once and for all before you come out. This is the only exception. I won't be able to help you next time even if you beg me."
"By the way, the higher authorities are very satisfied with your report on the emergency at Brass Pass. This is a very important piece of information. Earlier, news came from the front that the Oss Empire withdrew a large number of troops and no one knew where they went. It turned out that they were transferred to the east for reinforcement. It seems that the stalemate on the front line will be broken soon."
"Of course, this may not be a good thing for you. You must be careful to control your influence and never get caught between the reinforcements sent to the east by the Os Empire and the Chaos forces."
"The world outside is getting more and more chaotic. Are you really not considering transferring back to the Magic City? Many classmates have returned from the front lines. It seems that there is a fool in the Dragun family who is willing to take over the mess in Thunder County. If you are willing to bow your head and ask for help from us, it is not impossible for us to help you run it, hahaha..."
Just like the previous letter, the letter from Miss Mia was burned after reading. After reading it, flames shot out from the beautiful handwriting, burning the entire piece of paper without leaving any ash.
In fact, with Luo Yan's own magic level, even if he did not have the current silver-level strength, it would not be difficult for him to "keep" the letter. A video crystal worth 2,000 Keiras would be enough.
But he wouldn't do such an unromantic thing.
Different from previous times, this time what was sent was not just a letter, but also a key with an antique shape.
To be honest, he was actually quite surprised.
He didn't expect that Mia would steal the key to his private library in order to help him.
Even in the relatively open-minded Magic City, "chaos" is a taboo among taboos.
No matter how powerful the Padrich family is, the knowledge of chaos that they keep privately is not something that they can easily tell outsiders.
It is obvious that this has gone beyond the scope of normal care between classmates.
However, Luo Yan felt relieved after thinking about it.
Given the strength of the Padrich family, if the news really leaked out, I would probably be the one to disappear in the end.
With gratitude and respect, Luo Yan held the key in his hand, then sat cross-legged on the ground and sank his spirit into the boundless ocean of consciousness.
At the same time, he saw a floating door in the ocean of consciousness.
In reality, the key he held in his hand was inserted in the door.
Without hesitation, Luo Yan pushed open the door and stepped in. Soon his body was sucked into a dark blue passage.
The rapidly flashing magic light rushed past him like a stream of data.
He was like standing in a high-speed tunnel, watching his destination being sucked in from the end of the tunnel to his front, and then swallowed up in one gulp.
The next moment, Luo Yan staggered through the door at the end and soon fell into a majestic and solemn library.
This is the "Soul World" that is independent of reality! In this world, the Soul World is an extremely special existence.
It is different from the subspace where the storage space is located. It is not a real physical space, but a conceptual space that is suspended above the spiritual world.
Its historical origins can be traced back to the "precognitive dreams" of priests in ancient times.
Some priests who wield extraordinary powers claim that they can communicate with gods in dreams and gain revelations about the future... and these unusual dreams are the earliest soul world!
In the late First Age and early Second Age, after the theory of meditation matured, most magicians mastered the ability to sink their spirits into the "Sea of Consciousness".
And this "Sea of Consciousness" is actually the stand-alone version of the "Soul Realm" realm.
In it, people can examine their own spirits and talk to themselves, but they cannot directly connect with other people or even gods... unless through some kind of medium.
As for some powerful magicians, they can not only influence the minds of others with their own powerful mental power, but also open up a territory of their own in the "Soul World" and allow all qualified spiritual entities to connect in.
Just like a public server.
In fact, from the development of the soul world theory, it can be seen that this world is not completely a stagnant world as described by Lint Isaac. It’s just that most of the scholars in this world are magicians, and the objects of their research are naturally mainly extraordinary powers.
Compared to the magicians of ancient times, the understanding of supernatural powers by modern magicians is almost like the existence of gods. Even if people lose some knowledge, it is closer to being eliminated than forgetting.
Standing in the Padrich family's library, Luo Yan was amazed at the richness of its collection of books, and couldn't help but sigh that the heritage of this "famous family" was indeed extraordinary.
Putting aside his bloodline and talent, just the fact that these books are here makes him lose by countless starting points.
Without wasting time, Luo Yan went straight to the point, went to bookshelf No. 42, and found the book at the end of the left side of the 8th row.
It was a book of simple shape, its old leather had turned yellow, and there was not a single word on the cover, but it seemed as if it was filled with words, giving off an ominous aura.
Without hesitation, Luo Yan opened the title page and read the first line of text.
"…The study of chaos can be traced back to the distant barbaric era."
"In the barbaric times when the spirits of mortals were not yet stable, a group of gods from outside the domain came here and tried to impose their spirits on us."
"We don't know where they came from. Some records say they came from the stars, while others say they came from a place farther than the stars. It is a dark fertile land where only death and annihilation can achieve eternal growth. They have only one goal, which is to extinguish fire, collapse mountains and rivers, freeze rivers, and return everything to death... until the end of the world restarts."
"We don't know why they did this, and they never told us why. In the era of ignorance and blood, we fought with their followers for a thousand years, and finally defeated the evil spirits from Chaos, and also defeated the ignorance and barbarism deep in our hearts, and finally avoided the destruction of the world."
"It is a story that is more distant than the First and Second Ages, an epic recorded on stone tablets with ancient inscriptions... It is a history that is more distant than the rise and fall of the gods."
"The best way to avoid the erosion of chaos is not to study it, but to completely ignore it, cover your ears, and block out the whispers from behind the dark curtain of the stars."
"But I know that even if I warn my descendants to do so, there will still be people who will unintentionally open ancient tombs and complete rituals disguised as gifts."
"We have already met, and are destined to meet again in the not too distant future. If my children are as ignorant of the enemy they are about to face as they were thousands of years ago, history will repeat itself... For this reason, I must take certain risks and write this knowledge that should not be left behind in a corner where no one knows."
Luo Yan was reading intently, sitting cross-legged next to the bookshelf, completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge.
The Four Chaos Gods are Avalor, the Crown of Pride, Urgos, the Claw of Eternal Hunger, Novel, the Weird Mist, and Kalmandus, the Flame of Destruction.
The four Chaos Evil Gods correspond to different types of chaos, and their manifestations are also strange and bizarre, making it difficult to guard against.
For example, Avano, the Crown of Pride.
Unlike the strange fog, He does not even have a fixed form. Sometimes He is worn on the head of the Chosen One in the form of a crown, and sometimes He exists in other forms such as a ring or a necklace.
As the leader of the Four Chaos Gods, the destructive power he brings far exceeds that of the other three gods.
According to the records of the Book of the Unknown, Avanor's corruption is special and the most subtle. On the one hand, it extends its hands to the nobles, the king, and the wise men who think they know everything, while on the other hand, it also erodes the lowest level of the kingdom, those who are superstitious about authority.
He can be pleased with both willful foolishness and unconditional blind obedience.
The former are called "dominators" and the latter are called "fanatics".
For the continent of Oss, which is still in the feudal era and under the rule of theocracy, the corruption of Avanor is the most difficult to resist and the most difficult to reverse.
For example, Urgos, the Eternally Hungry Claw, symbolizes endless greed... not just lust and desire, but all worldly desires.
His followers are mostly indulgent nobles, greedy robbers and insatiable merchants. After realizing their mission, they call themselves "Desirers" and dedicate their souls and lives to Urgos in order to satisfy their never-ending desires.
The method of pleasing Urgos is also quite twisted.
Pure famine or poverty cannot satisfy Urgos, it must be artificially created inequality of distribution. This means that two states must exist at the same time -
That is, some people's needs are never satisfied and they can only survive with difficulty. Others are also never satisfied, but because their desires are insatiable.
Then there was the "strange fog" Novel that Misty Town had just encountered.
His entity is an indescribable smoke body, composed of thousands of distorted faces and nightmares.
He is similar to Avano, but also completely different. The people he corrupts are usually neither the highest authority nor the lowest level in the kingdom, but detectives thirsting for the truth, explorers looking for treasure, judges examining conspiracies, and scholars who over-explore the spiritual world.
His followers are mostly middle-class elites in society, and his corruption is often completed unconsciously. The symbolic event is the derivation of the name "Novel" from the empty reasoning - that is the beginning of the madness of the "Mad Talker".
The way to please Novel is to weave a huge conspiracy, get more people involved in it, actively or passively spread arrogant words, and spread the conspiracy to distort reality.
The Book of the Nameless does not describe the ritual of summoning Novel, but only notes that due to the uncertain harm and the difficulty in distinguishing good from evil, pure idiots often cannot attract Novel's attention, and those who can initiate the ritual are usually scholars, explorers, and judges who truly have the ability to explore the truth.
The Corruption of Novel is usually very deceptive, and unlike the "Crown of Pride" and "Claws of Eternal Hunger", it does not cause great pain from the beginning. When some people realize the existence of the Corruption, it is often in the late stage of the Corruption.
As for the "Flame of Destruction", as the last of the Four Chaos Gods, it symbolizes killing itself, and its image is a burning skeleton giant.
There is an eternal fire burning on its body, and in its hand is a long sword that can split city walls. The land it passes through will be turned into scorched earth, and everyone who has fought with it will uncontrollably become its believer and contribute the power of faith to it... regardless of whether they believe in it or not.
As for those who believe in him devoutly, they call themselves "Doomsday Warriors". They often use the purest and most primitive methods to please their gods -
That is, kill, kill, kill!
As long as you kill enough sentient creatures, you will have the potential to become the "Chosen of the Flame of Destruction".
However, according to the "Nameless Book", warriors who fight for their beliefs will not be corrupted by Kalmandus. The Chosen Ones of the Flame of Destruction are often born in ignorant and savage barbarian tribes, especially beastmen tribes.
The totems of those tribes are like their mixed bloodlines. Sometimes, the totems turn into the shape of Kalmandes... This seems to be an unconscious behavior.
Although the Flame of Destruction is extremely harmful, its way of spreading fear is relatively direct, and the "Doomsday Warriors" who believe in it often fall into self-destructive battles, so the actual threat it poses is not as great as the first three.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
"...Novel rarely gives up on a conspiracy that has already unfolded. Those who are targeted by Him are very likely to be targeted again, even if they enter the path of reincarnation. His mark is like nectar, which will continuously attract the mad talkers to come closer. Before deducing His name, they will deduce His name first, until the huge conspiracy is finally completed. And the person who escapes from His conspiracy again and again will become the most dangerous Eternal God's Chosen One and His spokesperson in this world."
When reading this line of text, Luo Yan felt his heart shrink slightly.
He even had a vague feeling that there was a pair of eyes watching him from behind the bookshelf.
calm--
Novel couldn't possibly be here. Such corruption that could deceive people could only occur in their hearts.
Luo Yan took a deep breath, drove the thought of scaring himself out of his mind, and chose to face the corrosion of chaos and the fear hidden deep in his subconscious.
"Novel's corruption subjectively stems from the ignorance deep in people's hearts and the long-term living in lies, and objectively stems from the suppression of the exploration of truth by theocracy and monarchy... As a result, they fall into paranoia on the road of exploring the truth and eventually go astray."
"It is worth mentioning that although the corruption of Novel is common among scholars, judges and other middle-class people in society, it often appears in remote areas of civilization, and rarely appears in the capitals of countries and cultural and academic centers where this population is relatively dense."
This clue is important.
It can even be said that it helped him a lot.
"It seems that it is not difficult to crack Novel's conspiracy..."
Promoting education and ideological enlightenment can eliminate ignorance to a certain extent, and establishing a relaxed academic exchange environment can avoid the emergence of "crazy talkers".
All these things that Lint Isaac had done should be effective. The only trouble is how to avoid the backlash from feudal conservative forces.
This isn't Earth after all.
The role of God is not only to serve as an anchor to calm people's chaotic spirits, but also a tool for people to gather the power of faith, and a wall to prevent foreign gods from taking advantage of the situation.
No matter what strategy he implements, it cannot be divorced from reality.
Otherwise it will become a castle in the air.
Luo Yan thought for a long time, closed the book in his hand, stood up and put it back on the bookshelf.
Looking at the vast collection of books, for a moment he had the thought of staying here for a while, but in the end he gave up the idea with a smile and returned to the portal along the same route.
Shortly after Luo Yan left, a feminine and handsome face appeared behind bookshelf No. 42.
It's impossible to tell the man's race from his appearance, but anyone can sense his extraordinary bearing and evil aura.
But if Principal Ivan, who loves gossip, is here, he will definitely recognize his identity——
This person is none other than the in-law of the Padrich family, Festina Padrich!
His identity is a master-level shadow demon, and he is only one step away from the demigod level and the cabinet of His Majesty the Demon God.
Of course, considering that he has not taken this step for such a long time, his strength is suspected to have reached the bottleneck of the soul level. If he does not have the adventure to please the devil, his life is probably over.
But strength is only one aspect.
Even though the head of the Padrich family only has the strength of a grandmaster, it does not prevent them from being a first-tier family in the Magic City.
After all, the powerful of the Padrich family has never been just the patriarch who married into the family, but the other person who is obsessed with role development, as well as the many elders who watch over the younger generations and the intricate network of relationships in the internal affairs system.
After so many years of loving relationship with his wife, Festing has also picked up some of his partner's traits.
For example, they are keen on secret observation and character development.
Judging from the behavior of his lovely but silly baby daughter, who "was willing to lie and steal the keys from her body in order to help this boy", this person should be the guy that she can't stop talking about all day long.
Long before Luo Yan stepped into the library, he had already instructed his servants to get his information.
Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, this kid is indeed a character, and he resembles himself in the past.
Staring at the empty library entrance, Festing's lips curled up into a playful smile as he whispered to himself.
"The illegitimate child who is suspected to have the blood of the Colin family became the Demon King through his own efforts, and was promoted from bronze to silver in less than two months as a human... Tsk tsk, quite interesting."
What he didn't expect the most was that this kid actually resisted the temptation of knowledge and didn't stay in the library any longer.
You know, this is Padrich's library.
He wasn't bragging. Even if the current head of the Colin family, the demigod-level vampire, was standing here, he might not be able to resist the temptation to find out what was going on.
The indecisive next head of the family and the ambitious illegitimate son... and the eldest son who is older than him.
It seems that the next change of head of the Colin family and the designation of heirs will be interesting to watch.
He was more curious about this than his daughter's feelings.
…
Left the Padrich Library in Soul Society.
Luo Yan, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, opened his eyes and woke up from meditation.
The key in his hand had turned into powder and scattered, just like the letter before, leaving no trace of it.
Luo Yan brushed off the dust on his trouser legs and stood up. The floating Youyou flew around him and said with a chuckle.
"It seems that the method of provoking others is still quite useful."
Previously in the Soul World, it did not follow in, but waited in the Sea of Consciousness.
Luo Yan: "Provocation?"
Youyou said with a smirk.
"Didn't you ask her to ask Professor Lilith for help? As expected of the Demon King, his cunningness is even better than yours!"
Luo Yan thought about it for a while, and it seemed to be true, but he didn't quite understand how this thing was related to provocation.
But that's not the point.
The point is that the forces of Chaos are awakening.
Being regarded as a "thorn in the eyes" by both Saint-Six and Nouvel, he didn't know whether he should feel helpless or happy about this honor.
…
Back at the magic workshop, Luo Yan took out the letter paper, and after repeatedly considering the wording, he finally decided not to beat around the bush and just write it down verbatim.
"…The matter of the Mad Talker has come to an end. Don't worry about me. Everything is fine here."
"In addition, I have recovered the first four levels of the labyrinth and recaptured the lost territory of Reggie Dragun from the adventurers."
"The corrosion on the surface is spreading, but the facilities on the fourth floor of the maze are damaged and need to be repaired urgently."
"In order to solve the technical difficulties, I would like to apply to go back to Shanghai to seek expert advice. Please approve it."
The Demon King is not allowed to leave the territory without permission, and is especially forbidden to return to the Demon City without permission.
Although the teleportation array has been repaired, you still need the approval of the Demon King Management Department to go back.
It's like taking a leave of absence.
I heard that it is quite troublesome to handle the relevant procedures, but Luo Yan felt that Mia should not make things difficult for him because of such a small matter.
Although this guy has a sharp tongue, he still cares for his old classmates in every way.
At worst, he can just be a little sweet-talker.
If one letter isn't enough, write two.
(End of this chapter)