Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

Therefore, rather than resurrecting or destroying the Witch King here, he preferred to preserve the secrets of this mysterious space in order to decipher the various spells the Witch King had set up within it. These were all knowledge, priceless treasures.

The Queen was no different. She was equally dissatisfied with the status quo, equally eager for power, and equally hoping to obtain the Witch King's power. Even though she had once killed the person who was now possessing the Descendant's body with her own hands along with another Queen, she still accepted the Witch King's legacy without hesitation.

However, she had something more on her mind right now—the end of the world.

Without witnessing firsthand what's depicted in that portrait, no one can truly understand the crisis Terra is currently facing. As the Queen of Letania, her primary responsibility is to ensure Letania's survival, and since Letania's survival is intertwined with Terra's, as a visionary, she must pay the utmost attention to this matter.

At this moment, the Witch King finally opened his mouth again. He did not utter a sound, but his meaning was transmitted into everyone's mind.

The Queen frowned. Either the Witch King truly possessed the ability to read minds, or his mental magic had reached its pinnacle, enough to transcend her mental barriers and perceive her thoughts. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said such a thing to her:

"I can tell you the truth about the apocalypse, but the price is that you must keep it a secret. After you hear the truth, I can send you away."

Keep your mouth shut...

The Queen pondered this seemingly mundane request repeatedly. Suddenly, Roy's words, spoken to her in that cramped office, flashed through her mind:

"Your Majesty, please be mindful of your voice."

Suddenly, it was as if lightning flashed through her mind, and a chill ran down her spine, making even the composed her shudder.

What kind of person can keep quiet and keep secrets?

dead.

But she possessed the Scale-Catching Cloak given to her by Roy, rendering any spell, strong or weak, ineffective against her. Even the Witch King couldn't kill her. Besides, he had already promised to send her away; such a lie was unnecessary for him.

So, does this silence imply that what he is actually seeking is his ability to speak, that is, his voice, or in other words, the ability to cast spells?

If that's the case, then it would be an unacceptable and terrifying price to pay. She is, after all, the Empress, and the loss of voice of the Empress of Letania is an immense threat to the country and its precarious political balance. Not to mention, the Teutonic Elector standing just over ten meters away from her is constantly dreaming of changing the world!

She shook her head violently, only to find that the Grand Election Emperor, whom she considered a huge threat and who had already shown his rebellious intentions, was also sweating profusely and had a ferocious expression.

The Witch King also gave him a choice.

"I can teach you all my knowledge and magic, but the price is that you will lose half your life."

Trading half a life for power—it's practically a deal straight out of the devil's tales. But undeniably, it's incredibly alluring.

The Witch King's power was enough to single-handedly annihilate the elite vanguard of the well-equipped and highly trained Old Guard of the Gallic Empire at its peak. For this power, he had sacrificed countless Witch King descendants, like silver-haired girls, and spent enough funds to build a mobile city. Now, with just a nod, he could obtain it from him.

Whether it's true or false is no longer important; from the moment the Witch King proposed this tempting deal, it could only be true.

Ambitious people often don't care about their own lives. They only hope to ignite a fire and burn down a forest. They don't care whether they can control the fire or whether they, as the match, can leave with a whole body.

Like Theresis, he only wanted to secure a living space for Kazdel, not caring whether he would die alone on the throne. Like the Black Serpent, he only cared about starting one "war" after another to ensure Ursus' prosperity, not caring whether Talulah or his own body and consciousness would dissipate.

The same applies to the Teutonic school.

Therefore, he hesitated; he even leaned towards making a choice.

When people are caught in a dilemma, they often subconsciously look up at others who are in the same situation as them.

He was no exception, so he raised his head and looked at the other two people beside him.

The white-clad queen had suppressed her impulse. She turned her gaze to Roy, her expression gentle yet expectant. She knew that the Witch King wasn't the only one here who knew the truth. Why invest in Roy, a living person she quite liked, instead of choosing the Witch King, who had been dead for who knows how long?

On the contrary, Roy's expression was somewhat strange, as if he was surprised, but not conflicted.

To everyone's surprise, Roy suddenly raised his hand and answered as if it were nothing out of the ordinary:

"I agreed."

The Queen opened her mouth in astonishment, seemingly wanting to stop him. Teutonic's expression also froze, as if he hadn't expected Roy to make such a decision so easily, even though it clearly required a terrible price to achieve.

Roy was puzzled by their gazes.

The Witch King did indeed offer him a deal.

The transaction was so simple that it didn't cause him any loss whatsoever.

He said, "I can communicate the secrets of Terra to you, but in return, you need to tell me the origins of these secrets."

The root cause? Isn't that simple?

Arknights!

Make way, make way, I'm about to give away some spoilers!

Volume 1: Chapter 219 Obstruction, Tolerance, Rejection, Protection, and the Angel of Peace!

The top of the tower.

The silver-haired girl stretched out her hand, and the books in the room automatically stacked into four chairs. She sat down first in the highest chair to compensate for the fragility of her body.

Roy wasn't the only one who climbed to the top of the tower; the Elector and the Queen also did so. This was Roy's request, and the Witch King did not refuse.

After all four were seated, the Witch King glanced at the still hesitant Elector and the Queen, who had clearly made her decision, shrugged, and reminded them:

“It seems that not all of you have made a decision yet. In that case, let me complete my deal with Mr. Roy first.”

“According to the popular saying in your Kazimierz, I am the client, so I will go first.”

He took a deep breath and began to speak, as if recalling a memory:

"In my 20th year of rule, my magic officially reached the bottleneck of human cognition. Whether it was simply manipulating the power in Originium to trigger reactions of various elements, or manipulating space and time, entities and concepts, I could not claim to be absolutely proficient, but I had already dabbled in it. And this had reached a height that had never been seen before. I had nothing left to learn."

Having reached a height unprecedented and unparalleled, there is nothing on this land that I can claim to learn from. What arrogant words these are, yet when uttering them, the Witch King's expression showed not a trace of pride, but only a deep-seated helplessness.

"At that time, I was thinking that after me, everyone could follow in my footsteps, but what should I do? Everything I do next should be innovative."

"However, there are many directions to pave the way. Where should I draw inspiration from, and where should I explore?"

"The answer I received is unknown," the Witch King said. "Since the road ahead of me is unknown, I should naturally explore the places that represent the concept of the unknown. To this end, I searched all over Terra, consulted the ancient texts, and finally found three unknown locations."

"Three unknowns: first, the vast and boundless ocean with its surging waves; second, the treacherous and ancient demons; third..."

He reached out and pointed to the ceiling above him, but Roy and the other two knew perfectly well that he was referring to something beyond the tower.

"Thirdly, it is a sky full of stars and an endless expanse of blue sky!"

These three things are the true unknowns in the eyes of people confined to this small corner of Terra.

The Empress frowned, as if she had made a connection to something, and said, "So, that's why the portrait you left behind contains..."

The Witch King didn't mind the Queen interrupting him, and nodded affirmatively: "Yes, of the three unknowns, apart from the information about the Dark Demons that I learned last, I explored them all. But in the end, I chose the sky."

There are many reasons for choosing the sky over the sea or demons. Perhaps it's because Letania is too far from the sea and demons, while the sky covers everyone equally. Perhaps it's because the demons' power is such that deeper research is not feasible. Or perhaps it's because the Witch King, as a "pioneer," is trying to forge a path that can be replicated, while demons and the sea hold too much uncertainty for those who come after.

In conclusion, he ultimately chose the sky. Subsequently, he built countless magical towers in Letania.

“The towers I built were not merely dwellings; they were taller, more majestic, and closer to the clouds. And in the tallest of them, I made my first attempt at contact with the sky.”

The Witch King's words suddenly paused, as if words could no longer describe what he was thinking at that moment. He raised his head and looked up. Only then did Roy notice that at the top of the ceiling in this room was a picture scroll made up of tiny fragments of Originium crystals, resembling stars.

They twinkled and shimmered, their vibrant colors adorning the entire "sky" like the Milky Way on a summer night. Roy seemed to see this dazzling galaxy stretching across the heavens, like a giant dragon shimmering with countless stars, dividing the sky in two. The stars danced and intertwined, creating a breathtaking celestial spectacle. And in the center of the Milky Way, a nebula, like a mysterious mist, further enhanced the enchanting beauty of this dreamlike starry sky.

Even knowing that this was merely a near-realistic illusion conjured by the Witch King's magic, Roy still felt a surge of emotion. Not only him, but the Queen sitting beside him and the Elector on the other side of them both displayed expressions of genuine longing.

That is the most authentic appearance of a tiny creature called human being in the face of true "greatness" that needs no words to describe.

The Witch King, who had also been momentarily captivated by the starry sky, awoke earlier than the others. His voice, like a sharp thorn, pierced through this beautiful, almost unreal, panorama of the galaxy:

"When people look up at the starry sky, an endless sense of melancholy always wells up in their hearts. The Milky Way is like a long river of time, condensing thousands of years into this magnificent starlight. It has witnessed countless historical changes and the rise and fall of heroes. So much so that even the most outstanding poets cannot describe how real stars are born and how they perish. This is the difference in status."

“I believe that there is an unknown I seek in the sky, magic, earth, and a new beginning for Terra. Therefore, I have chosen [Ascension].

"My body is limited by gravity, but my soul is not bound by anything. Once I step into the ancient empire of consciousness, I can soar straight up, even to the sky."

He paused, and the Queen held her breath.

She knew what happened after that. The Witch King ascended to heaven atop the tower, returning as a mad king. This historical mystery has perplexed countless scholars in Letania, giving rise to countless speculations and numerous schools of thought. But none of these accounts are as reliable as the Witch King's own words.

She wanted to know the answer. Although nothing could change now, as someone who had received the Witch King's scepter, a sorcerer, and a scholar, she was curious.

However, the Witch King turned his gaze to Roy, seemingly observing his reaction.

He said:

"I saw a false sky."

"Beyond the barrier of gas, beyond lies a vast expanse of darkness. The star-studded sky is nonexistent, and the twin moons, scattering silver light, are nothing but silent ruins. Countless steel, materials, and indistinguishable buildings crisscross and occupy this planet beneath our feet, drifting and undergoing a long and rhythmic motion."

"Where am I trapped? In a world of utter desolation. In a darkness and despair deeper than death, unable to go up or down."

Roy frowned.

Passing through the barrier of gases, this should refer to the atmosphere? But logically speaking, if a person were to pass directly through the atmosphere without any protection, not to mention whether they would be vaporized, Caprini, you don't even need to breathe?

Forget it, you're a spirit traveling through time, that's magic, that's mysticism, it's none of my business.

As for why the Milky Way and the Twin Moons changed their appearance, that's normal. After traversing Earth and reaching the scale of the universe, the Milky Way was nothing more than dust on the black background of the universe. As for the Twin Moons, they can emit light because of reflection, which is basic knowledge that Roy had before his time travel.

Terra also has stargazing families like the Star Family, whose understanding of the sky and the universe is almost nonexistent, but it seems unlikely that they would be completely ignorant of these things. Moreover, if the "false heavens" only refer to this level of "falseness," then it seems rather ridiculous, doesn't it?

Roy looked at the Witch King; he knew there was more to come.

Sure enough, upon meeting Roy's gaze, the Witch King's expression finally shifted from calm to relief and even joy. His demeanor began to distort, his tone rose, and he became frantic.

"Over a long period of time, I have deciphered the secret hidden in the darkness!"

"I was finally able to move my body, and with the help of the skeletons of those steel structures, I broke through the network they had built!"

"At the very very end..."

"I see a barrier!"

He raised his hands and cried out as if in a pilgrimage: