20demayo Page 1393
Page 1393
However, one thing is certain: Lycorina's eyes have changed a lot.
They've lost some of their innocence but gained more perseverance.
But what has remained unchanged is the clarity in his eyes.
She was too pure, purely wanting to defeat the demons, purely striving for the victory of humanity.
Therefore, the clarity in her eyes will not change, because her purpose has never changed from the beginning.
She is no longer so innocent and naive, simply because she is no longer the newborn little girl she was two years ago.
She witnessed countless life-and-death situations, made numerous decisions, and the entire human world revolved around her.
She carried a heavy burden, so heavy that she couldn't indulge the child within her anymore.
Sometimes, she even has to set aside her own feelings to think rationally, which makes her feel like she's not even human anymore.
An Yi had taught her long ago that she could be a little willful while maintaining her humanity.
At the time, she didn't actually know what it meant, even though it was a very simple literal meaning.
However, when she truly set aside her own humanity to think about the problem, she understood what An Yi had said.
Indeed, if you are too rational, you will find that something is missing in your heart.
It lacks human emotions.
Lycorina also thought that although An Yi usually seemed very rational, he was actually very emotional.
Most importantly, his rationality will be used to serve Qi and maintain his humanity. (liu. 『∥∠【"2±))
For example, his decision to refuse to cede human territory was absolutely irrational.
From the perspective at the time, even if humans were to cede some territory and allow the demons to advance slightly, it would not have affected the heroes' activities.
But he just wanted to prove himself.
In an attempt to prove himself, he even said something that sounded like something Layton would say: "We can't let the heroes have no home to return to."
Whether this was An Yi's sincere thought or the result of his careful consideration, his desire to prove himself was a manifestation of his "human nature."
He doesn't care; humanity simply cannot back down!
When Lycorina starts to weigh the pros and cons, she has already lost that spirit.
Unlike An Yi...
She can't be willful.
She must do more to ensure that no one else is sacrificed.
The two walked slowly forward, and before they knew it, they had left the village.
As we left the village, the temperature plummeted.
Lycorina subconsciously tightened her cloak before realizing that she wasn't actually that cold.
This cold-weather gear works quite well in normal low-temperature environments, but it's ineffective on frozen ground.
In ordinary sub-zero temperatures like this, she can endure it all thanks to her resilience.
However, as much as I feel comfortable, it's still cold.
It's true that fat people are more resistant to the cold, but they still get cold just like everyone else when it's cold.
Wearing this warm clothing item makes me feel warm at all.
There is a large magic array in the village, which uses 4 to keep out the cold and keep warm. The temperature inside is not low, at least in the teens.
Once outside the village, the food went directly from the preservation layer to the flash-freezing layer.
"Where are you planning to go?" Annie asked casually.
"I've thought about it for a long time but I still don't know, but I'll just keep moving forward anyway, since I can't go far." Lycorina smiled.
“Okay,” An Yi replied.
Compared to two years ago, Lycorina's personality has become much more composed.
If it were before, she would definitely have been chattering away as she walked by, saying a lot of things.
Perhaps because he had grown accustomed to being with An Yi and understood her personality, the two of them began taking more silent walks like this.
When you don't know An Yi, you subconsciously try not to make the conversation awkward.
But once you get to know An Yi, you'll realize that it doesn't matter if there's an awkward silence.
Even if you don't say anything, just have him stand next to you and keep you company, he can really stand there all day without saying a word.
Of course, if there's something else that calls An Yi out, he'll still just ask, "What's up?"
If you call him out because there's something important, he'll definitely come out to deal with it. If you waste his time, he'll be unhappy.
If you call him out for no reason, just to have him keep you company, he won't ask any questions and will focus on listening and being there for you.
"It seems like there aren't many places with good scenery?" Lycorina smiled somewhat awkwardly.
“Indeed,” An Yi replied, looking at the surrounding snow and the gray sky, all familiar sights.
Licorina sighed with a helpless smile: "I was originally planning to find a nice place to sit down and talk."
Annie, do you think that underground heat source is an opportunity or a disaster for us?
Her expression turned serious.
Volume 3: Chapter 658, Section 144: The World's "Ceiling" (4k)
“Anyi, do you think that underground heat source is an opportunity or a disaster for us?” Lycorina asked seriously, her expression turning serious.
"Why do you ask that?" An Yi countered.
"A huge heat source has appeared in an area that is currently difficult for everyone to explore, preventing ice and snow from freezing."
"I don't think we can control and utilize this heat source as we wish," Lycorina explained.
“Yes, a reasonable judgment.” An Yi nodded in satisfaction.
Licorina argued at the meeting that they should continue research using the available materials instead of exploring the so-called heat source, and for that very reason.
It's no exaggeration to say that such heat, which can emanate from deep within the permafrost and last for a long time, is like a small sun hidden underground.
The heroes already have to rack their brains just to study the existing materials, let alone the unknown materials.
The key point is that it might be something that even a hero cannot control.
The deeper Lycorina ventured into the demon realm and the higher her level rose, the more she understood the importance of maintaining awe towards the unknown threats.
Any potential danger or uncertainty must be explored at the risk of the heroes' lives.
Even the most resilient warriors will lose health points and perish in danger.
“I agree with you, but I don’t think we can’t control it.”
An Yi said;
"Currently, the highest-ranking demons known are, besides Demon King 0 and Little Demon King 4, the three great dukes of the demon race. [6] 4 ||"
Wang Pu's individual strength is no weaker than that of the Demon Grand Duke, but he is weaker than the opponent's overall strength because he does not have a clan.
We learned all of this from the demon race's records, right?
Among the heroes, there are already those who have reached the level cap by conquering Marquis's City.
That is to say...
"The pinnacle of this world, even if we haven't climbed it yet, is already clearly visible."
If our overall strength can reach the threshold of the Duke's City, then we are only a few steps away from the pinnacle of this world.
If even with our power, so close to the pinnacle of the world, we cannot control that heat source, then there's nothing we can do.
The heroes' purpose in exploring the frozen land was not to conquer the Marquis's City, or even just to conquer the Duke's City.
The purpose was to develop the ice plains as early as possible and to research and develop weapons for the demon race in advance.
Because the heroes' next task is even more arduous.
Having crossed the Marquis's City, what follows is the true high-level combat power of the demon race.
They are also the advanced demon race that wiped out all intelligent races in ancient times, yet still triumphed over all powerful intelligent races.
The Duke's City is no longer just controlled by nobles, but...
The city was almost entirely populated by members of the same race, differing from nobles only in the degree of their blood relation; otherwise, they were either extremely wealthy or of high status, and their families wielded considerable influence throughout the duchy.
Demons value strength above all else, and wealth is also a form of power. They may also have made significant achievements in magic or technology, and these families are equally powerful, second only to the ducal families within the duchy.
In other words, once you enter the Duke's City, there are no easy enemies!
The decapitation tactics were effective in the Marquis City, but in the Duke City, where the "foreign demons" were extremely transparent, it was not so easy for them to infiltrate and kill high-level demons.
"You mean, as long as we break through to a higher level, we'll have a chance to explore this heat source and find a way to utilize it?" Lycorina's eyes lit up.
Having endured the pressure from the powerful demons for so long, she hadn't realized just how close the heroes were to the so-called "ceiling."
Yes, there aren't many demons left in the area!
Once you pass the Marquis's City, the Duke's City is right behind!
Duke cities are few in number among all demons.
Through investigations conducted over this period, and through various channels, it has been learned that there are a total of twenty-four Demon Grand Dukes in the entire Demon Clan.
These twenty-four demon dukes, along with their vast clans and seventy-two demon king servants, almost constituted the entire demon race's high-level combat force.
Although these twenty-four demon dukes were roughly equal in strength to the seventy-two royal servants, the royal servants did not fare well in their home-field advantage.
In a one-on-one duel, neither side with an attribute advantage can easily kill the other.
Although the Grand Duke is the most powerful demon race in the entire territory, and even the most powerful demon race in the entire Three Kingdoms, the main difference between them and the royal servants lies in the strength of their own clans.
To put it simply, once the heroes reach the level cap in the Marquis's City, they will have the strength to contend with the weakest group of demons among the ducal clans.
Looking up, you see the "ceiling" that was once out of reach!
Lycorina was lost in thought, pondering...
So, everyone's already that strong?!