Chapter 479 Campbell's School
Deep within the Great Tomb, the Demon King's study remained as quiet as ever, save for the rustling sound of pages being turned.
Luo Yan, sitting under the magic crystal lamp, is writing a letter.
He definitely preferred this place to the noisy Thunder City.
It's not just because the players are skilled cooks, but also because the ingredients here are much more abundant and nutritious than in Thunder City.
Since breaking through to the Amethyst level not long ago, his soaring extraordinary power has once again far surpassed the theoretical bottleneck.
To avoid blowing himself up one day due to a spellcasting mistake, he has recently been cramming on higher-level magical knowledge.
On his desk were both magical tomes copied from the library of the Academy and "Hellish Codexes" made by a high demon.
Thanks to Mia's help.
The rare books that are difficult for ordinary people to obtain are not a difficult thing for the eldest daughter of the Padridge family.
Luo Yan simply wrote a letter back, and she sent him a large stack of books via teleportation array, along with a handwritten letter.
The letter was written in the same style as always, with a haughty "arrogance" that concealed an anxiety and concern that was almost overflowing from the page.
However, unlike before, Mia seemed to be emotionally broken this time, with a strong sense of resentment in her words.
In summary, it can be said in three sentences:
"When did you break through to the Amethyst level?!"
"Why didn't I know???"
"Why is Miss Colin in front of me???"
Perhaps it is because of the vampires' morbid pursuit of bloodlines that even the succubus lady, who is absolutely confident in her own charm, cannot let her guard down.
In short, Vivian seemed to have told Mia that she had broken through to the Amethyst level and then boasted about it to the latter.
Luo Yan hadn't expected Vivian to do something so immature, so he decided to give this immature girl a little punishment.
After much deliberation, he wrote in his reply to Mia, "I didn't mean to hide it from you; I just wanted to share this surprise with you in person."
After Mia finished laughing at herself upon receiving the letter, she was sure she would show it off to Vivian.
Compared to punishments that might be mistaken for rewards, this letter should be able to inflict real damage, right?
It also helps to soothe the "boss's" emotions.
Watching the little devil carry the envelope in its mouth and fly to the teleportation room, the Demon King couldn't help but reveal an evil smile.
Whether on the battlefield or in social situations, the cunning Demon King handles everything with ease and grace...
Achoo—!
A child's sneeze broke the silence.
Beside the desk, in a basket covered with a velvet cushion, a small female dragon, barely longer than an arm, twitched its nose and opened its sleepy eyes.
"Who's talking about Lao Tzu again..."
Her foul mouth completely ruined her adorable image. Luo Yan thought that if she replaced "I" with another word, she might be even cuter.
By the way, she seems to be going through a "molting period" recently. The scales from her cub days are falling off, and the newly grown golden scales are becoming more and more neat and dense.
Although it still has a pinkish hue because it is a new scale, its streamlined luster already gives it a hint of majestic "dragon's might".
It seems that the special potions Professor Edonia gave me are really effective, accelerating the growth of this little dragon god.
Soon she will be able to fulfill the regret of not being able to fly in her previous life.
Although it was under the identity of the Zeta Empire's "meat lizard"...
Luo Yan stretched and looked up from his desk, glancing at Taf who had just woken up, and made a lazy joke.
"Perhaps it's Alakdo. It's always wanted to taste dragon meat."
"?!!"
Taf, who had just woken up, shuddered and trembled on the spot.
The sudden fright made her instinctively shrink back, and with a soft "plop," a dragon egg the size of a quail egg fell to the ground.
Before the dragon egg could fall outside the basket, Luo Yan lightly waved his magic wand.
A gentle breeze precisely caught the dragon egg, then carried it out of the study like a precious treasure, drifting towards the kitchen.
"You...you did this on purpose, didn't you?!" Taf suddenly bristled, crawling out of the basket on all fours and breathing on Luo Yan.
Luo Yan finally raised his head, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"I'm just stating the facts."
"You bastard..."
Just as Taff was about to protest, a series of hurried, rustling footsteps came from outside the door.
The study door was pushed open by Alakdo's head, and he crawled in, waving his eight long, hairy legs, and fawned over the floor with his massive body.
"My esteemed, handsome, and mighty Demon King, your servant Lord Octos is outside requesting an audience!" he sneered in that sickeningly sweet voice, displaying the utmost instinct to fawn.
Since receiving the Platinum-level Soul Rank award, this giant spider's obsequious flattery towards the Demon King has become so nauseating that even Missy shudders at the sight.
Luo Yan thought that if this guy had done what Sarah did, and instead of using his useless flattery to hone his skills, he might already be a Platinum-level Cave Spider, instead of a useless person with Platinum-level soul strength but only refined steel.
Divine favor is certainly useful, but if you fail to seize an opportunity, it's all for naught.
When he was being flattered, the gluttonous Arachto twitched his mouthparts twice, as if he had smelled the faint aroma of food lingering in the air.
The six compound eyes lit up simultaneously, and they couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
Because the movement was so "shrunken," Taff was so frightened that she let out a scream and scurried under Luo Yan's chair, hiding behind his trouser leg.
Looking at his two good-for-nothing pets, Luo Yan shook his head gently, sighed softly, and then gave instructions to Alakdo.
"Have him wait for me in the audience hall."
"Yes, my supreme master!"
Arachto respectfully accepted the order, but as he left, he couldn't help but glance jealously at the little lizard that was "inseparably" with the Demon King.
This guy...
It's not even as tall as the Demon King's calf, yet it's already eyeing my mount. Its wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious!
As Arachto pondered these thoughts, he grew so hungry that, to Taff's horror, he vanished from the study, drooling all over the floor…
...
The little devils dressed as maids, carrying mops and iron buckets, flew into the Demon King's study.
Seeing the mysterious liquid all over the ground, the demons were shocked and started chattering amongst themselves, wondering which villain had cheated on their Queen Sisi.
Meanwhile, on the other side, in the audience hall on the first floor of the maze, Luo Yan, leaning against the throne, was quietly watching the steps below.
Below the steps, the tall, silent lizardman ghoul Ocdo knelt on one knee, a head casually placed beside him.
The head's eyes were still wide open, frozen in the shock and resentment of its final moments before death. The man's name was Kunga, supposedly the leader of the Grayfin tribe; Luo Yan thought for a moment before remembering the name.
Although it happened two years ago, he always felt that a long time had passed.
With his gaze lingering on that "unruly" face, Luo Yan, leaning against the throne, couldn't help but drift back to when he first arrived here.
At that time, he was a newcomer with an unstable foundation. Outside, there was Aaron Campbell, who had slain the Demon King, and inside, there were four Demon Generals who ruled the underground, each doing their own thing.
As the "overlord" of the first level of the maze, the leader of the Earth Dragon Clan once attempted to collude with the Merfolk from the southwestern swamp to seize power from him, causing him considerable trouble.
Later, he completely subdued the unruly earth dragons, turning them into the docile and obedient "Palace Guardians" they are today.
As for the group of merfolk entrenched in the southwestern swamp, they seemed to be embroiled in internal strife among the lizardmen, spending their time wallowing in the mud. Since that land was not within the core interests of the Great Tomb, Luo Yan had not had time to deal with them.
Now that he needs to use that place as a bridgehead for the large cemetery, he recalls that old story.
He specifically sent October with him to prevent these old grudges from causing trouble.
Unexpectedly, the other party was so blind as to jump out on their own initiative, which allowed Okto to take care of them in the process, saving him a lot of trouble.
It's worth mentioning that these were the very same people who gave the Earth Dragons courage and caused them so much suffering. Now that Okdor has cut off their heads, it can be seen as a fitting end to their karma.
"...That's how it happened. Also, the chieftain of the Stone Lizard Clan, Tartak, agreed to Sak Gale's conditions and will unconditionally cooperate with the Gutaf United Kingdom's 'poverty alleviation' plan." Okdor reported the whole story in a deep voice, then fell silent.
"very good."
Luo Yan nodded, very satisfied with the result.
After a brief pause, he slowly began to give his instructions.
“The Southwest Swamp is our bridgehead for infiltrating the human world, but it’s not suitable for open activities right now. Your Guardian Clan happens to be lizardmen, so let your brother Zerik take the Guardian Clan’s acolytes there.”
That land is barren, but faith cannot be barren; the glory of the Demon King should shine in every corner.
If the United Kingdom of Gutaf plays the role of the sun, then the acolytes of the Great Necropolis play the role of the moon, and both their left and right hands must be their own.
“Yes, sir.” Octo immediately accepted the order.
He didn't understand the Demon King's intentions, but he would carry out the Demon King's orders without question.
After finishing the business, Luo Yan glanced at the unsightly head on the ground and casually said, "As for this, let's throw it into the Shadowweaver's Nest."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Before Okudo could speak, Alacdo answered obsequiously, then grabbed the head and ran off in a flash.
Just as Octo was about to accept his orders and leave, he remembered something and asked one last question before leaving.
"My lord, the River Bend Tribe Alliance still has some merfolk left. What should we do with them?"
Luo Yan tapped the armrest of the throne lightly with his index finger, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.
"If they behave, let's change their names... From now on, let's call them Fishmen."
He came up with the name in three seconds, and whether the merfolk liked it or not was none of his business.
No one had invited them here in the first place.
He wasn't a demon king who enjoyed indiscriminate killing, but he never hesitated to show mercy to those who didn't know their place.
Octo asked expressionlessly, "And those who don't listen?"
“I sent Zerik and the acolytes over there to handle this matter,” Luo Yan said calmly. “He can decide how to do it himself; he doesn’t need to report to me on everything.”
A sinister glint flashed in Octo's eyes as he understood the Demon King's meaning, and he clasped his hands in obedience.
"Yes, ma'am."
After bowing respectfully, his tall figure blended into the shadows beneath the candlesticks and disappeared into the flickering candlelight of the audience hall.
A bloody storm is about to break out in the southwestern swamps.
However, compared to the bloodshed unfolding in Twilight Province, that blood was nothing more than a wisp of foam on the crest of a wave.
The audience hall had barely quieted down when a series of hurried footsteps approached again.
This time, it's Oak from the Oak Magic Workshop who's come in. This goblin, who has been appointed a goblin by the Demon King, is no longer just a simple workshop owner, but has ascended to the throne of the Great Tomb of Nazarick Engineering Supervisor.
However, at this very moment, this NPC, who enjoys a very high reputation among players, rolled down to the Demon King's throne with snot and tears streaming down his face to complain.
"Demon King! Something terrible has happened! Your servants... they've gone mad!"
Although Luo Yan had a rough idea of what had happened, it was nothing more than a few players trying to get ahead of the game's version causing some trouble.
However, he maintained the composure of a demon king and patiently asked a question.
"What's wrong now?"
Oak held up an order form, looking miserable and shouting.
"They...they actually ordered a 'Hellfire' from Blackwind Keep's factory! And they're going to ship it to Thunder City! If the War Department finds out they're openly smuggling weapons into the human world, we're in big trouble..."
That's all.
Luo Yan yawned and asked impatiently.
"They've installed turrets?"
Oak paused for a moment, then shook his head vigorously.
"No, that's not true... They only wanted the chassis and tracks, saying they didn't need the magic crystal cannon, they only needed the movable parts."
Luo Yan waved his hand impatiently.
"Then why do you care about them? Just let them be."
The only arms restricted from export are the magic crystal cannons on tanks; engines and tracks are not subject to export restrictions.
Besides, even if you sell it, so what?
When Oak first arrived here, he was indeed a laborer in hell.
But now...
Having a place in the Shanghai Parliament Building, he is already one of the masters of hell.
...
In the suburbs of Thunder City, at the construction site of the "Invincible Group," the haphazard tents had been making a constant clanging and banging noise since early morning.
In the center of the camp, enclosed by rows of tents and scaffolding, a strange and menacing steel machine lay quietly on the leveled ground.
After Lord Oak's "accommodation" and through layers of approval and rectification, the "Hellfire" tank chassis, produced in Blackwind Keep, was completely transformed and finally deployed to the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea via the teleportation array.
Under the bright sunshine, [Jade-faced Hand-tired King] was shouting excitedly, waving the blueprints in his hand and yelling at the busy players below.
"Lever! Move the lever three centimeters to the left! Yes! Weld that base shut!"
A steam hoist, modified by players, emitted a screeching sound as it slowly lifted an equally massive steel bucket onto the chassis's mounting interface.
Sparks flew, the blinding white light of welding mingled with the magical glow, and the two pieces of metal miraculously merged together.
That was a welding technique that the subjects of the Duchy of Campbell had never seen before.
With just a little effort, players in the Great Cemetery can create "miracles" that others wouldn't even dare to dream of.
It's not just the welding technology I've never seen before—
There is also runic magic, which can almost only be found in the dwarf kingdom.
"Quick! Rune Enchantment team, get on board!" [Jade-Faced Tired King] roared again. "Engrave the 'Earth - Solid' and 'Wind - Light' runes! Don't be stingy with magic crystals, engrave them like crazy! Otherwise, we'll definitely get stuck in this lousy swamp!"
"Holy crap, boss!" one of the players in charge of enchanting couldn't help but groan, "Both runes maxed out? That'll consume magic crystals like crazy! It'll have to shut down after just one minute of operation!"
"Are you stupid?! Do you usually drive with the gas pedal floored?" [Jade-Faced Tired Hands King] rolled his eyes. "You don't need to activate it normally! Just activate the 'Lightness' rune when you're stuck! That's called an emergency escape system, you know!"
"Holy crap, that makes sense!"
"If you make sense, then get to work! By the way, where's the power core, [Iron-Blooded Fat Otaku]?" [Jade-Faced Tired-Handed King] turned to the rear of the machine, "Don't let that modified steam engine you're in charge of break down right now! Is the pressure enough?"
[Iron-Blooded Fat Otaku] emerged from behind a pile of pipes, drenched in sweat, and patted his chest: "Don't worry! I added three overpressure valves to it, guaranteeing surging power!"
[Jade-faced, weary-handed king] paused for a moment.
"Won't the tank explode?"
"It won't explode! It's made of boiler steel!"
Watching the two engaging in such a lively conversation, the surrounding newbies couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
"Awesome!"
"Even though I don't understand what you're saying, it feels so amazing."
Are these the players of "Catastrophe Online"?
The barrier to entry is way too high...
After a chaotic and hectic period of work, this Frankenstein's monster of "hellish technology," player creativity, and magical runes—the "Invincible Group Excavator No. 1"—has finally completed its first assembly!
"Start the test!" [Jade-faced Tired King] excitedly climbed onto the makeshift welded driver's seat, while [Iron-blooded Fat Otaku] picked up a shovel of coal and threw it hard into the boiler.
boom--!
Black smoke billowed into the sky!
The steam boiler roared to life!
After a violent, earth-shaking tremor, the steel monster began to shake violently.
Then, the two parallel tracks made a teeth-grinding creaking sound and slowly began to turn under everyone's watchful eyes!
This steel monster, weighing tens of tons, actually moved!
Cheers erupted from the construction site.
"It moved! It moved!"
"Holy crap, awesome!"
"Haha! The best is yet to come!"
Amid the cheers of the players, [Jade-Faced Tired King] let out a strange cry, clumsily manipulating the lever and pressing down hard.
The huge robotic arm slammed into the ground with a loud thud, easily digging up a small mound of earth. Then, with a twist of its neck, it flung the bucketful of soil more than ten meters away.
"Awooooo!"
"Cool!"
The players cheered and had a great time.
For them, it was like playing a super-large "building simulation" game, but with countless modded versions!
Among the excited crowd, only the "rich man who's eating dirt" was cursing.
"Holy crap, don't do this!"
Damaged equipment is part of the cost!
Judging by how this guy plays, I'm afraid he'll be forced to give up right at his doorstep before they can even get this big guy to work in the southwestern swamp!
The center of the construction site was bustling with activity, as was the edge of the site, though the atmosphere was quite different.
[The Lame Wolf] Hundreds of NPC construction workers, who had just been recruited from the refugee camp, stood dumbfounded in the distance, watching this incredible scene before them.
Most of them were serfs who had lost their land, but some were servants who served the lord and should have seen some of the world.
Even so, they had never seen anything so outrageous.
“By Saint Seis al-Himalayan…” an old farmer crossed himself, his voice trembling, “What…what is that? A steam engine running on the ground?”
"I thought the loom in the factory was the biggest machine I'd ever seen in my life..." another blacksmith muttered to himself, his voice like a dream, "I never imagined there could be something even more outrageous!"
"Look at its claws! It dug such a huge hole in one go! By the grace of Saint Sith, this thing does more work in a single movement than I do in a whole day!"
“They must be mages!” a man who looked like an apprentice said in a low but confident voice. “I’ve heard from the adventurers from the Academy that only legendary mages can control these steel behemoths!”
This statement was immediately accepted by everyone!
The look in their eyes as they gazed at the jubilant foremen in the workshop had subtly shifted from gratitude toward their "generous employers" to awe toward the "mysterious magician."
No wonder they can offer such high wages!
It turns out he's a wealthy monk!
It's just that I don't know why these monks would condescend to do civil engineering work; it's really rare.
What a foolish thing to do...
Among these simple temporary workers, only one carpenter named "Kenny" remained silent.
That blank expression seemed to indicate that he was stunned, but in reality, he was lost in deep thought.
Unlike others!
He was once a militia gunner serving in Campbell's Third Artillery Corps. He was awarded a combat medal by Aaron Campbell for hitting an ogre general with a smoothbore cannon during a battle with the Demon King's army. After retiring, he returned to his family's carpentry skills.
Because he frequently dealt with artillery, he knew its power and limitations better than anyone else.
He was certainly amazed by the machine's terrifying digging capabilities, but what made his heart pound even harder was the other potential it displayed—
Using this thing to haul goods or dig is a complete waste!
Kenny's gaze involuntarily fell on the top of the construction vehicle, on the platform reserved for installing the excavator arm.
How wonderful it would be to mount a twelve-pound cannon on it!
(End of this chapter)
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