The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 355 Theory of Virtual Realms
The first rays of dawn pierced the eastern sky, bathing the snow-covered village of Pompeii in a sacred and hopeful glow.

When Luo Yan and his group returned to the village with the sleeping child, the miller and his wife, who hadn't slept all night, were the first to rush out.

When he saw the sleeping boy in Phoenix's arms, the weathered middle-aged man could no longer contain his emotions. He and his wife burst into tears, kneeling in the snow and thanking everyone profusely.

The shy Illala quickly stepped forward, comforting the couple while helping them up from the snow.

Looking at the kind girl, the poor woman's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, her trembling lips could only squeeze out a hesitant "thank you," hiding the shame in her eyes.

The crying woke the child.

The boy looked around blankly, and after a while, probably recalling the nightmare from yesterday, he also started to cry.

The cries at dawn startled the villagers.

Upon hearing of the heroes' triumphant return, the villagers, who had been worried all night, also came out of their homes and surrounded the adventurers who had saved the village.

Their faces were a mixture of gratitude, joy, and a hint of barely perceptible guilt.

The old village chief, his hands trembling, grasped Phoenix's hand and said excitedly.

"Heroes! By Saint Sith...you are the heroes of Pompeii!"

“No, we actually…” Phoenix blushed and tried to explain that it was actually Mr. Colin’s guard who did it, but the villagers didn’t give him a chance to speak.

It doesn't really matter who did it.

Most importantly, the nightmare that had plagued Pompeii was finally over, and they no longer had to worry about that madwoman coming to the village from time to time to kidnap children.

"You actually killed that witch!"

"Thank you so much!"

"Praise be to Saint Sith, praise be to the Emperor, praise be to you who swore an oath to them, you are true knights... Thank you, we no longer have to live in fear!"

On the one hand, they were grateful to be saved and happy to have their logging camp, on which they depended for a living, back to life; on the other hand, they were filled with lingering fear and remorse.

They knew very well that, out of personal motives, they had not revealed the full horror of the legend of "Green Fang" Hecajellin, only vaguely referring to him as a "necromancer," for fear that these young adventurers would back down.

Nobody cares about them.

That was the only straw they could grasp.

Now that the heroes are back, they are relieved and their guilt is quietly overshadowed by their elation.

The villagers brought out their best rye bread, treasured smoked meat, and beer, insisting on stuffing them into the hands of these young heroes without any explanation.

These things don't fetch much money, but they're all this poor village has.

However, Phoenix and his three companions felt extremely awkward in the face of the villagers' overwhelming enthusiasm.

If it weren't for Mr. Colin and his powerful guard, they would have long been skeletons in the undead army. They felt both unworthy and ironic about this weighty praise.

"No, no, you're too kind, we can't accept this..."

Phoenix scratched the back of his head sheepishly and politely declined the villagers' food. Barrett and Leo just smiled sheepishly, unsure of what to say.

At this moment, the miller came over and solemnly handed a heavy purse of money to Phoenix.

"This is the agreed-upon payment and a small token of our appreciation... Please, for Saint Sith's sake, do not refuse!"

The purse contained some silver coins, but mostly copper coins. The well-educated Ilara carefully counted them and found a total of 55 silver coins and 74 copper coins.

Phoenix carefully counted out twenty coins, added ten of his own "big coins," squeezed through the crowd, walked up to Mr. Colin, and handed the latter a total of thirty silver coins.

This is the agreed-upon payment.

Luo Yan gladly accepted the money and handed the purse to Sarah, who was standing nearby.

Although thirty silver coins were no different from roadside stones to him, they were the fruits of his labor and therefore held a different significance.

"Sir, what are your plans next?" Barrett mustered his courage and stepped forward to ask in a deep voice.

Luo Yan pondered for a moment, then smiled and spoke.

"I don't have any particular ideas. Let's just rest today. Anyway, the registration for the apprentice exam doesn't close today, so going tomorrow will be the same."

Taff was already asleep in Sarah's arms.

She sleeps even more soundly than a child during her hibernation period. The villagers' overwhelming expressions of gratitude just now couldn't pull her out of her dream.

The four young adventurers exchanged glances and nodded.

Phoenix approached the village chief, politely declined the latter's invitation to the banquet, and then joined Luo Yan and his group, heading back towards the traveler's camp.

The villagers watched them leave until their figures disappeared at the edge of the snow before dispersing from the village entrance.

Throughout the entire ordeal, neither Luo Yan nor Phoenix mentioned that the villagers had deliberately concealed information.

The four young people may have already understood, but they all tacitly chose to remain silent.

The growth they gained that night was probably greater than what they had experienced along the entire journey...

……

The group returned to the bustling traveler's camp, surrounded by a noisy atmosphere, but this atmosphere could not affect Phoenix and the others who had just returned from the brink of death.

Their hearts remained heavy.

After experiencing brutal battles and witnessing Hecatej Lindsay's tragic descent from hope to madness, everyone was pondering something.

Xuebang……

The sacred place they had longed for seemed to be shrouded in shadow overnight.

Even Ira, the only one in the four-person team who used magic on her own, couldn't be optimistic that her talent was stronger than that of the witch.

At the entrance to the camp, the hunter Leo suddenly stopped.

Phoenix and the others took a few steps forward before realizing he hadn't followed, and couldn't help but look back.

Leo stood there, a smile he had never seen before on his face. It was a smile that contained both reluctance and a sense of relief at having let go of everything.

“Phoenix, Barrett, Illara… thank you for your companionship along the way. I… don’t plan to take the Academy’s exam.” He whispered to his three companions who had been with him all this way, uttering the words he had been pondering all along.

At this moment, his eyes no longer hesitated.

"Leo...you're serious?!" Phoenix was shocked. He quickly walked back to Leo, unable to believe his ears.

Barrett was the same; he even rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder, trying to shake the idiot awake.

"Are you crazy? We've come this far... just one last step! Why give up now? You're at least more talented than me, aren't you?"

Leo's eyes could even see a squirrel darting into the bushes fifty meters away, which was undoubtedly a sign of his affinity with the wind element.

Unlike himself, who, while dozing off, caused the fire on the water heater to grow bigger than usual, almost setting the house on fire—to this day, he still suspects that perhaps his father simply misread the time, and that he had actually been dozing off for too long.

"Yes, Leo, hang in there a little longer!" Irara urged anxiously. "Didn't we promise to become magicians together?"

Leo smiled sheepishly, feeling a bit pathetic for giving up halfway.

But he has no intention of changing it.

His gaze swept over his three sincere companions, and finally settled on Mr. Colin, who had been silent all along, and the powerful female guard not far away.

Looking back at his companions, he spoke frankly.

“Hecaderin was not a good person, but she was indeed a genius. You have seen the research results she left in the cave.”

The three fell into silence.

Seeing that no one responded, Leo continued.

"Even a genius like her ended up looking like a monster. I suddenly feel that Xuebang might not be the paradise we imagined."

He looked at his hands, hands calloused from years of drawing a bow.

He suddenly smiled and said with relief.

"I think... I really don't have that talent. Maybe Saint Sith sent me to the mortal world without ever thinking that I would become a magician. Besides, I'm not that envious of them anymore. If my opponent wasn't those skeletons, but a gray wolf or a bear, I'm confident I wouldn't lose. And I don't really need to fight necromancers at all; those things have never existed in my homeland."

He found himself missing the forests of his hometown, the wind that whispered in his ears as he chased prey, the bowl of sweet pumpkin soup, his father's stern yet caring gaze, the girl who suddenly covered his eyes from behind as he polished his longbow... and that innocent, not-so-beautiful smile.

He used to loathe that kind of obscure life, but now he misses it terribly and wishes he could fly back to their side immediately.

There's nothing wrong with being unknown. They've seen too many adventurers along the way who yearn for fame and fortune, only to end up as despicable and shameless villains.

Forget about gaining Saint Sith's favor; if these guys were to be reincarnated as pigs in Pompeii in their next life, that would be Saint Sith being too merciful.

"...In the end, so-called extraordinary power is nothing more than a 'superhuman' riding on the necks of a group of 'ordinary' people. Successful people will maintain this system, while some people who cannot tolerate this system, after gaining power, will simply find a more barbaric and cruel way to torture those ordinary people who have no power."

“I even think it would be better if there were no superhumans in this world. What magic can do, hands can do too…” Leo shrugged, then suddenly laughed nonchalantly, “Just take it as sour grapes, but this… is really not the life I want.”

"This epic adventure has been enough for my otherwise uneventful life."

His desire to become a magician stemmed from his naive belief that he could change the world through magic and become a hero in people's eyes.

But now he understands that a person can't really change anything; ultimately, they can only decide how to live their own life.

Legends exist in stories, but life is your own.

Phoenix, Illala, and Barrett looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

They couldn't refute Leo's words because they had also witnessed Hecagerin's tragedy and everything she did after she descended into madness.

Luo Yan, standing to the side, revealed a meaningful smile.

This young man is quite perceptive; at such a young age, he has already seen through the essence of extraordinary power—so-called extraordinary power is a power that gathers the strength of many and then tramples them underfoot. If everyone can use magic, then magic itself will fail.

Unfortunately, such insight is meaningless.

The desire to become "extraordinary" is itself the broadest basis of public opinion in this world, an order that existed even before the First Age.

Although the villagers of Pompeii may seem to be unemployed, they are all part of the system. So when Hecagerin went mad, his wand was aimed at them first, rather than the mage tower or the lord.

However, Luo Yan also admitted that Leo's choice was insightful. When nothing can be changed, "lying down" is also a smart choice.

As long as one doesn't harbor ambitions beyond one's capabilities, one won't be swayed by such ambitions and run around aimlessly. Whether in hell or an empire, one has the opportunity to live a leisurely life.

Although this is not in his best interest.

"Are you really not going to reconsider? This is your dream." Phoenix placed his hand on Leo's shoulder and asked one last time earnestly.

Leo nodded, his eyes more serious than ever before, and grasped the hand that rested on his shoulder.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time."

"I wish you all the best in achieving your dreams."

……

Leo's decision to leave only intensified the atmosphere within the "Dream Chaser" team. The remaining three stood blankly at the camp entrance.

“Mr. Colin,” Phoenix composed himself and stepped forward to Luo Yan, saying, “We plan to first go to the Adventurers’ Guild to cancel the quest, and then… go to the tavern to celebrate last night’s victory and bid farewell to Leo. Would you like to come along?”

Looking at the group of young people with complicated feelings, Luo Yan smiled and shook his head: "You guys go ahead, I'm a little tired and want to rest for a bit."

His presence would only make them feel awkward, and besides, he wasn't very familiar with them; they were just chance encounters during their travels.

Phoenix nodded and continued cautiously.

“Okay, then…we’ll wait for you at the tavern entrance tomorrow morning? We’ve arranged to go to the border registration office together, remember?”

"Of course, I hope you have a good time." Luo Yan nodded in agreement.

Taf, who had just woken up, was full of enthusiasm and was about to give them some advice: they could go to the camp and find the girls wearing sheepskin coats to do what they liked to do most.

This kid is quite interesting. On the one hand, he mocks the hairless monkeys for being in heat all year round, while on the other hand, he has a clear interest in mating that goes beyond mere academic discussion.

Just like a primary school student who has just learned dirty jokes.

Unfortunately, due to its owner's command, it only managed to utter a long "quack" sound.

Thinking the young dragon was saying goodbye to them, Phoenix and the others paused for a moment, then nodded politely and left with heavy steps.

Watching their desolate figures disappear into the distance, Taff looked utterly frustrated, as if she'd swallowed a mouthful of flies. Seeing Taff's discomfiture, Sarah couldn't help but curl her thin lips into a smile.

Her sense of humor always comes from inexplicable places.

"It's time for us to go."

Luo Yan smiled faintly, led Sarah and Taff into the bustling camp, and went straight to his tent.

At the entrance of the tent, two clay golems still stood motionless, exactly as they had when Luo Yan had just left.

Upon seeing their master return, they respectfully stepped aside, making way for the esteemed Demon King.

"Sarah, I'm hungry, give me some noodles."

"Yes, Demon King." Sarah respectfully accepted the order, took Taff, whose expression had changed slightly, and went outside. Not long after, the sound of eggs being cracked could be heard.

Luo Yan sat down at the table and casually waved his hand, and the tattered notebook he had found in Hecajellin's lair appeared in his hand.

As I opened the notebook, a damp smell of ink and a faint stench of blood wafted out.

The first half of the notebook, written in neat and legible handwriting, meticulously records the orthodox magical knowledge Hecajellin learned at the Academy, including elemental theory, mental meditation, rune structure, and so on... The words are filled with longing and hope for the future.

Luo Yan noticed that there was a line of neat handwriting on the title page of the notebook: "Dedicated to knowledge, and to the great cause of magic."

Objectively speaking, her academic achievements are quite good. If we ignore the breadth of her knowledge, she is capable of getting into the Demon King Academy based on her own merit.

However, when Luo Yan turned to the second half, the style suddenly changed.

The handwriting began to become wild and distorted, like a rampant poisonous vine, filled with various forbidden necromancy studies, complaints about failed experiments, and vicious curses against the Academy. Some paragraphs were even written by scratching the paper with fingernails and then smearing it with blood... By this time, she must have been mentally unstable, completely different from the hopeful young woman she had been before.

But no matter what, this notebook is an excellent trophy.

Although the magical theories of Hell and the Empire differ, they are fundamentally the same; they simply use different languages ​​and grammars to describe the same abstract concept.

As an outstanding graduate of the Demon King Academy and a seasoned necromancer, Luo Yan naturally saw through the fatal flaw in her research at a glance—especially the theory about soul stitching, which was a complete replica of the lich's soul ascension ritual, and a replica of the old version from a thousand years ago.

This is undoubtedly suicide.

However, Luo Yan also obtained a lot of first-hand information about Xuebang's internal courses and knowledge system from the notes.

Just as one cannot learn Holy Light Magic in Hell, the magicians of the Academy are also unable to freely explore the knowledge of the soul realm. Therefore, they can only find another way, seeking explanations that conform to the doctrines of Saint Sith through theological means.

It is precisely for this reason that the "Sacred Power School" is ahead of the other schools of thought on the spiritual realm.

This Hecagerin was an apprentice belonging to the Holy Power School—studied under the Sage Candidate, Professor Uriel Acleke.

He stopped when he turned to the last few pages of the notes.

The handwriting here has regained some of its neatness, as if Hecadelin wrote it when he was somewhat more composed.

In a reminiscent tone, she recorded some of the knowledge she had learned from her mentor, including the most cutting-edge research direction of Xuebang—"virtual realm".

"...During an experiment, my mentor inadvertently mentioned that the highest secret of the Academy is the exploration of worlds beyond our own. He told us that besides the earth beneath our feet, there is a world beyond the earth, which is called the 'Void.' In the face of the Void, we are like frogs at the bottom of a well, cicadas in autumn on a tree... Everything we have is insignificant in its presence."

“The void is not just filled with chaos. In the gaps between the endless sea of ​​chaos, there are many relatively ‘harmless’ otherworldly planes, and we are likely just one of them.”

"The magicians of the Academy dare not discuss this matter openly, but they all tacitly agree on this point. They have seen many things they have never seen before in the Void Realm: boxes made of cement, burning arrows, grotesque walking corpses, or lizards traveling in silver sailboats... Whether it is war or peace, prosperity or desolation, whether there are people or not, they collectively refer to these planes that have not been favored by Saint Sith as 'Void Realm'."

"My mentor got excited and told us that their ultimate goal was to try to open a stable passage to these 'virtual realms.' Although our physical bodies might not be able to pass through that door, we could learn and comprehend a completely new power system that doesn't exist in this world, thereby making up for or even breaking through the innate constraint of 'soul level'..."

At the end of the notes, Hecajellin seemed somewhat excited, as if recalling the glorious years when he and his predecessors pursued their dreams and explored the Void Ocean together.

Even though she has become a monster, she can never go back.

"...The one who led this research was Professor Uriel Aclair of the Holy Power School, my former mentor...I hate everyone, but I have never hated him. He led me to open the door to truth. Even if one day my soul burns out, I hope that his teachings can shine on this land, so that our hard work will not turn into insignificant dust."

Luo Yan closed the notebook, his fingertips tapping lightly on the cover. The glow of the magical lamps inside the tent gleamed with intense interest in his eyes.

"...I never imagined that the ambitions of the magicians in the Academy were even greater than I had imagined."

They weren't just studying magic; they were actually trying to shake the very foundations of the world's rules.

The demons of Hell have made great strides in portal technology, but the mages of the Empire have already begun exploring "other worlds"... even though their physical bodies seem unable to cross them.

The only uncertainty now is whether the other side of the virtual realm is another planet in the same starry sky, or a completely different universe.

This might help him understand the nature of the planet Chaos.

"Youyou, this journey is getting more and more interesting."

(End of this chapter)