Chapter 183 Preparations for the Journey to Thunder City

Outside the Demon King's Palace, Father Matt sat on a stone bench waiting, and soon saw a robed acolyte walking towards him.

"Please follow me, Mr. Matt." A hoarse voice floated out from the shadow of the hood, like a whisper from hell.

Anyone who heard that sneaky behavior would have felt a chill, but Matt had a completely different feeling, as if he was back home.

After all, he is not a human, but a corpse ghost.

It was only for the sake of the Demon King's great cause that he had to lurk in the human world, and he has been there for almost half a year.

"yes."

Matt nodded slightly and followed the acolyte, following his footsteps through the long corridor until he came to a huge archway.

The huge archway stood deep in the cave, and the obsidian-carved door frame was inlaid with complex and gorgeous patterns, like the entrance to the abyss, or the open mouth of a giant beast in the abyss.

He passed through the archway and entered the hall, and everything in front of him suddenly became clear.

Spacious, majestic, eerie and terrifying! And the familiar smell of the dead -

This was his first feeling!

The entire hall is based on rough granite, and there is not a single crack on the walls, as if they were carved out of a single rock formation.

A huge throne surrounded by countless granite steps stands in front of the audience hall. Eighteen huge obsidian pillars are clustered on both sides of the stone road, like totem poles overlooking the visitors, making people lower their heads, not daring to meet the eyes of the snarling demons on the totems.

The surrounding granite walls were inlaid with huge braziers, with purple flames jumping in the braziers, lighting up the entire solemn and dignified space with a strange light. Stone guards holding halberds stood under the braziers, their black armor emitting a chilling cold light, depriving the last bit of warmth.

There is not a trace of life in them, and this is what makes these stone statues most terrifying.

It seems that as long as the Demon King is willing, they can wake up from their slumber at any time and turn into loyal guards to protect the safety of the Demon King's palace!

Father Matt's face was full of piety as he knelt on one knee on the ground until the majestic voice came from the front and enveloped his head.

"Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Demon King."

Matt slowly stood up and stood at the bottom of the steps with his head bowed respectfully, like a loyal servant, waiting for his lord to allow him to speak.

Luo Yan looked at the pious and respectful face.

After half a year, the corpse ghost he personally awakened became more and more like a human.

If it weren't for someone with keen insight, it would be almost impossible to detect his identity as a living dead... and this was exactly what Luo Yan was most satisfied with.

This shows that his soul has adapted to his new body and identity and has completely integrated into the role he is currently playing.

After a pause, Luo Yan continued speaking in a majestic voice.

"I have read Charles' letter. I have heard about what happened in the Principality of Campbell recently. You can write him a letter for me and tell him that I understand their current situation. The agreement between us is still valid. As long as they do not break the tacit understanding between us first, we will not take the initiative to change the status quo."

"Yes, sir." Matt replied respectfully.

Luo Yan looked at him and continued.

"If it was just for this matter, I don't think you would have come here specially. Do you have anything else to report to me?"

"That's right, sir," Matt nodded and continued respectfully, "I mainly have two things to report to you."

After a pause, he continued.

"The first thing is to rescue the refugees in the suburbs of Leiming City in the name of the Flame King. Because the porridge shop we set up in the suburbs of Leiming City unexpectedly received support from Irene Campbell, the legend of the Flame King is spreading at a speed we didn't expect, and there is even a trend of spreading outside Leiming County."

"Excuse me for being blunt, but many of Saint Sith's followers foolishly regarded you as a messenger sent by Saint Sith to the mortal world, so much so that traces of pilgrims appeared in the church of Silver Pine Town. Some of them came from other directly-administered counties and earldoms of the Principality of Campbell, and some even came from the duchy and directly-administered province in the southeast of the Kingdom of Ryan."

Pointing his index finger at the armrest of the throne, Luo Yan thought for a long time before speaking.

"That's a good thing, you guys did a good job."

"I'm glad you think so."

Matt nodded slightly in agreement and continued.

"But this also brings changes to our next plan. The recognition from the Campbell family makes the sacred aura of the 'Flame King' too dazzling, and it has eroded the gray area we deliberately created between black and white... I want to ask you whether you still want to continue with the original plan and gradually guide public opinion to merge the identity of the Flame King with your other identity - the necromancer of Beifeng Mountain."

Luo Yan had planned to gradually merge the two accounts in Leiming County and continue to spread the legend of King Yan outside of Leiming County a long time ago.

On the one hand, this can allow him to absorb more power of faith, and on the other hand, it can also allow the residents of Thunder County to gradually eliminate their vigilance against the Demon King.

But it may not be so easy to do this now.

Under the influence of the Campbell family, people have spontaneously believed that he is the messenger of Saint Sith. Even if someone deliberately guides them to attribute the identity of the Fire King to another alias of his, I am afraid that few people will believe such "stupid talk".

Even if this is the truth.

Unless he tears off the vest in a more brutal way, there is another risk, which is that all his previous efforts will be wasted.

He needs to choose between two options: continue to gain greater influence and risk the legend completely deviating from its original intention, or quit while the going is good and risk all previous efforts being wasted.

Luo Yan thought for a moment and finally chose the former.

"The matter of merging the two identities can be put aside for now. You can just be responsible for spreading the legend of the Flame King."

"yes."

Matt nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and then continued.

"There is another thing. Just a few days ago, Irene Campbell sent an envoy to the church in Silver Pine Town. The envoy asked for a meeting with King Yan in the name of the royal family of the duchy."

Luo Yan frowned slightly.

"Who wants to meet with me?"

"Princess Eileen Campbell."

“…”

It's okay for a would-be hero to want to meet the Demon King.

What is this for? Speedrun?

Luo Yan was speechless and stunned for a long time when he heard this, but he understood after a moment.

From Erin Campbell's perspective, the choice she made was perfectly normal.

If he saw a saint suddenly appear in his territory, he would probably be curious and want to meet him to see what kind of demon he is.

On the one hand, she can show her people-friendly side and win over the lower-class people in Leiming County. On the other hand, she might be able to win over a powerful magician. Even if she fails, it will not be a loss for her.

certainly.

This is just from the perspective of interests.

Another possibility cannot be ruled out, that she actually did not think that much about it, but was just out of curiosity or wanted to do something with her own power.

"This is too dangerous!" Looking at the Demon King who seemed to have some ideas, Sarah couldn't help but blurt out these words.

Seeing Luo Yan looking at her, she took a step forward, walked in front of him, knelt on one knee and gave him some advice.

"Master Demon King, please don't forget that Irene Campbell is the holder of the 'Light of Legend'! The previous Demon King died at the hands of this artifact!"

"I've heard of it," Luo Yan nodded slightly and continued, "So what's your suggestion?"

"My suggestion is to nip the danger in the bud!" Sarah's eyes flashed with a cold light, and she said in a low voice, "I heard that Irene Campbell has just inherited the Legend of Light from the previous Grand Duke, and her own strength is only bronze for the time being, and her combat experience is not rich!"

"You don't need to take action against such a villain yourself. I can sneak into Thunder City and bring her or her head to your maze!"

The cold voice echoed in the empty hall, and the sharp eyes flashed with the light of a hunter.

Sarah had no good feelings towards the Campbell family.

After all, under their rule, the demons and half-demons living on the surface were basically in a state of racial segregation or even extinction.

This is completely opposite to the treatment humans receive in the Magic City.

Now that the Campbell family has once again set foot in Thunder County with the "Light of Legend", the murderous intent in her heart is unprecedented.

This is not only for the Demon King, but also to defend everything she has now.

Although they are actually the same thing.

Luo Yan had no doubt about Sarah's determination, but he did not encourage her to do so.

Perhaps because of her training on the planet Kao, she was more or less tainted with some of the corrosion of killing.

After all, the action of force is mutual. People who face chaos will also be affected by chaos, but the degree of impact varies.

"That's the worst option," Luo Yan said in a gentle tone, looking at Sarah with fierce eyes, "I just asked Mr. Matt to reply to the Knight Commander of the Principality of Campbell. The tacit understanding between us is still valid. If we take the initiative at this time, we will follow the old path of Reggie Dragun."

"But……"

Perhaps because she saw that the Demon King did not take the threat seriously at all, Sarah couldn't help but look anxious and tried to say something.

Luo Yan looked at her and continued.

"No matter how powerful the Legend of Light is, it is just a weapon. The person who uses the weapon, not the weapon itself, is the real threat to us. As for whether Irene Campbell is a threat to us, I would rather confirm it with my own eyes. It may not be a good thing to rashly change the owner of the Legend of Light. Perhaps the next owner will be more troublesome."

Luo Yan was not naive enough to think that everything would be fine if he could just snatch the sword.

If it were really that simple, what were the other demon kings doing?

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That artifact should do more than just bind to its holder.

It should represent a kind of protection attached to the bloodline, just like the "Blessing of the Dragon God" and "Blood of the Dragon" he possesses.

If Erin Campbell died, the most likely scenario would not be that the equipment would drop on the spot, but that a new oracle would be sent down according to the ancient contract, such as taking back the Light of Legend and refreshing it in Campbell Castle or the ancestral land of the Campbell family, inserting it into a stone and waiting for the next person to pull it out.

At least Erin Campbell was the chosen one.

The next one may not be the same. He might be like Aaron Campbell, a perfect and almost impeccable chosen one by God.

"I understand..." Sarah seemed to be convinced and realized that she had been careless, so she lowered her head obediently.

Although her experience on the planet Kao has changed her character, the only thing she seems to be obedient to is that she remains the same as always.

This is also the thing that makes her least like a cat.

"Get up. Also, if you have any ideas in the future, just write a report. You don't have to go through the formalities."

Luo Yan looked at Sarah and nodded, motioning her to return to her seat, then looked at Father Matt who was standing at the bottom of the stairs and said.

"Reply to Irene Campbell's messenger for me and tell her that the Flame King agreed to meet her, but not now, but at the beginning of next month... Just make up a story for me about the specific reason, such as I am practicing in a distant place or going on a pilgrimage to the Holy City."

He believed that Father Matt's story was more convincing than his own.

After all, this guy has been doing this recently, and all the rumors about King Yan were spread by him.

Matt nodded in acceptance.

"yes."

Seeing that he had nothing else to report, Luo Yan waved his hand and said.

"If there is nothing else, please leave."

This throne is too hard, and there is no cushion, so it hurts your butt after sitting for a long time. If it weren't for maintaining the majesty of the demon king, and if it weren't for the monsters in hell and the players who are keen on performance art, he would actually prefer to communicate with his subordinates in an approachable way.

After obtaining the permission of the Demon King, Father Matt nodded respectfully and then left the majestic hall.

Watching the hunched back disappear in the shadow of the archway of the audience hall, Sarah still looked at the Demon King sitting on the throne with some concern.

"Master Demon, are you really going to meet that Irene Campbell?"

Luo Yan replied in a relaxed tone.

"why not?"

Sarah said hesitantly.

"But if she finds out who you are, you will be in great danger... The surface is still human territory after all, and there are adventurers nearby."

Although she knew that the Demon King had silver-level strength, a sufficient number of adventurers were still enough to pose a threat to him.

The gap in strength is not absolute.

Even a diamond-level demon could fall under the siege of a group of mortals without extraordinary powers.

Luo Yan knew what she was worried about.

But what she was worried about was exactly what he was least worried about.

After all, if a conflict really occurs, it is hard to say which side the locals will stand on.

Even the demons in the Magic City know that the citizens of Thunder City are a bunch of cowards, not to mention that the city has been corrupted by their direct or indirect interests and is riddled with holes.

Since he came, even the income of adventurers has increased significantly, and the originally deadly maze has become a place where money is more important than life.

This happened after Misty Town reopened.

Ever since the Great Cemetery took over the local Adventurer's Guild, the organization originally established to defeat the Demon King has acquired a new business.

As long as a sum of money is deposited in the Adventurer's Guild's account, the captives captured by monsters in the maze can be automatically released to the safe zone after the ransom is deducted.

This is also one of the bad ideas that players came up with.

The ransom is clearly marked and fair to everyone. It can be halved if you surrender voluntarily. This not only effectively reduces the adventurers' will to resist, but also increases the efficiency of players' gold farming.

Luo Yan thought it was interesting, so he took it and used it directly. Unexpectedly, it gave the Adventurer's Guild in Misty Town an additional banking business.

After all, those who value money over life are a minority.

Anyway, adventurers have high incomes, so if they lose money in ransom, they can just earn it back. It’s better than living in the devil’s dungeon.

"The word 'demon king' is not written on her face. I have even met her father, so why would I be afraid of her? Not to mention that only a few people have seen my true face, but we have spies everywhere in Thunder City. Even if she sees something, she can't threaten me."

Looking at Sarah who looked worried, Luo Yan smiled and continued in a comforting tone.

"Besides, you also said that she has just obtained the Light of Legend, and her strength is only bronze. At least for the time being, she poses no threat to us. On the contrary, she may become a pawn for us to get involved in the Principality of Campbell."

When he said this, he paused and then continued to talk about his plan.

"I plan to go to Thunder City in a few days to see the holder of the Legendary Light with my own eyes and take care of some things."

Sarah looked at the devil in astonishment.

"Are you planning to go to Thunder City in person?"

She thought the meeting place was Silver Pine Town, but she didn't expect it to be Thunder City! ?

"That's right."

Looking at the surprised Sarah, Luo Yan said in a relaxed tone.

"I was in a hurry the last time I passed by there, and I didn't take a close look at the situation there. We can take this opportunity to investigate the place."

He had this idea a long time ago, but because he did not have the ability to protect himself at that time, it was delayed until now.

As for now, Sarah's strength is enough to serve as his bodyguard and help him deal with troubles when it is inconvenient for him to do it himself.

Although her demon bloodline was a problem, her characteristics were not obvious, and she could just wear a cloak to cover her cat ears.

If you don't look at her ears, you can hardly tell the difference between her and others.

Sarah asked, confused.

"But... didn't you make an appointment with her for next month?"

"That was just a cover. I had no intention of meeting her at the agreed time."

Luo Yan smiled faintly and continued.

"I have my own pace. If necessary, I will talk to her face to face in the identity of the Flame King."

"But if that is not necessary, I will ask Father Matt to tell Princess Irene Campbell that we have met before."

(End of this chapter)