I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 194 - 194 Essence Extraction 193. Second Essence

Chapter 194: Essence Extraction 193. Second Essence Extraction_1 Chapter 194: Essence Extraction 193. Second Essence Extraction_1 [Congratulations on completing the task.]

[Settlement will now commence.]

[Task Exploration Degree: 80%.]

[Task Completion: Astonishing.]

[The graves in the Nameless City’s cemetery bury the dead gods, a civilization’s memory, and the bugs. You witnessed the decay of this city; when the world is destroyed and order collapses, is the concept of humanity merely an empty talk? As for the non-human beings with human will and the humans who have lost their humanity, who are the true pretenders?]

[You have gained 11,000 Silence Points.]

[You have received a career reward: Item: Nameless City.]

[Settlement completed.]

[Those who adhere stubbornly to conventions and never change do not deserve success. Try new fields and respond to the doubts with diverse creations. The door to the new world is opening for you.]

[You chose to complete career development tasks and received a career reward.]

[Welcome back to the Silent Lands.]

“Only just over ten thousand points?”

Lu Ban had truly not expected that he nearly sacrificed himself to the Queen Bug, and yet he had only achieved an 80% exploration rate.

In his view, even if the city’s past history, the encounters related to the Remains of the Saint in the coffin, and the origin of the Queen Bug were all considered within the scope of the task, his completion rate should not be less than 90%.

“Could it be… that perfect completion requires having children with the Queen Bug? Is that the meaning of a multiplayer task?”

Lu Ban thought if there were several Chosen by Gods participating in the task, they could let one of their friends try with the Queen Bug—who knows, they might discover a new world.

After much thought, he could only conclude that was the reason.

Maybe once the Queen Bug was satisfied, she would casually hand over the Remains of the Saint, and perhaps also reveal the true history of the Nameless City.

In a sense, this was also a case of “the more you know, the more unfortunate you become.”

Moreover, had Lu Ban chosen to do so, he might still have been able to acquire some skill related to the Queen Bug, such as mind camouflage, rapid reproduction, or Illusionary Heart Whisper, for example.

“Regrettable.”

Lu Ban felt some regret; perhaps he should have at least tried it?

It wasn’t as if he would be missing a piece of his own flesh in the end.

Putting these thoughts aside, Lu Ban checked the time.

He had experienced nearly two days of adventure in the Wasteland, which corresponded to one whole day in reality.

Lu Ban picked up the crystal in his hand and observed it carefully.

This crystal had a lighter blue than the sky, and under the light, it would refract different lusters, appearing quite dreamy.

Remains of the Saint

Above the Wasteland, there are always Saints.

The remains of dead Saints are believed to possess extraordinary powers.

In fact, some remains of the Saints still walk upon the earth to this day.

The corresponding description appeared before Lu Ban’s eyes.

“This thing seems different from those contaminated materials before; it’s purer.”

He examined it closely and suddenly found it somewhat familiar.

Lu Ban took out the crystal left by Red Leaf and compared the two.

“Aside from the color being different, the texture is quite similar. I wonder if the internal structure is also similar?”

The crystal from Red Leaf was what remained after a Shrine Maiden with supernatural powers died due to the Pollution of the Undefined Fog, while the crystal from the Remains of the Saint was left by a Saint from the Wasteland. If the two were similar, could one infer that the Saints of the Wasteland and Red Leaf were similar beings?

The Wasteland refers to Saints as the Named, that is, those with names. These names are similar to the figures in the historical myths familiar to Lu Ban and also possess the corresponding powers of those figures. Who gave them these names, could it be another great existence, or perhaps an Evil God?

Lu Ban felt that the secrets of the Wasteland were deeper than he had imagined, and he wasn’t even sure if the crystal core disease was the norm for the world of Wasteland or false information produced through the manipulations of the Queen Bug.

“But at least, I can now perform Essence Extraction on my ‘Testament.'”

Now that he had gathered the Remains of the Saint, the Sigh of the Indefinite Mist, and The Merciful Statue of the Black Queen Mother, and with fifty thousand Silence Points available, Lu Ban was ready to extract the essence of his “Testament.”

Including the rewards from the mission, he now had just over sixty thousand Silence Points. After the extraction, he would be utterly broke.

But that’s just how people are.

It’s like when a notification to upgrade a character for a breakthrough appears in a game—leaving it unclicked always makes one feel uncomfortable.

Therefore, Lu Ban was determined to proceed with the Essence Extraction.

Moreover, he had gone through a lot of trouble collecting these materials from a Foreign Domain. Not using them for Essence Extraction would make his previous efforts seem foolish, wouldn’t it?

He had already done the grinding; might as well go all in and upgrade at once.

He materialized the “Testament.”

Placing the three materials on the table, Lu Ban then opened the item’s interface and clicked into the Essence Extraction interface.

[Essence Extraction]

[“Sublimation Qualitative Change”]

[Exchange resources for miracles]

[Recommended to try]

[Silence Points required: 50,000]

[Required material: The Merciful Statue of the Black Queen Mother]

[Required material: Remains of the Saint]

[Required material: Sigh of the Indefinite Mist]

He resolutely clicked on Essence Extraction.

[This will consume the corresponding materials and Silence Points for Essence Extraction.]

[Proceed with Essence Extraction?]

[Yes/No]

A system panel popped up for secondary confirmation. Lu Ban thought to himself that the System was quite considerate, unlike some games that don’t even provide a warning before you accidentally click and end up doing a ten-pull.

He chose Yes.

In an instant, the three materials in front of Lu Ban began to change.

The eerie pitch-black Divine Idol trembled slightly, as if something was about to break through from within.

The mist contained in the bottle rotated continuously, creating a small storm.

The pale blue Crystal shimmered brilliantly, reflecting colors not of this world.

Scenes from the Night Country, He Dao, and the Wasteland flashed before Lu Ban’s eyes.

Along with the deduction of his Silence Points, the three materials rapidly transformed into particles of light and flowed into the silver revolver in Lu Ban’s palm.

Three beams of light entered the revolver, etching three sections of text onto the barrel—text that Lu Ban could not recognize, resembling a sort of ancient muttering that echoed through grand dreamscapes.

Suddenly, Lu Ban’s eyes turned white, and he felt knowledge surpassing the revolver’s significance surge into his brain like the tide, lashing against every part of his cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and brainstem, molding it into a shape far from human.

Memories beyond instinct flowed into every corner of Lu Ban’s body. He felt subtle changes in his body that made him more harmonious with the “Testament,” as if it had become an extension of his own limbs.

A moment later, Lu Ban’s eyes returned to normal.

He knew that the “Testament” had been fully extracted.

Lu Ban stood up, holding the revolver in his hand. He inspected it carefully and saw that the body of the gun indeed had additional inscriptions. The entire revolver became more archaic and substantial, akin to a piece of artistry handcrafted by an ancient artisan.

At the same time, Lu Ban also comprehended the new abilities of the “Testament.”