Overlord: Start from the Goblin Lair.

Even if we look at the entire multiverse, from Mount Heaven to the Abyss, there are few beings who can understand the devil's thinking and conspiracy. Perhaps someone can summarize some rules after dealing with individual devils for a long time, but once someone tries to apply it to other devils or even that devil, they are likely to encounter inevitable failure.

So for most people, there is only one rule: don't believe every word the devil says.

But who can guarantee that? The devil doesn't just stand in front of mortals in broad daylight.

After making sure that the entire rift had completely collapsed, Ron and the others returned to Green Swamp Town in confusion. Gillianis and Ron immediately went into the research institute and tried their best to take out the golden gem for inspection, but the results were far from satisfactory.

"A disposable item can only be used once. From this perspective, it is not as good as my self-charging gems," Gillianis concluded. "But this makes it even more confusing. Now it is just an ordinary gem with some magic power left."

"But the strange thing is that there is a mechanism inside it that allows it to quickly merge into one after entering the amethyst slab, making the slab think it is the original gem. Even I can't completely separate them."

"Like competitive antagonism?" Ron sat up from the lab table, resting his chin on his hand and thinking, "Do you think the devil might have foreseen the risk we would face this time, so he used it to help us?"

This is the best possibility, but also the least likely.

"The first half of the sentence is possible," the moon elf pursed her lips. "In fact, as for the barrier that blocked me outside, now that I think about it carefully, it is more likely that the devil is interfering. If I were there, I would be able to recognize the authenticity of the gem at a glance and would never let you merge with it. You don't have to do this to use it. After listening to you and Driver's description of the scene at that time, it seems more like the gem is eager to establish a connection with you."

"That means they have other ambitions, and they just got an advance on their reward." Ron frowned unhappily. If Gillianis had gone in with them, the situation would never have reached the point where Sera would have to burn herself - no matter how powerful the silver dragon was, it was just a "mortal". A magician who had lived for centuries would always have plenty of opportunities to take people away in front of her.

However, this did not happen.

"At least it's harmless in the short term," Gillianis could only comfort Ron in this way. "I have made a copy of its results and will continue to study it. Maybe we can find some clues. Now we have more important things to do than dealing with those demons."

"You're right," Ron nodded, "Then I'll have to trouble you again."

Ron walked out of the research institute. Although both he and Gillianis concluded that the gem would not have any effect on him for the time being, after all, it was so similar to the original authentic one, but the feeling of having a foreign object on the body was always uncomfortable. Ron had to move the arm slightly away from his side, and he looked quite strange when he walked.

"Sir Ron, are you injured?"

A strange voice suddenly sounded, and Ron turned his head to look. The source of the voice was a red-haired young man he had never seen before. He was wearing an ordinary outfit, and it was difficult to distinguish him from the others in the crowd. But Ron was sure that the other party was not one of his subjects. On his body, Ron could detect some traces of deep and profound magic. When he looked at the other party's hands, the calluses and scars on them proved that the other party was definitely not an ordinary civilian.

"Excuse me, who are you...?" Ron immediately became alert. There were four funeral bishops in total, and now there were two left. As for the number of corpse gatherers and ash priests, the other party might not be one of them.

However, these cultists had previously been active either at night or in remote areas. So what was their plan to sneak into the town in broad daylight and even greet him?
Or is this just pure self-confidence?

Ron didn't think so. The four bishops should have been connected to each other. Sarona mentioned this a little bit. If one of them was missing, it could be explained. But if half of them were missing, it was not as simple as "losing contact". Moreover, one of the two bishops who were still alive had suffered a loss. Even the most stubborn monster should have sensed something was wrong by instinct. How could they be so arrogant to appear here?
But this is just a theory, and Ron still cautiously added some protective measures to himself in secret - he didn't want to achieve any achievements that opened his mind or opened his heart, so it was better to be cautious in everything.

"You are a forgetful person," the red-haired young man laughed cheerfully. He raised his hand and stroked the air under his chin, but found nothing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Look, it turns out that I have a bad memory."

The young man turned around, and a figure that Ron was more familiar with overlapped with his current appearance. "Masalino, is that you?!" Ron was stunned, "Aren't you going to avoid disaster?"

"Hey, hey," the planeswalker said, and a little embarrassment suddenly appeared on his face after the illusion disappeared. "Don't worry about it. It's not an interesting memory. But fortunately, it's all in the past. The cloud giant won't come to hunt me down again. Look, I came back to see you, didn't I?"

As he spoke, Masarino looked around Green Swamp Town and said, "It's great! When I first came here, it was still desolate, but now you have renovated it. Many places are different from my original plan."

"All this is thanks to Annie's efforts," Ron extended his hand in an invitational gesture, "but we don't want to renovate a building that was built less than a year ago. Let's talk somewhere else?"

"Would you like some tea? Or some wine?"

"It looks like you've been through a lot," Marsarino sighed, then smiled, "Rather than drinking a bellyful of water, I'm more looking forward to Miss Ivy's cooking skills - the conditions were limited at the beginning, but now I really want to enjoy a feast."

"That depends on whether you can convince her. Even we can't taste her cooking skills every day." Ron also laughed, "But why do you look like this now? I remember..."

"What else could it be? I have achieved the goal given to me by the being I respect." The planeswalker seemed to have not changed the way he stroked his beard, and he himself could not help but feel annoyed. "Well, I shouldn't have shaved them! But then people would say I look like a barbarian - not every barbarian in every world has a red beard!"

"By the way, how is the situation here now? I heard from my Lord that many great beings have cast their eyes here?" (End of this chapter)