I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 455 - 455 454. Fainted and collapsed_1

Chapter 455: 454. Fainted and collapsed_1 Chapter 455: 454. Fainted and collapsed_1 “What counts as something we can use?”

Lu Ban asked Teacher Feng Yu.

“Too simple, or too vague won’t work, for example, saying that the clothes you’re wearing are black—it’s easy for such cognition to become confused,”

Feng Yu explained with an example.

“Moreover, it’s best not to use one concept to interpret another concept. For instance, if you say clothes are black, and black itself is a color that needs defining, then if your perception of black has already become another color, even if something abnormal happens, you won’t detect it.”

“That sounds complicated.”

Lu Ban said.

Qin Tiantian had already eaten her fill and was now asleep on the sofa without a care in the world, completely unaware that the three people next to her were discussing matters of great importance.

“It’s not really that complicated.”

Feng Yu glanced at the dozing Qin Tiantian and the Corgi that had snuggled up to sleep in her arms.

“Cognitive obstruction doesn’t rewrite the entire world; it just alters your perception and those around you, so inevitably, there will be traces and a sense of inconsistency.”

“Like the records of finances, the reports of interfacing companies, and so on, if you investigate carefully, you’ll find discrepancies that alert you to the confused cognition.”

“This amusement park causes people to disappear, and those around them can’t perceive it for a short while after it happens, but its influence is limited. It can be assumed that it only affects those entering the park, erasing their existence from the consciousness of others, yet anything already recorded remains unchanged.”

Hearing Feng Yu’s words, Shia began to understand a bit.

“Is this something like memory manipulation?”

In the Night Country, similar spells exist, but common mages don’t have access to them; they belong to the realm of forbidden magic.

“For this amusement park, you can think of it that way,”

Feng Yu nodded.

Human cognition can be divided into two types: one is instinctual cognition and unconditioned reflexes, and the other is cognition derived from memory.

Cognition derived from memory is easy to understand. It develops through learning and experience, such as perception of color, perception of sound. The majority of cognition that supports normal human activities falls into this category, and this is also what’s most susceptible to interference.

If strange entities tamper with memories, the corresponding cognition changes, eventually causing one to get lost in it.

As for instinctual cognition, it is harder to alter.

For instance, the feel of softness or hardness, cold and heat, pain, etc., these are objectively existing sensations that don’t need to be defined to be felt. When cognitive obstruction occurs, these sensations are difficult to confuse.

“Therefore, we need to establish a baseline anchor point, say this chopstick is hard. When we three are together, we can rely on touching this chopstick to detect whether we’ve been affected by cognitive obstruction.”

Feng Yu said.

“Any suggestions?”

Lu Ban thought about it and felt there were many things to reference, yet not many at the same time.

“Why not use that.”

Feng Yu pointed to Qin Tiantian who was snoring on the sofa.

“?”

Lu Ban didn’t quite understand.

Was that indicating Qin Tiantian’s IQ didn’t shift with human will; no matter the confusion of cognition, she was just as foolish?

Or was it referring to the concept of steel, something that, despite everyone’s cognition being obstructed, one could recognize at first glance?

“… I mean the dog,”

Feng Yu said helplessly, adding another sentence.

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

Lu Ban was surprised.

“Because I put a roundworm in your belly.”

Feng Yu answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Roundworm? Does it taste good?”

Shia, hearing the word belly, immediately thought of food.

“It should taste pretty good.”

Lu Ban replied.

“Then I want to eat it.”

Shia looked at Feng Yu.

“… Hunter dogs aren’t affected by time and space, and can traverse the Foreign Domain. Simply put, even if they are affected by cognitive obstruction, they can return to their original state by crossing back, unless they are taken care of on the spot. And creatures capable of instantly taking down a Hunter dog wouldn’t need to resort to cognitive obstruction tactics.”

Feng Yu decided to ignore the nonsensical remarks of the two.

“So if we bring it with us, we’ll be able to get a warning when we’re affected by cognitive obstruction, like having it call out in a certain way, that should be enough.”

“Good idea.”

Lu Ban couldn’t find any fault with it.

He thought that if they really encountered any cognitive confusion, he could just sing another song and see whose Pollution was stronger, although it might accidentally harm his teammates.

“Then we can set a time to depart.”

The three made a plan, and along with Shia and Qin Tiantian, they had another meal of grilled meat. On the third morning, they took a car to Abandoned Capital Town.

The weather today was splendid, with a gray haze over Lingjiang, a thin mist that didn’t belong to this season, under the dim light. The amusement park loomed over the riverside, barely visible and emanating a chilling, mysterious atmosphere.

“I’ve had demolition crews try to blow it up, but it doesn’t seem to have much effect.”

Lu Ban pointed at the amusement park and said.

“…”

Feng Yu glanced at Lu Ban, not wanting to scoff.

“Awooo!”

Laika barked towards the amusement park, as if sensing something.

“Shall I give it a try first?”

Shia thought and then raised her hand, ready to cast a spell.

“You can try.”

Lu Ban didn’t stop her.

It seemed like some kind of power was gathering in Shia’s hands, which then burst forth.

After waiting a moment, Feng Yu asked curiously.

“Did it miss?”

“No, let the spell fly a little longer,”

Shia said.

The next moment, the invisible explosion spell detonated within the amusement park, and its overwhelming force destroyed the ferris wheel, carousel, and everything else.

However, moments later, the destroyed amusement park structures restored themselves to their original state, and even started operating, lighting up.

“It looks like it can’t be destroyed physically,”

Lu Ban thought.

The three of them and the dog walked down the hill and followed the road to Lingjiang Riverside.

In January, Jiangcheng is quite cold, and the weather forecast indicated that there might be snowfall after nightfall. The air by the river was both damp and cold, making one shiver uncontrollably.

The dilapidated amusement park was right there.

The gates were rust-streaked, and the name of the amusement park was incomplete. Looking inside, it was in decay, just like any other abandoned amusement park.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew.

Lu Ban narrowed his eyes, and when the fog cleared with the wind, he saw the amusement park looking as good as new.

The brand-new archway bore the words “Happy Valley of Jiangcheng” as if it had just been manufactured, and the rides were operating normally, emitting joyful music.

Lu Ban looked inside and saw many visitors in the amusement park.

These visitors were men and women, young and old, each with a joyful smile on their face, some riding the carousel, others queuing for the ferris wheel, and still others just getting off a roller coaster, looking like a normally operating amusement park.

To the side, Lu Ban also saw a broad road that extended forward, seemingly connecting to a highway.

An SUV drove up the road and parked in the empty parking lot outside the amusement park.

A family of three got out of the car.

“Why is there an amusement park here, shall we go check it out?”

The father of the family said, with eyes that seemed to see nothing but the amusement park, his expression somewhat fierce.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

The little boy yelled, tugging at his parents’ hands toward the amusement park.

Lu Ban stopped the three of them.

“This amusement park is not open right now, you should go back,”

he said.

“Not open? It looks perfectly operational, and there’s no queue. Who are you fooling?”

The mother said.

“It’s not open,”

Lu Ban said, then gave Shia a meaningful glance.

Shia nodded, then stepped behind the family of three.

With one punch each, she knocked them all out.

“…I thought you had some more elegant method, like making them faint or something,”

Lu Ban watched as Shia dragged the family of three back to their car, saying questioningly.

“Although mages are those who use magic, they are not ruled by magic. Using various techniques and methods flexibly, rather than relying solely on magic, is what truly makes a spellcaster,”

Shia declared righteously.

Her meaning seemed to be that at times like this, fists are more useful than spells.

Or, perhaps, she hadn’t prayed for the corresponding spell today and had to resort to using her fists.

Lu Ban felt the latter was more likely.

“It looks like this strangeness is using this method to lure people inside and then bind them, right?”

He glanced at the splendid gates.

“It’s our turn now.”

The three of them and the dog arrived at the entrance.