Brain bloom

The mimosa plant immediately darted back inside the door.

"I... I'll answer the question like this."

"Design drawings, they say it requires knowledge?"

"...Well, of course. It's a vast book that can contain the world, almost omniscient. Bringing it out certainly comes at a price." From inside the door, a shy voice explained everything.

Mori suddenly realized, "Isn't this the book from the Demon Realm?!" She remembered everything: the thing had eyes on the cover, could float up and talk, but it was afraid of the Four Seasons.

So this thing is what's called a design blueprint, it's really unbelievable.

It also lived up to its title as a resident of the Demon Realm; to demand knowledge from it, one had to pay an equivalent price in knowledge... Mori sighed, thinking it over and over, and realized that she was the only one who could possibly pay for such knowledge.

"Owl, let's switch shifts."

"Shift change?"

"You keep an eye on this area for me, I'll go get that book."

"Okay, sure!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a pitch-black crack appeared out of thin air—a passage to the realm of demons. Its appearance astonished the crowd; wasn't this the very sign of a demon's appearance? Sen Shi grumbled about all the trouble, but had to raise his hand to signal the crowd to calm down.

We need to find a reason for the cooperation between humans and demons going forward...

Have it.

"On the way here, I tamed a demon."

"Huh?" The ancient demon king just happened to emerge.

"Human beings know very little about their own sins. Because you are human beings, you can never escape the framework of the flesh."

Some believers suddenly became restless. From Sen's few words, they already knew that this was the true God proclaiming the truth. Moreover, it concerned the deepest parts of certain souls and the most essential aspects of the human race.

"So, in order for you humans to have a deeper understanding of your own souls, I captured this demon."

"...Huh? Me?"

"Its history of trading with humans spans tens of thousands of years. This is a length that mortals cannot comprehend in a hundred years. Even the devil possesses incredible wisdom. Therefore, it will use its own experience to reveal the true nature of humanity to you from the devil's perspective."

"What?"

The ancient demon king was puzzled, wondering why he couldn't understand what Sen was saying.

Having shed his burden, Mori stepped into the portal. The humans, with eyes filled with fear and curiosity, awaited the profound discourse on human nature delivered by this demon captured by the true god.

……

A familiar place.

The cramped library—containing countless pieces of knowledge, yet containing only one book. Knowledge will be continuously replenished, but there will still only be one book.

It hangs in the air, its single eye on the cover gazing at the forest.

"The Four Seasons..."

"Didn't the ancient Demon King tell you?"

"So—you're here to pay for knowledge?"

"Yes, I'm in a hurry, so let's cut to the chase." Mori cleared his throat and said seriously, "Do you know what it's like for a man to suddenly turn into a beautiful girl?"

"...I really don't know."

"Moreover, he's a modern man of the new era. The kind who does nothing all day but stay at home staring at his phone screen or half-dead in front of his computer."

"...Wait, there are too many strange words."

Sen Shi smiled, thinking that it really worked. This was the first time she had used her transmigrator advantage since she came to "The Silent World".

She pressed her advantage: "Then, how would you evaluate someone who personally experienced the destruction of the world and then discovered they were still alive?"

"...I don't know, is this even a valid topic? If the world is destroyed, how will you survive?" The book seemed very chaotic, with too many incomprehensible words, which even diminished its curiosity.

"Then let me tell you about it."

"So, what is the first one, a cell phone?" The book tries to understand this word.

"Thank you for the invitation. A mobile phone is a product of modern technology, it..." In an instant, Sen Shi began to talk at length about knowledge from another world, mainly focusing on the common knowledge he knew.

Starting with mobile phones, Mori introduced many things from modern society.

The book seemed to contain nothing but Sen Shi's nonsense, yet it also seemed to possess some kind of authority to verify the authenticity of knowledge. Once it confirmed the existence of this knowledge, it remained silent for a very long time.

It wasn't until Mori finished explaining the new knowledge and was convinced that it had received enough that it slowly called for a halt.

Then--

"You're from another world."

"Theoretically, that's correct."

"The universe." Its voice turned icy and deep. "One of the countless stars...is that where you once lingered?"

Mori's eyes twitched: "...You know about this?"

"That world, that star? It's an illusion... Well, you can't say that. I never imagined that a seed could grow into such a magnificent civilization... So many, so many amazing things. I really want to go and see it."

The book slowly floated up and followed Mori to his side.

"But—that's not your hometown, nor is it anyone else's hometown."

"You...you know what? Wait, what are you talking about? You know all this? No, no...I...I don't know how to ask..."

Astonishment rippled through Sen Shi's heart. The deeper she pondered, the more expansive the ripples became, eventually unleashing a raging storm that threatened to shatter her heart.

"Thank you for responding to the invitation from the silent world."

The sound of the book, soft as gauze, brushed against Sen Shi's soul.

A silent world—it, it mentioned a silent world?! She had thought that only she knew this term.

"Then, I'll accept your invitation and try to turn the clock together."

Volume 1, Chapter 344: You'll suffer too!

The man in the silver helmet stood at the entrance to the labyrinth, applying holy water to the blade of his beloved sword.

However, his armor was not fully worn, deliberately leaving gaps that revealed numerous wounds. But no one laughed at him, because everyone knew those were holy marks.

“I once defied the true God,” he said to his descendants, as if an elder were reminiscing.

Then, he flicked the supple sword gently, and after a ringing sound, the remaining holy water was shaken off.

The man who cut the melon held his longsword up to the sunlight, and the light shimmered on the blade, just as it had before.

“But God forgave me. And, as you know, I cut a watermelon for God.”

"watermelon?"

"Those kinds of luxury goods in Silvermoon City..."

"I heard it's from the mythical era! No wonder he's the Knight Commander of the Melon Slayer."

He merely nodded indifferently at the praise from his juniors. He then placed his sword where it was most conveniently located and led his group deeper into the labyrinth. He firmly believed that fate had chosen him—

Because they weren't mages, these skilled close-combat warriors weren't summoned. Instead, they were assigned to the country's border to lead teams to defend against the invasion of the Evil Mist. What was supposed to be a boring job turned into a stroke of good fortune.

In the coffin-sender's oracle, one of the places to be excavated was located near the melon-cutter's team.

He thought to himself with emotion that once this matter was settled, he would probably be promoted to the next rank—but so what? They were not doing it for fame or fortune, but simply to give back to the true God and to the coffin bearers who had bestowed happiness upon the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin.

……

Some adventurers from the general public also got involved. Commissioned by the government and with some financial incentive, they ventured over mountains and valleys, determined to dig deep into the earth to find what was buried there.

But some people have ulterior motives.

"The world has become this piece of crap, and then suddenly they're telling us to dig for something, all vague and ambiguous. Don't you think... something's not right?"

"Even a fool would know that what we're digging up is no ordinary thing."

A team of adventurers was exploring the wilderness of the Peda Empire when they received a last-minute commission to work in a dangerous underground labyrinth. The astute veterans immediately sensed an opportunity for wealth.

After some discussion, they made a choice without saying a word.

They didn't intend to keep anything for themselves—after all, the world could be destroyed because of it, and they understood that much of the stake.

But the meager reward for the commission alone wasn't enough to make them obediently comply. First, they had to open the so-called box to see what was buried inside, and then use that as leverage to demand a lifetime of wealth.

Wealth brings death—that's a famous saying in the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin, but adventurers believe in another: death is accompanied by wealth. And these guys often have unrealistic ambitions, thinking they're immune to death.

An hour later, covered in blood, they pulled the tattered box from the mud, their excitement palpable.

"Come on... open it and take a look."

"After I made money, I wanted to escape to 1848. I heard that one hundred gold coins could make you a nobleman there."

"—Great idea." A strange voice came from behind.

But the adventurers didn't realize the voice didn't belong to their companions, because they were lost in their fantasies. So death was painless, and until their last breath, they remained oblivious to the danger, still clinging to their dreams of riches.

From the shadows emerged a portly, fair-skinned eunuch. He rubbed his cold hands, yet wore a smirk. He had already accomplished the whole affair in the manner of the Peda Empire.

"Alright, take the box to the devil."

After all, it was meant to help Princess Dawn, and they wouldn't allow any problems to occur.

……

Before the true dawn arrives—that's how the world works.

……

The bell was rung—

Beside the square of the holy site, atop a towering building, two men sat side by side. One was the king, who ruled the secular affairs of the nation; the other the pope, who carried on the family doctrine. Both stood at the pinnacle of the state, their every word carrying authority.

But at this moment, the dignity that used to always cling to me has faded considerably.

They are fully aware of the current situation.

On the Pope's holy robes was a brooch of unparalleled nobility, a relic passed down from the first Pope. His loose-skinned fingers were tracing the holy alphabet on the brooch.

His heart was pounding with excitement, for the true God had finally stepped onto the world stage, instead of hiding behind the scenes. Was the true God merely a figment of imagination? Or did He truly exist? The difference was immense. This meant that religions and nations would thus flourish even more.