The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 507 The bullets gathered by everyone struck the Chosen One's head.
"Boom--!"

The midday bell shattered the silence of Thunder City.

The scorching sunlight pierced through the crisscrossing steel scaffolding, casting dappled, eerie shadows on the still four-sided clock.

Behind the stationary pointer, a huge brass gear is slowly meshing, each tooth fitting perfectly, emitting a dull and rhythmic metallic friction sound.

This is the highest point in Thunder City, and also the future "heart" of the city.

The citizens of Thunder City had never built such a massive structure before; it was the first time in history that such a magnificent building had ever been constructed. The spire of this building even surpassed the dome of St. Clement's Cathedral!

Although the four clocks are not yet in use, a small clock inside the clock tower has been put into trial operation. Its transmission structure is connected to the pendulum, providing free punctual timekeeping services for the citizens of Thunder City.

And right beneath that enormous clock tower lies Queen Street, the most bustling street in Thunder City.

Unlike the island of Cranto, which was engulfed in bloodshed, well-dressed citizens and elegantly decorated carriages traveled back and forth on the magnificent streets.

They are like the gears in that clock tower, seemingly never stopping.

On the top floor of the unfinished clock tower, Luo Yan stood behind the clock face, which had not yet been fitted with glass, with a smile on his face and his hands behind his back.

Through the gap in the brass pointer, he looked down at the bustling crowds on Queen Street below, the endless stream of pedestrians appearing like ants.

However, it is precisely these tiny "ants" who created the magnificent giant that stands beneath his feet.

Those figures, seemingly darting around like headless flies, are converging into a colossal wave powerful enough to shake the era!

Floating beside Luo Yan, Youyou, radiating a milky white light, was like a ghost.

At this moment, its abstract face was flashing with intense curiosity as it moved up and down around the metal parts that were taller than a person, flying back and forth between the gears.

"Demon Lord, is this the new toy you were talking about?"

Youyou asked curiously, its voice ringing directly in Luo Yan's mind, like a noisy parrot.

"But, but, isn't it a bit too extravagant for us to go through all this trouble to repair a clock just so people can tell the time?"

This clock tower is a property acquired by Punk and belongs to the Purple Moon Bank, which was recently established in Deadwood Harbor on the continent of Gana.

Although it wasn't officially funded by the Demon King, it was clearly his money that was being spent.

Furthermore, since the Purple Moon was the emblem designed by Luo Yan for the Colin family, it is, in a sense, a national bank backed by the "Colin Duchy".

In addition to providing savings services, this bank also engages in financial derivatives businesses such as futures and government bond issuance.

Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, it will also issue the sovereign currency of the Principality of Colin, just as the Andean Bank is doing for the Principality of Campbell.

If necessary.

"...If you only see it as a clock tower for telling time, then it is indeed a luxury."

Watching the whirlwind dance around the clock, Luo Yan had a faint smile in his eyes.

"But if you think of it as an engine, or an altar... then this spectacle is not expensive at all."

"altar?"

Youyou tilted her head, clearly not understanding the connection between the two.

"Yes."

Not all altars have to be called churches, just as not all religions are called religions.

Luo Yan's gaze swept past the core structure of the four clock towers, watching the slowly turning hands, and he suddenly spoke in a casual tone.

"Youyou, what do you think gods are?"

Youyou blinked.

"It's...what?"

"I believe it is man-made."

Before Youyou could express her confusion, Luo Yan continued speaking to himself.

"In the long history of the continent of Os, the evolution of faith has gone through two stages."

"The First Age, also known as the past. People at that time were like infants in swaddling clothes, harboring a primitive awe, or rather, fear, towards everything in nature."

"From mountains and rivers to wind, rain, thunder and lightning, all forces beyond human control can be called gods. Under the guidance of the priests, the first elemental gods were born, along with many animists."

Youyou nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

It was no stranger to the history of the continent of Os, but it didn't know why the Demon King would bring it up at this moment.

Is this related to the clock tower?
The Demon King's expression suggested that this was indeed the case.

Luo Yan offered no explanation, instead turning his gaze to the sky beyond the clock tower, looking towards the distant holy city.

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"In the Second Era, which is the present time, the creatures of the continent of Os have conquered nature."

"The people measured the mountains and rivers with their own feet, their footprints even reaching the ground. They controlled the power of the elements with their hands, no longer revering the unpredictable mystery, but beginning to wonder who created all these magnificent miracles."

"The priests of the Second Age called him the Creator, claiming that the Creator created all people based on himself. However, you and I both know that it was not the gods who created all things, but rather the thoughts of the people who created the omnipotent gods."

Not only Saint Sith of humans, but also the demon god, the progenitor of dwarves, and the Tree of Yggd of elves.

These many beliefs are actually similar.

"And now, we are standing at the gates of the Third Age... Although it has not yet arrived, I can already vaguely see its prototype."

Luo Yan smiled as he looked down, his gaze returning to the street that stretched ever towards the horizon.

New things are born there every day.

Some of these came from his players, while others were "localized improvements" of the players' ideas by the citizens of Thunder City.

However, regardless of who the idea comes from, these new things are created by the masses, not defined by any god.

Including the god of machines.

"...The role of priests in people's lives is becoming increasingly marginalized, and along with them, the gods themselves are also becoming marginalized. As some people awaken to self-awareness, they will no longer be satisfied with praying to the gods for prosperity and strength, but will begin to try to reshape the world based on themselves."

"Whether it's material or spiritual..."

"People began to consider issues from their own perspective, rather than from the perspective of the gods."

"In this process, they will continuously invent new tools, discover new laws of nature, summarize new theories, and give birth to new ideas..."

This will be the biggest difference between the Third Age and the Second Age—

People no longer fantasize about the shape of the Creator, but begin to think about how they can become the Creator!
They will radically transform their world, just as the Solipsians in the early days of the 440th Virtual Realm had done.

The New Testament, which originated in the province of Dusk, and the clock tower in Thunder City are, in fact, products of this idea.

The former is a spectacle standing in the spiritual world, while the latter embodies the dreams of the citizens of Thunder City for faster, higher, and bigger.

Based on this concept, Luo Yan was able to make bold conjectures.

In the coming Third Age, the focus of people's thoughts will shift from the heroes and kings of the epics to the "wonderful things" created by the common people!
Youyou suddenly realized and muttered to herself.

"So that's how it is... No wonder Gutaf was able to cut the entire continent of Gana out of the main world. It turns out he was actually using the power of the Third Era?!"

"You can say that."

Luo Yan gave Youyou an approving look and continued.

"This is why we can't harvest much faith from the lizardmen, and their supernatural power is weaker than we imagined. It's not because their souls have an innate defect, but simply because the 'thoughts of the masses' are concentrated in a place other than 'individual power'."

The wonders of Assam are a prime example!
The Dragon God Temple that stretches towards the sky is like an engine installed on the continent of Gana, and the faith continuously contributed by the people of the Dragon God is its fuel!
Like Lint Isaac, Gutaf and Lint Isaac, these two individuals from advanced civilizations, coincidentally came to understand the existence of the power of faith.

Gutaf went a step further, completing the "Great Barrier" that cut through the entire continent!
Unfortunately, the Dragon God Gutaf died too suddenly, and before he could summarize his theories, he became the lazy and good-for-nothing Tauf.

Although the Kingdom of Sacred Armored Dragons was ahead of its time, it was clear that neither the Dragon God nor the lizardmen of the Armored Dragon Clan could control this power that was ahead of its time.

Gutaf hesitated for a moment, then cut off the entire continent of Gana.

The last Holy Armored Dragon King got angry, and then he got angry again... In the end, the entire Dragon God Temple shot into the sky and almost couldn't come down.

If they hadn't focused their efforts on such a foolish thing, they could have used the extraordinary power they had taken back from the Chosen Ones to summon a "dragon" comparable to an "angel".

If that's the case, the Great Tomb might not be able to take down the Archangel Dragon Kingdom. At least the angel outside Twilight City is not something that a few machine guns or rocket launchers can defeat.

That thing is probably comparable to "nuclear weapons" in the material world.

The people of the Dragon God are not backward.

On the contrary, they were way ahead of their time!
Luo Yan believed that he was not the only one who had glimpsed the "secrets of heaven".

The Great Barrier completed by Gutaf in the late First Age may very well have inspired Saint Sith's servant—the first Pope of the Os Empire!

The angels summoned by the Holy City should be something similar.

That strike that shattered the Chaos Avatar might have been generated by the wonders of the Holy City, rather than by the power gathered from the Book of Sacred Words!

And that is precisely what the great sage fears.

The tower of the Academy may have been built precisely for the secret research into that power!

"...After witnessing the angels descending outside Twilight City, I became even more certain of my thoughts. The Holy See of Saint Sith must have mastered some similar method, using those magnificent spectacles to invoke miracles called angels."

"The source of the miracle may be the holy city itself, the magnificent palace, or the St. Clement's Cathedral... or even the cathedral's exquisite murals."

Youyou suddenly realized, her eyes shining brightly as she said, "So you want to use this clock tower to imitate them?"

"It's not just about imitation, it's about surpassing."

A smile appeared on Luo Yan's lips as he turned his gaze to the core component of the clock tower—the striking clock that connected to the pendulum.

“I’m conceiving a completely new way of using power, and I’ve also drawn inspiration from the 440th Virtual Realm.”

The demon acolytes who mingled within the clock tower turned the replaced bronze hands into bullets, and those bullets embodied the collective thoughts of millions of Thunder City citizens and even nearly ten million Campbell citizens!
It is similar to the angels attached to the holy city; they both belong to the "extra power" generated by the wonders that unite faith!
Its power cannot be measured by conventional supernatural force, nor by explosive yield.

Like the realm of demigods, it belongs to the realm of conceptual power!
Just then, a pale blue butterfly silently slipped through the gaps in the scaffolding and gently landed on the cold steel support in front of Luo Yan.

Its wings trembled slightly, emanating faint ripples of spiritual energy.

Looking at the delicate and beautiful butterfly, the smile on Luo Yan's lips became even more pronounced.

Just minutes ago, a fierce battle took place at the monastery on Cranto Island.

As he had anticipated, there was a 50% chance that the King of the Kingdom of Lane would put Jerok Campbell, who had sworn never to return to secular life, on his assassination list.

The only thing that surprised him was that His Majesty Theodore de Valou had actually bribed the remnants of the Green Forest Army to act as the perpetrators.

Behind the king stands Chaos, and behind the duke stands the Demon King.

"...Things are getting more and more interesting."

Just right.

Let's use this Chaos Apostle who calls himself "The Burialer" to test the bullets formed from the faith of the citizens of Thunder City...

……

The bells of Thunder City tolled precisely at noon, but the bells of Cranto Island were late, mingling with the clanging of metal, while only the surging waves crashed against the steep cliffs.

The power of time seemed to gather at the muzzle of the gun, causing not only Haro's heart to pound, but also Thanos, who was holding the flintlock pistol, to feel a chill run down his spine.

Just what terrifying power did his Demon Lord bestow upon him?!
this is too scary!

"Pretend to be a ghost!"

Unable to suppress his fear any longer, Haro, the "Buried One" who was on guard against the threat, let out a roar and gathered all his strength.

As a diamond-level chosen one of the Chaos Gods, he was a fearsome figure wherever he went. When did he become so disrespected by such an unknown nobody whose presence he couldn't even sense?

Musket?

I want to defeat him—

Let's get at least another 10,000!
The frenzied rage gradually burned away the fear in his heart. Haro gripped the huge metal cross wrapped in chains tightly with both hands, and the chaotic red light on the cross surged wildly!

He stomped on the ground, and the already broken floor tiles shattered completely!

The person was like an out-of-control chariot, rushing towards the uninvited guest sitting on the edge of the stained glass window in the dome with the momentum to crush everything.

"Die!!!" Haro roared, swinging his arms forward with all his might, as if he wanted to smash the dome of the prayer hall to pieces!

Feeling the overwhelming pressure, the heavily injured Gerald instinctively held his breath, his blood seemingly freezing.

However, when faced with a charge that could flatten a castle, Thanos neither dodged nor evaded, but simply aimed his gun at his face, which was contorted with rage.

He pulled the trigger, just as the demon king had instructed.

"Click——"

The flint struck the trigger, but there was no explosion of gunpowder igniting, nor any smoke rising from the muzzle.

Only a clear sound rang out, as if a long-weary mainspring in an old clock had finally snapped, dragging the hands to a standstill on the dial.

"as you wish--"

"go to hell."

That was the last sound Harlow heard.

The moment that sound reached his ears, the whole world seemed to be paused, frozen in place.

Haro was astonished to see that the crimson color of the prayer hall was fading, leaving only the black statue of Saint Sis and the pale stained-glass windows of the church.

The colors disappeared.

The whole world turned into a depressing and lifeless black and white, just like the nightmares he would unconsciously fall into every night!
The initial shock gradually turned into terror.

The only thing that remained unchanged was the expression on his face.

Harlow was horrified to discover that although his mind was still working and his anger was still burning in his chest, his body could not move even an inch!
They can't even twitch their facial muscles!

His soul seemed to detach from his body, looking down at the body soaring into the sky.

The chaotic cross, carrying immense power, continued to crash towards the nearby dome, yet, like the dust swirling around it, it remained suspended in mid-air.

What on earth happened?!

At the edge of that black and white world, Haro suddenly saw a bronze-colored flying insect.

It was the only color in this black and white world, flying towards him slowly but steadily, its tiny figure containing an unstoppable force.

The "flying insect" swarmed into the scarlet surrounding Haro, just like a needle piercing a quilt, without causing a ripple.

Harrow finally saw what it was.

It looked like a bullet, and from the trajectory that tore through space, he could vaguely see an upside-down clock.

That's... the power of time?

The thought had barely crossed Harlow's mind when the illusory bullet touched his brow and pierced through the depths of his soul.

"Tick-"

He could faintly hear the sound of the clock hands returning to their original positions.

In that instant, the enormous clock phantom shattered before Haro, as if a giant had grasped the clock tower of Thunder City and smashed the four clocks in his face.

Before Haro could even let out a scream, a black and white hole appeared between his eyebrows.

No blood gushed out.

No brain matter was ejected.

The chaotic power from the void was erased in an instant by the rapidly passing time.

His physical body was also erased along with it.

The decaying body shrank and withered at a speed visible to the naked eye... as if it had undergone thousands of years of weathering in a single second!

The speeding flail, like a kite with a broken string, flew over Thanos's head, piercing the stained-glass windows of the dome and lifting his low-brimmed hat and drooping black hair.

At the same time, the decaying, mummified corpse fell backward, crashing heavily onto the broken floor of the prayer hall, and instantly shattered into dust and bone fragments!
The instant Harlow died, the zombies that had been manipulated like puppets also collapsed to the ground, the bloodshot and ferocious look in their pupils disappearing.

Color and sound returned to the prayer hall, but it fell into an even more deathly silence, with only the sound of the tide outside the window echoing.

Jerok leaned against the broken statue, his mind blank. After a long while, he slowly raised his head and looked up at the dome of the prayer hall.

The Shadow Demon in the tuxedo never looked at him, but simply put away his gun indifferently, as if he had just casually swatted a fly.

Meanwhile, in that unnoticed corner, a pale blue butterfly flew around the broken stone pillar and disappeared into the boundless silence.

Jerok swallowed hard, finally regaining his voice.

"Who are you……"

He didn't understand why it was the Demon King's servant who saved him.

Even if the one who wants to kill him is the king of the Kingdom of Ryan, it doesn't seem like a bad thing for the Demon King of Thunder County.

They could easily sit in the maze and watch the show.

Thanos raised his index finger to lower the brim of his hat, which had been blown up by the wind, and replied in a nonchalant tone.

"You don't need to know."

Poor Aaron Campbell.

All three children became pawns of the Demon King.

However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for them, who were kept in the dark.

After all, looking across the entire hell, there is no better job than being the Demon King's dog; countless demons would love to have it but cannot.

Thanos gave the young knight one last pitying look; his dark figure, like a cloud blown away by the wind, disappeared into the shadows beneath the stained-glass window.

He disappeared.

It's as if I've never been here.

Only Jerok remained in the blood-soaked church.

Holding Saint Sith's severed arm, he stood frozen amidst the devastated ruins, listening to the still-surging tide outside the window, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

The Campbell family, who are sworn enemies of demons, have been saved by demons this time...

　Thank you so much to "Isaac_BlackF" for the generous donation!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)