Su Hao never saw the Wehrmacht soldiers who entered the tunnel again. This kind of thing does sound cruel, but it is a last resort.

Senior Deacon Nashbal apparently learned some of Su Hao's thoughts from Dai Xiaolou. After the two-month spiritual purification, that is, the brainwashing ceremony, he called Su Hao to his temporary office.

He still looked kind and kind, and warmly invited Su Hao to sit down and pour a glass of wine for the guests. Sipping the ruddy liquid from the glass, Nashbal smiled and said, "I have to tell you something. Perhaps, they can make some of the thoughts in your mind fade. ”

Su Hao is a smart guy: "Is it about those "probable" infected? ”

"It's not a possibility, it's that what you expected has happened."

Nashbal's gaze and voice were filled with pity: "The Purifying Knight is not as ruthless as outsiders think. Every person in our team who entered the summit tunnel was tested. The genetic gland transplantation technique is indeed a perfect crystallization, and it is the most precious reward from the emperor to us. It's a pity that this luck doesn't spread to everyone. ”

Su Hao had already guessed the outcome of the matter: "Those Wehrmacht soldiers...... They, all infected? ”

Deacon Nashbal nodded slowly: "Their souls and bodies are tempted by demons, they must be purified and never return to our world. ”

Su Hao looked at the wine glass in his hand and asked softly, "I can understand the infection mutations from viruses and bacteria. From the very beginning, the pharmacist Zhang Zhongyuan tried his best to convince me that the cause of this qiē incident should be some kind of plague. But ......"

Deacon Nashbal looked at Su Hao, who was about to speak, and smiled kindly: "Just say what you have!" You reassure me that you're not the kind of person who needs to make me defensive. In front of me, you can speak freely. ”

Having said that, it is impossible for Su Hao to have a heart-to-heart relationship with Nashbal, who has just known him for a short time. What's more, the other party is still a high-ranking clergyman.

"We all heard Coxon speak at that time."

Su Hao pondered for a moment and said, "In the radio, in the communication channel, there seems to be a force controlling this place. Ghosts, forgive me for using the word, I think it's appropriate here. It's not just the virus, it's also the one that controls Coxon. ”

"I knew the purification ritual wasn't going to work on you. But it doesn't matter, because you're not the kind of guy who doesn't know what to do and talks nonsense. ”

Nashbal laughed: "Psychic rituals can only work on ordinary people with average thinking power. Your self-restraint is very strong, which is one of the reasons why I didn't use psychic pressure on you. Otherwise, you will not sit here, but will be taken away by the people of the Inquisition, and subjected to more severe interrogation. ”

Su Hao didn't feel malice from Nashbar, so he became more and more bold: "You just said one of the reasons? Could it be, what else? ”

"Of course!"

The Holy See deacon nodded and said meaningfully: "Don't forget, Torugal himself is a clergyman. Without the acknowledgment and praise that the Bishop of Mordilinia had previously given you, you would not be able to enjoy this treatment now. ”

Without waiting for Su Hao to answer, Nashbal had already continued: "I didn't mean to intimidate you. In fact, this conversation between me and you is also a recognition of your identity and strength. ”

Su Hao frowned slightly: "Identity and strength? ”

"A special message was sent from the headquarters of your main legion this morning, and you have been promoted to Legion Major for your combat exploits in the DS A66 space field. The details of the commendation will not be announced until you return to the Overworld. The reason I'm calling you here now is because you've reached the level where you know some of the secrets. ”

Deacon Nashbar's words reminded Su Hao that Dai Xiaolou had said similar things to himself.

Su Hao's expression was still confused: "Your Excellency Deacon, is the secret you said related to the mutation on Coxen's body?" ”

Nashbal was still smiling: "I will tell you what you saw in the cave tunnel that day. It was a secret, but only for ordinary people and low-class soldiers. As long as it crosses the rank of the Legion Major, and with the dual permission of the Holy See and the Legion Headquarters, anyone can understand it. Because in the eyes of ordinary people, this secret is not important and cannot affect their daily lives. But for us it is very different. Major Su, your love is so nervous, I hope this secret can soothe your love Xù. But the premise is that you have to make sure that you keep it in the strictest way. ”

Su Hao got up from his seat, took a deep breath, and nodded very seriously: "I can, I will keep this secret strictly." ”

Nashbal waved his hand and motioned for Su Hao to sit down. He took a sip of wine and said slowly, "The source of the Qiē thing all lies in the space realm of an empire numbered "0X1". ”

Su Hao's face was full of surprise: "The space realm, not the main world?" ”

"Yes, the space domain, a very special space domain."

Nashbal continued to speak in a deep tone, "It was a very peculiar place, unlike any space realm that had been explored. There's a lot of power there, and a raging energy. There are creatures there, similar in appearance to humans, but with obvious differences. According to the top-secret number of the Imperial Research Department, those creatures possess human genes, most likely variants that have gone astray in evolution. They possessed a high level of intelligence, but they did not evolve a civilization that corresponded to Cheng dù. They ......"

"Wait!"

Su Hao interrupted Nashbar's words: "He has extremely high intelligence, but he has not evolved a civilization corresponding to Cheng Dù? What does this mean? ”

The papal deacon smiled: "The biggest difference between humans and animals is that we can make tools. Cutting down trees with an axe, building houses out of them, and then developing more ingenious construction works on top of that, is civilization. The creatures in that space are as intelligent as us, and even have unimaginable ways of communicating with each other. But they show no signs of the development of civilization, tearing each other apart and eating each other, and constantly multiplying on the basis of the same kind. It is simply the dirtiest creation in the world, and if there really are demons, then there is no doubt that they can only be them. ”

Su Hao somewhat understood what Nashbal wanted to express: "You mean, Coxon's changes come from those intelligent creatures in the 0X1 Space Domain?" But what does this have to do with the mutation in Coxen's body? And the voice that appeared in the communication channel. Could it be that those creatures have the ability to break through the barriers of the space realm and reach this world directly? ”

Deacon Nashbal did not directly explain Su Hao's question. He raised his wine glass, pointed in the direction of the source of the light, and carefully admired the color of the wine: "Major Su, do you know everything about the space domain?" ”

Su Hao shook his head and said frankly: "No, I don't know much about the space realm. ”

"My knowledge of it is also superficial."

Nashbal looked very sincere: "No matter who it is, even the Supreme Emperor, he can't understand the whole picture of the space realm. I have to admit it painfully, but it's true. We are proceeding on the basis of this fact. For our empire, the space domain is indeed a very important tool. That's right, tools. It gives us almost unlimited resources that allow us to get the material we need from different areas of space. Ore, grain, water, medicine...... It is no exaggeration to say that without the space realm, the human empire would fall apart. Because of the output of various resources in the Overworld, it is simply impossible to feed so many people, and it is impossible to maintain the normal operation of various legions, huge Wehrmacht, and the entire Holy See. We are constantly developing the space field, and at the same time, we are constantly discovering new space areas. We use it, we use it, but we don't have the power to completely control it. ”

Su Hao interrupted the words of the Holy See deacon again: "Can't control it? ”

"I know you have a private space."

Nashbal explained, "Have you seen the Empire's Proven Space Table? Except for the space whose owner is indicated, all other unfamiliar spaces are marked in black. This means that those spaces are either undeveloped or filled with turbulent energy and inaccessible. The space converter is the greatest invention in human history, a gift from the emperor. We rely on space converters to expand our territory, and the same is true for the dark world. One space realm after another feeds us, and there is also the dark world, which feeds us to bite each other and fight to the death. If you think of the space realm as a beast, then it is really dangerous. It tolerates our survival and endures the deprivation of resources with great patience. But who knows how long this patience will last? It may suddenly collapse at some point, and it may remain like this forever. ”

Looking at Su Hao's thoughtful expression, Nashbar smiled slightly: "Be patient, I'm going to talk about the changes in Coxon." Inside the space, there is an ancient power that is neither good nor evil. But it is indispensable for us. We can't judge it ourselves, and we can only use it at our own risk. ”

Su Hao said: "The power you are referring to, is it the various resources inside the space?" ”

"Nothing comes out of nowhere, and neither do resources."

Nashbar's expression became serious: "Coal and oil are both part of the ancient resource. It takes a long time for them to transition from a plant form to the energy form we need. The Overworld is stable, but like everything in the world, it's relative. The existence of the Overworld must be supported by energy from other spatial realms. Note that it's not resources, it's energy. It's a symbiotic relationship that relies on each other. Just as mosses have to survive in a humid environment, strangled vines have to cling to tree trunks to grow, we are us, they are them, but one is indispensable, that's all. ”

Su Hao didn't understand why Nashbal deflected the topic and changed from resources to energy? He reacted quickly, and there was disbelief in his eyes.

"The Overworld is not short of resources. As I said earlier, this kind of "abundance of resources" is actually relative. ”

The deacon's gaze crossed Su Hao's shoulders and landed on the window behind him, as if he wanted to see through the curtain and see the scenery outside: "If the world itself is regarded as the master, and humans and other creatures are regarded as parasites, then we and the dark creatures are actually resource predators. The growing population is always the biggest problem that no government can get rid of. The war between the Empire and the Dark World has been fought on and off, with hundreds of millions of civilians killed in each major war. There are us humans, and there are vile and filthy creatures of darkness. We and they all realize that the resources of the Overworld alone cannot sustain the coexistence of two large races. The only way to do this is to increase the exploration of the space domain and thus find more access to resources. ”

Su Hao asked, "I have a question, how many space realms does the empire have now?" ”

Nashbal shook his head: "I don't know either. The spatial coordinates announced by the Imperial Civil Affairs Headquarters are actually only a part of the realm that has been discovered. It's an age-old trick to use against ambitious guys. Red eyes are a disease. Greed is an extremely immoral sin. In the fight for possession of the space domain, intrigues and vendettas are staged every day. The reason why the Imperial Police are here is precisely to deal with those who are bent on taking advantage of others. Of course, commercial competition is normal, but if abnormal means are used to stab a knife in the back, even if it is in line with the legal basis, there is no evidence of punishment on the surface, and it is still a crime that cannot be pardoned by the emperor. We are not afraid of killing, and this purification contributes to the change of the social environment throughout the empire. It's like a boiling soup, skimming off the scum of sin on the surface, and you can see the truth in the clear colors. However, the actual cleanup process is far beyond your imagination, and in order to reduce unnecessary trouble, many real and useful spatial field coordinates will never be published. This is true on our side, and it is also true in the dark world. ”

Su Hao thought for a moment and asked, "What if someone accidentally enters these unannounced space domains?" ”

"Then he will have to pay for his stupidity."

Nashbal said lightly: "Exploration activities in the space field are very similar to buying lottery tickets to win the lottery. If you find a space with great business value, you can become a huge rich. However, the risks and benefits are equal, which is an additional factor that lotteries do not have. For example, some spatial fields that produce important ores have always belonged to the main legions, or are directly under the jurisdiction of the Holy See. In order to close the source, all entrants will be killed on the spot at the first time, and the legion headquarters will also send special personnel to destroy the space converters held by those involved. In short, no matter what the purpose of the entrant, there is the slightest opportunity to be heard in such a matter. ”

Su Hao was slightly surprised by this explanation: "What if the dark world accidentally entered these spatial realms?" ”

The expression of the papal deacon became cold and rigid: "Then it will no longer be a dispute, but a fierce and brutal battle, and it may even lead to a full-scale war." We had to erase that coordinate record to make it difficult for them to find an accurate spatial location in the next search. ”

Su Hao slowly rubbed his hands: "To do this, you have to enter the dark world?" ”

"Yes."

Nashbar's gray-white eyebrows trembled slightly, and he said, "The dark world is very strict with our precautions, even if the main army attacks, it may still encounter a large-scale dark army to face it. Very few people are able to come back alive on such occasions, and almost every such mission is mortal. We and the dark creatures are like that, two stubborn metal heads that don't know how to be flexible. We use such space to set traps, and how can they not be? You kill it, I fight it, and no one knows when the war will end. ”

There was a hint of pathos in his words, which should have been associated with some painful memories. Su Hao quietly looked at the old man wearing the Purification Knight Battle Armor, and found that the last time they met was because of the light, his hair color was whiter than expected, and the wrinkles on his face were also deep, like the result of a knife carving on the surface of the skin.

"Every space realm that has been explored has the potential to become a battlefield between humans and dark creatures. We've been on the lookout for them, and they're building fortresses inside the space realm, fully armed. However, the war still has to be won in the Overworld, and no matter how many space domains are occupied and how many resources are owned, it is only a change in the specific numbers on the huge war logistics supply table. When the number of spatial realms increases to an absolute extent, which is enough to form a crushing effect on the dark world, the outcome of the victory or defeat of the main world battlefield can be predicted. To put it simply, we have a constant supply of logistical supplies, and they are starved of resources. ”

Su Hao couldn't help but interject: "Can we occupy an all-round advantage?" ”

"It's something we all want to see. However, not yet. ”

Nashbal slowly drank the last of the wine in his glass, "Dark creatures are not brainless fools, they think a lot like us. What we can think of, they will also look at. Do you know why the Overworld has remained relatively calm for so long? That's because there are battles in too many space domains, holding us back from too many of their forces. Although both sides are well aware of the difference between the Overworld and the Space Realm, neither is willing to give up, and the result is a steady stream of troops. "When it comes to the effect, the outcome of the victory or defeat on the Overworld battlefield can be predicted. To put it simply, we have a constant supply of logistical supplies, and they are starved of resources. ”

Su Hao couldn't help but interject: "Can we occupy an all-round advantage?" ”

"It's something we all want to see. However, not yet. ”

Nashbal slowly drank the last of the wine in his glass, "Dark creatures are not brainless fools, they think a lot like us. What we can think of, they will also look at. Do you know why the Overworld has remained relatively calm for so long? That's because there are battles in too many space domains, holding us back from too many of their forces. Although both sides are well aware of the difference between the Overworld and the Space Realm, neither is willing to give up, and the result is a steady stream of troops. ”