The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 399 Breakthrough! Diamond Level!

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ID: Luo Yan

Race: human

Soul Level: Diamond (Level Cap LV130)

Level: LV.111 (+1)

Constitution: 102 (+6)

Strength: 48 (+7)

Agility: 55 (+7)

Intelligence: 427 (+80)

Spirit: 407 (+100)

】

After reassuring the many researchers who cared about him, the first thing he did was to refocus his consciousness and confirm the gains he had made on this trip.

Soon, a brand new data panel quietly appeared on the stone tablet standing in the sea of ​​consciousness.

Just as Luo Yan sensed, his level had increased.

And the improvement is not just a little bit—

It's a huge chunk!

After his soul level broke through to the diamond rank, the extraordinary power he possessed finally reached the diamond rank as well!
"Incredible, Lord Demon King... You just chatted with the curator and you actually gained so many experience points?!" Youyou's figure quietly appeared next to his spiritual entity, her voice filled with disbelief.

If we stayed any longer, wouldn't we reach the maximum level instantly?!

As the memories of the soul mirror gradually synchronized with the real body, Youyou, as a deity, already knew about her master's experiences behind the virtual realm.

It simply cannot understand why it has become like this.

"not that simple."

Simply by sensing the surging energy emanating from the depths of that soul, Luo Yan calmly rejected Youyou's conjecture and offered his own perspective.

"If my speculation is correct, my promotion this time should not be due to mere observations or 'experiences'. The root cause... should be that 'Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena'."

"The moment it merged into my consciousness, it brought not only the power of the artifact itself," Luo Yan continued to analyze in his mind, "but also a pure energy from another spacetime... I think that should be what the Solipsians call 'ether'."

At this moment, his mental energy was carefully sensing the butterfly pendant deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, searching for the ripples it emitted.

He could clearly feel that the pendant had become bound to his soul, becoming a part of his power, and even a part of his soul.

Like a prosthetic body attached to the soul!
Consequently, he was also granted a similar ability to the Solipsians—to conjure spiritual entities in reality.

Based on some information mentioned by the curator when telling the story of their civilization, Luo Yan can roughly deduce that when the Solipusi civilization reached a certain level of development, they collectively evolved a method of constructing their own soul mirror using ether, and used this as a basis for intergalactic travel!

Even--

A journey across time and space!
Of course, this kind of travel is not achieved through a self-created soul mirror.

As the curator said, the mirror image of the soul cannot cross the barrier of the void; it can only serve as a vessel to carry the will of another world.

However, considering the way players exist, Luo Yan can make a bold guess—

The Solipsians' approach was likely to enlighten another civilization in a different time and space with a similar mental frequency through a virtual portal, just as they had done this more than once behind the virtual realm.

Then, they would teach the civilizations they had enlightened how to create soul mirrors, and project their will onto the soul mirrors of the other world, in order to experience a completely different "life" in another space-time.

As for why they didn't teach him this incredible technology, there are many possibilities.

Perhaps they discovered that they actually possessed similar abilities, perhaps the technological gap between the two civilizations was too vast, perhaps the other side believed that there were unpredictable risks involved, or perhaps they had not done anything similar for a long time.

An immature civilization that acquires advanced technology that it cannot control is more likely to destroy itself than to destroy others.

It's like putting a pistol with the safety off in a baby's hand; the Soliposians themselves have suffered from this.

From the perspective of someone who has been through it all, they know very well that the "Os people" who share similar past experiences will eventually understand these mysteries.

But there's no need to do it now that we're not mature enough...

"I see..." After listening to Luo Yan's explanation, Youyou's abstract face showed a look of sudden understanding.

After a while, it whispered again.

"So... will we ever see that curator again?"

Luo Yan remained silent for a while.

"I guess I won't see him again."

Fate is finite.

Although their encounter was brief, both sides benefited greatly from each other's worlds. The story of the Ancient God Corin has long been part of the universe inhabited by the Solipsians, and their story will soon be included in the library of the Academy.

Luo Yan opened his eyes after finishing his meditation.

This time, instead of anxious expressions, I saw pairs of apprehensive and expectant eyes.

Miller stared longingly in his direction, wanting to know if he had figured it out, but was too embarrassed to ask.

After pondering for a while, Luo Yan spoke in a calm tone about what he had seen and heard behind the virtual realm, as well as the current situation and future of the Solipus people.

He used a way that everyone could understand, just as the Pope of Solipsius would tell his people about his experiences in the Kingdom of God.

As for the discussion about time and Norville, he kindly omitted it.

That wasn't the point of their conversation.

Moreover, it could lead to too many misunderstandings.

The air in Corinth became quiet.

After hearing their stories, the researchers, including Miller, wore complex expressions and were filled with emotion.

They were both shocked by the incredible fusion that occurred in the 440th Void Realm after they parted ways, and amazed that those frail "octopus people" could accomplish such a remarkable miracle, the peak of their power even capable of annihilating an entire starry sky under their tentacles!

What they found even more unacceptable was that a civilization as powerful as the Solipsians could not escape destruction...

Fifty centuries is a long time, but not a long time for a civilization. The empires on the continent of Austro alone have lived for one-fifth of that period.

After a long silence, Miller took a deep breath and spoke in a complicated tone.

Will that day ever come for us?

Luo Yan pondered for a moment, and like a true mentor, answered his anxiety in a gentle tone.

"It depends on what choices we make when faced with the test from the void..."

"However, that day is too far away for us living in the present. We can only faithfully record it in scrolls and hope that our descendants can recall that insight from another world when faced with choices."

It takes time to process a large amount of information.

He instructed Miller and other researchers to continue observing Virtual Realm 440 and to complete the writing of related papers.

He knew, of course, that there was probably nothing new to observe behind the illusory realm.

The reason that the virtual passage could still be maintained was entirely because the Solipusi people were still performing a ritual called "Harvest" in their own way, while the observers on the other side of the virtual realm were also performing a ritual called "Observation".

Once this tacit understanding is broken, the connection between the two parties will be severed.

In fact, if he stayed there any longer, the passageway might not be able to be maintained, because he had already acquired too much knowledge from the curator that did not belong to his own world.

However, there's no need to tell the magicians of Xuebang these details. There's too much to explain, and it would only complicate things.

Let them observe for now.

The Wise Man's Journal will surely be very interested in the insights into "ether" and the subspace produced by this observation, and it may even become the most outstanding research result in the last decade!
In addition, Miranda, the magic apprentice in his Demon Lord territory who studies "extraordinary particles," would likely also be very interested in this.

Afterwards, Luo Yan will bring the researchers' completed papers back to the Demon King's Territory and share the insights from the Void Realm with the magicians of the Demon King's Territory and even Hell.

He had actually copied a lot of knowledge about magic from the Xuebang library and updated it into the setting collection of "Natural Disaster Online".

There are also some silly people trying things out on Earth.

However, the number of players in "Cataclysm Online" is still too small compared to the total population of Earth, while Earth clearly already has its own set of rules.

Otherwise, these reckless individuals might actually test out "supernatural power"...

After arranging everything, Luo Yan left the bustling Corinth alone, took a carriage borrowed from Professor Hector, and traveled through the festive Artisan Street back to the vicinity of the Great Sage's Tower.

After returning the carriage, he did not go directly back to his faculty dormitory, but instead went around to the back of the dormitory tower and found a quiet, deserted corner.

He sensed the mysterious [Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena] pendant in his sea of ​​consciousness and decided to immediately test just how powerful this gift from the curator really was.

The moment he immersed his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness, the crystal-clear pendant almost instantly appeared in front of him.

Everything was as natural as breathing.

With a slight smile playing on his lips, Luo Yan concentrated his mind and channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into the sleeping butterfly deep within his sea of ​​consciousness.

The response is instantaneous.

In the air, invisible ethereal energy gathered out of thin air, chasing and intertwining with each other, as if following a weaving law from the ancient universe.

In the blink of an eye, a translucent butterfly shimmering with seven colors materialized. It fluttered its wings, which seemed to carry the starlight of an entire world, and landed on Luo Yan's outstretched fingertip.

"Om-"

A strange sense of disconnection came over me.

The moment it was born, Luo Yan's senses were split in two.

His physical body remained standing in the snow, feeling the biting winds of the North, while his other half of consciousness had already entered a kaleidoscope world composed of countless beautiful facets.

"Fly higher."

As soon as the thought was uttered, the etheric butterfly at the fingertip immediately obeyed and spiraled upwards.

His vision rose, and the snow-covered land shrank rapidly beneath his feet. The feeling of his soul breaking free from the constraints of his body and soaring freely made him squint.

This feeling is amazing.

While necromancers can project their consciousness onto the bodies of their summoned creatures for micromanagement, it is far from achieving such an immersive experience.

At the same time, this sharing of perspectives does not expose his main body to danger. He can switch the main viewpoint and zoom at any time, just like dragging a window on the desktop with a mouse when operating a computer.

Most importantly, he doesn't need to rely on the player's helmet as a "spellcasting medium," nor does he need to put his original body into a deep sleep!
as well as--

He can even swap their positions!

"...Then what about interference at the physical level?"

Intrigued, Luo Yan turned his gaze to a thick rock wall covered in ice and snow not far away, and a bold idea took shape in his mind.

He commanded the butterfly to fly straight over.

Just as they were about to collide, Luo Yan almost instinctively prepared to meet the impact, but the butterfly passed by silently, like the moon's reflection on the water's surface, without causing a ripple!

It was as if the solid rock was nothing more than a projection of nothingness!

"...The perfect stealth tool!"

Luo Yan's breath hitched slightly, and a hint of joy rose in his heart.

After the physical level, the next step is to verify the magical level!

The dormitory tower of the Source Law School itself has a powerful guard array that shields it from outside prying eyes.

It is said that the restriction was personally set up by the great sage Dolrich. Although this does not mean that it has demigod-level defensive power, it is at least far superior to the level of ordinary magicians in terms of its ingenious design.

Let's give it a try!
Luo Yan controlled the butterfly, which flew straight towards the dormitory tower.

In his shared vision, the magical barrier composed of countless warning runes was clearly visible; any uninvited guest would trigger an alarm the moment it touched the barrier. However, the ethereal butterfly passed through the barrier with ease, like a drop of water merging into the ocean. The entire magic circle remained completely still, showing no reaction to its arrival whatsoever.

Before long, "Luo Yan," who had passed through the wall, saw through the butterfly's vision the servants were tidying up the brooms and the teaching assistants were giving orders to the servants.

Tonight's dinner is stewed carrots and pork with honey-roasted pig's trotters. The red wine served is a rare delicacy from the Campbell region in the southern part of the Kingdom of Ryan, and the side dish is pickled cucumbers from the Kingdom of Rhodes.

Not all professors enjoy cooking for themselves. Although each dormitory floor, regardless of size, has a kitchen, many of these kitchens are never used.

He confirmed that this butterfly could even ignore advanced warning magic!

Interestingly, however, an accident occurred the moment the butterfly he was controlling was discovered by a spider lurking in the shadows.

Even the thick walls and the Great Sage's warning array could not stop it, yet it was stuck to a light and flimsy spider web.

The spider crawled towards it, ready to feast. But the instant its forelegs touched the butterfly, the latter vanished like a sandcastle collapsing.

Meanwhile, the warning array still hadn't been triggered, leaving only a bewildered spider pacing anxiously on its web, unsure where its prey had gone.

"Is it because the act of active observation removes its 'virtualization'?"

"It seems that every perfect tool has its weaknesses."

As Luo Yan understood, he summoned another Ether Butterfly with a thought and then gently tapped it with his index finger.

A miniature fireball was launched first and struck the butterfly that was hovering in the air with precision.

Without a violent explosion, or even any reaction, the beautiful etheric butterfly silently disintegrated in the flames, turning into fluttering etheric dust and vanishing without a trace.

The fireball, having lost its target, passed straight through and struck the wall behind the butterfly with undiminished power, knocking down several icicles hanging on the wall.

"I see."

While the Butterfly of All Things can ignore most passive warning spells, it can be damaged by actively cast offensive spells.

However, its destruction did not cause him any mental backlash, nor did it leave any trace of its existence.

"A 'True Sight' that can be moved and deployed, and it comes with a TP (Transfer) effect."

A playful smile curved Luo Yan's lips, and at the same time, an interesting idea quietly sprouted in his mind.

Speaking of which, his cats are at home watching over some silly lizard for him, and I wonder what they do when he's not around.

Look at this.

In a playful mood, he manipulated the Ether Butterfly to soar upwards, effortlessly reaching the upper floors of the dormitory tower. Like a ghost, he passed through the walls and silently flew into his spacious room.

Inside the room, a heartwarming scene came into his shared view.

Contrary to her usual behavior, Taff didn't doze off in front of the fireplace. Instead, she pestered Sarah to read to her and teach her the languages ​​of the Os continent.

Perhaps it was something that spurred this little female dragon on, who used to just eat and sleep, but suddenly started to "strive to improve herself".

Although Sarah's face showed little change in expression, her eyes were gentle as she patiently explained each word Sarah didn't understand, just as Luo Yan had once taught her step by step.

This heartwarming scene pleased Luo Yan greatly; it seemed that the cat and the lizard hadn't started fighting while he was away.

very nice.

Just as the butterfly hovered over the fireplace, Sarah, who was focused on teaching, suddenly stopped. Although she hadn't sensed the translucent butterfly, her instincts as a top assassin made her notice something unusual in the corner of her eye.

Her body tensed instantly, and her eyes, which had been gentle and calm just a moment ago, now became as sharp as a cheetah's. This sudden change caused Taff, who had been lying on her lap, to roll onto the carpet with a "thud," her short tail sticking up in the air.

"Hey!! What are you doing, you stinky cat?" Taff grumbled as she got up, about to complain, when she saw those extremely cold eyes.

A jolt of electricity shot through her spine, freezing her blood and immobilizing her.

The dragon's bloodline is indeed powerful, but she is only a cub now, and even Alarado, who has regained his senses, can subdue her.

Not to mention Sarah, who is already close to the gold level.

"Don't move!" Sarah's voice was extremely low, filled with undeniable killing intent. "Someone..."

Taff was instantly terrified. The little female dragon, who had been so fierce just a second ago, suddenly darted under the sofa, leaving only the tip of her trembling tail sticking out.

"Who? Could it be that guy's enemies coming to our door? Wait, I have nothing to do with him! I...I...I'm just a freeloader, don't bother me!"

Hearing Taf's pathetic voice, Luo Yan, who was observing everything through the butterfly's perspective, couldn't help but chuckle.

'This guy...'

He has no enemies.

The instant Sarah's gaze locked onto the ethereal butterfly hovering in mid-air, Luo Yan activated the core ability of "Myriad Manifestations Butterfly"—

"Phase replacement!"

A slight distortion in space for a moment.

The butterflies that were in the room a moment ago have disappeared, and in their place, Luo Yan himself is suddenly standing next to the fireplace.

He seemed to emerge from the fireplace, startling Sarah who had just assumed a fighting stance, and she immediately sheathed her dagger in its leather sheath.

"Master Demon?!"

His enlarged vertical pupils were filled with panic and helplessness. Seeing Sarah about to kneel down and beg for atonement, Luo Yan smiled and walked to her side, gently patting her shoulder.

"Sorry, just kidding... cough! I'm very pleased with your alertness, and I hope you'll keep it up."

It seems this thing is easy to fool a mage, but it's a bit difficult to evade the detection of a highly agile assassin.

“Yes…” Sarah looked bewildered, not because she was confused about why the Demon Lord had suddenly appeared in the dormitory, but because she didn’t understand why he was apologizing.

I was just doing my job.

She felt a little guilty, realizing that she shouldn't have blurted out "Demon King" earlier.

What if it’s fake?

Although a single statement is not enough to serve as evidence, it will ultimately cause trouble for the Demon King in this mage tower filled with powerful figures.

Sarah silently reflected to herself that she must be more careful next time...

Just as the two were talking, Taff finally crawled out from under the sofa. She had been running so fast that she had accidentally crawled too deep and almost got her head stuck.

"You idiot, can't you just go home through the front door?! You scared me to death!"

This girl is the type who'll beam at the slightest bit of kindness. Luo Yan thought to himself that he hadn't even questioned her "rudeness in the heat of the moment," but she was already bringing up her own reasons.

However, Luo Yan didn't bother to argue with this brat and just said it in a teasing tone.

"I'm sorry I startled you, but speaking of which... I've noticed that you have a very deep understanding of your own position."

"%￥#@!" Taf's face turned red, probably because she had lost her temper, and she started swearing in Zeta language, which was really nasty.

Luo Yan couldn't understand the Zeta people's abstract language anyway, so he waved his wand to silence her, and then looked at Sarah.

Has anyone come looking for me today? Or has anyone brought me a package?

He just asked casually.

To everyone's surprise, Sarah nodded with a serious expression.

“An apprentice named Skyein came downstairs to the dormitory tower. He claimed to be Professor Hector’s student.”

"Professor Hector is looking for me?" Luo Yan raised his eyebrows slightly.

He had just returned the Pegasus carriage to Hector, and the old man hadn't come to him with anything. Instead, the old man had been subtly trying to find out about Corinta's latest research progress.

Of course, he could understand.

Professor Hector's apprentices do not necessarily represent his interests, just as his assistant Corgi is clearly more like one of his own.

A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on; a rigid person can only keep fools, not truly talented people.

Sarah gently shook her head.

"He didn't mention Professor Hector, but asked me to bring you a letter... saying that he would personally deliver it to you when you return."

As she spoke, Sarah took out the letter.

After receiving it, Luo Yan first habitually cast the "Alchemist's Eye" spell to confirm that there were no strange curses on it before carefully opening it.

An apprentice's tricks can't harm a diamond-level mage, but no one can guarantee who's behind that pawn.

The letter was very short, consisting of only a few lines.

However, every letter on it conveyed a sense of inner turmoil, showing that this magic apprentice had made a very difficult decision.

"...Your Highness, there is no evidence for what I have said above, and it even contains elements of conjecture. However, based on my understanding of Professor Arist, he is capable of doing such a thing, as he is ruthless in achieving his goals."

I could have chosen to remain silent, but in your class, you showed me another possibility in life.

Perhaps, the kind of magician I initially wanted to become was someone like you, someone with lofty ideals who pursues truth, rather than someone who constantly sells their soul for immediate survival, only to eventually turn to dust and rot in some forgotten corner...

If you think I'm exaggerating or spreading rumors, I respect your choice. But please have mercy on me, a weak believer, and don't pass this letter on to Professor Alistair; he can kill me as easily as stepping on an ant.

Of course, so are you.

】

After reading the letter to the end, Luo Yan's lips curled into a smile of interest.

"……interesting."

Seeing Sarah looking at him curiously, Luo Yan didn't hide anything and casually handed her the letter he had finished reading.

"Burn it for me after you've finished reading it."

Sarah took the letter, glanced at it, and her eyes instantly sharpened.

"Someone wants to harm you?"

Taff craned her neck to look, but she wasn't tall enough, and she didn't see a single letter until the letter flew into the fireplace.

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"To be precise, it was by taking advantage of one apprentice's jealousy of another and Miss Ophelia's arrogance to harm Miss Ophelia, thereby causing conflict between me and the Castellion family and forcing me to leave this mage tower."

The conspiracy was quite convoluted, and Sarah was stunned for two seconds before she could figure it out.

"Is... this possible?"

"Why not? Even if Duke Andrei is so cold-blooded that he doesn't care if his own flesh and blood suffers an accident, Prince Colin would still have to return to the Holy City to explain to the Duke, considering the impact on their cooperation. He doesn't necessarily need to make me and another duke turn against each other; he just needs to make sure I can't stay on this snowfield..."

At this point, Luo Yan paused for a moment, his gentle voice carrying a hint of contemplation.

"Hmm, it's clear he's very concerned about the growing influence of the 'scientific' school. Considering his recent unusual behavior, I'm even a little curious... whether he's had some incredible 'adventure'."

The moment he finished speaking, Youyou's shadow floated out and excitedly added a sentence in a voice only he could hear.

"Could it be a divine spark?!"

Luo Yan smiled and replied in his heart.

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

If that's the case, he can't just take this matter lightly as a "test" left to him by the great sage Doryuk.

He had to rethink Alistair's location, and... what role this great sage, who had never shown himself to him, played in all of this.

Sarah couldn't hear his inner thoughts; she just looked at him intently and spoke faithfully.

"What do you need me to do?"

After a moment's thought, Luo Yan issued the order.

"The All Souls' Day maze trial is about to begin, and it's said that Instructor Merc is in charge. I need you to scout out the area around the maze for me... but be careful not to get too close, and don't let anyone see you."

(End of this chapter)