The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 439 Hope in the Ruins
"Is this... a ratman's tail?"

As night deepened, at the entrance of an abandoned village near the Wanren Mountains in the southern part of Wheatfield Village, a ghoul rat with a dagger at its waist squatted on the ground and muttered something.

The skeleton mage, carrying a staff, walked behind the undead rat, glanced around, and the soul fire burning in his skull flickered with a hint of caution.

He communicated in a low voice, making creaking and cracking sounds.

"It might be true."

The two undead were not wandering ghosts in the Twilight Forest, but rather players who were officially employed by the Demon King.

Two weeks ago, they received a mission in the plaza of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and traveled through the Demon King's teleportation array to the devastated Twilight Province to support the salvation plan of "Saint Kallen" and the Salvation Army that follows her.

Although they had wondered if the game planner was drunk when writing the script and had paired the Demon King and the Saintess together, for hardcore players, the plot was never the point; the point was the mission rewards and achievements.

As top-tier players in the Great Cemetery, their first task was to clear obstacles for the Salvation Army's spring planting plan by investigating abandoned villages near Wheatfield Village.

To be honest, this mission is meaningless. It sounds like something for the Demon King's minions, which doesn't suit their noble "Demon General" status.

In particular, the villages they passed through were deserted, and the collapsed houses inside were even cleaner than their faces, having been scraped clean without leaving a trace.

On the contrary, there were several powerful magical beasts in the forest near the village, which made their quest process less boring.

Yi Ye Zhi Qiu guessed that the planning team was probably testing map bugs and hadn't yet set up corresponding storylines for these villages.

Without much thought, and adhering to the principle of speed, they quickly checked off all the villages marked on the mission log.

However, just as their mission was about to be completed, they discovered an anomaly in the last village in the mission log.

There are traces of ratmen here!?
As the natural enemies of dwarves and goblins, the rebellious nature ingrained in the Skaven means they can never submit to anyone and will only be loyal to their own gods.

Interestingly, the three gods worshipped by the ratmen bear a striking resemblance to three of the four gods of chaos.

For example, "The Deceitful Rat" Svelt and "The Mischievous Mist" Novell, and "The Gluttonous Rat" Gello and "The Ever-Hungry Claw" Urgos.

As for the "Rats of Abundance," Riftenda, who advocated reproduction and indulgence, although on the surface his teachings did not align with the doctrines of the four Chaos Gods, clans that worshipped Riftenda often fell into endless civil wars and infighting due to an excess of "rats."

They kill and reproduce, a process often accompanied by continuous destruction and plunder—behavior that pleases precisely "the Flame of Destruction" Kalmandes.

This is why many rat people themselves are unclear about what their beliefs are.

After all, betrayal is the norm for them. Using the banner of "Rats of Abundance" to actually carry out the terrifying ritual of "Flames of Destruction" is nothing more than a daily occurrence for them.

As long as it brings power, that's fine!
【One Leaf Tells of Autumn】 He turned his gaze to the village not far away. The curtain of night did not obscure his vision; on the contrary, it made his vision exceptionally clear.

Since breaking through to the Silver level, his skeletal body has undergone significant changes. Not only is his spellcasting smoother, but his intuition for the presence of living beings has also become much sharper.

In the village not far away, shimmering red dots were feasting on the cold corpses. The bustling scene didn't look like a famine; it looked more like a party.

Those guys obviously couldn't be human.

It is not uncommon for starving people to resort to cannibalism to survive, but even the most desperate would not risk eating a rotting corpse.

But the ratmen don't have this problem; there are no organisms in the world that they can't digest.

"I was wondering why all the corpses we'd seen along the way had been completely gnawed clean. I was thinking the humans in Twilight Province had a rather voracious appetite..." The Minotaur Warrior slung his short sword over his shoulder and stood behind One Autumn Leaf, whispering.

The Pig-Headed Knight didn't speak, but excitedly gripped the axe in his hand, licking his lips with eager anticipation.

His great axe was itching for a fight!

Not long ago, these two clowns also broke through to the Silver level and changed their race to Ankylosaurus lizardmen.

Although their night combat ability is not as good as the undead, their melee ability is quite formidable.

Especially when combined with the corpse awakening technique mastered by Brother Yiye, they can rise again as undead after dying in battle, with 80% of their attributes and enhanced physique!
It's incredibly easy to use!

[Hu Wan] stood up from the ground and cast an inquiring look at Brother [Yi Ye Zhi Qiu].

"How to say?"

Seeing the equally eager soulfire, [One Leaf Knows Autumn] had already guessed its companion's decision.

He revealed the staff in his hand, infused the gem at the tip of the staff with dark green nether energy, and smiled faintly.

"...Since the Demon King has entrusted us with the task of ensuring the smooth progress of the spring planting plan, we cannot let him down."

Let's use these rats' tails as the end of their mission!
A burning arrow pierced the silent night sky and landed precisely in the center of the village.

The exploding sparks startled the surrounding ratmen, who instinctively tried to run away, only to find the ground shaking violently beneath their feet, collapsing the tunnel they had dug.

The entire spellcasting action was performed in one smooth motion.

[One Leaf Tells of Autumn] smoothly changed the posture of holding the staff, and then began chanting the third spell.

Swift as the wind!

A blue aura wrapped around the legs of the four players, especially the two lizardmen running in front, whose charging speed increased significantly.

"Haha! Where are you looking! Your pig-headed grandpa is right here!" The pig-headed knight shouted excitedly, swinging his battle axe and charging forward with heavy steps, crashing straight into the swarm of rats like a chariot.

"Zhizhi——!"

"Lizard, lizard man?!"

"How is this possible! Didn't those guys sign an agreement with our boss? Why would they suddenly make a move?!"

"No! Something's not right! These lizardmen seem different!"

The ratmen screamed and grabbed their rusty daggers and slings, trying to stop the lizardman warrior wielding a battle axe.

Before they could react effectively, another lizardman wielding a sword and shield charged in from their flank, sending countless ratmen flying.

A ratman priest raised his skeletal staff and pointed it at a lizardman wielding a sword and shield, chanting a spell in a high-pitched voice.

"You lizard thing! Die! Die—ga!"

However, before he could finish chanting the incantation, a black light silently sliced ​​across his neck, and the vicious curse instantly turned into spurting blood that splattered all over the ground.

At the same time, a blazing fire dragon suddenly poured in from the direction of the village entrance, smashing into the very center of the ratmen, dividing the battlefield and completely destroying their morale.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"These lizards have gone mad!"

"Quickly! Retreat!"

The rats screamed and dropped their daggers and slingshots, scurrying into the forest on all fours.

Watching the fleeing figures, the Pig-Headed Knight couldn't help but curse.

"Damn it! You scared all the monsters away, how am I supposed to harvest them now!"

That damned mage!
This is such a blatant cheating when it comes to stealing experience points!

No wonder the upgrade was so fast!

Emerging from the darkness, Yi Ye Zhi Qiu touched a non-existent nose bridge and smiled slightly.

"I guess you mean MVP."

He deliberately scared the ratmen away, his purpose being to find their lair.

Just now, he had cast the Black Iron necromancer spell "Shadow Mark" to mark three ratmen.

Unless they can break the spell.

Otherwise, as long as they are within a five-kilometer radius, he can find them no matter where they hide.

Intuition tells me that the "main storyline" of Twilight Province might be hidden in these rats that appeared out of nowhere...

……

Outside the Sparrowwood Castle, guards carrying torches patrolled, while candlelight flickered quietly in the guest rooms deep within the tower.

Helen Moonblade's figure appeared silently before Luo Yan, like moonlight reflected on the city wall bricks, kneeling on one knee and reporting respectfully.

"My Lord Demon King, I have completed the task you assigned!"

Her voice was clear and efficient, showing no signs of fatigue from days of travel.

"After two weeks of continuous spellcasting by the Night Elf Mage Corps, the one million acres of farmland planned around Wheat Field Village have been basically restored and fertilized."

Luo Yan turned a page of the unfinished draft of the New Testament in his hand, nodded calmly, and affirmed and praised the work of the Gray Wind Tribe in a dignified voice.

“You have done a great job, and I will not forget your contributions. However, this is just the beginning. The refugees from Sparrowwood Fortress will gradually return to those abandoned villages, and at that time, I will need your help to give those human farmers another hand.”

"As ordered."

Helen answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

However, after completing her mission, she did not immediately leave. Instead, after a moment's hesitation, she lowered her head and asked in a slightly confused voice.

“My Lord Demon King, I am not questioning your orders, but… forgive my bluntness, why should we expend so much magic to help those humans who believe in Saint Sith? They are not worthy of your favor at all. Their suffering now is nothing more than the retribution for their fanatical folly a thousand years ago!”

Helen's feelings were extremely complicated when she said these words.

The epics of the night elves differ from those of humans. While their history records real events, it focuses more on the foolish attempts of Saint Sith and the dragon god to eliminate death.

In Luo Yan's opinion, they were not stupid at all; on the contrary, they successfully conquered the old world.

If it weren't for a certain Zeta being terrified by the illusions of so-called "advanced civilization" and logical deductions after encountering Chaos, the lizardmen of the continent of Gana would probably be sitting at the victor's table right now.

However, Luo Yan had no obligation to defend his pet, nor was he interested in explaining the truth hidden in the epic to his subordinates.

As the Demon King's subordinates, all they needed to do was look up at his tall and imposing figure and follow him steadfastly.

"...Although the people here still nominally believe in Saint Sith, the doctrines they actually follow have nothing to do with the papacy in the holy city."

Under Helen's increasingly puzzled gaze, Luo Yan casually delivered the answer that astonished her.

“They are now all my subjects. Their knights and even their saints are now my servants. They are no different from you who are in the Great Necropolis, except that they have not sworn to join it.”

"Servant?!"

Helen Moonblade was taken aback by what she heard. Her mouth was so wide open that it could fit an egg, and she stood there stunned.

Clearly, she was unaware that "Saintess Karen" was merely a village girl Luo Yan had picked up along the way. And in this dark elf's distant memory, only the Holy See of the human holy city could appoint a saintess!

In just a few breaths, she had already mentally filled in tens of thousands of words of plot, including the part about the maze dungeon—

Even the saints of the Holy See can be corrupted...

Helen's eyes flashed with immense awe and fervor, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

That's the color of worship!
As expected of the Demon King—

Truly unfathomable!

Just as Helen was deeply moved by the Demon King's power, a cold, emotionless voice suddenly rang out beside her.

"big boss."

Helen was startled and turned around in horror, only to find that Sarah had appeared beside her at some point.

Her indifferent expression was like a lifeless shadow, as if the only thing in the room worthy of her attention was the aura of a Venerable One. Helen wasn't surprised that Sarah was here, but she hadn't expected that she, with her Gold-level strength, wouldn't even detect the slightest trace of Sarah's presence!

This guy……

Has he broken through again?!
The look of astonishment gradually turned into a sour envy. Luo Yan knew without guessing what Helen had misunderstood, but he was too embarrassed to explain if she didn't say anything.

Along the way, his bodyguard, Comrade Sarah, also worked very hard... especially in the game of hide-and-seek with Taff.

Sarah didn't notice Helen's lapse in composure; she simply bowed slightly and calmly reported to her Demon King.

"...Saviour Army intelligence personnel, while patrolling south of Sparrowwood Fortress, discovered signs of non-human creature activity near an abandoned village."

"After a thorough investigation, they discovered traces of the ratmen there!"

The Great Necropolis's aid to the Salvation Army was not limited to agriculture and infrastructure; it also included military development, with intelligence work being a key focus.

To survive in this chaotic world, ideals and slogans alone are not enough; ultimately, one must rely on the sword in one's hand.

Sarah had been in charge of training Salvation Army intelligence personnel during this period, so she knew about it even before Saint Karen.

However, the Demon King sitting here clearly knew this before she did.

Looking at Sarah's expressionless face and Helen's solemn expression, Luo Yan nodded, his calm expression unchanged.

It was as if he had foreseen all of this.

“I understand. Tell Karen for me, and keep an eye on things… Helen, be careful with your people when they’re out and about.”

The two accepted the order in unison.

"Yes, Lord Demon King."

……

The ratmen's claw marks undoubtedly added fuel to the already chaotic situation in Dusk Province, and it remains to be seen how far this fire will burn.

Perhaps these rats simply had their eyes on this land corrupted by famine, or perhaps it just so happened that a famine had broken out in their hometown deep in the Wanren Mountains.

Regardless of what the so-called "main storyline" that players are so eagerly searching for actually is, the refugees of Quemu Territory have recently found their own "main storyline" in life and are gradually making their lives more enjoyable.

The next day.

The morning light shone on the land of Wheat Field Village. Old Hank rubbed his sun-chapped nose and sat up from his bed made of reeds.

As spring enters its second half, the long, rainy season has finally passed, and sunny days are gradually becoming more frequent.

And his old bones, which were almost broken from exhaustion, could finally take a short rest.

Good morning, Hank.

When the young man walking towards him greeted him, Old Hank smiled and returned the greeting.

"Good morning, have you eaten?"

He didn't know the young man's name, but he remembered his simple face and sunny smile, which reminded him of his own youth.

The young man said with a smile.

"We finished eating a long time ago, you should hurry up too. Those new guys can really eat, if you're any later we might only be able to lick the bottom of the pot!"

"Haha, it can't be that bad..."

Old Hank laughed, but his heart tightened. He hurried to the Salvation Army's porridge distribution point and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was still a lot of porridge in the pot.

His worries were indeed unnecessary.

According to Her Majesty's divine decree, the soldiers of the Salvation Army adhered to the creed of salvation, and would only begin their own meal after all the villagers had finished eating.

Filled with gratitude and admiration for Her Highness the Holy Maiden and the Divine Child, old Hank joined the queue, took a bowl of steaming wheat porridge from the soldier, and squatted on the edge of the field to enjoy his first communion after getting up.

It seems that it has always been like this.

Every day when the bell rang, the serfs of Wheatfield Village would go to the lord's servant to get a bowl of porridge to fill their stomachs before going to work in the fields. At noon, they would go to get their last meal of the day before continuing to work in the afternoon.

As for what to eat specifically, that depends on the harvest, the season, and the lord's temperament.

Old Hank vaguely remembered that the serfs working on the priests' land had better food because the church property in Wheatfield Village happened to have an apple orchard, and there were always many apples left over that couldn't be sold, as well as unwanted raspberries.

Of course, the situation is different in other villages.

In recent years, all the villages have been living in extreme hardship, so there's nothing to compare them to. They've even gnawed off all the bark, let alone apple trees.

Fortunately, hopeful days seem to be returning little by little.

Although old Hank didn't understand the difference between the Salvation Army and the original lords, he had no objections as long as the leader could provide him with enough to eat and wear.

Whether the saint was sent by the Papacy or walked down the River Bend herself, the miracle she brought was indeed real.

and--

The divine prophecy about a bountiful harvest seems to be gradually coming true.

Gazing at the lush green wheat fields, Old Hank was momentarily lost in thought.

After a long while, he muttered something to himself and finished the last bite of his drink.

"I actually made it in time..."

Two weeks have passed since the villagers of Maitian Village returned home. Looking back on the events of the past two weeks, he feels like he's in a dream.

When they first set foot on this land, almost no one expected that they could keep up with the progress of spring plowing.

But just when they were in despair, a miracle happened!

First, a group of "river spirits" wearing cloaks used magic to clear away the obstacles for them to plow the spring. Then, a group of "holy spirits" who claimed to be their ancestors carried hoes and helped them with the work.

Old Hank had never seen such a strange undead spirit before—no, a holy spirit!

These skeletons move in groups of three or five, directed by a Holy Spirit, working tirelessly in the fields as if they would never tire.

They don't need rest.

Human farmers need to work hard for a day and rest for half a day. They can work from sunrise to sunset and then from sunset to sunrise.

That's not all!
These Holy Spirits are not only capable of simple tasks like turning over the ground, but also of operating complex metal machinery.

Under the command of a little guy who called himself a "goblin," they drove a machine called a tractor across the most stubborn land outside Wheatfield Village.

Thick black smoke billowed from the mouths of those colossal beasts as they advanced with a deafening roar. They seemed to possess inexhaustible strength, leaving behind rows of deep, neat furrows with each passing moment!

The steel plowshares easily tore through the hard soil that even magic couldn't break, and their work in a day was equivalent to the hard work of a dozen farmers for a month!
With the help of these guys, the villagers were able to catch up with the spring planting progress at an incredible pace.

All they had to do was carry a basket on their backs and follow behind the machines, then scatter the seeds and something called "fertilizer."

After they had finished their work, the elves riding reindeer and wearing cloaks returned to the entrance of their village.

As before, the pointy-eared creatures silently raised their wands and cast spells on the barren earth. Then, the dormant seeds sprouted at a visible speed, breaking through the soil above their heads!
The elves did not continue to use magic to accelerate the ripening; after doing all that, they left without stopping.

Old Hank never imagined in his life that such a heavy and arduous task as farming could be simplified to this extent.

He even felt a slight sense of panic. What would he do if all the lords started farming this way?
Oh yeah...

Her Highness the Holy Maiden seemed to have said that there would be no lord here anymore.

The thought that this lush green land belonged to him instantly dispelled the lingering sorrow in his heart, replaced by a憨厚傻笑 (a simple, honest smile).

If I really got all of this wheat, how long would it take to eat it all...?

……

As April draws to a close and the window for spring planting gradually closes, the villagers of Maitian Village are shifting their focus from planting staple crops to other tasks.

For example, cultivating vegetable gardens, restoring public pastures, helping villagers build houses, or finding a secluded place to make babies...

These jobs are directly related to whether they can move from the dormitory to a warmer house before the cold winter arrives, and sit with their families in front of the fireplace to share a hot sauerkraut and pork knuckle soup.

Families with children or pregnant women will be given priority to be allocated independent wooden cabins.

As for the work in the fields, they only need to pay attention to weeding and prevent those weeds from stealing nutrients from the crops.

Although these tasks are not easy, at least they are not as urgent as before.

Just as Old Hank was engrossed in his work, clanging and banging sounds came from the village not far away.

The Holy Spirits, who had just put down their hoes after helping the villagers cultivate wheat fields, turned around and started building houses for the Salvation Army soldiers.

These ancestors never stop working, and even Old Hank couldn't help but feel sorry for them; they were still working even after they died.

At the same time, he silently prayed to Her Highness the Holy Maiden, hoping that he could leave this world with ease and not be dragged back to work the moment he closed his eyes.

It's a pity that the "ancestors" who were working didn't know what this guy was thinking, otherwise they would definitely have burst out laughing on the spot.

certainly--

They might even pat an NPC on the head and exclaim how incredibly realistic the game is.

Even an old farmer in the background has such a rich inner world and thoughts.

Of course, they didn't work for nothing; the Demon King would reward them with ghost money based on the amount of work they completed.

What is the use of ghost money?

That would be incredibly useful!
Thanks to the constant empty promises from the game's developers, "Natural Disaster Online" has now become the dream of countless silly netizens to restart their second life in another world.

Every day, a large number of fresh and tender young people flood in, so there is never a shortage of buyers for ghost money; the only problem is that the exchange rate fluctuates a lot.

For the "ribs lovers" who are willing to work themselves to the bone as long as they can make money, this is not a big problem!

In order to fleece the Demon King as soon as possible, many people have already spent several thousand yuan!

Of course, there are also tycoons with deep backgrounds like Long Xing Wanli, who scatter real money like a demon king scattering ghost money, completely unconcerned.

In short, thanks to the hard work and courage of the young players, new hope is being nurtured on the ruins of Wheat Field Village.

After plowing the land, the tractor once again served as a tractor, pulling the trailer full of timber from the direction of the riverbank.

Over the past two weeks, it wasn't just the farmers in Maitian Village who were busy, but also the craftsmen along the Benliu River.

With the help of a dozen or so "mountain people", the locals not only repaired the waterwheels and irrigation canals that had been abandoned for many years along the flowing river, but also set up a timber processing plant on the riverbank.

Speaking of those "mountain people," they are quite a strange bunch. Although they don't speak fluently and don't look particularly intelligent, they are surprisingly skillful when it comes to work.

Especially when operating the machine!
Thanks to these kind-hearted folks, the waters of the Benliu River finally filled the irrigation canals of Maitian Village once again.

Looking at the village that was gradually improving, every villager's face was filled with hope.

As the returning teams passed through this thriving village, carrying tools and provisions back to their original hometowns, they would soon carry their hopes to even more distant places.

Like the dandelions blooming in May across the twilight province...

(End of this chapter)