Chapter 102 Preparations for the ceremony have been completed
In the foggy town, a sign of "Relaxation in the Forest" hangs at the door of the dilapidated hotel. The deserted lobby is only accompanied by the boss napping on the counter and the invisible ghost...if the ghost is willing to come here.
Even though this place seems a bit depressed, in fact it is already the best hotel in the whole town.
The waiter carrying the dinner plate stepped on the moldy wooden floor, stopped at the door of the room at the end of the corridor, and carefully knocked on the old door panel.
"Guest, your dinner."
There is a strange guest living in this room.
He came here a month ago, threw a bunch of scattered magic crystals on the counter to indicate that he wanted to stay in the hotel, then took the key to the corner room, and never came out after going in.
Although he had never ordered dinner, in order to prevent him from starving to death in his hotel, the boss still acquiesced that he had this need and would have it delivered every night.
In this way, you can not only make more money from his account, but also check whether he is still alive and prevent the body from being discovered when it smells bad.
Different from those small towns with lords, Mist Town is an enclave of the Kingdom of Lane 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, and at the same time monitors the activities of monsters in the maze.
Since this is a lawless place, in addition to adventurers who come here, occasionally some people who cannot survive on the surface will hide here.
The waiters and chefs in the "Youlin Rest" talked a lot about this weird guest.
Some people say that he owes a lot of money, while others say that he has offended people who should not be offended.
Some people say that he is a wanted fugitive.
But no matter what, this is Mist Town, not the lord’s territory.
As long as someone is willing to pay, they will provide corresponding services and pretend to be deaf to irrelevant matters.
Even if the gift is not money, but magic crystal or other precious metals that can be exchanged for money.
There was no sound from 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.
"Put it at the door."
"Okay, okay..." The waiter who came back to his senses immediately placed the dinner plate at the door.
There are many weird travelers here.
Based on the principle that doing more is worse than doing less, he didn’t want to meddle in other people’s business.
However, out of good intentions, he still gave a kind reminder.
"By the way, sir, your room fee is almost gone... If you want to continue living, 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, and there was no answer.
Just when the waiter was about to leave, a hoarse voice came from the door.
"Got it."
The voice was full of impatience, and seemed to have made some kind of decision.
Humbling not to stay here any longer, the waiter hurriedly left from the corridor.
Inside the house.
The unkempt Miranda glanced at her pocket watch, took a deep breath of turbid air, walked to the door, dragged the dinner plate in, and then poured it into the garbage bag without looking at it.
Although it was a pity, he had to do this.
Theoretically, anyone who has direct or indirect contact with him may become an apostle of the strange fog and directly or indirectly participate in its indescribable conspiracy.
In order not to become a victim of the indescribable conspiracy, he could only travel far away to come here, hide in this small town that is not affected by the outside world, and minimize contact with other people as much as possible.
But now, he can hardly hold on any longer...
The voice in the darkness floated to his ears again, speaking with a voice with a hint of regret.
"That piece of bread with butter looks really delicious...don't you really want to take a bite?"
Miranda did not answer, just took out the dry food from the suitcase and took a bite, then stared at the mirror on the corner of the table with red and swollen eyes, and said in a hoarse voice.
“It’s time for us to make a break.”
The so-called ending is to end his own life.
When the soul is completely liberated from the body, the mark imprinted on the depths of his soul will also disappear as his soul returns to the embrace of the Lord.
Any conspiracy based on this will disappear.
Even the strange fog of Novel cannot resist the truth that has existed since ancient times.
Although the souls of people who die in the maze cannot return to the embrace of the gods, but will be eaten by the maze itself... the result is the same.
Sacrifice for final victory is the only thing he can do now after trying all the methods.
As if sensing his determination, the mirror placed at the corner of the table suddenly showed layers of strange ripples.
Hicky fog filled the mirrored room, covering everything that could be covered.
Including Miranda herself.
A chuckle came from the void, and eyes everywhere seemed to be watching a stupid ant.
"Do you think you can get rid of me like this?"
"Stop bluffing." Miranda stared at the mirror, already holding the knife in her hand.
For a moment, he was not sure whether it was the ever-changing fog or himself shrouded in the fog that was bluffing.
The invisible eyes were still watching him, whispering softly in a slow voice.
"I'm not bluffing, I just feel...a bit of a pity."
"A pity?"
"Yes... on the eve of victory, I cannot share this joy with my friends. I will always remember that you are my first servant, waking me up from my 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.
"That's not necessarily the case."
Miranda's pupils shrank slightly, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What do you mean?"
The voice in the darkness continued.
"You are a link in the plan, one of the pieces on the chessboard. You should be the one to fulfill your destiny, but it doesn't have to be you."
Miranda had a hint of madness in her eyes and shouted out in an almost roaring voice.
"Then you go find that person, everything here has nothing to do with me!"
"Really? But he won't just let you go, and vows to find you, even if it's your body. He will resurrect you, which will not be difficult for him after completing the ritual. You I thought death would get rid of me, but in fact, death is just the beginning of everything. "
"You guy..."
A trace of fear appeared in her eyes. Miranda cursed, threw away the knife in her hand, put her trembling hand into the suitcase, and took out the matches in the mezzanine.
However, those ubiquitous eyes just stared at him and whispered softly in his brain.
"You want to burn yourself, right? I tell you it's useless... Even if you are burned to ashes, your soul will remain where it is."
Miranda: "This is impossible! You can't even try to lie to me!"
The voice in the darkness mocked.
"This is the fact. Mazes will indeed eat souls that have nowhere to go, but only if they are alive. This maze is already dead, you didn't know that just now, hahahaha..."
The heart stopped beating for a moment, and Miranda's eyes fell into deep despair.
At this moment, the ghostly voice continued to speak in his ear.
"Let's do this...the strong melon is not sweet, and I am almost tired of you."
“Then get out of my head!” Miranda let out a low growl from her throat.
"Don't worry, I will do it... But in order to make this 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 what I have to say before making a decision?"
"..."
Miranda did not speak, and used her actions to acquiesce to the voice in the darkness to continue speaking.
He is not a great man.
Him has never really thought about sacrificing himself to save others...even if this disaster was caused by him.
Perhaps Norvell saw through his mind, so he didn't take his threat to heart at all.
Miranda's expression gradually became distorted, and she held her head in pain, wishing to strangle herself to death, but not letting go of that glimmer of hope.
The voice in the darkness continued to whisper.
"You are eager to become stronger and eager to change your destiny, so you do not hesitate to take risks and try rituals and spells that even your mentor dare not try easily. However, just when you risk everything, you find that fate has made a joke on you. The god you please is not someone else, but me... the real alien god from Chaos."
“You are afraid of me, but I have never abandoned you. I have even paved the smoothest road for you. As long as you do what I say, your achievements will not be lower than Lint Isaac. You will be the leader of this continent.” The second wizard king...and it was effortless."
"But what have you done? You have been resisting me. Your stupidity and fear of the unknown have hindered your progress. You tried to get back on the right track, but unfortunately you left your mission behind and ran away again and again. "
"Now, the god who once favored you is tired of you... But He is kind after all, and even if you fail His expectations more than once, He will still give you a second choice."
Miranda put down the hand holding 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 has understood that any struggle is meaningless in the face of the strange fog.
Sneaky chuckles came from the indescribable fog, as if they were pleased with his change.
Life is enough as a sacrifice, but there is still the last step. Only death can settle the legend! "We have to let the undead alchemist named Miranda be killed by our sharp-eyed detective."
“You want to kill me?!” Miranda held her breath, a trace of fear rising in her empty eyes.
As Norvell guessed, this guy did not have the courage to sacrifice.
Hence, he is destined to be unable to glimpse the truth.
"Of course not...Only when the lie becomes the truth, we will successfully distort 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 himself.
"So you want me to find a necromancer who knows alchemy... Where can I find it for you?"
Norwell whispered with a smile.
"You don't need to find him, he is in the maze and is heading here..."
Deep in the misty forest, a team of adventurers is heading towards a small town in the forest.
After continuously killing several monsters waiting for an opportunity to attack, Luo Yan, Alex and others finally came to an open area with relatively sparse trees.
Different from the previous dry woods that hid murderous intent, this place is not only quieter, but there is also much less murderous intent hidden in the mist.
Sarah lowered her dagger and quietly raised her arm to wipe the blood hanging from her cheek.
It was left behind by the previous demonic wolf. She never had 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 lumberyard of Mist Town.
The road from here to Mist Town is a relatively safe area. Not only does it have clear cobblestone roads, but there are also many fewer monsters active nearby.
Through the heavy white fog, everyone could even vaguely see the scattered lights.
"It's right in front!"
Alex's face showed an excited expression, as did the two companions beside him, who also had surprises on their faces.
However, for some reason, Luo Yan felt that there was a pair of eyes peering at him secretly.
Is it a night elf?
Or something else...
"Speaking of it, Mr. Luoluo."
The voice from the side interrupted Luo Yan's thoughts.
Looking at Alex who was talking to him, Luo Yan said in a casual tone.
"What's wrong?"
Alex put the sword back on his waist and asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Please forgive me for not being offensive, I'm just a little curious, why would a person like you become an adventurer?"
Luo Yan thought for a while and said casually.
"If you have to find a reason, maybe it's 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."
This is not easy.
Luo Yan smiled faintly.
Yuyou can see the soul level that ordinary people can't see. Unfortunately, this young man's soul level is only bronze, and he must have stayed at this level for too long just like his former self.
This can be regarded as the helplessness of mortals.
Supernatural power is not something you can have if you want to. There are only two ways to break through the soul level that you are destined to have at birth.
One is to use evil undead rituals to continuously devour and fuse other souls, making oneself no longer a pure self.
The other one is to please the gods through certain special behaviors, so that the gods will 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 that...such as becoming a legend passed down by word of mouth.
However, these methods are too abstract. There are very few adventurers who have become legends. The vast majority of them end up becoming nourishment in the maze.
However, like most adventurers, Alex doesn't think so.
His desire to become a legend comes from the bottom of his heart.
...There has always been a legend in the adventurer circle. It is said that killing 100 tauren can break through one's own bottleneck."
Luo Yan thought for a while and said.
hh "I've heard of it, but as for the results... I'm afraid it varies from person to person."
hh Alex said with a smile.
"But it's a solution, isn't it? I want to give it a try."
Luo Yan glanced at him curiously.
"Why are you so obsessed with becoming stronger? With all due respect, your decent conversation does not sound like a person 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 academic states and war states to practice.
Hhearing these words, a trace of hesitation appeared on Alex's face, and finally he sighed softly.
He nodded and said vaguely.
"You may have seen... My family is not ordinary, just like you said, even if I do nothing, I don't need to worry about life... But that's all."
Luo Yan: "Are you the second son of the family?"
"Yes," Alex nodded, looking in the direction of Mist Town with a complex expression, and continued, "Because As the second son of the family, neither territory nor extraordinary power has much to do with me. The blessings given to our family by the gods have been inherited by my brother. I can only watch my brother enjoy all the glory, and no matter what I do, I will not get praise from my family... Even if I do better than him, Alex finally said what he was thinking, and looked at Luo Yan and said with a smile.
"You must think I'm naive, right?"
Luo Yan shook his head.
hh "That's not true, it's just an attitude towards life. I understand people who are different from me."
hh Alex smiled and turned his attention back to the small town in the mist ahead.
"Thank you for your understanding, anyway... I am not willing to spend my life in such a muddle-headed way, so I plan to become an adventurer. I'm not sure? Maybe I can encounter some adventure during the journey, and then change something, such as becoming a great swordsman."
Luo Yan: "I must say, this idea is very naive."
"Hahaha, I actually feel the same way..." Alex also felt a little embarrassed, smiled happily and laughed at himself, "There are not so many adventures in this world, and even if you encounter them, it may not be a good thing."
Indeed.
Sometimes it is not always a good thing to receive the favor of the gods.
And this guy probably never dreamed that the person standing next to him at this moment was the Demon King himself.
Just when Luo Yan could not help but raise the corners of his mouth, Youyou, who had disappeared for a long time, suddenly appeared next to his ear again.
"Lord Demon King... Youyou has a bad feeling that there might be something dirty hidden in that town."
Luo Yan's eyebrows raised slightly.
Dirty stuff?
"Yes..." Youyou's voice was timid and whispered for the first time, "It may not belong to this world, but something outside..."
Luo Yan thought for a moment and asked seriously.
"Is it very strong?"
Yuyou: "That's not true... It's even the opposite. It's still very weak for the time being. But I can't tell, it didn't just appear. It has even existed quietly for a long time due to the connivance of the people there."
Luo Yan touched his chin.
"In other words, if you leave it alone, it will become a bigger trouble?"
Yuyou whispered guiltily.
"Perhaps...but isn't your territory not yet at the fourth level of the maze?"
It is rare that this guy who is worried about the world being in chaos would be timid.
Although Luo Yan was alert, he had no intention of retreating.
"Yuyou, if a bad thing is destined to be inevitable, then I would rather strangle it in its infancy than watch it ferment into a monster that no one can deal with, and then complain about why I didn't do it earlier."
Speaking softly in a voice that only Youyou could hear, Luo Yan paused for a moment, then continued with a smile.