The book she mentioned was something Zhao Lun had previously recorded in the library. As soon as the girl spoke, Zhao Lun immediately found it in the book archives.
"The Secrets of the World" — Author: Wind Walker.
Wind Walker was a wandering sorcerer who, according to his own words, had traveled to many places, living a life full of legends.
The book's cover appeared ancient, made of sheepskin, and the contents inside seemed to do no justice to the material, as it resembled a collection of stories rather than a scholarly text, and the narratives were not particularly rigorous.
Zhao Lun opened the book and found the information he was looking for on one of its pages.
"The erosion of the world is the result of being corroded by some powerful force…"
"The source of evil in this world…"
The book stated that in the early 15th century, a portal to another world appeared somewhere on Earth. Two worlds connected, and from the portal emerged powerful creatures like vampires and werewolves, followed by even more dangerous beings.
To close the portal, knights and sorcerers of the time joined forces and ventured into it, seeking a way to seal it. Eventually, they found a solution: they needed to kill the evil creatures near the portal to close it.
After many sacrifices, they succeeded in shutting the portal. However, the survivors, badly wounded, soon succumbed to their injuries, and thus the story was passed down.
From that point, many vampires and werewolves appeared in the world, procreating in human society and forming a dark world separate from humanity.
However, this account was deemed unreliable by scholars, as vampires and werewolves had existed long before this event. They had remained low-key, and only the appearance of new creatures exposed their existence, forcing them to face human persecution.
Whether the account was true or not, Zhao Lun considered it merely a reference.
The origins of vampires and werewolves would be left for scholars to explore; he would investigate the truth when he became a scholar himself.
"To contain evil, we must eradicate evil."
Zhao Lun paused at the last line, unable to calm himself. Excitement, exhilaration, and unease flashed through his mind before he quickly regained his composure.
"Eradicate evil?"
"Maria wants to go too! Maria wants to see that world!"
Her bright, wide eyes gleamed with anticipation as she looked at Zhao Lun, hoping he would agree to let her join the adventure.
Exploring new worlds—forget the accomplishments; the thrill of the adventure was enough. Maria was eager to experience it firsthand.
"You! Better not!"
"Wait until you're a qualified sorcerer, a qualified warrior, then I'll let you go on adventures!"
Zhao Lun didn't even give her a chance, immediately rejecting her. This was a battle, not a game! Bringing her along would only cause trouble!
"Maria, Allen is right. You're not a warrior yet. You can't go on an adventure."
"Yes, it's too dangerous. You're too young. You shouldn't go."
"We can't guarantee your safety, so it's best if you don't go."
The others, seeing Zhao Lun refuse to let Maria follow, sighed in relief. At least Zhao Lun hadn't done something they would worry about.
"Maria has already received her Hogwarts admission letter! Maria is a sorcerer now! She can help her brother!" Maria didn't give up; instead, she pulled out the acceptance letter and showed it to Zhao Lun.
"Maria received her admission letter? When? Why didn't you tell me?" Zhao Lun said, his voice filled with surprise.
Although it was certain Maria was qualified to become a sorcerer, Zhao Lun had been anxious until he received the actual letter. Now that she had it, he could finally relax and was genuinely happy for her.
"Then! Can I go with you?" Maria asked, her face lighting up with hope as she looked at Zhao Lun.
"No!" Receiving the admission letter didn't mean she was a sorcerer! What nonsense! Zhao Lun didn't even think before rejecting her.
"Hmph!" Maria pouted and turned away, ignoring Zhao Lun.
"Maria, that world is very dangerous. Even adult sorcerers might not survive."
"Look at the story, how many people survived in the end? What happened to them?"
"If you get hurt, you'll never see your brother or Nicole again. Is that what you want?"
Penelope used the "facts" from the book to persuade her, and everyone silently gave her a thumbs-up for being clever.
"Yes, it's dangerous there. Ordinary people can't survive!"
"You're still young, you haven't learned magic properly, and you have no strength. If you face danger, you won't be able to defend yourself."
"If you really want to see it, wait until I'm done with this, then I'll take you to see it. There's no rush."
Zhao Lun's words calmed the seemingly angry Maria, and they began discussing the details of their mission.
No matter what, Zhao Lun was going, and Penelope had decided to follow.
"No, this is too dangerous. You can't handle it!"
Zhao Lun refused.
"Allen, I proposed this. I must go with you!"
"And I'm a sorcerer, I got my acceptance earlier than you. I should be able to help you if I go!"
This girl was very stubborn, and once she made a decision, it was hard to change. No matter what Zhao Lun said, she wouldn't change her mind.
"Allen, let her go!"
"I'll follow too, just to keep an eye on her!"
Nicole and the others persuaded Zhao Lun.
"You're going too?" Zhao Lun asked, shocked.
"No! Only Nicole is going. We're not going!"
"We don't trust anyone else to watch over things at home!"
Angela spoke on behalf of the three of them, fully supporting Nicole's decision.
Among the three, she and Monica were not as skilled as Nicole in combat. Naturally, they wanted Nicole to come along for support.
"I'm going!"
Someone who had been almost forgotten finally spoke up.
"Mulan! You're going?"
"I'm saying, a cook is going to risk his life with us? It's not a picnic. If it were, we could take you along, but it's too dangerous!"
"Why not stay at home and cook your food?"
It was Mulan, expressionless, and Zhao Lun didn't hold back his refusal. As he had said, it was dangerous inside, and he couldn't look after her. Therefore, for her safety, refusing was the best choice.
Boom! A loud noise rang out, and a box suddenly appeared, shattering the air.
The living room shook, and everyone's ears rang from the intense sound.
"Can I go now?" Mulan asked, packing away the large box.
"Uh! Sure! Of course you can!"
What a joke! Her strength had already been demonstrated. Zhao Lun had no reason to stop her, so he immediately agreed.
It was then that Zhao Lun remembered: although Mulan's main profession was a cook, she had never neglected her secondary training. She was cold-hearted in demeanor, but she had already reached the state of consuming qi, which meant she was more than capable.
Those who could consume qi live longer, while those who don't, don't survive. The theory behind the state of consuming qi came from this very saying. Although Mulan was just beginning to enter this state, her strength was certainly not to be underestimated.
In the end, the team to eradicate evil consisted of four people: Zhao Lun, Penelope, Nicole, and Mulan.
After discussing, they didn't immediately set off but decided to rest for a while.
Before resting, Maria kept staring at Zhao Lun, making him uncomfortable.
"Maria, are you staring at me to change my mind?"
"Are you going to film a movie, brother?" Maria asked, pointing at the combat gear Zhao Lun was still wearing.
It looked very cool and handsome, but also quite eccentric. Before cosplay became popular, it was indeed quite unusual.
"Hmm, it's a bit complicated. I'll tell you when I have time." Zhao Lun replied.
The next day, Zhao Lun brought the three along to the "black hole," followed by Maria, Angela, Monica, and Ada, with a few panting dogs behind them.
Maria kept looking at Zhao Lun with hopeful eyes, hoping he would change his mind and agree to take her along on the adventure.
Zhao Lun pretended not to see her hopeful gaze and instead patted her head.
"Be good, stay at home and listen to us. Don't run off."
"And don't wander inside, be careful not to get infected and scratch your face. That wouldn't be good."
He left after saying that.
"Hmph! Brother is a bad guy!"
Zhao Lun waved his hand and signaled for the others to follow, keeping within a limited range as they activated the protection shield to enter the place.
The four of them squeezed together, moving slowly, but there were no major issues. Along the way, Zhao Lun took out a fruit knife and extended it. The knife quickly corroded, and by the time he withdrew it from the shield, the entire blade had nearly decayed.
"Did you see that? Stay close to me, don't leave the protection shield."
The three women were startled and instinctively moved closer to Zhao Lun, making him feel a little overwhelmed.
"Don't crowd too close, it's too cramped to move…"
The three of them glared at him but continued to follow. There were no further issues, and they made it through safely.
"Phew!" After walking through the darkness and into the light, Zhao Lun let out a sigh of relief.
The view before them was just as Zhao Lun had shown in the video. This was indeed the entrance to another world.
The mountains here weren't high, but in the distance, the snow-covered peaks stretched far and wide, and despite the time of year, it was still somewhat cold.
"Come, follow me!"
Zhao Lun led the three, leaving this place. When they looked back, it had already disappeared.
"Don't worry, you can come back if you step back a bit."
They stepped back and indeed found themselves back.