The Magic Empire for 20,000 years

Chapter 280 Disability Switch

"Oh? What kind of deal?"

Artina looked at John, who was struggling to open his mouth, and let out a lazy laugh of interest.

She slightly reduced the force of the immobilization, allowing the leader of the pioneering team to speak, albeit with difficulty.

“Release them, or at least some of them,” John said with difficulty, his face covered in sweat.

"What right do you have to bargain with me?" Artina scoffed, showing a hint of interest in the human who was still putting up a stubborn resistance.

As a unique demon associated with depravity and corruption, Artina can freely unleash the [Detect Alignment] magic, knowing the alignment of each member long before she even makes a move.

John belongs to the "lawful good" category, which is of greatest interest to Artina's poetry.

My most desired type... is to be transformed into a dark, ugly monster...

“Just release them. I can grant you any request!” John continued.

“Once I capture you, I have plenty of ways to make you submit.” Altina laughed even harder. “You’re far too naive. You actually think you can bargain with me?”

John's expression darkened.

"Captain, it's no use! This demon will never let us go!" Nana, a member of the pioneer team, had tears welling up in her eyes, and her voice was almost a roar.

"Madam, you are the lord of the Abyss Plains, right?"

Sweat streamed down John's forehead as he seemed to be rapidly contemplating something.
"I know something that you'll definitely be interested in! It will give you the opportunity to become a true demon lord who rules this level in the future."

"What is it?" Altina raised an eyebrow, showing a slight interest.

“This is your only chance to get it. I assure you, if you just take me prisoner, even if you use mind-controlling magic to subdue me, you will have no chance to get it,” John continued through gritted teeth.

"Tell me quickly, what is it?" Altina's tone was tinged with displeasure, and she was slightly impatient.

“You have to promise me first that you’ll let my teammates go after I tell you,” John bargained.

He struggled desperately to break free from the magic that bound him, but it was all in vain given the absolute difference in their strength.

“I agree.” To John’s slight surprise, Altina agreed without hesitation. “Just tell me quickly.”

"You agreed?" John's eyes narrowed, then his face lit up with joy.

Seeing the hint of joy on John's face, the minor lord chuckled inwardly:
Oh, those pedantic, foolish, and naive righteous people...

To actually believe that the devil's promises, especially verbal ones, have even the slightest bit of power...

"Yes, I promised. Now tell me what it is."

John, unable to move, glanced at a green package a dozen meters away.

That was the package he had been carrying with him, which he had temporarily left on the ground during the battle.

"Lady, what I'm talking about is related to that package. Please open it."

Altina waved to the package on the ground, and it flew to her and opened itself.

Inside were a large number of miscellaneous tools and items.

"and then."

Altina frowned, growing increasingly impatient.

For a fleeting moment, she had a doubt:
Is this human deliberately stalling for time, waiting for something to happen?

Are we waiting for reinforcements?
No, that's not right. I've blocked all possibilities of magical communication. Within this area, no magical communication can be sent out...

It's just a pointless struggle...

Thinking of this, Artina recalled several celestial beings she had previously captured and modified.

These guys who keep spouting weak words like love, justice, courage, and friends are all equally foolish...

John continued:

"Turning the package inside out, there was a small blue booklet."

Altina did as instructed, quickly flipping through the pages and finding the small blue booklet. It contained a line of Common Language text:

Abyss Expansion Operations Guide – Mitigation of Natural Disasters and Enemies in the Abyss

"This is the item you said would allow me to rule the entire first level of the abyss? You're lying to me?"

Altina sensed a hint of anger.

She, a minor lord native to the first level of the Abyss, still needs such items.

"No, no, no, Lady, what I'm referring to is a sentence on one of the pages of this booklet."

"That sentence touches upon a huge secret of our magical empire, Eldoron."

"I guarantee it, I guarantee you'll be interested in it!"

At this moment, not only Altina Shi, but also the Trail Blazers players next to her were somewhat confused about the situation.

"Nana, does that booklet really hold some big secret?" a teammate whispered to Nana beside him.

"Of course not. It's just a regular action guide; don't we all have one?"

"So what exactly is Captain John doing?"

"If you ask me, I don't know either."

"Well, since the captain did it, there must be a deeper meaning behind it!"

"Yes, that's right, trust the captain!"

Altina quickly flipped through the booklet in her hand:

"Quickly, tell me, which page and which sentence is it?"

“I can’t remember the page number, Lady. Bring me the table of contents of that book.”

Aldina was growing increasingly impatient, but she still retained a sliver of patience and placed the catalogue in front of the immobilized John.

Looking at the table of contents of the booklet and mentally estimating the time, John breathed a sigh of relief:

"It's on page 12, the very top sentence."

Altina, unable to contain herself, turned to page 12, saying as she did so:

“If there is nothing of interest to me, then your companions will soon die a miserable death in the greatest pain.”

When the top sentence on page 12 of the booklet caught her eye, Altina's eyes widened and her expression froze.

"Lady, you must be the strongest lord on this floor, Lady of Change, Demon Princess, Artina Shiba."

John, who had been covered in sweat, finally smiled with relief when he saw the figure walking behind Altina.
"See? I didn't lie to you. This statement is indeed very important, isn't it?"

On page 12 of the booklet, at the very top, was a line of text:
"The members of the pioneering team maintain a constant mental connection with the Abyss Base. And any information must be transmitted back at least once every minute."

"If no signal is transmitted within three minutes, it means that communication is interrupted."

"The Abyss Base will immediately issue the highest level of warning and dispatch legendary-level combatants to the vicinity of the location where the pioneering team lost contact."

Yes, as a visitor from Earth and a time traveler from the future, Elion had already considered the possibility of "communication being intercepted" when designing the rules!

The corresponding response mechanism, known as a disable switch or death switch, works on the idea that a continuous "hold" signal is needed to prevent the system from performing a certain action (such as an explosion). Once this hold signal is interrupted, disappears, or fails to be verified, the system will immediately trigger a preset action.

Altina's hair stood on end instantly as she felt a terrifying pressure coming from behind her.

She turned her head sharply, and the dazzling light illuminated her terrified face, her astonished eyes reflecting the figure of Eldoran High Mage Elion.

Rumble.

The earth trembled, a fierce wind swept through, and the clouds on the horizon were scattered.

Upon confirming the loss of contact, the emperor of the empire arrived at the location immediately.

(End of this chapter)