The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 637 This is also part of the plan
The corridor, shaped like a washroom, was filled with thick white mist. The tiled walls on both sides were regularly fitted with mottled brass faucets.

Above each faucet hung a mirror, blurred by water stains.

The mirrors were blurry, like frames deliberately erased of people, swallowing up every shadow that fell upon them.

Just then, a deep blue butterfly fluttered into this desolate space, bringing a touch of color that did not belong to this hazy world.

As the butterfly's wings fluttered, the surrounding scene flickered as if a frame had been removed.

In less than half a second, the butterfly transformed into a slender figure, standing quietly in the middle of the corridor.

Before the echo of the soft leather heels hitting the ground had faded, a melodious sound drifted from the depths of the thick fog, as gentle as a curtain being lifted by the evening breeze.

"Oh, my dear father, what brings you here all of a sudden?"

Hearing the voice from behind him, Luo Yan turned around.

A young girl in a deep blue dress stood gracefully in the middle of the water-stained corridor. She was barefoot, smiling, and her delicate face was exactly like Ophelia's.

Even the way she lifted her skirt and bowed slightly at this moment was just as impeccable as that of Miss Castellion from the Holy City.

Luo Yan looked at her and said in a gentle tone.

"Do you really have to meet me with this face?"

"Hehehe, what do you want me to become?" The girl in the azure blue dress curved her lips and let out a silvery laugh.

The instant she finished speaking, the thick fog enveloped her long, golden hair, turning it an ambiguous pink. Her once-fitting long dress was now stretched taut by her suddenly fuller, more alluring figure.

She leaned forward slightly, and every smile and frown exuded a charm no less than that of a succubus, making her even more captivating than Miss Padrick.

"How about it? I have everything you like here."

Looking at Novell, who had transformed into Mia, Luo Yan sighed.

"Whatever you like."

Anyway, this is its world, and it can't control what it wants to do.

The girl bowed slightly, pretending to be obedient.

"As ordered."

The next second, her pale pink hair faded back to a noble golden yellow, and her dress, which was about to burst, tightened like the receding tide, restoring its original dignified elegance.

It's clear that even when the self-proclaimed clever Novell is faking it, she doesn't really enjoy playing the fool. Deep down, she still prefers intelligent pawns, like Miss Ophia.

However, perhaps to distinguish herself from Ophia, or perhaps as a kind of wicked mockery, she deliberately shrunk her size.

At this moment, she resembled the innocent and naive girl she was when Ophia and Luo Yan first met, so much so that the originally well-fitting azure dress looked loose and baggy on her, revealing a large expanse of her fair collarbone.

Luo Yan raised his eyebrows slightly.

What does this mean?
Seeing Luo Yan's gaze fall on her, the girl smiled and twirled around in place, her skirt tracing a graceful arc in the mist.

She stopped in her tracks and asked playfully.

"How is this? I like it very much, what about you?"

Luo Yan looked at her expressionlessly.

"Whatever you like, that's fine with you."

Seeing Luo Yan's indifferent attitude, the girl pouted slightly, and even this small gesture of expressing dissatisfaction was just like Ophia herself.

However, in Luo Yan's eyes, this scene looked awkward no matter how he looked at it. It was as if an unknown monster wearing human skin was trying its best to imitate the humans he was familiar with.

Seemingly sensing the wariness in Luo Yan's eyes, the girl smiled slightly, casually smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt, and looked up at him.

"Your reaction tells me that you don't seem to like Ophia, although I quite like this human girl."

“It’s not that I dislike it,” Luo Yan said, looking directly into those azure eyes, in a dignified voice, “I just dislike a monster from the void pretending to be a face from my memories and speaking to me.”

"So you actually still like him?" The girl giggled, a mischievous smirk flashing in her azure eyes. "What a hypocrite."

She paused deliberately for a moment, then continued speaking in a drawn-out tone.

"And, philandering men."

Luo Yan ignored those words and gently changed the subject.

"I'm not here to discuss my private matters with you."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, the girl stopped laughing and looked him up and down with great interest.

"Then why did you come to see me? Is it because you're finally tempted by that deal I proposed before?"

No.

Luo Yan rejected her assumption and got straight to the point.

Do you know Kalmandes?

Upon hearing the name, the girl's interest visibly waned, and her expression reverted to that formulaic, perfect smile.

"Of course, we're old friends. But if I had to choose, I'd rather be friends with Urgos."

The word "rather" practically screamed disdain from the corridor.

Clearly, in Novell's eyes, "idiot" was still slightly higher than "brainless".

Although Luo Yan felt that there seemed to be no difference between the two.

Looking at the girl who was scrutinizing him, Luo Yan organized his thoughts for a moment and spoke in the most concise way possible.

"Kalmandes sent a chosen one to the mortal realm. He wielded a black, bladeless longsword, wore full-body black armor, and exuded an aura remarkably similar to that of a soul... He didn't seem to belong to this world. Do you remember that guy?"

The girl slightly curled the corners of her lips.

"Doesn't he seem like someone from this world? Heh, then I think I know what kind of thing he is."

Luo Yan's heart stirred.

"What is it?"

The girl played with the ends of her golden hair, but instead of answering the question directly, she spoke slowly in a casual tone.

"Arrogance, plunder, deception, and slaughter... To become a being above billions of living beings in this starry sky, the methods can be roughly categorized into these four paths. And the Black Knight you mentioned is the ultimate product of taking the last path to its extreme."

Luo Yan frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

The girl stopped what she was doing with a smile, her clear, lake-like eyes revealing a cruel chill.

"With your intelligence, can't you see it? As long as all the beings on a planet capable of harboring souls are killed, and the ever-changing possibilities are reduced to a single outcome, the sole survivor will become the undisputed god. At the same time, that person will also become the perfect vessel for a higher-dimensional will."

Luo Yan fell into deep thought.

"In other words... he killed all living beings on his home planet."

The girl nodded approvingly.

“That’s right. He is both the chosen one of Kalmandes and the purest incarnation of Kalmandes in the mortal world. He is also a being who has already completed the game... or rather, a monster born for slaughter.”

Luo Yan took a deep breath and digested this alarming information.

Although he had long ago made this assumption that killing everyone on a planet would make him the undisputed strongest.

However, he still didn't expect to encounter such a being in his lifetime.

After all, that's too special.

"Does he have any weaknesses? Or rather... how should I deal with this guy?"

The girl's smile grew even brighter, but the look in her eyes held a deeper meaning.

"Of course I know... but my dear father, why do you think that I, whom you have ruthlessly imprisoned here, would help you for no reason?"

Luo Yan shrugged noncommittally.

"I don't think you'll definitely help me; I'm only one percent sure. You can think of it as me just dropping by on the way. What if you happen to want to make a deal with me?"

Anyway, even if he didn't get any useful information, he wouldn't lose anything.

"An interesting answer." The girl's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze sweeping over the girl with a hint of something intriguing.

She paced back and forth in the corridor, looking thoughtful.

"Let me think, what should I ask my dear father for?"

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, like a child who had finally come up with a brilliant idea, and she excitedly clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

"Ah, I've got it... How about giving me a body that allows me to walk freely in the mortal world? Not being able to properly see this world is the biggest regret of my life."

That's a lie.

Looking at this guy who lies without batting an eye, Luo Yan answered without the slightest hesitation.

"No way."

"Why?!"

Upon hearing that merciless rejection, the girl immediately puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"Don't you have a lot of those things under your command? Those fake humans that grow out of the ground, what's wrong with giving me just one?"

Luo Yan looked at her with some surprise.

"You even know this?"

The girl slightly raised her chin, a hint of smugness in her smile.

"Of course. I'm not bragging, but I know you even better than you know yourself."

Luo Yan didn't respond, but simply stood quietly watching her, patiently waiting for her to offer a more realistic condition.

The girl put her index finger to her lips, her eyes darted around for a while, and then suddenly her eyes lit up again.

"Since your body isn't up to par, then... give me a name."

That is a special request.

Luo Yan thought about it carefully for a while, then tentatively spoke.

"Norville?"

The girl shook her head in disdain.

"I'm tired of that name. I want a completely different name, preferably one that only you know."

“Vell”.

"This is too perfunctory!" the girl protested.

Luo Yan sighed, preparing to rack his brains for a few nice words to satisfy this guy's strange temper.

However, at that moment, the girl suddenly fell into thought. After a moment, a cunning glint flashed in her azure eyes.

"Lolo, how's this name?"

Luo Yan was slightly taken aback.

Why did you choose this name?

“You’re such a forgetful man,” the girl said, her smile blooming like a flower. “Don’t you remember the name you made up on the spot when you registered with the Adventurers’ Guild in Thunder City?”

This time, Luo Yan showed a rare look of surprise, staring at that smiling face for a long time before speaking.

"I really forgot, I didn't expect you to remember."

He had truly forgotten about this trivial matter; after all, when he passed through Dragon's Eye City, he had registered a new adventurer identity and used the name Colin directly. The girl smiled and took a step forward, closing the distance between them once again, this time only a step apart.

“I’ve said it before, I know you better than you know yourself. After all, you are the beginning of all this, the starting point of the Solipsian civilization.”

Luo Yan looked into her eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and said in a deep voice.

"Now that you've got what you wanted, can you tell me that guy's weakness?"

"Of course, the key to breaking the deadlock has always been in your hands, which is that 'Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena'."

Lolo raised her hand, pointed her index finger at his chest, and continued speaking with a smile.

"That is a masterpiece that embodies the lifelong knowledge of the Solipsian civilization. You only use it as a teleportation tool for fast travel. It is a terrible waste."

“It wasn’t that I used it as a tool for fast travel,” Luo Yan shrugged lightly, taking a step back imperceptibly to avoid her hand. “It was your compatriot, the curator, who suggested that I do it.”

"Yes, I guessed, but why not try to study the power behind it? It's an incredible power, even Avano coveted it... It manipulated countless pieces to explore the virtual realm in order to find my homeland, and fate is so magical. In the end, it was found by the person destined for it."

Seeing Luo Yan deep in thought, the girl named Luo Luo suddenly blinked and adopted a half-joking tone.

"Of course, there's actually an even simpler way. You just need to find a way to get close to that guy and bring him here to me."

"Although it is somewhat risky to do this, I think with your cunning, you should always be able to find a way."

The sound became ethereal.

This time, Lolo didn't catch up with his retreating steps. Instead, she took a step back, her ankle sinking into the thick white mist.

Then, there was the azure blue skirt and the golden hair.

Looking at the face that was gradually sinking into the thick fog, Luo Yan suddenly spoke.

Is this also part of the plan?

Lolo wore an enigmatic smile, and in the end, only her eerie voice echoed in the empty corridor.

"Who can argue with that?"

……

Before the thick fog completely engulfed the entire corridor, the slender figure disappeared from the corridor and transformed back into a deep blue butterfly.

Meanwhile, at Spruce Manor in Twilight Province.

Luo Yan slowly opened his eyes. The oppressive fog and lingering moisture had receded like the tide, replaced by a familiar warmth.

Outside the window, snowflakes drifted down in the late winter air, and the spruce wood in the fireplace burned slowly, occasionally sending up a few sparks.

The guests who came to bother us two days ago have left, leaving only a little female dragon, almost as big as a piglet, lying on the desk, breathing evenly.

This guy is asleep again.

Having probably heard the commotion in the study, Taff stretched, smacked her lips, and muttered a complaint in her amber eyes, her expression full of reluctance.

"It's too cold here. When can we go back to the continent of Gana? Are you planning to never go back?"

Seeing Luo Yan sitting silently in the chair, the little female dragon's eyes lit up again, and she added a sentence with great interest.

"Or I could go to hell, I've never been there yet! It's incredible that this world has such a vast underground cave system, and that it's inhabited by a civilization almost indistinguishable from those on the surface! If I could bring the coordinates of this planet back to the capital of the Zeta Empire, I would definitely become the Zeta Empire's youngest chief science officer..."

"Although I don't know what the so-called science officer position is, I think you will definitely become the first meat lizard that can speak Zeta language."

Luo Yan mercilessly extinguished Taf's fantasy with a single sentence, sarcastically remarking, "Of course, I believe that with the level of civilization of the Zeta Empire, your compatriots certainly won't eat you. However, for safety reasons, they probably won't let you wander around the streets freely."

"You jerk, I'm just having a fantasy, and you're going to criticize me for it?"

"I'm just helping you face reality," Luo Yan said calmly, nodding slightly.

Taf, who was lying on the table, suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon. Her tail and chin, which had been held high, drooped down as she lay back down on the table.

"Speaking of which, why did you call me all this way? I'm doing just fine at Colin Manor, with plenty of food and drink. Why don't you just forget about me? Don't you have a burrowing spider named Alakdo? I think it really likes you. Go find it!"

“Alacdo has its own mission, and you have yours. Besides, I can’t forget you, since I still need you to level up,” Luo Yan joked, his eyes gradually turning malicious.

When she met that familiar yet malicious gaze, the scales on Taf's face froze, as if she had realized something terrible.

"Wait, you only called me here so I'd lay an egg?!"

"Otherwise, is there any other reason?" Luo Yan picked up the slightly cooled black tea on the table, took a slow sip, and answered calmly.

“I want to go home!” Tauf protested.

"turn down."

"hateful……"

Taf gritted her teeth and threatenedly brandished her tiny dragon claws.

However, after assessing the difference in strength between the two sides, she finally realized that she was no match for this guy, so she resigned herself to her fate and gave up the struggle.

The leisurely days of just eating and waiting to die came to an end.

Taff felt very wronged, but this feeling only lasted for a second.

She was, after all, a dragon who took things as they came... oh no, a noble and easygoing Zeta.

Since there's no way to escape this terrible life, you might as well just lie down and enjoy it.

Actually, when you think about it carefully, the feeling of laying an egg isn't so bad; it's just a little hard to accept psychologically at first.

Once you get used to this setup, it's actually quite enjoyable.

Just as Taff was silently trying to convince herself, Luo Yan's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Alright, I'm not kidding anymore. Actually, besides the egg-laying, there's another important thing I wanted to discuss with you here."

"what's up?"

Taf immediately looked at Luo Yan warily, fearing that this guy would make some perverted request again.

However, she was overthinking it.

Although the Demon King often acts inhumanly, he has never actually done anything truly perverse, especially towards his pets.

Luo Yan didn't speak, but took out a uniquely designed spatial ring from his pocket and gently placed it on the table.

With a flash of light, a thick stack of parchment and drafts appeared out of thin air and spread out on the large desk.

The yellowed pages were covered with dense, obscure text, accompanied by chilling anatomical diagrams.

Taff leaned closer curiously and took a closer look, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Soul matter? Spirit matter? What are these things?"

Luo Yan said calmly.

"This is data I retrieved from the Gravekeepers' Organization of the Kingdom of Ryan. It contains the soul separation technology I mentioned to you before. I need you to use your scientific knowledge to help me further research the composition of soul matter and spirit matter, and how to counter weapons forged from soul matter or spirit matter..."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"Besides that, there's something else I need you to help me research."

“What is that?” Taff looked up.

Luo Yan replied.

"ether."

Taf's expression turned somewhat strange.

Clearly, she did not have this strange word in her memory.

"What's that?"

Luo Yan did not answer directly, but instead extended his right hand.

A pale blue ripple spread through the air. Then, a butterfly emitting a deep blue glow gracefully landed on his fingertip.

Taf stared at the butterfly for a while, then gently scratched her chin with her sharp claws, a look of interest gradually appearing in her amber eyes.

"This is interesting. Its energy structure completely violates the laws of thermodynamics as I know them. Does it really exist in this world? Or... is it a projection of some higher matter into a three-dimensional world?"

As she spoke, she reached out her paw and poked at it.

However, the moment the fingertip touched the butterfly, it vanished without a trace, like a popped soap bubble.

“Then I don’t know. In short, the energy that makes up this butterfly is the power of ether.” Luo Yan looked at the butterfly on his fingertip. “According to a civilization that is much more advanced than yours, it is the original substance that makes up this world… or rather, the substance closest to the origin.”

"No problem, I can help you study it."

Upon hearing that she could analyze the research findings of advanced civilizations, Taff readily agreed, but at the same time, she also put forward her own conditions.

"However, this level of microscopic matter analysis cannot be done with the naked eye alone. I need my research vessel, and... I will need some magical research materials as an aid."

"No problem, this is easy."

Luo Yan smiled and nodded, then extended his right hand and gracefully grasped Taf's claws covered in fine scales.

For an instant.

There were no violent magical fluctuations, nor any roaring sounds that tore through space.

The man and the dragon vanished silently from the study in Spruce Manor!

When they reappeared, the two had already crossed half a planet's distance and landed directly in the center of Assam City, in the Kingdom of Gutaf on the continent of Gana!

The harsh winter turned into summer in an instant.

All sorts of lizardmen, dressed in rough linen clothes or leather armor, roam the bustling streets, and occasionally you can see undead controlled by players running through the streets.

The houses here are mostly built of massive granite blocks, and the streets are lined with lush palm trees that exude a tropical feel.

The traces of war have faded from this city, leaving behind a prosperity far surpassing its former glory.

Not far away stands the most magnificent temple in Assam.

Not only does the temple house a towering statue of the Demon King, but deep within its heavily guarded interior, Taff's research spaceship is also quietly stored.

The silver-white spaceship had a smooth, mirror-like surface, like a silver droplet lying dormant among ancient stone pillars. It was regarded by the reborn Kingdom of Gutaf as a sacred relic passed down from the old dynasty.

The lizardman soldiers standing guard at the palace gate were completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at the Demon King and his dragon pet that had appeared out of nowhere, even forgetting to salute.

Taf was also dumbfounded.

She stared blankly around at the familiar buildings and "descendants," then suddenly turned her head and looked at Luo Yan as if she had seen a ghost.

"What did you do?"

As a Zeta who believes in science, she had never heard of such terrifying technology!
This guy can cross the vast ocean in an instant, ignoring the physical laws of distance, and without any side effects from crossing subspace!
After all, she was a ruler who had dominated this land for thousands of years, and Taff had some understanding of supernatural powers, including warp magic.

Although Luo Yan had used this incredible spatial teleportation ability in front of her before, and even appeared suddenly to scare her quite a few times, she had always regarded it as ordinary teleportation magic and never expected that it could instantly teleport to such a far place!
So he could come back anytime!

Luo Yan released his grip on her hand, admiring the stunned face, and said in a calm tone.

"This is the power of ether. Now you should have a direct feel for it."

Taf didn't speak.

This was so damn intuitive that she felt her worldview was being turned upside down.

Before Taf could process the massive amount of information, Luo Yan paused for a moment and turned his gaze to the temple not far away.

"Your research vessel is still there, and the equipment inside is exactly the same as when you woke up, although you'll have to repair it yourself."

“For the next period of time, I will be able to dedicate about an hour each day to assist you with the experiments. You can also ask the acolytes in the temple for any requests you may have.”

"By the way, your research will concern the fate of this world, and also your own fate."

I hope you won't let me down.

(End of this chapter)