I Created Scientific Magic

Ryder fell into a long contemplation; with his age and experience, he couldn't understand Lynn's words. However, everything he witnessed in the Dream World gradually led him to grasp what the other meant.

"Is there any way to avoid this?" Ryder asked, lost and perplexed.

"No, unless you completely eradicate human desires. But by doing that, what's the difference from the living dead?" Lynn shook his head, paused for a moment, and then continued, "Of course, if we must speak of a method, establishing a belief to suppress desires might be one."

"Belief? Do you mean the belief in the Moon Goddess, Ela?" Ryder couldn't help frowning. But the Baron was also a Believer of the Goddess, and yet he was still harsh on them.

"No, it's more accurate to describe it as conviction." Lynn began to explain. "First is to establish strict military discipline, to make those who follow you understand the purpose of your rebellion, the actions that need to be taken, put forward the corresponding guidelines and goals that are directly linked to everyone's interests, such as equality for all, land distribution..."

"Then gather those with firm convictions to form a trusted aide team, let them spread your ideology, while also purging those who break the rules, ensuring the purity of your ranks..." Lynn spoke confidently.

It's not an empty saying that thieves comb through like fine-toothed combs and soldiers clean out like rakes. Not to mention ancient times, even in the modern era, it's common for regular armies to massacre and loot after breaking through a city.

However, there are exceptions, such as the historically renowned Yue Army, which held the belief of "rather frozen than to dismantle houses, rather starve than to plunder".

Similar to this was the army of the Qi family, and the best at it were naturally those proletarian revolutionaries!

So, although desires cannot be eliminated, they can be suppressed by conviction and discipline.

The most important point is the effect of example from the top— if the upper echelons are corrupt, the soldiers below are not fools, and all the talk becomes empty.

"All these are mere symptomatic treatments, not a cure. They can manage an army, but not a vast kingdom. You can also find your own answers in the Dream World," Lynn said slowly.

Ryder nodded, not quite understanding but etching these words deeply into his heart.

"Then what are these dreams? Are they all conjured by my imagination?" Ryder asked with a puzzled expression.

Because the scenes in the dreams were so real, with cultures and customs quite different from this world, sometimes he couldn't distinguish which was reality and which was the Dream World.

"Who knows? The world is vast, and the experiences you have in dreams might indeed be happening in some corner of this world," Lynn said with a smile.

"Then what do I need to pay?" Ryder took a deep breath, readying himself. His experiences in the Dream World had long made him understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch; every gift has its price already tagged.

"Will my soul be taken to hell after I die?" Ryder asked tentatively.

"Hell..." Lynn couldn't help but laugh, then shook his head and sighed. "Think about it, isn't the place where you are now hell?"

Could this place be the legendary hell?

Ryder paused for a moment, but before he could ask, the entire dark space began to shake violently, and then he was ejected from the Magic Domain.

It was not until this moment that Ryder realized the trembling around him hadn't stopped; in fact, it had become more violent, and cries of alarm echoed in his ears.

"The mine has collapsed—run, the mine has collapsed!"

A mine disaster?! Ryder's pupils shrank with dread. Having spent five years within this mine, he was acutely aware of the horror of mine disasters, so without even taking time to collect his things, he hurriedly ran out of the mine along with the chaotic crowd. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

Outside in the mining field, there was utter chaos. Heavy rain poured down from the sky, and the cold raindrops fell on everyone, mixing with the night's chilly wind to dispel the haze of sleepiness.

Through the fearful recounting of the surrounding miners, Ryder came to understand that a small section of the mine underground had suddenly collapsed due to the relentless seepage of rainwater over the past few days.

Fortunately, the collapse hadn't spread further, otherwise they all might have perished in their sleep.

Rupert, the overseer, scowled as he finished counting the numbers and found that over thirty people were missing. This meant they were left in that part of the mine, either trapped under the collapsed sections or perhaps outright crushed by falling stones.

Why did it have to be now?

Rupert was extremely irritated. In two days, the cart team for transporting the mined ores was due to arrive, and if the ores harvested did not meet Baron's expectations, he would likely be punished.

However, he didn't intend to organize a rescue immediately. The situation in the mine was still unclear, and rushing in recklessly might trigger a secondary collapse.

Most importantly, Rupert knew all too well that once a mine disaster occurred, the chances of survival for those trapped inside were slim to none. Rather than spending days digging out bodies, it would be better to focus on mining more ores in other shafts to meet this month's quota…

These miners, to put it plainly, were just expendables. Dozens or hundreds of them were brought to this mine every month; if they died, they died.

"Lord Rupert, Carlo—my brother Carlo is still in there. I beg of you, please save him," a raggedly dressed man pleaded with Rupert to organize a team and start rescue efforts.

Rupert, already furious, immediately lashed out with a barrage of curses and a kick to the man, venting his anger and even blaming the trapped miners like Carlo for the collapse.

Pleas and cries rang incessantly in his ears. The large raindrops soaked his head and slid down his cheeks. As Ryder looked at the collapsed mine, Rupert wielding his whip, and the miners who numbly stood by, he came to a stark realization.

They were literally in hell!

A surge of inexplicable courage rose within him. Ryder clenched the pickaxe in his hand and resolutely headed towards the mine.

"What are you doing, Ryder!" Rupert quickly noticed his actions and sternly reprimanded him.

"I'm going to clear the collapsed section and rescue Carlo and the others!" Ryder called out loudly. Then he turned to the miners around him, shouting, "I've already asked around. The collapse shouldn't be too severe."

"I hope everyone will join in removing the collapsed dirt and stones; otherwise, when the next disaster strikes, don't expect others to come to your rescue!"