The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 102 Preparations for the ceremony are complete

In a foggy town, a signboard with "Rest in the Quiet Forest" hangs at the door of a dilapidated hotel. The deserted lobby is only accompanied by the owner who is dozing on the counter and invisible ghosts...if ghosts are willing to come here.

Although this place seems a bit deserted, it is actually one of the best hotels in the whole town.

The waiter carrying the food tray walked on the moldy wooden floor, stopped at the door of the room at the end of the corridor, and carefully knocked on the shabby door.

"Guest, your dinner."

There is a strange guest living in this room.

He came here a month ago, threw a pile of broken magic crystals on the counter to indicate that he wanted to stay in the hotel, then took the key and went to the room in the corner, and never came out since then.

Although he had never ordered dinner, in order to prevent him from starving to death in his own hotel, the owner still accepted his request and had it delivered every night.

In this way, we can not only make more money from his account, but also check whether he is still alive to prevent his body from being discovered before it stinks.

Different from those small towns with lords, Misty Town belongs to the enclave of the Kingdom of Ryan in the underground world. It is mainly run by the Adventurer's Guild, which provides travel convenience for adventurers who go deeper into the maze, while monitoring the activities of monsters in the maze.

Since this is a lawless place, in addition to adventurers, there are occasionally some people who cannot survive on the surface and hide here.

The waiters at "Rest in the Forest" and the chefs in the kitchen talked a lot about this strange guest.

Some people say that he owes a lot of money, while others say that he offended people he shouldn't have offended.

Others say he is a wanted fugitive.

But no matter what, this is Misty Town, not the lord's territory.

As long as someone is willing to pay, they will provide the corresponding services and turn a blind eye to things that are irrelevant.

Even if what is given is not money, but magic crystals or other precious metals that can be exchanged for money.

There was no sound behind the door for a long time.

Just when the waiter at the door was wondering if this guy was dead, a hoarse voice suddenly came through the crack in the door.

"Leave it at the door."

"Okay, okay..." The waiter came to his senses and immediately put the tray at the door.

There are many travelers with strange tempers here.

Based on the principle that less trouble is worse than more, he didn't want to meddle in other people's business.

But out of kindness, he still gave a friendly reminder.

"By the way, sir, your room fee is almost used up... If you still want to stay here, it's best to book a room within three days. Of course, this is just a suggestion..."

There was silence in the room for a while, no answer.

Just as the waiter was about to leave, a hoarse voice came from inside the door.

"understood."

The voice was full of impatience, and it seemed as if it had made some kind of decision.

Not daring to stay here any longer, the waiter hurriedly left along the corridor.

inside the house.

Miranda, with disheveled hair and a dirty face, glanced at her pocket watch, took a deep breath of the turbid air, walked to the door, dragged the plate in, and then dumped it into the garbage bag without even looking at it.

Although it was a pity, he had to do it.

Theoretically, anyone who has come into direct or indirect contact with him may become an apostle of the strange fog and directly or indirectly participate in his unspeakable conspiracy.

In order not to become a victim of the unspeakable conspiracy, he had to travel far away from home and come here, hiding in this small town unaffected by the outside world and reducing contact with other people as much as possible.

But now, he can hardly hold on any longer...

The mysterious voice floated to his ears again, speaking with a hint of regret.

"That piece of bread and butter looks really delicious...are you sure you don't want to try it?"

Miranda did not answer, but took out some dry food from the suitcase and took a bite. Then she stared at the mirror on the corner of the table with her red and swollen eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"It's time for us to put an end to this."

The so-called severance means ending his own life.

When the soul is completely freed from the body, the mark imprinted deep in his soul will disappear along with his soul returning to the arms of the Lord.

Any conspiracy anchored on this will vanish into thin air.

Even the strange fog of Noville cannot fight against the truth that has existed since time immemorial.

Although the souls of those who died in the maze could not return to the embrace of the gods, but would be eaten by the maze itself... the result was the same.

Using sacrifice to gain final victory is the only thing he can do now after trying all the methods.

As if sensing his determination, the mirror on the corner of the table suddenly began to ripple strangely.

A thick fog filled the room in the mirror, covering everything that could be covered.

Including Miranda herself.

A chuckle came from the void, and the omnipresent eyes seemed to be staring at a stupid ant.

"Do you think you can get rid of me this way?"

"Stop bragging." Miranda stared at the mirror, her hand already holding the dinner knife.

For a moment he was not sure whether it was the ever-changing fog that was bluffing, or himself who was shrouded in the fog.

The invisible eyes were still watching him, whispering in a slow, quiet voice.

"I'm not bluffing, I just feel... it's a bit of a pity."

"pity?"

"Yes... on the eve of victory, I am unable to share this joy with my friend. I will always remember that you are my first servant who woke me up from my deep sleep."

Miranda sneered and put the sharp knife against her neck.

"Your so-called victory will not happen."

Bai Wu looked at him and chuckled.

"Not necessarily."

Miranda's pupils shrank slightly and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What do you mean?"

The mysterious voice continued.

"You are part of the plan, one of the pieces on the chessboard. It should be you who completes your destiny, but it doesn't have to be you."

There was a hint of madness in Miranda's eyes, and she shouted out in an almost roaring voice.

"Then go find that person. Everything here has nothing to do with me!"

"Really? But he won't let you go just like that. He swears to find you, even if it's your corpse. He will resurrect you, which won't be difficult for him after completing the ritual. You think you can get rid of me by death, but in fact, death is just the beginning of everything."

"You guy..."

With a hint of fear in her eyes, Miranda cursed, dropped the knife in her hand, reached into the suitcase with trembling hands, and took out the matches from the compartment.

Yet those ever-present eyes just stared at him, whispering softly into his brain.

"You want to burn yourself? I tell you it's useless... Even if you burn into ashes, your soul will remain where it is."

Miranda: "This is impossible! Don't try to fool me!"

A voice from somewhere in the dark was mocking.

"This is the truth. The maze will indeed eat souls that have nowhere to go, but the premise is that it is a living maze. This maze is already dead, you didn't know that just now, did you, hehe..."

Her heart stopped beating for a moment, and Miranda's eyes fell into deep despair.

And just at this moment, the ghostly voice continued in his ear.

"Let's put it this way... a forced melon is not sweet, and I'm almost tired of you."

"Then get out of my head!" Miranda let out a suppressed growl from her throat.

"Don't worry, I will do this...but in order to make this all end faster, you have to do one last thing for me."

Miranda: "Don't even think about it!"

"You have the right to refuse, but...don't you want to listen to me before making a decision?"

"..."

Miranda said nothing, but with her actions she tacitly permitted the mysterious voice to continue speaking.

He is not a great man.

He never really thought about sacrificing himself to save others...even though the disaster was caused by him.

Perhaps Nowell saw through his thoughts, so he didn't take his threat seriously at all.

Miranda's expression gradually twisted, and she hugged her head in pain, wishing she could strangle herself to death, but at the same time, she didn't want to give up that glimmer of hope.

The mysterious voice continued to whisper.

"You longed to become stronger and change your own destiny, so you took risks and tried rituals and spells that even your mentors did not dare to try easily. However, when you gambled everything, you found that fate had played a joke on you. The god you tried to please was no one else, but me... a true Outer God from Chaos."

"You are afraid of me, but I have never abandoned you. I have even paved the way for you to achieve the smoothest possible path. As long as you follow my instructions, your achievements will not be lower than Lint Isaac. You will be the second wizard king on this continent... and it will be effortless."

"But what did you do? You kept resisting me. Your stupidity and fear of the unknown hindered your progress. I tried to persuade you to get back on the right track, but unfortunately you abandoned your mission and ran away again and again."

"Now, the god who once favored you is tired of you... But He is kind after all. Even if you have failed His expectations more than once, He will still give you a second choice."

Miranda put down her hands that were supporting her head, slowly raised her head, and looked at the mirror with empty eyes.

"What do you want me to do?"

He has given up resistance.

Trapped in the whirlpool, he knew that any struggle was meaningless in the face of the strange fog. A furtive chuckle came from the indescribable fog, as if it was pleased with his change.

"It's very simple..."

"Help me complete the last part of the ritual."

"Miranda's story has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Twenty-seven lives are enough as sacrifices. But now there is only one last step. Only death can put an end to the legend!"

"We have to let the undead alchemist named Miranda be killed by our sharp-eyed detective."

"You're going to kill me?!" Miranda held her breath, a hint of fear appearing in her empty eyes.

Just as Norville guessed, this guy didn't have the courage to sacrifice.

Therefore, he is destined to never be able to glimpse the truth.

"Of course not... Only when the lie becomes the truth, can we be considered to have successfully distorted the truth. The one who is killed must be the false Miranda, and the real Miranda...that is, you, will inherit the name of the deceased."

Miranda muttered to herself.

"So you want me to find a necromancer who knows alchemy... where can I find one for you?"

Norville whispered with a smile.

"You don't need to look for him. He is in the maze and is heading here..."

……

Deep in the misty forest, a group of adventurers are heading towards a small town in the forest.

After successively killing several monsters that were waiting for an opportunity to attack, Luo Yan, Alex and others finally came to an open area with relatively sparse trees.

Unlike the dead forest that was shrouded in murderous intent, this place was not only quieter, but also had less murderous aura hidden in the mist.

Sarah lowered the dagger and quietly raised her arm to wipe the blood on her cheek.

That was left by the previous demon wolf. She had never had the time to clean it up, but now she finally found the opportunity.

According to the map provided by the Adventurer's Guild, the nearby area is the logging camp of Misty Town.

The road from here to Misty Town is a relatively safe area. Not only is there a clearly defined cobblestone road, but there are also fewer monsters active nearby.

Through the thick white fog, everyone could even vaguely see the scattered lights.

"It's right in front!"

Alex had an excited expression on his face, and so did his two companions, who also had surprise on their faces.

However, for some reason, Luo Yan felt that there was a pair of eyes watching him secretly.

Is it a night elf?

Or something else...

"Speaking of which, Mr. Lolo."

A voice from the side interrupted Luo Yan's thoughts.

Looking at Alex who was talking to him, Luo Yan spoke in a casual tone.

"what happened?"

Alex asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice as he put his sword back on his waist.

"Please forgive me for not meaning to offend you. I am just a little curious. Why would someone like you become an adventurer?"

Luo Yan thought about it and said casually.

"If I have to find a reason, it's probably to become stronger...what about you?"

"What a coincidence," Alex said with a smile, "I have the same reason as you. I also want to try to surpass myself."

It's not easy.

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

Youyou can see soul levels that ordinary people cannot see, but unfortunately, this young man's soul level is only bronze, and he must have stayed at this level for too long, just like himself in the past.

This is also the helplessness of mortals.

Supernatural powers are not something you can possess just by wanting them. There are only two ways to break through the soul level that is determined at birth.

One is to use evil necromancy rituals to continuously devour and merge other souls, making oneself no longer pure self.

Another way is to please the gods through certain special behaviors, making the latter admit that they have made a mistake and consume precious power of faith to improve their soul level.

Killing the Demon King is the most famous way.

There are many other ways besides this... such as becoming a legend passed down by word of mouth.

However, these methods are too abstract. There are very few adventurers who become legends, and the vast majority of people end up becoming nutrients in the maze.

However, like most adventurers, Alex doesn't think so.

He has a heartfelt desire to become a legend.

"...There is a legend among adventurers that if you kill 100 minotaurs, you can break through your bottleneck."

Luo Yan thought for a moment and said.

"I've heard of it, but as for the results...I'm afraid it depends on the person."

Alex said with a smile.

"But it's a solution, isn't it? I want to give it a try."

Luo Yan looked at him with some curiosity.

"Why are you so obsessed with becoming stronger? With all due respect, your decent conversation doesn't sound like someone who needs to worry about life."

The soul level of most nobles is not low, but not all nobles are keen on becoming powerful knights or magicians. Instead, they prefer to send their second or third sons who have no inheritance rights to the empire's academy and war states for training.

Hearing this, a hint of hesitation appeared on Alex's face, and finally he sighed softly.

"Maybe... it's because I'm unwilling to accept it."

"Not reconciled?"

He nodded and spoke ambiguously.

"You may have seen... my family is not ordinary. Like you said, even if I do nothing, I don't have to worry about life... but that's all."

Luo Yan: "Are you the second son of the family?"

"Yes," Alex nodded, looking towards the direction of Misty Town with a complicated expression, and continued, "Because I am the second son of the family, neither the territory nor the supernatural power has much to do with me. The grace bestowed by the gods on our family has been inherited by my elder brother. I can only watch my elder brother enjoy all the glory, and no matter what I do, I will not be praised by my family...even if I do better than him."

Finally speaking out his real thoughts, Alex let out a long sigh, looked at Luo Yan and said with a smile.

"You must think I'm childish, right?"

Luo Yan shook his head.

"Not really, it's just an attitude towards life. I understand people who are different from me."

Alex smiled and turned his gaze back to the misty town ahead.

"Thank you for your understanding. Anyway... I don't want to spend my life in such a muddle, so I plan to become an adventurer. Who knows? Maybe I can encounter some adventures during my journey and change something, such as becoming a great swordsman."

Luo Yan: "I must say, this idea is very naive."

“Hahaha, I actually think so too…” Alex also felt a little embarrassed. He laughed heartily and said self-deprecatingly, “There aren’t that many adventures in this world, and even if you do encounter one, it may not be a good thing.”

indeed.

Sometimes being favored by the gods is not always a good thing.

Moreover, this guy would never have imagined in his dreams that the person standing next to him at this moment was none other than the Demon King himself.

Just when Luo Yan couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth, Youyou, who had disappeared for a long time, suddenly appeared in his ear again.

"Master Demon... Youyou has a bad feeling that something dirty might be hiding in that town."

Luo Yan's eyebrows raised slightly.

"dirty stuff?"

"Yes..." Youyou's voice was timid for the first time, and she whispered cautiously, "It may not belong to this world, but something outside..."

Luo Yan thought for a moment and asked seriously.

"Is it strong?"

Youyou: "Not really... on the contrary, it's still very weak for now. But it's hard to say, it didn't just appear, and due to the connivance of the people there, it has quietly existed for a long time."

Luo Yan touched his chin.

"So if we leave it alone, it will become a bigger problem?"

Youyou whispered guiltily.

"Perhaps...but doesn't your territory still reach the fourth floor of the maze?"

It's rare that this guy who is always looking for trouble would be timid.

Although Luo Yan was alert, he had no intention of retreating.

"Youyou, if a bad thing is doomed to happen, I would rather nip it in the bud than watch it ferment into a monster that no one can handle, and then complain about why I didn't act sooner."

Speaking softly in a voice that only Youyou could hear, Luo Yan paused for a moment, then continued with a smile.

"Besides, since when did my territory start being measured in layers?"

"Everything here——"

“They are all mine!”

(End of this chapter)