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"What about the mythical creature form of the Mystery Pryer pathway?"
After shaking off the image of a pile of insects, Klein immediately changed the subject. He didn't want to think about the possibility of himself turning into a pile of insects in the future.
Leyton leaned back on the sofa, his lips slightly curved as he said, "The mythical creature forms of the Seer and Savant Pathways are also equally peculiar. They are information beings—this is probably the essence of knowledge!"
"The essence of knowledge," Klein murmured. He tried to imagine it in his mind but couldn't conceive of an information being, a form of life that exists only in concept.
But no matter what, becoming an information being was much better than a pile of worms, wasn't it?
As his thoughts rapidly turned, he began to ponder why the Reader Pathway wasn't the Pathway representing knowledge, and he spoke with hesitation, "So, the one known as the God of Knowledge and Wisdom doesn't hold the authority of knowledge? Instead, it's the God of Steam and Machinery; he is closer to knowledge itself than the God of Knowledge."
Leyton nodded lightly and said, "The Paragon leans towards the practical and scientific side of knowledge, representing civilization and technology. Compared to the Omniscient One, he is indeed closer to knowledge itself."
"Alright, I won't bother you before you head out. We can find time to analyze the remaining Beyonder abilities later."
Leyton rose from the sofa, took two steps, and raised his hand to make a virtual grasping and pulling gesture in mid-air. A "Door" opened from the void.
"Alright."
Klein nodded slightly. He indeed had something urgent to attend to outside. Prince Edessak had previously entrusted him with investigating the cause of Talim's death.
Although he knew this matter involved the royal family and a Sealed Artifact of Sequence 0, that prince was not someone a small detective like him could afford to offend. He still had to put on the appropriate act.
After watching Leyton's figure disappear into the living room, Klein re-adjusted his clothes, patted his face, and used his Faceless ability to restore his somewhat pale complexion to normal before opening the door and leaving.
Forsaken Land of the Gods, outside the City of Silver.
The frequency of lightning gradually subsided, and Darkness once again became the master of this land.
Derrick's City of Silver exploration team, after a journey that was neither short nor long, interspersed with occasional battles, finally arrived at the half-ruined temple belonging to the True Creator.
Aided by the dim Yellow Light of the beast-skin lanterns, Derrick saw the almost completely collapsed City walls ahead, and the dilapidated but utterly weedless streets.
On both sides of the street, houses had largely collapsed, with only a few still barely standing, but their surfaces were completely mottled, perhaps to crumble completely one day in the near future.
The architecture here was predominantly white and blue, with spired structures different from those in the City of Silver, all now gray and dark, making it difficult to envision their original appearance.
Derrick watched in silence for a moment. The people here had also developed their own civilization in the deep dark ages. However, they were eventually engulfed by the Darkness, losing everything, leaving only this ruin.
Chief Colin of the City of Silver surveyed the surroundings with a somewhat solemn expression. This City, perhaps, was the future of the City of Silver.
After calming his emotions slightly, he pointed ahead and said, "The other areas have been cleared. The temple is in the very center of the City."
"It is also the place we need to explore this time."
The exploration team spread out slightly, maintaining appropriate positions and distances, mutually vigilant of their surroundings, and slowly advanced.
Passing through one ruin after another, walking along one silent, unsettling street after another, they finally arrived before a high platform.
On the high platform, stood a half-collapsed building, whose style was completely different from the other structures here.
"The people here must have converted to the True Creator later," a thought flashed through Derrick's mind.
The next moment, all the lanterns in the team extinguished.
Suddenly, Darkness enveloped everyone. Without the frequent lightning in the sky, the surrounding silent Darkness seemed to swallow even everyone's breathing.
"Save me… save me…"
A tender, helpless, and terrified child's voice sounded, reaching the ears of every member of the exploration team.
Panic spread among the exploration team for a moment, but was quickly suppressed by them.
In the next instant, tiny, shimmering dust appeared around them. The dust exploded in succession, igniting a silvery-white glow that illuminated the surrounding area.
Chief Colin stared at Derrick, his voice sinking as he said, "What are you thinking?"
Derrick instantly sobered, wanting to open his mouth in shame, but immediately closed it, then clasped his hands together, bringing them to his mouth and nose in a prayer-like posture.
Streams of clear, dazzling light emanated from him, rapidly spreading outwards, dispelling the surrounding Darkness.
The other team members also seized the time to relight their candles.
Chief Colin withdrew his gaze from Derrick, and spoke solemnly, as if in admonition, "From now on, there can be no carelessness. Raise your guard to the highest level!"
Backlund, Minsk Street.
At Leyton's rented place, he had a peculiar Cyber Hand clamped to his shoulder. The palm of the mechanical arm had a fleshy eye, which was staring intently at the strange crystal with many human faces emerging from it.
"This damned thing is really too dazzling; it's making my eyes blurry," the Cyber Hand's somewhat high-pitched, slightly complaining voice echoed in Leyton's mind.
Leyton raised an eyebrow slightly, asking with a hint of curiosity, "You're just a Mystical Item, do you also experience normal visual interference?"
"I'm not just any Mystical Item. Although most of my body is mechanical, my eye is made of flesh."
"And this Human-skin Shadow's characteristic isn't simple visual interference; its internal microscopic structure is also dazzling—oh my! I'm just an arm, not a head, why do I have to suffer like this!"
The Cyber Hand chattered ceaselessly in Leyton's mind.
"A bit noisy… This guy's living characteristic is unusually strong. Apart from not being human, there's no difference between him and a person."
"Why should I be no different from a person? I am the Lord's practitioner! The Lord's most loyal believer! I am not comparable to weak humans."
The Cyber Hand loudly retorted in Leyton's mind.
Leyton was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply and said, "Why can both of you hear my thoughts? It's exhausting to communicate with you."
"Moreover, you are just a Sequence 6 characteristic. Humans can reach higher levels by consuming potions."
The Cyber Hand suddenly became agitated, waving itself uncontrollably without Leyton's command, while its continuous words echoed in Leyton's mind:
"I am not some Sequence 6 characteristic; I am a noble existence blessed by my Lord!"
"As long as there are higher Sequence characteristics or main potion ingredients, I can also elevate myself by consuming them."
"And while humans who consume potions are fine in the early stages, later on, they completely detach from the category of humans."
"In the era before the Seven Gods, those ancient Beyonder races reproduced through characteristics…"
Leyton reached up to rub his temple. This Mystical Item was a bit too noisy, and he couldn't block its voice when using it.
Taking a deep breath, he casually found a question to interrupt its incessant ravings:
"You don't even have a mouth, how do you consume potions? Or the corresponding materials."
"I'm a Mystical Item, of course I upgrade myself by crafting Mystical Items!"
The Cyber Hand replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Upgrade… Your description is quite apt, but how do you know that word? And, you seem to know a lot of information?"
"My Lord is the embodiment of knowledge, the radiance of civilization, the ultimate answer to all mysteries!"
"As long as you believe in him, you will naturally grasp a lot of knowledge. Every piece of knowledge we come into contact with and master is a gift from my Lord. He is so great!"
The Cyber Hand immediately began to praise the great existence it believed in.
"Stop talking, just finish crafting the item for me first. Haven't you forgotten that you still have a negative effect?"
Leyton interrupted the Cyber Hand's sermon-like words. He even felt that this might be the true negative effect of this Mystical Item.
Fortunately, when working, this Cyber Hand was quite reliable and didn't try to incessantly introduce its great Lord to Leyton anymore.
The Human-skin Shadow characteristic was fused into a Clown mask. The Cyber Hand's mechanical fingers danced deftly over the mask, like plucking strings.
Through the Cyber Hand's vision, Leyton saw faces, some gray and white, some distorted, being casually plucked along with threads like a tangled mess.
Some threads were red, some were white, and many tough black ones were mixed in, which the Cyber Hand was trying to strip away.
The constantly shifting faces made even Leyton, who was already Sequence 5, frown.
It took nearly an hour to fully integrate the Human-skin Shadow characteristic with the mask and forge it into a Mystical Item.
"Phew~" Leyton exhaled deeply and leaned back against the chair. The Cyber Hand on his shoulder consciously dropped off, lying quietly to the side.
Because he had used the Cyber Hand for a longer time, the sense of physical and mental sluggishness was much more severe this time than the last time he crafted a Mystical Item.
Leyton slowly reached up to pinch his glabella, infusing his spirituality into the palm of his right hand.
As the spirituality was infused, numerous symbols emerged. They seemed to come alive, forming the image of a unicorn.
The surrounding light seemed to brighten by a few degrees. In Leyton's vision appeared a unicorn with a pure white, sacred body. It spread its crystal-clear wings, like those of a bird, and summoned a ray of light filled with sacredness, life, and the aura of Purification.
Leyton leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly narrowed. He clearly felt the extremely uncomfortable sluggishness on his body gradually fading away.
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