Chapter 525 The Demons of the Countryside Are Truly Terrifying!
At this moment, the smug Vivian had no idea what severe punishment awaited her.
But actually, it's all fine.
Those who know the Demon King know that he never acts cruelly towards those around him, and he especially cannot bring himself to harm Vivian.
The real threat comes from her hometown, Shanghai.
The Padridge family's "reinforcements" have arrived!
Above the Great Cemetery, the teleportation array of North Peak City shone with a light that distorted space, accompanied by the low chanting of the acolytes.
As two graceful figures descended upon the teleportation array, the eerie green light quickly vanished again...
"Is this the Great Cemetery?"
"Hehehe, Nana, our era has arrived!"
The two succubi looked around curiously and, finding no teleportation malfunction, excitedly embraced each other.
Looking at the succubus posing seductively on the teleportation array, the ghoul acolyte cleared his throat and spoke in a dry voice.
"Welcome, envoys from the Magic City. This is the Great Cemetery, the territory of His Majesty Luo Yan. We hope that during your stay here you will respect local customs and abide by our rules."
Upon hearing the voice coming from below the teleportation array, Qiqi and Nana blushed instantly, immediately let go of each other, stood up straight, and gave an exaggerated military salute.
"Understood, Mr. Demon General!"
"Don't worry! We've prepared our lesson plan!"
"I am not a demon general, but merely a servant monk who once received the Demon King's favor. Nevertheless, I sincerely wish you all a pleasant life... You will find this to be a wonderful place." The servant monk nodded slightly, then stepped aside to descend the stairs of the teleportation array, leading his colleagues off to their next shift.
Today is the last trip.
Filled with the trepidation of recent graduates and boundless anticipation for the future, Qiqi and Nana walked hand in hand down the steps and stepped onto this legendary land.
In their minds, the Thunder County Maze should be a paradise filled with wails and the sound of whipping.
After all, the owner of this place is none other than the renowned "Human Tamer" Senior Luo Yan, the most demonic man in the entire Demon King Academy!
Legend has it that he was extremely cruel, and the number of adventurers he tormented reached an astonishing six figures. It wasn't just the quantity, but the quality was equally staggering; even the Campbell family, who had suppressed the Thunder County labyrinth for nearly a thousand years, were manipulated by him!
This strength is simply unfathomable!
In order not to hold the Demon King back, the two sisters did their homework thoroughly, and even secretly stuffed a few small leather whips with barbs into their suitcases.
Thinking that they could finally put the theoretical knowledge they had learned from Professor Lilith into practice and properly use the succubus's racial talents on humans, they were so excited that they couldn't sleep for several nights, and even prepared to be interviewed by the Demon King himself.
However, as soon as they stepped out of the room containing the teleportation array, before they could even adjust to the side effects of the subspace, their beautiful fantasies were shattered by the sight that came into view.
There are no mountains of corpses or seas of blood here, nor the wails of humanity; there is only the deafening roar of machinery and coal dust flying everywhere.
"Is this... is this the legendary Thunder County Maze?" The older sister, Kiki, looked around blankly, nervously swallowing.
Why does it feel like a copy of Blackwind Keep?
The younger sister, Nana, appeared somewhat calmer than her, but not by much; her face showed a clear bewilderment.
"Okay, something seems off..."
That's not just a little strange.
The two sisters looked around blankly. On the hill not far away, several huge industrial chimneys stood like the fangs of giant beasts, and the hellish dwarf-style factory was brazenly spewing thick black smoke into the sky.
There were brick kilns operating at full speed day and night, steel mills, and many other factories whose names they didn't know.
What horrified the two sisters even more was the situation in front of the factory.
Hordes of skeletons and ghouls were seen carrying heavy rails and sleepers, rushing along the muddy road, frantically loading goods onto trailers.
Like a tireless machine!
There was no smell of blood in the air, but rather a suffocating, oppressive atmosphere that would make even demons feel suffocated—a smell that would make even demons' livers ache.
Where here are humans being exploited?
It's clearly the demons of hell being used to death!
He watched as a passing skeleton soldier broke two of his ribs from running too fast, but he didn't even glance at him and continued running wildly while carrying bricks.
Judging from their nimble movements, they were clearly not puppets summoned by necromancers, but rather "hellish creatures" driven by their own consciousness.
If you really want to nitpick, you could call it a hellish, inanimate object.
Kiki's face gradually turned pale, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on her sister's hand.
"Nana... Nana, did we go to the wrong teleportation array? There's no maze here."
She was already having second thoughts!
Looking at the demons who had been drained to the bone, Nana couldn't help but swallow hard, her once nimble heart-shaped tail now tucked between her legs.
Just then, an urban legend that had been circulating in Shanghai for a long time suddenly popped into her mind.
“I…I’ve heard that the Colin family vampires have very unique tastes. They don’t drink human blood; they prefer the blood of succubi…because it’s sweet.”
If Vivian were to hear this urban legend, she would probably jump up in a rage and demand that the person who spread the rumor pay the price.
Without a doubt, this damn rumor must have been made up by a succubus again!
However, precisely because the rumor was fabricated by a succubus, Kiki, who was standing to the side, immediately believed it, widened her eyes, and turned her head away.
She looked at her sister as if she were a traitor who had betrayed her teammates.
Why didn't you say so sooner?!
Nana said in a voice trembling with a hint of tears.
"I...I thought it was just a rumor made up by the losers who didn't get elected! Who knew it was true!"
That's the truth.
The claim that the vampires of the Colin family exclusively feed on succubi is indeed a rumor spread by a balora named "Brand." The reason is simple: half of the "management trainees" selected for the Thundershire Labyrinth are succubi—it's outrageous!
Even if his failure to be selected had nothing to do with his identity as the Balrog, it was purely because he was not skilled enough and could not even understand the map of the human world.
However, looking at the labor scene before her, which resembled a living hell, Nana found the legend to be incredibly believable.
If these two powerless, insignificant, and backgroundless little devils came here, wouldn't they be swallowed whole by that great demon king named Luo Yan?
She simply couldn't bear to think about it!
Just as the two sisters were hesitating whether to escape before the teleportation array cooled down, a cunning and treacherous voice suddenly came from flapping wings.
"Oh my, a new face?"
The two sisters were startled and quickly looked up, only to see a little devil appear out of nowhere and hovering above their heads.
"who?!"
“Misi! The little devil of Nightmare Land, the messenger of the Audience Hall, the best messenger in the Great Tomb… and the last one is a title bestowed upon Misi by the Demon King!”
Missy held a writing board in her hand, proudly puffed out her chest, and looked the two succubi from Shanghai up and down with the eyes of someone inspecting merchandise.
"Let me see... You're the reinforcements Miss Padridge brought from Shanghai, right? Kiki and Nana? Tsk tsk, is this all the succubi in Shanghai are capable of? They don't even seem as good as Yussie."
Upon hearing Mia's name, the two sisters grasped at a lifeline, exchanged a glance, and nodded hesitantly.
"yes……"
"Yes, it's me, we are Kiki and Nana!"
If they were in Shanghai, the two of them would never have tolerated the little devil's teasing, much less let the country bumpkin take advantage of their kindness and humiliate them.
However, the atmosphere here was so hellish that they dared not utter a single word, for fear of offending this country devil.
Missy flew around them once, and after confirming that the picture matched the description, she drew a couple of lines on the board with satisfaction using the pen in her hand.
"Alright, come with me, I'll take you to your workplace."
Missy put away her notepad, turned around and flew towards the maze entrance, waving her little arm without looking back.
"Stay close to me! Don't get eaten by the cave spider!"
Seeing Missy about to fly away, the brave Nana quickly called out.
"Wait a minute! What exactly is our job?!"
Missy, who was flying ahead, answered impatiently.
"You'll see when you get here. Don't worry, the Demon King won't eat you!"
Looking at the gray sky and the busy army of skeletons all around, the two sisters were still uneasy, but since they were already here, it was too late to run away.
They had no choice but to grit their teeth, carry their two suitcases, and follow with heavy steps into the abyss called the workplace.
I have a feeling...
The arrival was too hasty.
...
After passing through the industrial area billowing with black smoke, Missy led the two succubus sisters, who were already terrified, to the central square on the outskirts of the Great Tomb.
This is a relatively open gathering place, with a granite fountain standing in the center, and buildings of various shapes sitting on both sides of the stone-paved open space.
Moreover, the Demon King's generals are also active here.
It was a group of skeleton soldiers called "players," as well as all sorts of other oddities, including undead rats and burrow spiders.
Some of them were squatting on the ground in a daze, some were punching the air, and a few were kicking their own heads off like balls, clearly they had only recently entered the game.
If you play for a while, you'll either be doing quests outside or accumulating contribution points in the factory next door; you won't waste any time outside.
The moment Kiki and Nana entered the plaza, all the players stopped in unison, and green light gradually ignited in their eye sockets.
"Holy crap! A new NPC has been released!"
"They're succubi! And twin sisters at that!"
"Hehehe, the game designer has finally become human! This damn game's graveyard is finally not full of skeleton demons and gecko people anymore!"
"Damn it! Who are you calling a gecko man?! I'm a lizard man!"
"Tch, they're all equally ugly, what's the difference!"
Players of all kinds rushed forward, and amidst the noisy and excited shouts, there were strange words that Kiki and Nana couldn't understand at all.
From their perspective, all they saw was a group of undead with glowing green eyes and cracking skeletons surrounding them, uttering incomprehensible and insane ramblings, as if they were possessed!
What's even more terrifying is the behavior of these monsters.
Some of the skeletons suddenly began to convulse wildly on the spot, their limbs twisting and swinging at an angle that was reversed, as if they were suffering in agony under some kind of evil curse.
Some skeletons lay on the ground without any dignity, desperately trying to get their heads close to their feet, attempting to pass through the invisible wall of air.
That lewd appearance was enough to make any girl scream in fright, and even a succubus wouldn't be much better off.
After all, succubi are attracted to good looks, and these skeleton soldiers are just too horrifying to look at; they are neither good-looking nor tasty, and they don't smell good either.
"Sister...I'm scared..."
"Don't be afraid! Kiki...I, I will protect you!"
Nana clung tightly to her sister's arm, tears welling in her eyes. Kiki tried to comfort her sister, but despair was etched on her tense face.
Just then, the crowd suddenly parted, and a tall lizardman squeezed in.
That was a veteran player from the "Dragon Travels the World" guild, [Dragon Travels · I Can Do It].
To gain favor with the new NPC, he immediately pulled out his treasured dish from his backpack—
A burrowing spider leg, roasted to a perfect crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, still sizzling with oil!
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and tried to make a friendly expression as he offered his hairy, thick leg to Nana.
"Hey girl, want to try this? It's freshly baked!"
However, his self-perceived friendly smile looked exactly like Professor Ernos's classroom in Nana's eyes.
She saw a scaly monster grinning as it stretched out its claws toward her, clutching a severed limb that had been forcibly broken off from some giant creature, its tail swaying greedily behind it.
By Bayeri, these kinds of scare tactics weren't taught in the Demon King Academy's curriculum!
"ah--!"
Nana let out a piercing scream, nearly fainting on the spot.
Misi, who had turned back from the front, suddenly brightened up, grabbed the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside offering, and took a bite out of half of it.
She chewed happily while flapping her wings, and said in a muffled voice.
"Look, they're all good devils... hiccup."
Watching the little devil eating with relish, the two sisters glanced at the group of wicked guys around them with their strange smiles, and felt a chill run down their spines.
Good, good devil?
What's so good about a guy who eats his colleagues' body parts?!
The two sisters exchanged a glance and reached a silent consensus in their hearts.
The Demon of the Countryside —
That's terrifying!
...
It must be said that although the "magic city" of hell does not use "civilization" as its main selling point, it is still the ceiling of civilization in the entire hell.
At least, the demons there won't eat the employees.
Whether the employees are clever burrowing spiders or not.
Regardless of the shock felt by Kiki and Nana from Shanghai, Thunder City, far from the Wanren Mountains, was also shrouded in the shock brought by the Imperial Prince!
After being reviewed by His Highness Prince Roxie Collin of the Empire, the first volume of the Encyclopedia was finally officially published and distributed by the publisher under the Thunder City Daily.
In an era of relatively barren intellectual and cultural development, not everyone had the opportunity to publish a book. Even though printing had been invented for centuries, reading and writing remained a relatively luxurious hobby.
But is this a big deal for His Highness Colin, who loves science?
The first volume of the encyclopedia was priced at only one silver pound, a price that virtually anyone who could read could afford!
Not only that, Prince Colin also personally donated enough encyclopedias to fill an entire carriage to every school in Thunder City, especially to school libraries and students from families with limited means.
Whether it's a church school, a private school, or a vocational school approved by Congressman Horace through a proposal, they all have a say!
Although this is a considerable sum of money, it is definitely worthwhile in the long run.
After all, Prince Colin's name is printed in the co-author section!
It's worth mentioning that although the name Roxie Collin belongs to Luo Yan's father, the name is just a symbol; the entire northeastern coast of the Whirlpool Sea knows who it refers to.
When these people with faith have established such a consensus in their hearts, the name Roxie no longer belongs to "Roxie Collin" himself.
It will serve as an independent symbol, establishing a stronger connection with the divinity within Luo Yan. The power of faith gathered on this symbol will not be transferred to the distant hell out of thin air, nor will it be shared with the demon god behind the "True Colin Family".
This explanation might sound a bit convoluted, but it's much easier to understand if you just say "whoever is bad at it is embarrassed."
In short, Luo Yan spent only a small amount of money to gain an influence comparable to that of the New Testament when it first began to spread.
It is believed that as the influence of the Encyclopedia continues to spread along the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea, he will be able to draw even more power of faith from it!
If he weren't worried that the free copy wouldn't be appreciated and would be used to wallpaper walls, he would even be willing to give one to every citizen of Thunder City.
Anyway, he "borrowed" that money from the citizens of Thunder City by hyping up the story of Prince Colin and diamonds.
In this way, it can be considered that the loan has been repaid.
Thanks to Prince Colin's generous patronage and free publicity from the Thundercity Daily, Professor Lockell's Encyclopedia immediately became Thundercity's best-selling book.
At first, Locke was a little apprehensive, worried that his work was too dry and that his influence among the public was too small, so no one would buy into it.
However, the reality was quite the opposite of what he had feared.
After being influenced by a group of real-life role models, the citizens of Thunder City gained a deep understanding of the importance of knowledge, and they instantly showed unprecedented enthusiasm for this "catalog that gathers all popular knowledge"!
After all, almost everyone in the new industrial area had heard of Elsie, the accountant at Horace Textile Mill.
The young man from the countryside made a fortune with Mr. Horace by virtue of his accounting skills. He not only became the factory manager but also moved into a big house with a yard!
Perhaps some people are jealous of Mr. Horace's money, but no one is jealous of Elsie.
Because they all knew that he earned his money through his own abilities, without stealing or robbing.
How could such an outstanding gentleman not be worthy of respect?
Although the workers in the factory felt that their lives were probably over, it didn't stop them from placing their best wishes on the children.
An encyclopedia certainly can't turn them into geniuses instantly, but it can at least open a door for them to connect with the world.
This was not merely for the sake of the principality's republic, or the lofty ideals of ambitious individuals, but for their own sake.
After all, a foolish serf would actually use his life savings to buy a noose around his own neck.
If the entire Duchy of Campbell were filled with men like these, even with divine intervention, Duke Edward would have no chance of winning.
Even the loudest members of Thunder City's council would have to line up to hang themselves, along with their wealthy slaves.
There's no need for Chaos to do anything, not even for the money and guns given by the Kingdom of Ryan.
Earl Derek could single-handedly slaughter this flock of fat sheep and thus become a new model for the land of knights.
Fortunately, the Campbells have their own backbone; even the textile factory workers recognized the importance of knowledge.
Their Grand Duke was also willing to pass on true knowledge to them.
After all, Edward was a sensible man.
He knew better than anyone else in the duchy where his power came from and how to maintain it!
...
In the Great Library of Thunder City University, Professor Ferguson, who had traveled a long way, finished reading the first volume of the Encyclopedia provided by Professor Lockell and exclaimed in amazement.
"...It's incredible, I never expected you to actually finish it."
Seeing Professor Ferguson's surprised expression, Mr. Locke raised his eyebrows and said with great enthusiasm.
"Thanks to His Highness Colin's support, he provided me with the entire library and hired a large number of staff to help me categorize and organize these books on different shelves. Not only that, but many learned gentlemen like you have also joined our project, and the progress of our project can only be described as miraculous!"
Ferguson glanced at him unexpectedly.
"You also wrote letters to other people?"
“Of course!” Locke smiled sheepishly. “After all, I didn’t know which of you would come. I’ve called all the people I could, and you’ll see them tomorrow.”
In order not to disappoint Prince Colin's high regard, he did his best and used all the connections he had built up over the past ten years.
As it turns out, quite a few people are interested in this encyclopedia.
Part of it was also for the salary given by His Highness Colin.
For example, one of his old acquaintances was an adventurer who had been adventuring in the labyrinth of the Kingdom of Doron just half a month ago. After receiving the letter, he excitedly took a ship to come here before finishing his mission.
Professor Ferguson didn't say anything, he just nodded and placed the book he was holding on the oak table.
He glanced around at the forest-like bookshelves and sighed.
“I am not surprised by your determination, Mr. Locke. What surprises me is that... Duke Campbell would actually allow such a work to be published.”
Locke smiled smugly and said.
“With Prince Colin’s endorsement, I don’t think Duke Campbell would refuse.”
Professor Ferguson looked at him and spoke with unprecedented seriousness.
"This is precisely what I find most perplexing. The Os Empire would not want to see such blasphemous works... Are you sure the prince who sponsored you is truly a prince of the Empire?"
Locke paused for a moment, then laughed and said.
"Mr. Ferguson, could an imperial prince be fake?"
Ferguson smiled noncommittally.
Could an imperial prince be a fake?
That's hard to say.
Historically, there have been instances of people impersonating imperial princes to commit fraud, and quite a few have actually succeeded.
The reason why ordinary people don't know is because the empire doesn't want them to know, and the kingdom is even more ashamed to talk about it, often just accepting their bad luck and letting it go, since they don't lack those silver coins anyway.
Of course, Professor Ferguson didn't believe His Highness the Prince was a fraud. After all, questioning a title was an extremely serious accusation, and a mere professor like him wouldn't be so reckless as to risk his life for the sake of imperial honor.
“…That’s not what I meant, Mr. Locke. I just don’t understand why the Prince of the Empire would sponsor you.”
Locke asked, puzzled.
Is there something wrong with what I wrote?
"No problem."
Ferguson pondered for a moment, then added incisively.
“Every single word you wrote is fine, but when they are put together, they are tantamount to taking the lives of those lords.”
This statement startled Locke.
Professor Ferguson's stern face, in particular, made him uneasy.
Although he knew that the other party's knowledge in the professional field far surpassed his own, he still couldn't help but retort.
“I disagree with your point of view. What I said are things that the Imperial scholars have been saying repeatedly. I have only summarized the works of my predecessors, including the contents of the Book of the Holy Word... Of course, I have handled the religious part with caution. We can just make an encyclopedia of hellish monsters.”
Ferguson shook his head.
"It has nothing to do with the Holy Word; you've offended the king. The king can certainly define what his crown is, but that's not your right to define."
Before Locke could refute him, he immediately began to "list" his second sin.
"And you have turned the vague contract into concrete words."
"You explain to the king's subjects what a king is, what taxes are, what parliament is, what a republic is, and then talk to the king about his duties and powers..."
“I can tell you with certainty that if I were in Roland City and found His Majesty with this book, you would already be a corpse! And I would become the master of this library, inheriting everything from you and completely erasing your existence.”
The air inside the library was colder than ever before, as if someone had chanted a spell to bring frost.
Seeing that serious expression, Locke's Adam's apple bobbed, unsure how to respond.
At this moment, he reached up and straightened his collar, sticking out his tongue and making a hanged ghost face.
“Okay, buddy, you win… but I have to say, this is Thunder City, not your hometown.”
Seeing the guy's sudden, silly face, Ferguson's lips twitched involuntarily.
However, in the end, his pursed lips turned into a stiff smile, and he reached out to pat Locke on the shoulder.
“You are the winner. I never thought anyone would sponsor your work. Your perseverance has finally moved the gods. Although I have never met Prince Colin, whom you mentioned, I can sense that he is a truly noble person. Otherwise, Saint Sith would not have sent him to your side. Also, I was just joking earlier. Don’t take it so seriously.”
He was telling the truth.
The joke wasn't malicious; he just wanted to remind Locke that he was doing something dangerous.
Edward was also a king, and there must have been despicable people around him lurking in the shadows.
However, Locke's words, "This is not your hometown," still deeply stung his heart.
Although the concept of a nation was not born in the textile factory of Roland, it was clearly born in Professor Ferguson's mind.
Looking at Professor Ferguson's obviously stiff smile, Lockell said with a wry smile.
"Of course I was joking. By Saint Sith... Are all the knights in the land of knights so lacking in humor? I really don't understand when you're joking and when you're serious."
He said it jokingly, but Professor Ferguson clearly took it seriously.
Seeing the silent Professor Ferguson, Lockell cleared his throat, breaking the increasingly awkward atmosphere.
"The editorial department of the Encyclopedia needs an expert in history and sociology, as well as someone knowledgeable about the development of the steam engine during the Isaac dynasty. There's probably no scholar in the entire Lane region who knows these things better than you. I'd like to ask you—"
"I do."
Seeing Professor Lockell's surprised expression, Professor Ferguson took off his top hat and pressed it to his chest in greeting.
"In fact, that's exactly why I came here."
Locke was caught off guard and scratched the back of his head, jokingly.
Aren't you going to talk to me about your salary?
"Just give me whatever you think is appropriate, as long as you don't make me beg on the streets."
Ferguson put his top hat back on, covering his already graying sideburns, and said without hesitation.
"Anyway, I'm already quite old, and I don't have much time left. I don't have many days left to spend money."
He said it in a calm tone, as if he were discussing what to have for dinner.
Looking at the old man standing in front of him, Locke felt a deep respect and shook his right hand.
"It is my honor to work with a gentleman like you!"
He had to retract his prejudice against the Ryan people.
They weren't all instigating robbers; some were respectable gentlemen!
Ferguson grinned and withdrew his hand from Locke's.
He turned his gaze to the first volume of the Encyclopedia on the oak table, a gentle smile appearing on his deeply lined face, his cloudy pupils like the candlelight reflected on the book cover.
"...Me too, I hope I can see this building completed in my lifetime."
Locke stared intently at him.
"Believe me, it will happen!"
(End of this chapter)
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