Chapter 118: In His Eyes, There Were No Secrets
“There’s actually something that convenient?” Little Donnie’s eyes lit up as the words slipped out before he could stop himself. That sounded absurdly useful.
The legendary Heavenly Judgment Knight, Ailindel Morningsong, a hero who had fought countless demons and horrors beyond imagination, instinctively held her breath. A soul imprint sequence? Of course she knew what that meant.
“Impossible.”
Without hesitation, she shot Little Donnie a glance and flatly denied it.
“You think such a thing is commonplace? A demon’s soul imprint sequence is the deepest secret of its existence. It is the very foundation of its connection to the Sulfur Abyss, the origin point from which it was born from chaotic will itself. Forget revealing it to others—even within their most private dreams, demons themselves can never perceive the entirety of it.”
Her voice carried memories from ten thousand years ago.
“Before the great war erupted in my era, a Tyrian Great Sage in black robes, one who specialized in the study of souls, spent seventy-four months researching a captured Horned Demon, merely a lesser demon. Only then did he accidentally obtain the creature’s complete imprint sequence from the shattered echoes of its soul. Do you know what became of that demon?”
Ailindel’s gaze swept across the group. Everyone she looked at felt a chill run down their spine.
“That Horned Demon was forced to become the magical core of the Great Sage’s arcane furnace for two hundred years. Every shred of its power, every fragment of its soul, was drained dry. Only at the very end, under the Great Sage’s orders, was it allowed to devour its own soul and disappear completely. For all creations born of the Sulfur Abyss, exposing their imprint sequence is the cruelest torture imaginable and the most tragic possible end. They would rather die ten million times than reveal even the smallest fragment of it.”
After hearing that, Little Donnie immediately shrank back and wisely stopped talking.
Vivi and Renee felt their hearts sink further and further, while the hope Romina had only just regained shattered all over again. She nearly lost her footing.
Unfortunately, even heroes could not comprehend the terrifying existence known as “game settings,” nor the obsessive enthusiasm of players digging through lore and background details, Nolan thought to himself. All of that effort from his previous life had become his advantage now.
Back then, the first four of the eight Demon Overlords had already been thoroughly dissected by players. Especially after the “Gap of Ages” was revealed, Qroshu, the first Demon Overlord players encountered in the midgame, had practically been studied inside and out.
From its favorite tastes in food to its most guarded soul imprint sequence, players had uncovered everything.
As for the later Demon Overlords escaping such treatment, that was simply because they had not yet appeared in the story.
Ailindel’s gaze returned to Nolan, the disappointment in her expression becoming even more obvious. “You’re not about to say…”
Before she could finish, Nolan calmly interrupted her once again, “Yes.” Meeting her disbelieving stare head-on, he spoke in the tone of someone merely stating a fact. “I know the exact soul imprint sequence of Demon Overlord Qroshu.”
One sentence.
That was all it took for the air in the entire hall to freeze solid.
Ailindel herself stiffened completely. The last time she had reacted so strongly was when she personally witnessed three Saints join forces to unleash a forbidden spell beyond the twelfth-circle against an Energyborn Void Whale, a scene so destructive it seemed capable of annihilating the heavens themselves.
Those amber eyes that had witnessed ten thousand years of history were now filled with utter disbelief. As someone who had personally experienced the War of Heaven and the daughter of one of the Seven Saints, her knowledge surpassed almost everyone in the current Vaughn Continent. The number of people alive who knew more than she did could probably be counted on one hand. And every one of them would be ancient immortals from races like the dragons or the Tyrians. Even the High Elves at the height of their civilization would not have qualified to compare with her.
Yet today, this young man claiming to be human had shocked her again and again.
And this time was the most unbelievable of all.
“Wh-what did Boss just say?” Little Donnie stammered toward Vivi, seriously suspecting something had gone wrong with his hearing.
At that moment, everyone except Nolan exchanged bewildered glances.
Forget Renee, who had only recently joined them, or Romina, who had merely become an unexpected companion. Even Little Donnie, who had followed Nolan the longest and long since grown accustomed to his brilliance, stared at him in utter shock.
Memories from the journey flashed through their minds one after another.
He had opened the seal to the Gap of Ages through methods that were bizarre yet flawlessly precise.
He had used Primordial Runes to unlock a Tyrian gate sealed for ten thousand years.
Inside the deadly corridor packed with fatal traps, he had walked through it as casually as a stroll through a garden, knowing every mechanism and every method of disarming them.
He even understood the operating principles of the lost all-purpose golem’s core.
All those mysteries now converged into a single crushing question hanging over everyone’s mind.
Why did Nolan know so many secrets long buried by time?
At his age, most nobles were probably still devoting the bulk of their studies to court etiquette and learning how to charm aristocratic ladies and young lords.
Yet Nolan spoke casually about ancient secrets that only the most erudite Tyrians would discuss. He had already left them so far behind they could no longer even see his back. Could there truly exist someone omniscient in this world?
Meanwhile, a prophecy from Ailindel’s era surfaced in her mind—a prophecy once widespread, yet never understood.
“The Omniscient One descends from the unknown; doom in the left hand, glory in the right.”
“In His eyes, there are no secrets. Beneath His feet, there is no fate.”
Could it be…
She dared not continue the thought. It was far too insane.
Seeing the expressions on everyone’s faces, Nolan naturally knew just how shocking his declaration had sounded. But he had no time to explain himself now. What he needed were tangible results. He needed to convince this stubborn Moon Elf knight as quickly as possible. Even if they took him for a mad prophet, it no longer mattered.
He could always patch things up later. Ancient texts, divine revelations in dreams—once he succeeded, people would believe whatever explanation he gave.
“I would be delighted to see Qroshu permanently destroyed.” Ailindel looked at him deeply, forcibly calming herself from her shock. Her tone regained the caution of a seasoned soldier. “But I cannot simply believe such… extraordinary claims based on your word alone. I hope you understand.”
“I understand your caution.” Nolan nodded, unsurprised. “The nature of imprint sequences means they cannot simply be spoken aloud. The moment those deep conceptual symbols are uttered, they resonate directly at the soul level. Even suppressed, Qroshu would immediately notice. And once it enters a state of absolute self-isolation in advance, then all our efforts truly will have been wasted. Compared to an immortal being like it, human lifespans are far too short. It can afford to wait.”
Nolan’s expression turned grave.
“I’m not going to gamble our lives, my territory, my kingdom, or even the fate of this world just to prove myself. So… could you do me a favor?”
One of Ailindel’s brows rose slightly. “What exactly do you mean?”
“As a war spirit existing between matter and spirit, you possess a unique soul form, don’t you?”
Nolan’s words startled her yet again.
He even understood the fundamental nature of war spirits.
“In theory, you should be capable of acting as a bridge between two separate spiritual worlds. Correct?” Looking directly at her, Nolan revealed his plan. “I have a foolproof method to prove that everything I’ve said is true.”
Ailindel instantly realized what he meant. Her breathing suddenly quickened. For the first time since awakening, true alarm appeared openly on her face, her amber eyes filled with shock. “Have you lost your mind?”
The words burst out before she could stop them.
“You want to enter Qroshu’s spiritual world?!”