On how PhDs become human evil

*Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle sizz

As soon as Bai Jie finished speaking, the ground beneath everyone's feet, which had become soft due to the torrential rain, began to tremble. Countless black spikes shot out from the ground, turning all the Valkyries into skewers.

The evil of this world had already begun to erode this area the moment Bai Jie appeared before Tyr. Nearly three minutes have passed since Tyr's appearance; while it may not have eroded the entire mountain, it has certainly affected an area within a three-kilometer radius...

"Thank you so much for rambling on with me for so long, my divine being. My plan is going very smoothly."

"So that's how it is. The magic of manipulating the earth, huh? Such a lightning-fast thrust, no wonder the Valkyrie was defeated." Tyr accepted the reality of being ambushed with ease. He was the God of War and was already used to all kinds of underhanded tricks in war. "But human, you don't think you can defeat me like this, do you?"

Gripping his sword tightly, Tyr unleashed a fierce slash. The sword wind... no, the sword pressure, a terrifying sword pressure of storm level, instantly struck Bai Jie. The surrounding forest was immediately wiped out, and even another mountain in the distance was flattened into a flat-topped mountain by the impact of the sword pressure.

However, this did not work for Bai Jie.

"Although I am not afraid of physical attacks, it would still be very painful to die once, and I am also fed up with the feeling of being rained on, so please go back to your hometown."

Bai Jie's voice rang out in the sky, followed by a burst of intense, annihilating light that shone above Tyr's head, and the Dragon Head Cannon appeared amidst the torrential rain.

"Hey, do you know about kinetic energy? Even a small cup, if it falls from a great height, can carry enough kinetic energy to be fatal, and right now it's pouring rain."

Rain falls from thousands of kilometers above the ground. Although each raindrop has a small mass and carries little kinetic energy, if the kinetic energy of all the raindrops falling during a downpour is gathered together, it is enough to create a terrifying impact.

The immense kinetic energy carried by the torrential rain gathered into the dragon-headed giant cannon, and a huge magic circle appeared at the muzzle, a magic formula that converted all the kinetic energy into heat energy and then concentrated it for firing.

"Feel the fear of being dominated by science, my divine being."

Bai Jie smiled and activated the Dragon Head Cannon, and the roar of the demonic dragon immediately descended from the sky in a straight line!

Boom! ...

An impact as powerful as a meteorite struck erupted in the deep mountains of Eastern Europe, leveling everything within a radius of hundreds of kilometers.

And this was the moment when the world's seventh king was born.

P.S.: I feel like... it's written as a turn-based combat system.

P.S.: The mythology of the Godslayer world is a complete mess, so I don't know if what I've written is accurate. Please help me clarify things.

Section 188.2. How can acquiring knowledge be called robbery?

[Excerpt from "The Devil" by 19th-century Italian magician Alberto Rigano]

...For those who accomplished such an awe-inspiring feat, I would like to describe them as "Campiones" (Godslayers).

Some of my readers may frown at my use of this title as an exaggeration, or others may think that my record is making a mountain out of a molehill.

However, I still want to emphasize this once again.

Campione—the Godslayer—is a tyrant.

Because he killed all the gods in heaven and seized the supreme divine power they possessed.

Campione—the god-slayer—is a king.

Because they possess the power they usurped by killing gods, they rule over mortals on earth.

Campione—the Godslayer—is a demon king.

This is because no mortal living in the world possesses the power to contend with him!

[Excerpt from a letter from Cardinal Antonio Thebes to the Papal Court in the early 20th century]

Among those mages who defy the will of God and manipulate demonic knowledge, there is a "King" whom they revere.

You may have heard of his name at some point.

Campione—the god-slayer—the bastard son of Epimetheus, the demon king.

Unfortunately, we mortals have no means to fight against it.

The only beings capable of standing against them on equal footing are either god-slayers of equal power, angels who serve our Heavenly Father, or pagan deities who are considered taboo…

[Excerpted from a report from the early 21st century confirming that the newly emerging god-killers are of Eastern origin]

Tyr, the Norse god of war and justice, is also the guarantor of contracts, the guardian of oaths, the embodiment of heroic glory and courage.

His name may be associated with Tuisto (the sacred ancestor of the Germanic peoples), suggesting that he was once considered the head of the gods, as his name is related to Dyeus, the chief god of Indo-European religions, but he was gradually replaced by Odin.

Furthermore, according to Indo-European sources, Tyr's divinity contains elements of the sky god, and given the account of him residing in Valhalla, he also possesses the power to command the Valkyries.

The name of the newborn king is still unknown, and we know nothing about the power he gained after killing the disobedient Tyr. It is speculated that it is most likely the power of the sky.

[Excerpt from the "New King's Survey" compiled by the Greenwich Wise Council]

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The Bronze Black Cross is a well-known name in the magic world of Italy and even the world, not only because it now serves the King of Swords, but also because its leader has some dealings with the oldest demon king.

Even setting aside these factors, the Bronze Black Cross is an exceptionally powerful magical society. The fact that it holds a place in Europe, which is considered the birthplace of magic, is itself proof of its strength, not to mention the many renowned knights and witches within its ranks.

Within the Bronze Black Cross lives a young girl named Liliana Kranichal, a top-tier powerhouse in this talent-rich clan. Her swordsmanship is superb, having reached the rank of Grand Knight at a young age, and her magic is also first-rate, earning her the nickname "Sword Fairy."

She is currently tied to a chair, and nearly a hundred magicians are lying around her in disarray.

Undoubtedly, the Bronze Black Cross was invaded and completely defeated by the enemy, who easily and comfortably broke through all its magical and physical defenses.

And the person who did this was just one person.

"As expected, the Magic Society has a much wider variety of books. The Roman Catholic Church's books are almost all related to the Bible and God, so there's nothing new about them."

With his legs casually straddling the table, Bai Jie flipped through the book in his hands with a cheerful mood. Several other books, all turned to the last page, were also spread out on the table, while on the nearby bookshelves, many Valkyries in silver armor were moving books back and forth.

“Completely ignoring all magic, commanding the Valkyries at will… Is Your Majesty the new king?” Liliana’s voice trembled slightly.

If Bai Jie is indeed the newly born king, then the actions of the Bronze Black Cross just now were undoubtedly defying the king's will, and it would be only natural for them to perish as a result.

Upon hearing Liliana's question, Bai Jie closed his book and laughed, "If killing a disobedient god makes one a king, then I am."

really!

"Your Majesty, please forgive our ignorance for failing to recognize your countenance," Liliana said with heartfelt respect. Even though the Bronze Black Cross had pledged allegiance to the Sword King, it was common knowledge in the European magic world that one had to kneel before a king.

Bai Jie shifted the position of his legs, which were propped up on the table, and laughed, "Although, in my understanding, any ignorant fools who failed to recognize the king's countenance should all be executed on the spot—"

Liliana's face turned ashen the moment she heard this, but Bai Jie hadn't finished speaking yet.

"But I'm not some tyrant. Besides, I was the one who was rude first, so I'll spare your lives."

In Bai Jie's mind, the representative figure of a king is undoubtedly Gilgamesh. As the oldest king and hero of mankind, his words and deeds can be said to be the template of a king. If he were to face such a situation, it is estimated that none of the people here would survive.

But Bai Jie is different. He is not a king; he is human evil. He loves humanity from the bottom of his heart and would not commit the atrocity of slaughtering humans casually—except in special circumstances.

Upon hearing that Bai Jie did not intend to wipe them out, Liliana breathed a sigh of relief, the huge weight hanging over her heart quickly dissipating: "Thank you for the King's tolerance and mercy."

(Anyway, it seems the new king isn't a cruel person; he seems quite easy to talk to.)

Thinking this, Liliana asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask the purpose of your visit to our society?"

“To acquire knowledge.” Bai Jie said, tossing aside the book in his hand and taking a new one from the Valkyrie beside him. “After all, we’re going to fight a god soon, right? How can we not understand our opponent properly? I’m the kind of person who likes to have victory in hand before the battle even begins. By the way, do you know any famous magic societies in Italy? I’ll probably finish reading all the books here by tomorrow.”

Upon hearing this, Liliana was startled. There were millions of books inside the Bronze Black Cross, and she could read them all in just one day?

Of course, despite her shock, Liliana obediently answered Bai Jie's question: "If we're talking about magic societies, the closest one to here is the Copper Black Cross."

"Then that's our next destination. Let's go there for a stroll the day after tomorrow."

P.S.: I don't know why, but I'd rather spend an afternoon playing Arknights in my dorm, tapping on the NPCs, than write. It seems the four consecutive days of heavy rain here have made me lazy.

P.S.: Some people say they're tired of the current style and want me to change it, but I don't have any explicit images to use as a cover.

Section 189.3. How can human evil deeds be called causing trouble?

In the library with the bronze black cross, Bai Jie put down the book in his hand, rubbed his sore eyes, and asked, "Are there any more books?"

"My lord, you have read all the books in this library." The silver-haired Valkyrie standing beside Bai Jie said. Unlike the other Valkyries, this Valkyrie's eyes were not dead.

"I see. Thank you for your hard work, Brunhilde."

— Brunhilde.

This is the name of the Valkyrie who serves by Bai Jie's side; she is a being summoned through the power that Bai Jie usurped from Tyr.

Logically, a god-slayer can only gain one power after killing a god. However, Bai Jie is the embodiment of evil in this world and has the power to corrupt even the world. Therefore, under the influence of the evil in this world, Bai Jie directly snatched three powers from Tyr.

One is to summon Valkyries. Because Tyr lives in Valhalla, he has the same command authority over Valkyries as Freya, although the priority is not high. Bai Jie only uses this power in daily life, and in battle he is just a tool.

Of course, that applies when facing a god who does not obey. In fact, when facing a magician or a knight, the Valkyrie has an overwhelming advantage.

The second power is Tyr's manifestation as the god of war, which can maximize the combat ability of others. It works well when used in conjunction with the Valkyrie's power. Although it can also be applied to Bai Jie himself, its effect is far less effective than Bai Jie accepting the power of the natural disaster.

As for the third one... to be honest, Bai Jie really doesn't think this power belongs to Tyr himself.

[The Value of the Severed Arm]: By sacrificing one of Bai Jie's arms, he summoned Fenrir, the god-slaying demon wolf.

This power should not have been Tyr's; it should have been a product of mutation under the influence of the evils of this world, or perhaps it arose because Tyr had a restraining effect on Fenrir.

While Bai Jie was fairly satisfied with these three powers, one thing bothered him—none of his powers were combat-oriented. Summoning Valkyries, summoning Fenrir, and then there was the power to enhance others; it was clearly designed to turn Bai Jie into a summoner.

Seeing the barely perceptible look of distress on Bai Jie's face, Brunhilde immediately knelt down: "My lord, have I done something to displease you?"

Brunhilde is unique among the Valkyries, possessing a very clear sense of self. This is not to say that the other Valkyries lack self-awareness, but Brunhilde's is more pronounced in comparison. She resists Bai Jie's recall order, hoping to remain by Bai Jie's side indefinitely.

Furthermore, Brunhilde is extremely sensitive to Bai Jie's behavior. If Bai Jie even slightly frowns, she will assume that she or another Valkyrie has done something wrong. When encountering enemies, she will rush into battle without hesitation. Although she knows that she is doing this to clear obstacles in Bai Jie's path and fulfill her duty as a subordinate, Bai Jie is still somewhat speechless about her.

Looking at Brunhilde kneeling on the ground, Bai Jie sighed and said, "It's nothing, you did very well. I just thought of some things, it's not your fault."

"Thank you for your praise, my lord." Brunhilde's face lit up with undisguised joy, like a kindergarten girl being praised by her teacher, accompanied by an inscrutable blush.

Ignoring Brunhilde's behavior, Bai Jie said, "Well, I've finished reading all the books here. Let's go to that Copper Black Cross next."

The duty of a god-slayer is to fight against disobedient gods, but the abilities of disobedient gods vary greatly, and even a god-slayer may be caught off guard and fail. Therefore, Bai Jie needs to acquire knowledge.

The status, anecdotes, names, weapons, and experiences of the gods in mythology... these are all things Bai Jie needs to know. As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle." Bai Jie is the kind of person who likes to grasp victory before the battle even begins. For him, acquiring knowledge is acquiring intelligence, and only then can he formulate battle strategies.

After all, strategy is an action plan based on intelligence. With sufficient intelligence, one can always be one step ahead and gain absolute victory.

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