Chapter 89 The Final Feast of Carnival (Part 9) The Magical Pearl
In her teenage years, when she still believed in fairness and justice, Wang Erqi also fantasized about one day being able to save this increasingly decaying city, or, to take a step back, being saved by a superhero who would fall from the sky. That would also be a way to join a fantasy epic, and in the process of physical decay, she could chew on the legendary experiences of the past to delay the aging of her spirit.
But in middle age, she never expected that her past fantasies might actually come true. An unknown deity descended from the sky to save her from the shadows of conspiracy and death—although the method of rescue was very strange, something she hadn't anticipated either.
"Labor is the most glorious thing! Only through labor can we save ourselves!"
The messenger of the gods smiled and said to her.
So Wang Erqi returned to his cramped apartment, stared at the ceiling for a while, and miraculously fell asleep. The next day, he went to work as usual, even more diligently than before.
Although her change was sudden, it didn't stand out at all amidst the fervor of the people around her.
She had been influenced by her previous dream, which prevented her from leaving the mine, but she was more resistant to the strange atmosphere that permeated the mine. However, after what happened last night, she felt as if she had finally woken up from a nightmare and realized that everything around her was wrong.
The Gentlemen's Club clearly pays wages on a daily basis, and they haven't been paid for half a month. Yet, apart from her, the miners' enthusiasm for work has not diminished at all; in fact, it has become even more fervent. How come she hadn't noticed this before?
Some things become more terrifying the more you think about them, and the more you think about them, the less courage you have to do them.
Wang Erqi swallowed hard, then stopped thinking about it. Taking advantage of the fact that the gentlemen's association supervisors weren't paying attention, he leaned forward slightly while squatting, making a digging motion with one hand, and using his body as cover, quickly picked up three "divine revelation crystals" and hid them in a blind spot.
The next moment, her lips moved slightly, and she quickly recited in her mind, "The time traveler in the eroding rift, the six-winged white dove that devours the riddles of time, the listener who hears from both ends—"
The moment she finished reciting, her hands felt slightly warm, and she felt a strange power emanating from the void, mysterious and dangerous. She even had the illusion that she could defeat a hundred people.
Wang Erqi dared not delay any longer and tried to concentrate that mysterious power in her fingers. When she grasped the "Divine Revelation Crystal," her fingers spasmed for a moment, and a point of purple light flashed within it. She felt her hand suddenly empty, and the three ores instantly turned into one, just like the synthesis game she had played before, where you collect enough materials and use props to upgrade and purify them.
But now this miraculous power has appeared in reality...
Seeing that the eyes of several supervisors were about to turn to him, Wang Erqi quickly dispelled the exclamation of "It actually succeeded" from his mind. He held the ore in his hand and, following the instructions of the divine messenger last night, gently rubbed it a few times. The ore, which was originally the size of his palm, instantly shrank into the size of a bead.
There was no time to examine what it was. She had been squatting for too long, and the overseer from the Gentlemen's Club had already looked over. Wang Erqi took the opportunity to stand up, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, smiled calmly under the other party's suspicious gaze, and calmly moved to another spot to continue mining.
No one could tell how excited this seemingly calm middle-aged woman was inside.
It really is true! Everything she experienced yesterday wasn't just her delusions of madness; God truly heard her prayers!
Du Yu, who was observing the teleported "pearl" in the temple, suddenly received a system notification: "Your believer [Wang Erqi] has received divine grace and his faith has increased! Current level of faith: [Fanboy]."
?
How did a fanatic suddenly appear when nothing was done?
After studying it for a while, Du Yu found the reason. As an ordinary person without any special abilities, Wang Erqi had never been exposed to the field of mysticism and naturally only had a superficial understanding of the concept of gods. His choice to believe was purely a desperate measure.
An ordinary person who can live to middle age in the lower city must be cautious, even to the point of being suspicious. Such a person is unlikely to be easily trusted.
But it is precisely this kind of person who, once they choose to trust, will never waver easily. After verifying that everything she said under the guise of Bishop D was true, Wang Erqi's level of trust in the "Lord of Listening" instantly reached the highest level of "fanaticism"!
Including the soul fragments in the [Dream Petri Dish], she now has three fanatical followers: Wen Xi, Xiao Yi, and Wang Erqi.
Leaving aside the fact that fanatics can provide more faith points than ordinary believers, among the first two fanatics, Xiao Yi seems to have been dissected multiple times, and her mind is basically just instinct. Wen Xi is in an even worse situation, and is still just a broken soul fragment, being nurtured in the redwood church, with no end in sight for her to regain her senses.
Wang Erqi can be considered the first fanatic in Du Yu's normal state.
The moment the connection with her was strengthened, Du Yu immediately sensed the difference between ordinary believers and fanatics.
As long as the prayer is recited and with her consent, believers can borrow her power; fanatical believers like Wang Erqi can borrow even greater and more harmonious power.
Those with superpowers, such as Kou Qingman and Le Feiyou, suffered internal injuries to varying degrees after using her divine power. They are currently recuperating in the space where the mahogany church is located, and are only doing some simple tasks.
Wang Erqi, an ordinary person, used her power without much backlash, which is a revolutionary phenomenon in the existing system of superpowered individuals.
And... that's not all.
Du Yu turned the "pearl," about the size of a fingernail, over his hand, a glint of light flashing in his purple eyes.
This pink pearl is naturally the upgraded version of the "Divine Revelation Crystal" that Wang Erqi just sacrificed after synthesizing it.
【Crafting Item Name: Divine Pearl】
[Rank: E (To be upgraded, can be advanced after accumulating 10]]
[Instructions for use: Hold the Divine Pearl in your mouth. It will release a protective shield every three days. Within the shield, the user will be unaffected by pollution levels D and below. If the pollution level exceeds the limit, the shield and pearl will shatter after three seconds.]
【Characteristic 1: Fragile – Pearls are beautiful, but very fragile; they'll break if handled improperly!】
【Characteristic Two: Growth – Immersing the Divine Pearl in positive emotions can slightly enhance the quality of the protective shield; prolonged wear may improve the pearl's quality. If the pearl breaks, apologize to it! The pearl will slowly repair itself through sincere remorse.】
【Characteristic 3: Like a Star - Twinkle, twinkle, little star, look up and see, oh, it's a pearl! Pearls are afraid of loneliness. When a certain number of pearls gather together, the quality of all pearls present will be temporarily increased, illuminating the long night for those you want to protect =W=】
Ignoring the system's deliberately cutesy parts, this [Divine Revelation Pearl], although only at level E, has a total of three traits. Just looking at the number of traits, it's almost comparable to the [Bloodthirsty Holy Blade], which is terrifyingly powerful.
More importantly, there is only one Holy Sword, but this time the system was unusually generous and directly gave her the recipe to synthesize the [Divine Revelation Pearl]!
【Crafting Recipe: Divine Pearl】
[Crafting Materials: A Guardian Pearl Filled with Apology (Dull), Three Crystals Stained with Cursed Aura]
Compared to the power of the [Divine Revelation Pearl], the synthesis materials are incredibly simple. But if we're talking about simplicity, if it weren't for the accidental possession of Dong Shiwu, which led to obtaining the "Guardian Pearl Full of Apology" from Bu Manyin, Yu might never have been able to develop this recipe in his lifetime.
However, just as the temple was upgraded to the Divine level, gaining an extra crafting recipe slot, the system popped up a recipe for the irresistible [Divine Revelation Pearl]. Isn't that a bit too coincidental?
Thinking of this, Du Yu felt a mix of emotions. He put the [Divine Revelation Pearl] in his hand together with the several others that Wang Erqi had given him later, lost in thought.
The ability to create things, though rare, is not unheard of. The Guardian Pearl is likely a product of Bu Manyin's ability. It's said that one's inherent traits are the deepest reflection of their inner self; someone with the ability to protect others now has to watch helplessly as their companions die—no wonder she ultimately suffered a mental breakdown.
However... such a bizarre scene doesn't seem like something an A-level ability user could do. Bu Manyin's death must have been caused by the intervention of other forces.
Du Yu looked at the pearl in the container, which was shining happily because it had a companion, and muttered to himself:
“I am not Dong Shiwu, and I have no right to forgive her on her behalf—but the one who should feel more apologetic is still sitting high in his office in Shangcheng, mocking the pathetic state of those who are desperately trying to survive.”
The upgraded temple has a simple yet magnificent design. The simple stone platform at the altar has been transformed into the main hall, which looks particularly mysterious under the purple flames.
In the empty temple, the young god sat sideways on the altar, his cheeks illuminated by the purple flames. His posture was somewhat unconventional, yet his tone was solemn, like a promise. His purple eyes shone like crystals in the firelight.
"I promise, I will make those even more deserving of death go down to join you, one by one."
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Author's Note: Just two or three more chapters, and this volume is finally almost finished. The setting for the next volume will be revealed (maybe), there won't be as many side quests, so the pacing might be a bit faster. (orz)
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