I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 762 - 762 761. A common TV_1

Chapter 762: 761. A common TV_1 Chapter 762: 761. A common TV_1 [A common television set, exorbitantly priced, far exceeding its worth; not a purchase worth making, unless for boasting purposes.]

[Possesses its own consciousness, enacting a variety of programs to please viewers.]

[Can be turned on without electricity, God knows what it has been through!]

[Feeling rather downcast lately, the television will attempt more stimulating adaptations if the viewers’ reactions to its programs are lacking.]

These words, along with the technical specifications of the television, appeared before Lu Ban’s eyes, and the Journalist in the TV had a fierce face yet seemed somewhat confused, as if he was curious about what Lu Ban was doing.

“Is this the source?”

Lu Ban found it quite astonishing.

Clearly, the television might have been subjected to Pollution, resulting in the birth of its own consciousness. Apart from functioning as a normal TV, it also took actions on its own initiative.

That included processing programs, recreating, and blending into the program Lu Ban had just seen.

Moreover, if the audience showed little reaction to the program, it would evolve further, possibly becoming more bizarre and more terrifying.

Merely watching these programs could reduce a person’s Sanity, induce illusions, and it seemed rather normal for someone to try to alleviate their symptoms with drugs or to be accidentally killed by a dump truck while walking on the street in a trance.

But a psychotic Assassin was somewhat less plausible.

Unless one already harbored similar thoughts and the television’s program acted as a catalyst, otherwise, a common person wouldn’t suddenly become such a composed killer.

Of course, in many TV programs, neighbors would say, “That person always seemed so kind, not at all like someone capable of doing such things.” Lu Ban also believed that the world did contain people who appeared upright, but were actually cruel and frightening.

“This TV hasn’t formed Rules yet. It’s similar to the friend under the bed, feeding on human fears, creating fear through its programs, harvesting that fear,”

Lu Ban analyzed.

By his side, the Journalist in the television started broadcasting eerie imagery, this time appearing to be on Jiangcheng Mountain, shown in a first-person view, with several people wearing outdoor gear and holding tools, as if surveying something.

These people seemed to be lost in the mountains, but the narration was quirky, describing their process of misfortune as if it were a wildlife documentary.

“Quite good at spinning tales, aren’t you?”

Lu Ban commented. He wasn’t focused on the television but instead went to the bathroom.

This was where he saw some Pollution during the day.

The bathtub clearly had been the site of a death, but there was no record of it in the files, suggesting someone had evaded the law’s punishment.

Under the dim bathroom light, Lu Ban turned on the faucet, letting the bathtub gradually fill with water, and in the shimmering water, shadows seemed to emerge.

Lu Ban reached his hand into the water.

Instantly, a chilly touch came with flashbacks flooding into his mind.

Lu Ban saw himself dying on the street, his abdomen hollowed out, his entrails dragging everywhere, and he saw those around him being tortured to death by various means, these scenes all too real as if he was witnessing them firsthand.

In the blink of an eye, these images morphed into scenes of Lu Ban committing atrocities against those around him, every vile, ugly thought in the human heart becoming Lu Ban’s concrete actions, stirring the blood.

These images lasted only a moment before disappearing, but the impact on the brain was far more significant.

Lu Ban rolled his eyes, looking at the clear, cold water.

“So this bathtub is also problematic, creating hallucinations and instilling fear?”

If one frequently used this bathtub and received these images in their mind, then someday their mental state would indeed become compromised.

There are many ways to drive a person insane, and one of them is to make them believe they are already mad.

For instance, if that twisted assassin experienced recurring visions in his head of himself torturing others, or being murdered by someone during his baths, then in time, he might start to wonder if his mind was failing him.

And these imaginings were not to be shared with outsiders. Under long-term repression, once a similar scenario truly unfolded, that businessman might snap his last cord of sanity and act irrationally.

Lu Ban raised his hand, and on the bathtub, countless characters surfaced like the pages of a book.

[An expensive bathtub, lying inside can evoke the embrace of a mother.]

[It can fully unleash human nature, excavating the madness hidden within the heart, even the insanity one isn’t conscious of oneself.]

[Only by confronting oneself can the soul be thoroughly cleansed—this is a bathtub that expels all the filth of the soul!]

“Indeed, it has been contaminated.”

The function of this bathtub was to release the inner beast repressed in the human heart. Every person has a beast inside them, and no matter how restrained, there are always some wild thoughts, some instinctual desires at the core.

Normally, these can be suppressed with rationale, but once affected by the bathtub’s pollution, these bestial natures could inflate, potentially overwhelming sanity and turning a person into a deranged killer.

That businessman likely fell from grace due to this.

“Let’s see what else is there.”

Lu Ban continued to search the villa, now driven by curiosity about what other contaminated objects might be present.

Whether it was the television or the bathtub, they had become abnormal only after being affected by pollution. So, there must be an origin, a most crucial contaminant in this villa that caused the deepest pollution, leading to the mutation of objects that had been placed here for an extended period.

He then entered the bedroom.

The bedroom, well lit, spacious, and meticulous, became enveloped in darkness suitable for sleep once the blackout curtains were drawn.

Lu Ban noticed a slight difference as he lay down on the bed.

The pillow was very soft and comfortable, as if tailor-made for him. Just lying down, it would take only a few minutes to fall asleep, alleviating all the fatigue of the day.

As he lay there, Lu Ban felt something was amiss.

Elusive images began to emerge in his mind, as if he and the people around him were engaged in some indescribable acts. The participants included people Lu Ban had encountered and those still alive beside him now, the content so engrossing that one could become lost in it, oblivious to all but the ecstatic pleasure.

Though these imaginings tried to convince Lu Ban they were his own dreams or fantasies, they underestimated him still.

To a madman, experiencing such a dream is like an ordinary person dreaming about playing the piano naked at the top of the world’s tallest building.

Better to look at the distant scenery, my family.

Lu Ban could tell at a glance that it was a sham. He opened his eyes, sat up, looked around, and finally, his gaze landed on the pillow.

That soft, fluffy, enormous pillow was subtly undulating, barely perceptible to the naked eye, as if it were breathing.

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