The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 408 The End of a False God

"This is impossible!"

On the fourth level of the maze, Alistair's angry voice echoed in every corridor, the sound of shattering echoing like the half-collapsed ground beneath Luo Yan's feet.

This deity, driven to madness, has become one with the entire labyrinth.

The walls are his skin, and the red mist is his breath.

He could clearly "see" everything happening inside the maze, but it was precisely the scene that caught his eye that drove him into a complete rage!
The massacre he had envisioned did not occur.

Those fearless undead actually stood together with the bewildered magic apprentices.

The skeletons formed a sturdy defensive line with their fragile skeletons, perfectly compensating for the apprentices' weakness in close combat.

They sacrificed themselves to teach the living a final lesson about courage.

Alistair could not accept this.

His meticulously assembled Howler Legion was repeatedly defeated by this hastily assembled allied force!

Without these three thousand pure soul flames, his grand plan to advance to the Amethyst level would not have been realized, and he would not have been able to personally kill the clown who kept jumping around in front of him!
“Roxey Collin! What have you done!” Alister roared furiously, while the red mist that had accumulated in the labyrinth rose and fell with his emotions.

Dark red fleshy tentacles suddenly pierced out from the ground beneath Luo Yan's feet, like thick thorns trying to engulf and swallow him.

However, just as those endless tentacles were about to close, they withered away at a visible speed, like a fading flower.

Black embers burned on the ashes.

Luo Yan waved his hand gently, dispersing the pure black fire held in his palm. He didn't even glance at the ashes at his feet, but spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Based on my observation of the history of the continent of Os, the rise of a faith is inevitably accompanied by bloodshed and barbarity. However, a towering structure built with the blood and souls of mortals can never become an eternal temple. To stand at the pinnacle of the mortal world, the process may be tortuous, but in the end, it must be about persuading people to do good."

Objectively speaking, Saint Sith was undoubtedly quite advanced in the First Age.

Most deities, including the god of the underworld, are based on mythology or primitive religions and witchcraft based on animism. Compared to the unapproachable gods, the personified elemental gods are more like monarchs with joys and sorrows, and their doctrines are mostly in a state of "believe it or not".

Saint Sith alone used the Book of the Word to educate the barbarians, elevating the gods to a divine position while restraining the believers, and making a grand vow to "eliminate death" in response to the deepest desires—or rather, wants—in the hearts of the believers.

Whether or not this wish is possible to come true, it is enough for most people to believe that it will come true.

The Book of the Word is not only about death; it can also fulfill other achievable goals, such as providing bread for the majority of people.

A thousand years ago, that was a real "luxury item," although now you can buy one for 5 copper coins.

In contrast, the demons of hell are indeed inferior to Saint Sith in this respect.

He also made empty promises, but they were all about hatred and destruction. Even though Saint Sith's servants had hypocritical and cruel sides in many ways, the servants of the demon god were mostly not human, to the point that humans could be corrupted by demons, but would never move to hell. On the other hand, the demons of the Demon City, once they lost the battle, their first reaction was simply to run away to human territory.

That was how Elder Zacro had planned his escape route, but unfortunately, he couldn't resist pulling off a big heist before leaving. Otherwise, given Corrigo's indulgence of him, he might have actually gotten away.

"...As for me, I didn't do anything. If I had to say, I probably just spent some time listening to the believers' prayers."

"Stop pretending! Those spirits are your servants, aren't they! Don't think I don't know—"

Arist grinned maliciously and continued casting spells, transforming the cold rock into even larger tentacles that attacked Luo Yan, who was standing in the corridor.

Luo Yan effortlessly deflected his attack, while also shielding Sarah from two shots that she might not have been able to avoid.

Did I say they weren't?

Alistair was stunned, his fierce offensive paused for a moment, he clearly hadn't expected Colin to admit to this serious accusation so readily.

His offensive was interrupted, as was his train of thought. He kept talking, but he was clearly becoming incoherent.

That look is very similar to Taphtalia in her broken defense state.

"Tsk tsk, I never expected that the esteemed Prince Colin would be a necromancer. Do you still remember the oath you swore before the Holy Light? Ah... I almost forgot, you sold your soul to Chaos long ago! And before me!"

Hearing Aris's sarcastic and weak mockery, he smiled slightly.

"What are you talking about? Just because you became stronger with the Red Stone doesn't mean that everyone stronger than you is also good at using the Red Stone."

Necromancer?

I am the Demon King.

As for Chaos, this guy probably mistook the "ether" of the Solipsian civilization for the privilege of the "mysterious fog" of Novell.

If we really go by seniority, it's not certain who is whose father.

"%￥#@!"

Unexpectedly, the prince was so vulgar that Arist was completely enraged. He no longer cared about his professorial demeanor and spat out every foul curse he knew.

Luo Yan ignored his impotent rage.

While he was using words to restrain Alistair, a colorful butterfly quietly flew out from beside him, like a ghost, piercing through layers of flesh and blood walls, heading towards the deepest part of the labyrinth, the place with the most energy.

It was found very quickly.

At the bottom of the maze, a giant artificial crystal is suspended in mid-air.

It should have been radiating a gentle holy light, but now it was tightly wrapped by countless hideous blood vessels, like a beating heart, providing chaotic energy to the entire labyrinth!
A fierce battle is unfolding in front of the Crystal Core.

Ilana, Ophia, Had, and Bane, four apprentices, are fighting alongside four players from the "One Autumn Leaf" team.

This scene surprised Luo Yan. He had only asked the players to stop the original main storyline and escort the magic apprentices to the nearest refuge, but he did not expect that four players would do the opposite and go directly to the fourth floor of the maze.

The same goes for Ophia and the others. After escaping, they didn't run away immediately. Instead, taking advantage of Alistair's inattention, they went deeper into the core of the labyrinth.

Two groups of souls from different worlds met unexpectedly on their journey. Not only that, they overcame their fear of each other and cooperated seamlessly for the same goal, jointly resisting the howling wrathful beings surging in from all directions.

"Minotaur, hold the left! Pig-headed man, open the gap on the right!" Yi Ye Zhi Qiu calmly commanded, while simultaneously gripping the sword and shield he had picked up and acting as a damage dealer.

Although it was a pity that he couldn't use the magic he was best at, he was an adaptable person and quickly adapted to the new way of fighting.

"Understood!" the minotaur warriors and orc knights roared, using their bodies and makeshift bone shields to fiercely guard the passage.

Behind them, Bane and Had were intently chanting incantations, providing magical support to the undead ahead.

As for Ilana...

Her magic wasn't particularly powerful, but she did her best to unleash icy arrows at the surging groans.

"Ophia! Now!" Bane suddenly shouted, and a gust of wind, like a heavy hammer, erupted from the tip of his staff.

It was air that was almost compressed into solid form. After pushing aside more than a dozen howling creatures, it rushed straight towards the dark red crystal floating in mid-air!

"Oh oh oh!"

Unlike her usual humble and polite demeanor, Ophia shouted with great force, and took out a thick stack of magic scrolls from her storage ring with her slender little hands. Each scroll radiated a heart-palpitating energy!
Luo Yan saw this scene through the butterfly's perspective and smiled knowingly.

He had originally prepared to personally end this farce, but now it seems there's no need for that anymore.

Finally noticing the imminent threat, Alistair let out a roar of terror and resentment.

"Do not--!"

It's too late.

While he was restraining Colin, Colin was also restraining him.

The explosive flames, fueled by high-pressure air, burst forth with an unprecedentedly intense heat!
That light ignited new inspiration for fire magic in Had and Bain's hearts, and also completely shattered Alistair's ambitions.

He tried to gather all the power of the labyrinth to suppress it, but it was all too late. Especially when he saw the butterfly quietly alighting on Ophelia's shoulder, he completely abandoned the idea of ​​rushing over and tearing the four apprentices to pieces.

That's like walking into a trap!

With a deafening roar, a surge of violent energy erupted from the depths of the shattered labyrinth's core, instantly shattering everything that Alistair had constructed with the power of chaos.

His soul let out a painful cry, feeling as if a part of his soul had been torn apart by that force!
At the same time, the flesh and blood wall that had become one with him began to die on a large scale, and the dark red crystals shattered inch by inch like peeling skin!

The entire labyrinth, like a dying beast, let out a painful wail, and crumbled together with his newly formed "divine realm".

Terror gripped Alistair's heart!

His dream of breaking through to the Amethyst level has vanished. His only thought now is to escape this damned snowfield before the other sages arrive!
As long as you survive, there is a chance!

He forcibly separated his will from the collapsing "body" and frantically tried to climb upwards. Finally, amidst a shower of flying debris, he stumbled out from behind a wall on the first floor!
The broken exit is right in front of us!
The cool breeze of freedom seemed to have brushed against his cheeks, carrying a refreshing sweetness as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining.

However, before Alistair could take that step, a deep darkness suddenly erupted from the shadows in the corner of his eye.

It was a javelin formed from pure black flames!
It was silent, yet more deadly than any sound, piercing his chest in an instant and pinning him firmly to the collapsing stone wall behind him!

"Uhh—!!"

Arist let out a painful scream, looked down, and stared in disbelief at the hole in his chest that was burning his soul.

The power of chaos was unable to extinguish that black flame!

At that moment, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows beside him. In those calm eyes, Alistair saw his utter defeat in despair.

“As you said,” Luo Yan’s voice came clearly, with a hint of mockery, “even between gods, there exists a chasm as deep as an abyss.”

How similar our fates are!

It seems that the apprentice named Milos met the same fate.

As the leader of the Thorne Society, Alistair probably never imagined that when he crushed that ant, he, who was already above thousands of others, would one day suffer the same fate.

God will forgive the wicked who are acting against their will and who repent from the bottom of their heart, but He will never forgive the instigators who are still unrepentant when they are about to die.

“When…when…” Blood gushed from Alistair’s mouth as he stared intently at Colin, who should have been at the deepest part of the labyrinth, “…appeared there?”

Is that all you want to ask?

Luo Yan smiled slightly, but in Alistair's eyes, that smile was more terrifying than a demon's, like that of a true god.

"You are not alone; there are many eyes in the maze."

The sound was like a gentle breeze extinguishing a candle flame, extinguishing Alistair's last glimmer of hope.

The ensuing flames instantly spread across his entire body, shattering his soul amidst his agonizing screams.

A cloud of gray mist surged from his body, attempting to escape.

However, it had only flown less than a meter when it was spotted by the sharp-eyed Youyou.

"Demon King! It's the divine essence of Chaos! Don't let it escape!"

Luo Yan heard this but didn't speak. He simply extended his right hand. The ethereal gray mist, like a candle flickering in the wind, was completely annihilated by his grasp in the air.

Professor Arist had only recently received the divine status bestowed upon him by the Crown of Pride, and this divine power, which did not belong to him, had not yet been solidified into a true divine status.

Otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to do anything about it. At the same time, a refined and pure energy silently merged into his vast, surging sea of ​​consciousness…

What followed was an unprecedented feeling of refreshment.

Luo Yan immersed his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness and briefly checked his attribute panel.

【

ID: Luo Yan

Race: human

Soul Level: Diamond (Level Cap LV130)

Level: LV.118 (+7)

Constitution: 109 (+7)

Strength: 55 (+7)

Agility: 62 (+7)

Intelligence: 469 (+42)

Spirit: 449 (+42)

】

As expected, he leveled up again.

And it actually leveled up seven times!

Although this didn't break through the diamond-level bottleneck, it was a big step towards the amethyst level...

After checking the attribute panel, Luo Yan did not linger. Instead, he immediately activated the "Myriad Manifestations Butterfly" ability and teleported to the cave at the core of the maze.

The situation here was worse than he had anticipated.

Alistair's body turned to ashes in the black flames, but the collapse of the labyrinth did not stop!
The narrow space was filled with choking dust, and huge stones fell from the dome like raindrops.

The four skeletons of the "One Leaf Knows Autumn" team had long been smashed into pieces, with only a few broken pieces of equipment proving that they had ever existed.

Luo Yan didn't feel sorry for them.

According to Youyou, they had already switched back to their original "game characters" and were now celebrating their victory in the Great Cemetery.

Before long, they will receive the rewards for clearing the dungeon, rewards that will keep them happy for quite some time.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the cave, the magic apprentices' trials continued.

Hader and Bane were holding up their wands, working together to create a magical shield that protected themselves and their teammates behind them.

The shield, cracked like a spiderweb from the impact of the boulder, groaned under the strain, threatening to shatter completely at any moment.

"Damn it... Bane, have you not eaten?! Push harder!"

"??? You have the nerve to talk to me like that? Didn't you brag to me that you were just a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the Steel Rank? Is this all you've got?!"

"Enough! Think of something quick! This maze is going to collapse, and we'll all be buried alive!"

"By Saint Sith above... I can't think of any other way but for Saint Sith himself to descend!"

Although the two were complaining and saying discouraging things, neither of them threw away the shaky shield and abandoned their teammates to run away.

They were all students of His Highness Colin.

Even if that wasn't enough to convince them to persevere to the end, coincidentally, none of the prince's students were cowards.

Perhaps this is a case of birds of a feather flocking together.

Behind the two people who were cursing and swearing, Ilana was trying her best to drag Ophia out from under a heavy piece of broken wall.

"Cough cough..."

Ophia coughed up blood, her face as pale as paper.

Looking at the collapsing shield above her head, at Ilana who was still stubbornly struggling, and at her own bloodied and mangled right leg, she forced a relieved smile.

“Ilana…I…actually want to apologize to you.”

"Stop talking, I don't want to hear it!" Ilana's voice choked with sobs, and her usually calm face now revealed an unsuppressed sadness.

"No! I must say... my divine being told me this might be my last chance..."

Ophia took a deep breath, her smile tinged with sincere repentance, as if she were facing not only her friend, but also the holy light standing behind her.

"After discovering Miss Rastina's plot, I was blinded by anger and arrogance... I didn't tell you, nor did I tell my mentor, but instead took it upon myself to decide on this adventure, which almost put you in real danger."

Hot tears streamed down Ilana's cheeks, one after another falling onto Ophia's face.

"Stop talking... I never blamed you! It wasn't your fault at all! If you're at fault, then I'm partly to blame too. I failed to detect Angela and Miss Rastina's conspiracy, and instead, my mistake dragged you into such a dangerous accident!"

Why is it that the person who truly deserves an apology never said sorry until their death, and even preferred death to taking responsibility for their mistakes?

On the contrary, kind people generously bear sins that are not their own, even fearing that they will not have enough time to repent.

Is this justified?

Ilana had never prayed so earnestly.

She prayed for divine protection—

She was willing to offer eternal devotion, praying only that a miracle would happen so that Miss Ophia, Bane, and Senior Hard could leave this place!

Seeing that usually calm face blurred with tears, Ophia suddenly revealed a gentle smile.

"Really? Then I'm relieved... It seems I'm still your best friend in the world. Although I don't care about any empty rankings, I can't let some hypocritical guys take that position."

"Ophia...you've always been...my best friend! I'm begging you, please stop saying that..."

Feeling the burning heat dripping onto her face, Ophia gently grasped her arm.

“Ilana… don’t worry about me. Even if you drag me out, I probably won’t get far, and we’ll all die together. Besides… someone will come to pick me up. I’m more worried about you guys.”

Her voice trembled with weakness, yet the smile in her eyes remained generous and bright, even carrying a hint of playfulness.

"Please tell my father that André Castellion's daughter did not waste her life... I have had a wonderful adventure, just like my ancestors, though perhaps not as legendary."

"No... I won't leave you! Let's get out of here together!" Ilana cried and shook her head, using all her strength to drag Ophia another inch away.

However, her movement caused Ophia so much pain that she almost fainted; one of her bones was stuck in a crevice in the stone.

Luo Yan felt pain just looking at it.

It's amazing how much this girl can endure.

“Ilana is right,” a gentle voice suddenly rang out beside them, clearly piercing through all the roar, “We must never give up easily.”

"Your Highness Colin?!"

The four apprentices turned around in surprise, only to find their respected mentor standing beside them, his warm smile as gentle as a spring breeze, without a trace of imperfection.

At that moment, Bane suddenly became disoriented, his wand pointing at the sky swayed, and he fell straight backward.

Hader was immediately startled upon seeing this.

"not good--"

Before he could finish speaking, a gentle force lifted the fallen boulders from below.

Along with the boulder that was pinning down Ophelia's right leg!
Prince Colin, standing at the center of the chaos, simply raised his hand, and a barrier as clear as a clear sky instantly unfolded around him, enveloping everyone present.

All the boulders that crashed against the barrier were stopped by that indestructible barrier. That slightly raised right hand created a safe haven for this desperate situation.

Inside the cave, only the muffled rumble from outside the barrier and the exhausted panting of the four young people remained...

After doing all this, Luo Yan did not stop. With a gentle wave of his wand from his sleeve, a holy light that soothed all wounds landed on Ophia's right leg.

Although her injuries were severe, they were not caused by Chaos, and her soul was undamaged, so they were relatively easy to heal.

This is at least true for Luo Yan, who has already reached the diamond level.

A ticklish sensation came from below, and Ophia couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

Then she was surprised to see that her broken leg had actually grown back, and the fair skin was as smooth as new!
At that moment, a line suddenly flashed through Ophelia's mind—

Where light shines, darkness has nowhere to hide!

For a moment, she was surprised to find that the figure overlapped with a character from a novel she had read!
Although he held a magic wand rather than a knight's sword, he perfectly embodied this maxim through his words and deeds.

That was the kind of pretentiousness she had always wanted to project.

That prince only needed to make a slight move to finish the act...

Seeing Ophia staring intently at him, Luo Yan's warm smile remained unchanged, but his voice took on a stern tone.

"...Especially Miss Ophelia Castellón, you should remember this. I have to criticize you on behalf of your father, after all, he personally wrote to entrust you to me. How am I supposed to explain it to him if something happens to you?"

It was beyond his expectation.

This time, Ophia didn't argue or talk back, but blushed and lowered her head, behaving as docilely as a well-fed cat.

"Sorry……"

well.

It seems she is indeed reflecting on her own problems.

Luo Yan shifted his gaze from Ophia to the completely shattered core of the maze not far away.

It looks pretty convincing.

Perhaps in another hundred years, the empire will truly figure out its own "labyrinth" and drive nails into the territory of hell.

By then, Hell will probably be in a hurry.

Luo Yan, who was not involved, withdrew his gaze, glanced around at the four disheveled young men, and said with a smile.

"Despite the many unexpected events, I still have to congratulate you all. You are the champions of this year's maze trial!"

(End of this chapter)