Witch Troupe and the Undead

"So, whether the upstream releases water or the dam breaks, the scene will be huge?"

"No, because the bridge wasn't washed away. Judging from the height of the bridge deck and the water level, the upstream water storage system shouldn't have released too much water," Luo Qi shook his head. If there were a flood, that stone bridge would have collapsed long ago. Since it wasn't, it means that the water conservancy system is either still operating, or the upstream dam hasn't completely collapsed—of course, that doesn't mean it won't collapse this time. What if we're unlucky? Right? "Then why are you so excited?"

"What I mean is, did you see those knights moving supplies?"

"so?"

"So, they were walking back and forth on the fragile ground in their armor, and the water flow was getting stronger and faster..." "Boom!"

"Crack!" The withered tree tilted to one side, and the seemingly solid soil collapsed with a crash, swept downstream by the river. The surging water also swept several unlucky knights down with it.

The withered tree collapsed to one side with a deafening roar, becoming a lifeline for the knights. They clung tightly to the tree, but this action prevented the remaining knights from escaping in time, and they were all swept away.

Why? Because their weight and large size allow them to withstand more of the impact of the water flow, and this impact acts on the dead tree, breaking the trunk and prying up the roots at the same time.

The soil, which was held in place by tree roots, immediately collapsed, and large chunks of soil, along with their supplies and tents, sank into the water. Fortunately, the river was not deep and the current was not too rapid, so apart from the light tents, the heavy goods were left to soak in the muddy water.

The soft, murky mud made it impossible for the knights to hold on as they were swept downstream. Fortunately, they managed to use their weapons to pierce the stone bridge piers and stabilize themselves. However, this action triggered a series of chain reactions.

The sturdy steel sword withstood the knight's weight and bent dramatically, but the stone of the bridge pier, which was older than the empire itself, couldn't withstand it. "Bang!" A large piece of the pier stone was pried away by the leverage, and then the bridge deck began to collapse. In an instant, the entire bridge lost its balance and a huge gap appeared.

"Holy crap..." Not to mention Roach, even Black Horse showed a surprised expression. Before they could react, this chain reaction was completed. The river water was not enough to drown these knights, but the large rocks on the bridge piers that were swept by the current might just kill them.

As a result, half of the knights and supplies disappeared into the river, and the rest were in a sorry state. If some of the supplies hadn't been moved to higher ground in time, they would have been heading home by now.

"Tsk, no more excitement, back to sleep." The upstream water release ended quickly, and the river channel has now returned to a natural balance, and will not collapse further. Even if it collapses again, it will be meaningless, because they have already moved supplies and personnel to a distant place, where they will not be affected.

The next day, after a good night's sleep, Roach and his companions felt refreshed. Although the arcane furnace had burned through an entire bottle of magic essence, considering the abundance of sin magic here and the presence of Roach, a sorcerer of arcane origins, they would soon be able to refine a new bottle.

The warm, dry sleeping bag kept Livia cozy inside for a while before she rubbed her sleepy eyes and got up. Alessina led her to wash up, her emerald eyes half-closed, seemingly unable to concentrate for quite some time.

"What a mess!" Compared to Roach and his group, who were clean and even well-rested and full of energy, the survey team had been exposed to the night wind all night. Many of them had fallen into the water and caught a chill. They were all soaking wet. The campfire and a significant portion of the supplies were ruined. Some of the supplies could still be salvaged after being submerged in water, but others were beyond saving. Not to mention that some of the supplies had been washed downstream into the river bend.

They also saw Roach and his group watching the show from atop the ruins, but they were too ashamed to come over and talk to them, so they could only pretend they didn't exist.

Chapter 118 Ancient History

The investigation team spent most of the day finding the lost personnel and supplies. It has to be said that these knights' defenses are really strong; no one died, only seriously injured. They had to use precious magic potions to treat them, and they will probably be completely incapacitated for a day or two.

“It seems that your judgment was correct, Roach.” Professor Andrei’s expression was somewhat stiff. After saying this, he changed the subject.

"Are you also interested in the history of the Kingdom of Gulushe?" Professor Andrei was referring to the things that Rhodes had just dug out: pottery shards, small metal ornaments, and a few pieces of bricks and rubble that would be considered mere trash to an ordinary person.

"Oh, just messing around, it's an occupational hazard." Luo Qi smiled. It really was an occupational hazard. It was really hard not to want to dig a couple of shovelfuls in such ancient city ruins. "Besides, I can't say I know nothing about the history of this ancient kingdom, but I can say I don't know much either."

“That’s a grammatically incorrect sentence,” Professor Andrei chuckled, then pointed at the pottery shard in Roach’s hand. “This is red pottery.”

“No,” Luo Qi glanced at the pottery shard in his hand. “This is red pottery, it has been glazed, it’s an ornament. Red pottery is mostly used for tableware, and it uses a double-layer sand-coated technique. This is not…” Luo Qi corrected the other person’s statement.

If it's red pottery, then this ancient kingdom's civilization is truly excessively ancient. That thing is from the Neolithic Age, made from two types of pottery, usually a refractory material made of red clay mixed with sand, used for cooking utensils.

"The red color of this thing is the result of glazing. Hmm, you don't know what glazing is?"

"Um... what is glazing?" The other person was clearly intrigued. "And how do you know that?"

"I see glazed pottery and porcelain for sale in the market, don't I?" Roach scratched his head. The development of archaeology and history here still needs to improve. They are more interested in ancient magic, alchemy, and heroic epics, and not so much in the lives of ancient people and the development of folk artifacts, to the point that there is a kind of aesthetic that is seriously detached from reality.

"This is colored with metal oxides and then fired at a low temperature of around 700 degrees Celsius. It requires a very high level of skill in pottery making. Red pottery, on the other hand, is more of a product of the more ancient Stone Age, and the firing temperature requirements are even lower." Then Roach gently tapped the pottery shards together. "This is hard pottery. Normal red pottery is not this hard and is easy to crack."

Although magic exists in this world, the advancement of both magic and physical technology takes time. While Roach cannot be certain about the order and process of the local pottery development history, he can at least be certain that it is not the oldest red pottery.

"Wait, what is a metal oxide, and what is Celsius?"

“Um… that’s complicated to explain.” Roach scratched his head, but still tried his best to explain what metal oxides were, what degrees Celsius were, and what the Stone Age was. Professor Andrei looked amazed. “You really should lecture at the Royal Academy, Mr. Roach.”

"Forget it. As I said, I don't know much about history. I only have a basic understanding of the techniques and details involved." Roach declined. He really didn't know anything about the local history, so he didn't want to mislead people, unless he really intended to become a "fairy historian," in which case there wouldn't be a problem.

By relying on their own forgery skills—I mean, their level of artifact restoration—they can completely create a "fairy history" that is indistinguishable from the real thing. It's not only historically accurate, but also incredibly absurd.

“However, I still don’t quite understand the history of the Kingdom of Luster. For example, I can’t tell the difference between these few things,” Roach said, pointing to the artifacts and brick-like objects. “These are alabaster bricks, which were used to build houses back then. Judging from their shape, this ruin should have been a palace.”

"A temporary palace?" Roach glanced at the scale of the ruins and its distance from the capital. "It's too small, and... too close, isn't it? It shouldn't take half a day to get out of the capital."

"This was not for hunting, but for worshiping the temple. The king would come to the temple to hold ceremonies every March and June. The royal entourage could not stay in the slums, and the temple would be closed at that time. Therefore, this temporary palace was built on this site for temporary residence during the ceremonies to show piety."

"So, it's a place for fasting and bathing?" Roach roughly understood. There were similar buildings in China, but most of these palaces were rarely used and were purely a waste of money.

"As for ancient history, where would you like to begin your research?" Professor Andrei asked, intrigued.

"Let's start with this city, and work our way back?" "Hmm, good idea. So, what do you plan to learn about?"

"Well, I don't know much about magic and rituals, so let's start with the most basic political events like wars and sacrifices." In history, the daily life and ecology of ordinary people at that time are the most difficult parts because there are very few records. On the contrary, major events like wars are the easiest to verify and study.

“Then let’s start with the catastrophe in the capital…” Professor Andre felt that it was appropriate to start with this topic, since they were now standing on these ruins, gazing at the distant capital.

"How much do you know about this great sin ritual?"

"I know almost nothing about it. Miss Livia probably knows more about this," Roach said bluntly.

"So, what is the origin of the Great Sin Ritual?"

"You want to build a thousand-year kingdom, where you can live forever?"

“Not entirely correct.” Professor Andrei shook his head. “That’s the difference between popular rumors and actual research. Of course, the general difference isn’t that big.” Andrei pointed to the distant capital city. “The ruler at that time was known in history as ‘Sidroni III.’ He had a wife he grew up with, and they had a very good relationship.”

"So, his wife is gone?" Roach asked after thinking for a moment.

"No, in fact, it would be better if that were the case." The professor indicated that in that case, the Great Sin Ritual would not occur.

"On the contrary, his wife lived a long life, but all people grow old and become ugly, and he himself had a strange obsession with beautiful things, a quality that was considered to be the chosen people of the 'god of love and beauty' at the time."

"So, he's planning to somehow preserve his wife's youth or beauty?"

"More or less, not entirely. This was just one of the reasons. Confused by his lover's aging and the irrationality he became with age, he realized that his kingdom and his people, and everything he had done, would be worn down by time and eventually become unrecognizable."

"...So, he conceived the idea of ​​seizing a kingdom that would last forever?"

"Yes, that is the real reason for this ceremony. It's hard to say whether the ceremony itself got out of control or whether the king deliberately changed some of the procedures."

The professor stated that this remains an unsolved mystery in the global academic community. Of course, only the Empire and the opposite Kingdom of Rada have studied this matter, because the ancient Kingdom of Luster was not large, occupying only 2/3 of the Luster Plain.

The entire territory is roughly equivalent to half of Mesopotamia. Roach automatically put himself in the shoes of a country like King Solomon or Macedonia. Although it left a significant mark on history, it was not a great power in itself. Its entire history consisted of only one or two pages of shining moments. The rest of the time, it was just a transparent or even nonexistent small fry among the great powers.

The study of ancient kingdoms is simply because this thing is located on the border between these two countries and in the main agricultural production area. This kind of study can be said to be something that has to be done. In fact, similar studies are not limited to the ancient Kingdom of Luster.

The professor gave Roach several examples that were popular in the Empire. In addition to the study of the ancient Luster Kingdom ruins in the provinces of Lywood and Rock Tower in the Luster Plain, the study of the ancient Sun Dynasty in the province of Hot Sands in the southwest of the Empire was also very popular. In addition, there were the ancient Black Mountain ruins in the north, the Snakeman Island in the south, and the ancient Mermaid Kingdom ruins on the western coastline, etc.

However, most of the research on these ruins is purely archaeological. The alchemy and arcane rituals are mainly based on the ancient Kingdom of Luster. After all, the other ruins are simply about the rise and fall of dynasties, while this ancient kingdom really did destroy itself in its prime.

“I understand. So, there are more mysteries, and you’re interested in how they dared to blow themselves up, and actually did blow themselves up, right?” Roach nodded. On the contrary, normal civilizations are not as attractive because they have more complete records and artifact lineages.

"What about the alchemy part?" We've already learned a little about the history, but the rest can't be discussed in just a few words. To give you an idea, it requires at least several hundred books and documents and no less than 1000 class hours to learn. So, let's just talk about something more practical.

"The alchemy of the ancient Kingdom of Luster... they didn't actually achieve much in alchemy. At least we haven't found anything that was significantly more advanced than what we have now. On the contrary, they invested a lot in the Great Sin Ritual, a phenomenon that appeared especially in the later period. At the same time, the All-Knowing Society also arose during this period."

The professor pondered for a moment.

"In alchemy, they proposed that the essence of alchemy is the combination of spirit and matter. Therefore, the All-Knowing Society proposed two solutions at that time. The first was to strip away the material factors and distort reality purely with spirit. And the highest alchemical achievement proposed by this school, I think you have guessed."

"The Philosopher's Stone, the origin of the name alchemy." Of course, Roach knew what it was. The Philosopher's Stone was not simply about turning copper and iron into gold, but rather a kind of alchemical achievement that could change the structure and essence of things without paying a price. It was also known as the Philosopher's Stone.

"Another school of thought proposes to strip away the interference of mental factors to the greatest extent possible and to study the secrets of matter purely through reason, numbers, and calculations. They propose that there exists a substance in this world that is the foundation of spirit, life, soul, and everything else. They call it 'truth,' and they believe that by passing through the door of 'truth,' one can obtain all the knowledge and secrets of this world."

"Oh, 42."

"what?"

"I mean, they might very well keep doing this and eventually arrive at an answer: What is the mystery of the universe, life, and everything? It's 42."

It took the professor a while to understand what Roach meant, and he burst into laughter.

"Indeed, indeed, they may indeed arrive at a number that tells us the truth of the universe."

"Do you know what's most terrifying, Professor?" Roach said quietly, "The most terrifying thing isn't that they've reached a ridiculous conclusion, but that the truth of the universe is just a number, or more than one number, called the cosmological constant."

Professor Andrei could no longer laugh and fell silent.

"That's terrible."

For researchers, what they fear least is the idea that the laws of the universe vary from place to place. What they fear most is that after all their research, they are told that everything is predetermined, that everything is just a cold number, that they can't change anything, that no matter how much wisdom they use, they can't overcome it, that their research has come to an end, and that there is no way forward.

"You seem to be an alchemist." "To be precise, an alchemist who leans more towards the omniscience of matter."

"Then you've come to the right place. The alchemy faction of the ancient Kingdom of Luster was materialistic, so they were completely at odds with the spiritual factions that performed the Great Sin Ritual. However, because of this, they opposed the ritual. In order to eliminate these opponents, Sidron III banned alchemical research throughout the country and sent all kinds of books and artifacts to the capital for safekeeping."

"So, you should find your trip worthwhile."

The professor said that Roach should have gained a lot this time.

"Where is it located?"

"I don't know for sure, after all, we don't know much about this kingdom. Oh, by the way, this thing..." The professor picked up a small, rusty bronze object, "...is an ancient esoteric tool, extremely dangerous. It's used for the Star Ritual."

"The Star Ritual?" "A lost ancient ritual, strictly speaking, it should belong to another dimension. In fact, even now, many mages believe that the Star Ritual should be considered a separate entity. Its magic comes from the starry sky, or it could be considered from beyond the realm, but..."

"The starry sky isn't an alternate phase space, is it?"

"Yes, so there is indeed a society called 'The Seventh Eye' that is trying to study the mystical arts in this area and has proposed the hypothesis of the Seventh Source. However, they are not very popular with the mainstream. On the one hand, their theories are too unorthodox, and on the other hand... this is extremely impactful for alchemy and mystical arts, and the scope of its influence is too wide."

The idea that recipes, instruments, ritual procedures, and so on all need to be changed will cause a significant number of people who rely on existing technology and knowledge to lose their jobs, and will also lead to an even more awkward situation.

If the Star Ritual is separated from the Otherworld Ritual, then these Star Ritual Masters will inevitably be separated from the Otherworld Ritual Masters, who are universally hated, especially the Hell Mage faction.

The problem is that the assets seized, the unfortunate people arrested, and the churches and the special demon-hunting organizations established by various countries will all be affected, so... this matter is difficult to push forward, and many countries will treat everyone equally and crack down on them all.

"So now this group of people is almost like cultists. They advocate correcting wrong beliefs by talking about the existence of stars."

"..." Roach felt he should stay away from these people; it sounded like they were related to tentacles, Outer Gods, or other things that could easily lower one's sanity.

“The Starry Sky Ritual is extremely dangerous, mainly because its research is still in its early stages, resulting in a lack of strict ritual procedures. It often gets out of control, and your unconscious placement and handling might trigger certain ritual processes.” The professor put the small object into a box. “This kind of ritual box can isolate spiritual energy and is used to store dangerous ritual objects. I’m giving it to you.”

After saying that, Professor Andrei left the ruins; he still had his own work to do that day.

Some time later, Livia finished her research on the barrier for the day and returned with scrolls and notes filled with writing. Roach then placed a toolbox in front of her and asked, "Have you heard of the tools of the Starry Sky Ritual?"

“Stars…” The little guy opened his mouth slightly, thought for a moment, opened the box, touched the objects and instruments inside, closed his eyes as if communicating with something, and then shook his head, “It says it is not.”

Roach didn't dwell on what "it says it isn't" meant.

"Then it seems that Professor Andrei has made a mistake."

“But the Starry Sky Ritual really exists, um…” Her delicate little face scrunched up. “At night, stargazing… I’m so sleepy.”

To play the Starry Night Ritual, it naturally has to be late at night, and then you need to observe the stars. Livia has a very healthy sleep schedule. She gets sleepy and goes to bed around 9 or 10 pm every night, very punctually. Roach and the others even use her as a living biological clock—when she feels like she can't stay awake and wants to doze off, it's 1 am during the day and 10 pm at night.

"I won't study this..." Between sleep and arcane knowledge, Livia chose to preserve her sleep, and decided not to study this celestial ritual.

[PS] Collection of Imperial Jokes:

An empire, a kingdom, and an archipelago man participated in a bragging contest at a tavern. The topic was which country's people were more valiant, and the best answer would get a free drink.

The islander said that his country had a rich pirate culture, and that his people were warlike; even women would rob people with axes, which earned him praise. He was then given a cup of ale.

The man from the kingdom said that in their country, children learn to hunt wild beasts with bows and arrows from a very young age, and so he was given a cup of wine.

When it was the Imperial's turn, he shouted, "I have an urgent meeting to attend!" and then, carrying a barrel of wine and weapons, rushed toward the council.

Chapter 119 The Roach-Style Plan

Livia is a child with a very healthy lifestyle. She never stays up late, is not picky about food, and is usually very quiet. She doesn't make a fuss, except for occasionally doing something slightly naughty. Even when she gets angry, she only hits her head with her cane, and not very hard. Well, this last point may be because she is physically weak.

For her, studying the Starry Sky Ritual was too difficult, so she simply chose to give up. She only helped Roach examine the so-called "instruments" and sealed the parts that were indeed related to the ritual.

"Ha~" The blonde loli yawned, sat down in her familiar spot, flipped through her notebook, and began her paper-and-pen work. The messy contents in her notebook gradually formed an extremely complex spell, but for an ordinary arcane mage, it might be impossible to understand even a few words.

As time went by, the contents of the book gradually became complete. Finally, Livia forcefully closed the book, quickly sketched something on the ground with her cane, and then placed the prepared instruments and media into it.

"..." The long staff pointed a single finger at the barrier, the bright yellow flower at its tip emitting a soft glow. A fierce wind blew from the point of contact, stirring Livia's pale golden hair and skirt into a fluttering dance. The barrier's light curtain seemed to melt, spreading outwards to reveal a space large enough for Roach and the others to enter.

Almost the instant the barrier opened, a cacophony of screams, shouts, and the sounds of fighting and the hawking of vendors in the commercial district filled the air, and the frozen crowd returned to normal.

However, in the next instant, the re-flowing time once again claimed their lives, causing them to become emaciated in a very short time, turning into skin and bones as if they had been starved to death, and finally collapsing as dried-up mummies, turning into dust on the ground.

The bustling commercial district was transformed into a desolate ghost town in an instant. Everything was decaying and aging rapidly. Only a few unaffected areas maintained their normal state, solidified within them by amber-colored indolence magic.

"..." This sudden change alarmed the investigation team. When they saw the little witch drill a hole in the barrier and release the accumulated sloth magic inside, everyone was very surprised. The changes inside left them wondering how to respond.

“Alright…” Livia calmly put down her cane. Tiny amber-colored stars continued to drift out, forming a small amber-yellow whirlwind that swirled around the lampstand used to collect the power of great sins, creating a charming contrast with the crimson light butterfly.

"There's not much left, is there?" Roach stirred the ashes and bones on the ground with his hand. He was the calmest one here. After all, there was plenty of this kind of thing in the ancient tomb. "All the goods were rotten and decayed, and these people looked like they had starved to death in a short time." They starved to death before their lifespan ended. The scene was really suffocating.

Since they starved to death, there was no corpse oil or similar substance, as their nutrients and fat had been almost completely depleted.

“Those magical items and some long-lived things still have value.” Vivi was referring to the gold and silver items that had oxidized and turned black, the bronze items that had turned green, and the magical items, which were the most normal ones here, and hadn’t even lost their energy.