Last Words

There were many fan-made videos on the Old Days Video Network, and ghost animal videos were a particularly distinctive category among them.

These videos often took currently popular or highly gimmicky clips as their basis, re-edited them, and paired them with different dialogue, background music, and so on to create a comical sense of contrast.

Lu Ban's video was one such example. It had originally been a horror video about a supernatural mini-game, but this Uploader had added festive music and edited out some of Lu Ban's movements, making him look as funny as a clown.

Lu Ban himself was neither a rookie with two and a half years of practice nor someone who knew the traditional martial art of the Lightning Whip. Rather than sending a lawyer's letter over these ghost animal videos, he was actually quite pleased.

On the one hand, these videos could boost the popularity of the original. Comments calling it the "source of all evil" had already begun appearing under Lu Ban's earliest upload, and there would only be more in the future.

On the other hand, the video gave Lu Ban a little inspiration, making him think of some ways to fight against strange entities.

With that thought, Lu Ban returned the headphones and phone to the girl, packed up his things, and stood.

"Thank you."

After politely expressing his thanks, Lu Ban took several books on folklore to the front desk to check them out. Under the furtive glances of the young female librarian, he left with books such as The Golden Bough, An Inquiry into Fuxi, and Magic, Science and Religion.

Back in his west-facing home, Lu Ban did not feel frightened. Instead, he focused on reading the books he had borrowed.

Though the books were filled with death, souls, sacrifice, and slaughter, Lu Ban savored them eagerly.

For someone who might experience even more in the future, this knowledge was his most precious wealth.

At seven in the evening.

The last glow of the early summer sunset dimmed between the skyscrapers, and the deep night draped itself over all of Jiangcheng like a thin veil.

The passage Lu Ban had been reading about a living human sacrifice suddenly twisted, turning into cold, pale words.

Congratulations. You have completed the Career Development Task.

Settlement will now begin.

Task Exploration: 80%

Task Completion: Stunning

A successful video depends not only on its quality, but also on keeping up with the trends of the times. You were very fortunate.

Silence Points obtained: 2,000

Career Advancement Reward obtained: [Last Words]

Settlement complete.

A video with one million views is only a small beginning. Gather more inspiration and continue creating even better works!

Please complete tasks to obtain rewards.

The illustration in the book depicting the bloody ritual gradually distorted. Firefly-green light emerged from the eyes of the rotten heads hanging there, and three of them were especially conspicuous.

Lu Ban now understood that tasks involving gathering inspiration probably meant doing things that were reckless, tense, and exciting.

Those three heads should be hints for the next task.

For the time being, however, he set that aside and looked at the reward he had just received.

"...Two thousand Silence Points!?"

Seeing the Silence Points in his personal status panel, Lu Ban failed to react for a moment.

Wait.

Did that mean the rewards from staying up late and risking his life to play a supernatural mini-game were far inferior to casually making a video that got millions of views?

At first, when Lu Ban saw the items in the store that cost several hundred points, he thought this was expensive and that was expensive.

But now, after only one day, he had everything.

"The internet really is incredible!"

Lu Ban sighed.

The most expensive items in the first-stage store of the Silence Department Store only cost three or four thousand Silence Points. With these two thousand points, Lu Ban could buy several things to arm himself.

Thinking it over carefully, one had been an ordinary task, while the other had been a Career Development Task. Perhaps Career Development Tasks were the main storyline?

Lu Ban did not rush to spend anything. Instead, he prepared to inspect the reward from the Career Development Task.

"Last Words... Could it be the location of some buried treasure?"

He idly thought of this as he turned the page. Information about Last Words emerged over the text discussing Egyptian views on life and death and the pyramids.

Last Words

Inherent

Can be Extracted

A revolver that uses not ordinary bullets, but language and words.

Beneath that simple description were gilded words similar to those on All In's dice.

A proverb circulated in Ruined City: language is also a weapon.

Flames could burn bodies, sharp blades could tear open throats, and calamity sought to erase evidence of sin.

But language and thought were immortal.

"—It's yours."

The instant he saw the information, knowledge related to this ability was forcibly poured into Lu Ban's mind, as though someone had stuffed it in.

He raised his right palm and gently opened it. A phantom revolver appeared there.

Lu Ban gripped it. Its solid weight reassured him. This was the first time he had obtained a physical object from the system. Unless he had gone mad and started hallucinating, the system's power was likely far beyond his imagination.

He carefully examined the gun, both illusory and real, in his hand.

The revolver had a somewhat longer barrel and a large caliber. Rather than a handgun, it was more like a hand cannon. Getting hit head-on by a bullet of that caliber probably would not end well, he thought.

The cylinder was completely empty. Incredibly, Lu Ban already knew how to use it, as though he had been born knowing.

"I am Lu Ban."

With the cylinder swung out, Lu Ban spoke. Then, following his will, a loaded bullet appeared in the empty cylinder of the revolver.

He closed the cylinder and rotated the single bullet into firing position. Lu Ban raised the gun and aimed its muzzle at his own temple.

In either world, Lu Ban had never done anything like this before.

But he pulled the trigger without the slightest hesitation, as casually as pressing the switch on an air conditioner or turning off a television playing a soap opera.

Bang—

The deafening gunshot followed the shockwave, yet strangely, the fragile pages seemed not to notice any change in the air. Even the summer insects outside did not fall silent because of the shot.

The pitch-black bullet drilled into Lu Ban's temple. Like a stone sinking into a lake, it vanished after creating only the faintest ripple.

Lu Ban lowered the gun and spoke again.

"I am Lu Ban."

This sentence was exactly the same as the one he had said before, as precise and meticulous as audio played back by a German-made repeater.

"I am Lu Ban."

Lu Ban spoke again.

Though he tried hard to alter his tone, volume, and expression, the words that came out were still exactly the same as before.

Without speaking, Lu Ban opened his computer and casually found a video of a female soprano performing a particularly difficult piece. As his will shifted, the second chamber of the revolver was filled as well.

Lu Ban fired another shot at his own head.

He tried to speak.

A breathtaking female soprano burst from his mouth.

Lu Ban gradually understood everything.

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