Du Wei didn't know how long he had been in a coma, but as a magician, he naturally had much better control over his mental power. Before he became comatose, he had already made some spiritual hints to himself in his consciousness.
So, in fact, when he woke up from his coma, it was still dark.
The pain in his chest had eased a lot. Du Wei tried his best to tilt his head, but he felt a splitting headache. It felt like something was cracking out of his head. The slightest thought made him feel dizzy.
"You'd better stop moving and don't think about anything now." Gargamel's voice came from beside him.
This little mouse once again transformed into a big mouse as tall as a person. God knows, if someone saw it like this, it would definitely scare them to death.
"I have a severe headache." Du Wei groaned.
"This is normal." Gargamel held a cup with both hands, brought it to Duwei's mouth, and poured the contents in little by little.
Du Wei frowned: "It's so bitter...what...well, why do I smell a little bit of ice berries? You won't give me such a thing, will you?"
"It's just a little medicine... I specially added a little ice berry. You know, ice berry can relieve pain, and this kind of thing can stimulate people's mental power, although it is mostly used as a psychedelic drug... Okay
, Don’t worry, I diluted it to the safest amount and it won’t cause any harm to you.”
Gargamel put down the cup and took a towel to wipe the medicine residue from the corners of Duwei's mouth.
"When can I recover?" Du Wei immediately asked impatiently.
"I must warn you, my Lord Duke. My little genius magician!" Gargamel said with a hint of mockery in his tone: "The first rule of the magician: Do not overdraw your magic power at any time, otherwise you will
It’s going to be very ugly. You don’t even know this, right?”
Du Wei smiled bitterly: "Of course I know."
"Don't think I'm joking." Gargamel warned Duwei seriously: "For us magicians, mental power is our foundation! And if you overdraw your magic power, your mental power will be used more than your
In line with... Then there will be problems with your brain... I know that there are many crazy guys in history who became idiots because of excessive use of magic and overdraft of magic power! Do you want to become an idiot?
?”
"But I heard that overdraft magic will cause me to be raped and fucked." Du Wei curled his lips.
"That's a worse outcome." Gargamel choked Du Wei: "Which one do you prefer, becoming an idiot or being raped?"
Du Wei shrank his neck: "I don't even like it."
"Then listen to me. Don't try to overdraw your magic power in the future. You are in danger this time... If it weren't for the multicolored stone ring I got you... you would be a skeleton wrapped in human skin now.
Already."
After sighing, Gargamel stared at Duwei... This scene was a bit ridiculous: a big rat stared at you, with a hint of reproach and regret in its eyes.
But Du Wei couldn't laugh it off, he could feel that Gargamel was very serious.
"You are now the boss of all of us." Gargamel shrugged: "Whether we like it or not, this is the fact: you are the boss! The fate of many people now depends on you! My, Hou
Saiin's, Vivian's, Her Majesty Queen Medusa's... those of your subordinates... If something goes wrong with you, then everyone will be in chaos. So, even if you don't care about your life, you will take risks in the future.
Before this, please think more about the lives of us people."
After taking the potion mixed with ice berries, the effect was very obvious. Du Wei soon felt that his headache was less painful. He managed to sit up, touched his ribs, and found that there was no pain anymore: "My ribs?
"
"Don't worry, I didn't give you a drink from the fountain of youth." The mouse shook his head: "I know a little bit of healing skills. Although it's not very strong, I can still manage to make a few bones."
Du Wei managed to climb out of the bed, holding the head of the bed with both hands. He stood firm: "What time is it now?"
"If you go to the window, you can see the sun just rising."
After a pause, Gargamel suddenly spoke in a low tone: "Duwei, I must apologize to you...because I couldn't do anything to help when the prairie people attacked the city."
Du Wei waved his hand: "I understand...you can't go out to meet people like this."
Humans are the most cruel creatures, especially those who are harsh on aliens. They are almost the most cruel of all creatures. Like Gargamel, if a big mouse in human form walks out, it will immediately be regarded as a monster.
, it may even cause panic among people...and hatred!
In fact, among Du Wei's men, the only ones who knew about the existence of Gargamel, a humanoid mouse, were those who had participated in the adventure in the frozen forest.
In addition, Solskjaer and Seth are now in Gilliat City, and they also know the existence of Gargamel. Solskjaer is already considered an old subordinate of Du Wei. This magic experiment
Du Wei's genius has been recognized as a core member by Du Wei, and the psychological acceptance of magicians is far stronger than that of ordinary people. As for Seth... Since Du Wei has deceived him out of the magic union using despicable methods, besides
Apart from following Du Wei wholeheartedly, this big-headed genius has no other choice.
The production base in Gilliat City is nominally run by Solskjaer and Seth, but in fact during the testing and production process, the two secretly solicit the opinions of mice. After all, this is
Rat can be a real magician who has gone through a complete and systematic magic learning, and his level is much higher than that of two geniuses. In terms of experience, as well as knowledge of magic theory, it is even more valuable.
"It's almost time. My transformation skills are about to be advanced again... At that time, I can reluctantly turn into a human form... and then take the opportunity to drink the fountain of youth..." Gargamel opened the curtains to let in the sunshine outside.
He poured in, then walked aside and blew out the candles. He turned back to Du Wei and said, "I can become a human again... but my transformation skills will be greatly reduced again."
Du Wei sighed: "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. There are still 20,000 enemies outside the city. Let's first consider how to drive away those prairie wolves... I think you must have some surprises for me, right?"
"
Du Wei blinked.
Gargamel nodded: "It's true... that batch of things has been made. The first batch of experimental products has been completed. Solskjaer and I tested it and it felt pretty good. But you have to know that this kind of thing is very
Planting saplings, especially saplings, which take the passage of time, is very troublesome. Sometimes, they die before we can use the passage of time to spawn them. The genius idea of that old madman Alec is indeed crazy enough.
But it's such a waste! God... If we didn't have the 'Time Pass' spring, I'm afraid even a rich emperor wouldn't be able to afford such a batch of things! This is simply accumulated with a huge amount of money... and it's still
You have to add luck. If you are not lucky, no matter how much money you throw at it, it will be in vain."
Du Wei smiled: "Take me to see it."
Gargamel turned around and walked to the corner, then moved a box on the ground. He pulled up a piece of floorboard and immediately revealed a passage below.
Du Wei opened his eyes wide: "God, when did you create a secret passage here? Is this secret passage leading to our secret warehouse?"
"Yes, that's right." Gargamel sighed: "Don't forget, with my appearance, I can't go out struttingly anytime and anywhere. Every time I go out, I have to wear a robe and not show my face... and I have to choose to do it at night. It's very difficult.
It was inconvenient, so I simply built a tunnel like this. From my room, I can directly access Solskjaer and Seth’s laboratories, as well as our secret storage warehouse.”
Du Wei walked to the secret passage and looked at the steps under the floor. The passage did not look small. He smiled bitterly and said: "How much time did you spend on this thing... This kind of secret passage must not be done by slaves.
Did you dig it alone?"
Gargamel smiled mysteriously: "Don't forget, I am a mouse, but I am the best at digging holes!"
This secret passage is not too wide, but as you walk along, there are three or four forks below. It is cold and damp, and there are traces of moss on the surrounding walls.
This was the original Governor's Mansion in Gilliat City. The Governor's Mansion was in disrepair for a long time. Du Wei walked for a while and saw that this secret passage was definitely not dug by Gargamel the mouse alone. Even if it dug a
Even if a rat army comes, it will never be able to complete such a big project!
"Where did this secret passage come from?" Du Wei asked in surprise.
Gargamel finally smiled... It was really strange for a mouse to smile on his face: "Okay, to be honest, I did plan to dig an underground passage myself. It doesn't have to be big, as long as
As long as I can pass through when I turn into a little mouse, it's not difficult. But when I dug down in the room, I found this place. I was also very surprised, why is there such a thing under the Governor's Palace?
Such a secret passage...maybe it was created by the former governor."
Du Wei thought about it and felt relieved.
The northwest, especially the Desa province, is the closest to the foreign tribes. The northwest army is constantly harassed by the foreign tribes and cannot be counted on. Therefore, many people in every household are accustomed to making cellars in their homes, in case there are horse thieves or grassland invaders.
When robbers came to visit, the whole family would hide in the cellar.
It is not unusual for some wealthy families to create a secret passage.
It's just that... looking at the criss-crossing secret passage in front of me... this project is probably too big.
Du Wei also lived in this dilapidated Governor's Mansion for a while, but he never thought that there would be such a place at his feet!
After walking for more than ten meters, a three-way intersection appeared in the tunnel. Gargamel smiled and said: "This place is very big. To be honest, even I haven't understood everything yet. I have only mastered about half of it now."
There are exactly two directions leading to Solskjaer's laboratory, and the other direction is our reserve warehouse... The road ahead is not easy. Let's be careful."
Du Wei stopped and looked at the mouse seriously: "You said you haven't even traveled here completely? When did you find out?"
"Uh... about a month ago." The mouse smiled.
Du Wei's face looked a little ugly: "Why didn't you send someone to inform me?"
Gargamel didn't seem to care, and he sighed: "My lord, I have visited all the places. Although this place is very big, I haven't found anything... If I find something valuable here,
If so, I will definitely send someone to inform you as soon as possible. Well, I think this is just an underground shelter dug by the former governor. There is no need to make a fuss, right?"
Du Wei shook his head. His expression was serious: "Gargamel, you are wrong."
Du Wei suddenly took a step back, lay on the ground and touched the ground around him, and then listened carefully to the air and the sound of subtle airflow in the secret passage. Then he stood up and rubbed the soil in his hands:
"My Mouse Prime Minister... you really don't understand! Although you are a magician, you obviously don't understand architecture! God, do you think this is an underground shelter? Let me tell you. Based on my understanding of the Roland Empire since I was a child
From the perspective of architectural research, this place is definitely not as simple as a shelter!”
He stamped the ground and said: "Have you noticed that the ground here is not flat, but has a very slight slope from high to low... very subtle. You can't find it if you don't look carefully! It often looks like this
The slope of the ground is to prevent water from flooding in! The water flows to the lower areas, so that things stored in high places will not get damp!" After a pause, he pointed to the far side of the passage: "Did you hear the subtle sound?
Is there any sound of airflow? It means there is a hidden vent here. Otherwise, this place has been buried for so many years, and if you dare to come down rashly, you will soon suffocate to death."
He pointed at the forks: "The most important thing is, do you think an underground shelter needs so many forks?"
Gargamel shrugged his shoulders: "Perhaps the people who built this place were worried that enemies would rush down, in order to confuse the enemies?"
Du Wei smiled. He did not argue with Gargamel about this anymore. After all, there are specialties in the arts, and it was not a good idea to discuss architecture with a magician.
"Hey, you're going wrong, we're going to the left." Gargamel shouted as he watched Du Wei take the fork on the right.
"I know, I'm just curious about this place." Du Wei said. He smiled and said, "Okay. Come on, take me for a walk."
Gargamel sighed and had no choice but to let Du Wei do it.
The mouse's guess actually makes sense. The secret passage is no wider than two people shoulder to shoulder, and no taller than one person's height. If you follow the fork in the road, you will find that after turning two corners, there are two figures on the walls on both sides.
Cellar-like rooms were excavated one after another.
"This place should be used to hide people," Gargamel said with a smile.
"My dear Mouse Prime Minister." Du Wei pointed angrily at these cellars that were as dense as insect eggs: "How many people do you think can be accommodated in these cellars if they are used to hide people? Five hundred people? Eight hundred people?
People? Heck... if it is a hiding place for evacuation, then the fewer people who know about it, the better! He will never create such a place that can accommodate hundreds of people! Moreover, why does he have so many rooms? Is he hiding underground?
Do you need to sleep in separate rooms when you are escaping?"
Finally, Du Wei measured the height of these cellars, and his expression became even more confused: "My Gargamel! You must have been a mouse for too long and have forgotten what the height of a normal person is! Look, these cellars
Although it is very deep and large, the height is not very high! If you are an adult man, you can only curl up in this cellar!"
After a pause, Du Wei looked back at Gargamel: "Also, don't you think it's strange? We've been walking for so long, what did you find?"
"...No." The mouse shook his head: "It's all empty here, there's nothing."
"It's strange that there is nothing." Du Wei frowned: "This is underground! But after we walked for so long, what did we see? Logically speaking, this kind of underground building is not exposed to light all year round, so it is most suitable for rats, ants or snakes...
...These creatures survive! But did you see a mouse here? Did you see a centipede or any insect here? I just looked carefully for a while, and there wasn’t even an ant here! Don’t you think it’s strange?
?”
Gargamel was finally speechless.
At the end of the tunnel, a wall appeared in front of Du Wei.
"This is the end." Gargamel said, "I've been here before and found nothing. Do you want to turn back and walk in the other direction?"
Du Wei did not speak. He stood here quietly, looking at the wall. He was silent for a long time, seeming to be thinking about something.
"Something's wrong." Du Wei suddenly shook his head: "I feel something is wrong."
He pointed at the wall, and then at the tunnel behind him: "I just walked all the way, and I feel that the people who built this place, everything is in line with the principles of architecture... But here, this passage ends. Absolutely
It shouldn’t be a wall! From an architectural perspective, you see, we just walked all the way, and it looked flat under our feet, but in fact there is a slight slope going up! If this is used to store things, then this is
This is the highest place in this underground labyrinth! Since they built it like this, there should be a cellar or room for storing things... It definitely shouldn't be a wall."
"So, what's behind this wall? Maybe it's a secret room?" Gargamel also became interested.
"Just open this wall and you will know." Du Wei said with a smile.
The walls in this secret passage are made of solid northwest stones. For ordinary people, it may be difficult to break open a wall, but for two magicians, it is really simple.
Gargamel cast a magic of "earth element decomposition". On the wall in front of him, the earth element in the originally hard stone immediately decomposed and flowed away. The originally hard stone became as soft as tofu, and could be dug easily.
opened.
After digging through the wall, what hit us was a rotten smell that had been trapped in dust for a long time! This disgusting and disgusting smell almost made Du Wei stun him. He covered his nose hard: "Oh my god, what is inside here?"
What is that! Is it a hut?"
Gargamel also looked as if he was going to faint at any moment: "I'm afraid the latrine isn't that smelly!"
There was indeed a secret room inside the wall, but it had been sealed for too long. The inside was suddenly opened, and the turbid air immediately made people almost suffocated. Du Wei tore off a piece of clothing and wrapped it around his nose. Then he opened it again.
I cast a small wind magic at random, causing the wind to flow in. After a while, the filthy air inside was swept away, and then I walked in cautiously.
He took out a magic gem from his arms and randomly injected a bit of magic power into it. The magic gem immediately flashed with light, illuminating the secret room.
Under the light, you can clearly see countless dust particles floating in the air. And under the faint light, Du Wei saw clearly what was in the secret room. He couldn't help but froze, and behind him, Gargamel also let out a low cry.
: "God, what are these?!"
On the ground, there were several corpses lying scattered everywhere... No, to be precise, they were just a few skeletons!
I don’t know how many years have passed, the flesh and blood of these corpses have long since rotted and turned into dust... Thinking that when they walked in just now, the disgusting stench was the corpse stench sealed in this room, the two of them couldn't help but think.
vomit!
And the dust particles in the air are probably the rotting and weathered corpses of these dead people...
Du Wei's face was pale, and if he hadn't supported him with all his strength, he might have vomited on the spot.
However, driven by curiosity, he leaned down, held his breath, and carefully examined the bones.
It stands to reason that even bones will corrode after being stored for many years! But these skeletons are extremely weird!
The first is their texture! Du Wei vaguely discovered that although some parts of these skeletons had been oxidized and turned black, they had a faint... metallic luster!!
It’s strange, how come the skeleton of a creature looks like metal?
Resisting the feeling of nausea, Du Wei tore off a piece of cloth, wrapped it in his hand, and knocked it gently... Then he confirmed that the texture of these skeletons was extremely hard! If they were normal bones, as the calcium evaporated,
, will become brittle or even hollow...but these skeletons have fine texture and are very hard!
No wonder. After the flesh and blood have decayed, these skeletons are so complete!
And the second point... made Du Wei terrified!!
These skeletons... don't seem to be human!!
In other words... they look like humans, but they are not humans!
For example, the skeleton in front of me looks like a human in general outline, but in terms of size and height, it looks more like a dwarf... but it has thick bones and is extremely strong!
Or...is...the legendary dwarf?!
There are several other skeletons, most of which are similar in structure to humans. But some individual parts, such as teeth, skull shape, and fingers...
Du Wei looked back at Gargamel and noticed that the mouse was looking blank.
"Gargamel." Duwei's smile seemed a little breathtaking: "Do you know what I think of when I look at these things?"
"What?"
Du Wei took a deep breath:
"Remember, on the sacred mountain guarded by the dragon clan, we saw those strange creatures that were killed by the dragon clan and tried to break through the sacred mountain and return to the Roland continent? Those half-human and half-animal creatures are said to have been killed by the ancients.
Is it a race that the gods have banished?"
Gargamel is speechless!
There is no doubt...the skeletons in front of me are clearly that kind of thing!
There were a total of six skeletons in the room. After Du Wei looked at them one by one, he realized that the first two were short and stocky...probably dwarfs. The next three seemed to be some kind of half-animal and half-human beings.
monster.
What surprised Du Wei was the last one!
"Oh my God! Gargamel, come and see! This is a human being! A pure human being!!" Du Wei exclaimed, and he bent down and knelt beside the last skeleton.
From the shape, outline, and characteristics of the bones... this is clearly a human skeleton! It's strange... why is there a human among so many monsters?
What's even more strange is that this human skeleton is far away from the monsters, but huddled in the corner. Judging from his posture, he is lying there, facing the corner. His hands are still stretched forward.
Du Wei gently touched the skeleton, and he was surprised to find that this guy, who was clearly a human, had the same bones as those of monsters... as if they had turned into metal, very hard!
If the monster's natural skeleton is different from that of humans, it would be easy to understand... But how did this human do it?
Du Wei's heart was filled with mysteries and he couldn't help but be stunned.
Suddenly, Gargamel walked up behind Du Wei, as if he had discovered something: "Du Wei! Look! What's on the wall!"
"oh?"
Du Wei heard this and looked towards the corner of the wall. Sure enough, in his excitement, he made an omission. Now, under the light of the magic gem in his hand, on the corner of the wall, there was a pattern carved with something sharp!
Judging from the dying posture of this dead human being, it is likely that he carved it before he died!
Moreover... the pattern is carved very deeply, three-quarters of the way into the stone! There are no tools here, so it can be explained that... he carved it hard on the bones with the tips of his own fingers?
"This pattern..." Gargamel's tone suddenly became very strange.
Du Wei stared at the pattern carefully, his eyes showing complicated expressions, including surprise, disbelief, even fear, and curiosity...
Because, this pattern is a flying flag!
And in the middle of the flag, there is a ferocious skeleton with empty eyes, as if it is smiling ferociously at people!
Bloody skull flag?!!
The bloody skull flag of the Witch King on the grassland?!
At this moment, Du Wei's heart beat like a drum. How could the skull and crossbones flag of the Witch King on the grassland appear in the underground secret room of the Governor's Mansion, the provincial capital of the empire?
Could it be that this dead human being was from the grassland? Was he a shaman?
Also, how to explain these dead monsters?!
Why are there still these exiled racial creatures on Roland Continent?
Finally, a clue was finally discovered by Du Wei!
He opened the dead man's bones with force, and found a few lines of small words carved on the solid stone floor from under his body!
These lines were written in an extremely sloppy way. What made Du Wei even more depressed was that the person who wrote these lines was obviously before his death. His mind was a little unclear and the writing was sloppy. However, even the words were very confusing.
!Sometimes it is the language of the empire, and the next time it is mixed with a few words that I cannot understand. It must be the language of the grassland.
It is very difficult to read such an article. It makes people read it even more confusingly.
The content of this article is as follows:
"The last test was successful... but the result proved my failure. Bai Hechou, my best disciple, you are the right one. It's a pity that I didn't understand this until this moment. Although I am not willing to accept it, the last one
The test subject also died... (A string of words that Du Wei could not understand was inserted here)... The human body cannot bear it. I have proved this with my blood and life... (Another incomprehensible paragraph.
(Understandable text)... I finally understand that your move to take away the Witch King was correct. You are the most suitable person to lead the Snow Mountain. I am indeed a madman... But above the bloody skull flag, there should be
my name!"
As the text was written here, a large area suddenly became vacant. This man apparently carved these on the stone slab with the bones of his sharp fingertips. There were also faint traces of dried blood remaining on the stone slab.
Below is a long, long scratch. This person was probably in extreme pain when he wrote these words. His fingers scratched a terrifyingly deep mark on the stone slab!
The last paragraph is much clearer!
"If someone can see this, then you will be my chosen one. I don't know how many years it will take before someone can see this. Whether you are a Roland, a prairie, an orc, an elf, a dwarf... I
I will give you the greatest wealth! In the left corner of the room, there are four and five under the stone slabs that hide my life's witchcraft! Whether you like it or not. If you learn it, you will become my fourth disciple!
In return, I will give you an important task...
One day, I will go to the Snowy Mountains and tell Bai Hechou that although he defeated me and took away the position of Witch King, I have never regretted having him as a disciple in my life!"
Finally sign as follows:
"The 364th Witch King of the Snow Mountain, Gu Lanxiu, is the last word! May the sacred bloody skull and crossbones flag protect my Snow Mountain forever!"
Du Wei read this in one breath and couldn't help but be shocked!
Witch King? He’s actually a former Witch King?!
Gargamel next to him also finished reading this article, raised his head and stared at Du Wei. One person and one mouse looked at each other like this for a long time, both of them had extremely weird expressions.
The two of them were silent for a long time, sighing at the same time. Du Wei smiled bitterly and said: "It's really a big discovery!!"
Gargamel stretched out his claws and scratched his head hard, and said with a wry smile: "Okay, this is the last words of a guy named Gu Lanxiu. He was a former Witch King... He was killed by his disciple, a man named Gu Lanxiu.
The guy Bai Hechou was defeated and deprived of his position as the Witch King... and came to our Roland Empire... and..."
"Okay, Gargamel." Du Wei waved his hand, his smile was very strange: "This last statement has brought a lot of information... and a lot of questions!"
"But how could a Witch King be in the Roland Empire? And it was also in the Governor's Mansion, the capital of a province?! How could he spend so much time building such an underground maze?" Gargamel asked in confusion.
Du Wei raised his eyebrows: "I can answer this question just right."
He pointed to the last signature on the stone slab: "I happen to know the name Gu Lanxiu."
Then he said slowly: "When I came to the northwest, I carefully checked the names and information of every governor and lord of the Dessa Province in the past few decades. And this Gu Lanxiu took office as Dessa thirty-five years ago.
The provincial governor, who had been in office for more than ten years... just after the last war between the empire and the northwest, he died! And he was the last governor of the Desa province in the history of the empire! After that, the province of Desa became
It became the domain of the nobles, then it became the domain of Governor Bohan, and now, it has become my territory... I happened to see his name."
Seeing the strange expression on the mouse, Du Wei said: "I saw it from the empire's official information... You know, I have a photographic memory when I read books."
"Help..." Mouse Gargamel groaned: "A former Witch King, who lost power and fled to the empire, can still be explained... but how can he become the governor?"
"This...I can't explain it." Du Wei shook his head.
What he doesn't know yet is...
Lan Hai, a disciple of Daxue Mountain, can become a great scholar in the imperial capital who is respected and favored even by the royal family.
So, as a former Witch King, even though he was a fallen Witch King, with such a powerful man's magical power, he entered the empire to hide his identity and became a governor in a marginal barren land. It didn't seem to be a big deal.
It's strange. What's more, the governor of a ghost place like Desa Province is originally a hot potato that everyone can't avoid. It is not too difficult for a strong man to hold such an official position.
The two looked at each other, and the mouse Gargamel jumped up immediately: "Quick! That thing under the stone slab! Didn't this Witch King say that he left behind what he had learned all his life... witchcraft? I can always treat the prairie people's
I am very interested in the witchcraft of shamans!”
However, when the two of them opened the stone slab, they were both stunned.
The Witch King named Gu Lanxiu did not lie. He did leave behind his own witchcraft. This was a book that had obviously been soaked in some kind of medicine and had not been rotten or damaged.
But... neither Du Wei nor Gargamel could understand a single word of the text above!
"It's the writing of the grassland people." Gargamel sighed: "We need a translation."
Du Wei smiled, his smile was very sinister: "Translator? Don't forget, there are more than 20,000 prairie cavalry outside the city... there are more than enough candidates who can be translators!"