039. Air Friend

Lu Ban had yet to confirm his choice when his phone rang again.

He checked the number. It was his former class monitor, Feng Yu, whom he had not contacted in ages. Lu Ban hesitated for a moment, but decided not to pretend he had not seen it. The moment he answered, a voice as bright as midsummer sunlight came through.

"Lu Ban, I saw that video. Are you all right?"

From her voice, she seemed genuinely worried about Lu Ban.

"It's nothing. It was just for the show."

Lu Ban replied.

"Haha, I knew it. How come I never knew you were so good at special effects in college? Did you secretly learn somewhere?"

After hearing Lu Ban's reply, his former class monitor laughed again.

"Practice is the best teacher."

Lu Ban answered honestly.

"That actually sounds pretty convincing. Are you planning to become a content creator?"

"Making videos is just a means. My goal is to make films."

Lu Ban spoke frankly.

"Wow, impressive. When the time comes, let me do odd jobs on your set."

"That might be a little difficult."

Lu Ban himself had no problem visiting those forbidden lands, but he could not drag people he knew into danger.

"I'm kidding. Speaking of which, when are we getting together? From the way you look in your videos, I was worried you might be depressed. But you seem pretty good now. You've even got a hundred thousand followers."

"When I finish gathering material. No, it's nothing. Next time for sure, next time for sure."

Lu Ban swallowed the death flag he had almost revealed, chatted with Feng Yu for a couple more minutes, and then hung up.

Strange. They had barely interacted at school, yet after graduating, they could chat on the phone like friends.

Lu Ban set down his phone. The discomfort caused by Madman's Knowledge had mostly faded. He only felt a little weak from the nosebleed. It seemed that talking to people was an important way to maintain one's sanity.

Oh, wait. My sanity was already at zero. Never mind.

Lu Ban finally understood why this thing was called Madman's Knowledge.

Those heads probably recorded the history, culture, and current state of otherworldly realms. Sometimes, they also contained bizarre images that ordinary people could never imagine.

Moreover, this knowledge was forcibly poured into the brain and was difficult to erase.

If someone really drew one every day, it probably would not take long before their mind was filled with these illusory murmurs from otherworldly realms, after which they would completely break down.

Lu Ban did not draw a second time, mainly because the second draw was not discounted and required 100 Silence Points.

He currently had 4,106 Silence Points, but could not afford even a single fine-quality item.

As for the excellent- and ordinary-quality items, their side effects were rather severe, and their uses were not entirely clear. They were not worth spending his points on.

"Better to save them. At this rate, after one or two more missions, I'll be able to refine my Repeater."

That was what Lu Ban thought.

When people saw that something could be upgraded, they naturally wanted to upgrade it. It was an instinctive desire.

It was like being told that pressing a button would launch every nuclear missile in the world, make everyone hold hands and join hearts, and usher in the bottle-cap-picking era, so you absolutely must not press it—yet your hand would itch to try anyway.

It was impossible to resist.

Even so, driven by curiosity, Lu Ban bought an item to keep in reserve.

Air Friend.

It only cost 70 Silence Points, just a little more than the daily draw. Cheap.

Lu Ban bought it.

He felt as if a breeze had brushed past his ear.

Nothing happened.

Lu Ban looked around the room. Nothing had changed. The smell, temperature, and even the space itself were exactly the same.

"Hey, are you there?"

He asked.

There was no response.

If something could not be seen, touched, or smelled, and did not respond when called, then it probably did not exist.

Had he been scammed?

The Emperor's New Clothes? Lu Ban's New Friend?

Lu Ban closed his eyes and reduced all his senses to a minimum, as if he had fallen asleep.

At that moment, he clearly sensed that there was someone beside him.

Unlike those other bizarre beings, it was not cold or indifferent. Instead, it felt as close as a friend. Its mere existence was enough to make Lu Ban feel at ease.

"Is this the Air Friend?"

Lu Ban vaguely grasped the item's purpose.

After chatting one-sidedly with the Air Friend for a while, Lu Ban felt much more relaxed.

He looked at the computer screen and peered inside through one of the three small holes.

One Night Carnival

The Ruined City was where all hope lay, where all despair lay, the beginning of every story, and the end of every story.

There were many ways to reach the Ruined City. A car was absolutely the most uncomfortable. It was long, cramped, filthy, and prone to trouble—I mean the trouble that came from things that were not human.

Compared to those monsters, even the typewriters of the Ruined City's gangsters seemed kind and amiable.

Cheer up. At least when you see the sun the next day, you'll be filled with anticipation, won't you?

Mission Difficulty: Choose Your Own

Mission Requirement: Complete the journey to the Ruined City.

"Pack your things and get ready to set out!"

Warning: This mission involves a regional shift within the Silent Land. Ensure that the surrounding area is open beforehand, and take care of your personal safety.

"Choose your own difficulty?"

Lu Ban noticed that this differed from the previous missions.

Was this what the self-selected mode meant?

He opened the mission difficulty tab and found three options to choose from.

Mortal

The choice of ordinary people. The best choice for casual Chosen of the Gods who merely wish to experience an adventure in the Ruined City and are not good at dealing with unexpected situations.

Of course, by choosing to close your eyes, you naturally cannot glimpse the truth behind them.

Base Reward: 1,000 Silence Points

Difficulty Reward ×1

The wording of this option was as cold as ever, devoid of any emotion.

The text beside it, however, conveyed a bleak sense of desolation. Just looking at it was enough to make one lose heart.

Pollution

If you want excitement, no problem. But I must warn you in advance: some things are far crazier than you can imagine.

One risk, one reward. Isn't that how it works?

Base Reward: 1,200 Silence Points

Difficulty Reward ×2

The final option's lettering looked as if it had been written in blood. It writhed and twisted across Lu Ban's computer screen, outlining horrifying words.

Erosion

Only the boldest, stupidest, craziest Chosen of the Gods would want to experience this damned ordeal.

You can see everything, and everything can see you.

Base Reward: 1,500 Silence Points

Difficulty Reward ×3

"The difference is pretty substantial."

The most ordinary Mortal difficulty only offered a reward of 1,000 Silence Points. Moreover, judging from the description, its exploration level could not become very high; its upper limit was fixed.

As for the most difficult Erosion difficulty, its base reward alone was 4,500 points. It would also increase with the exploration bonus, which sounded incredibly lucrative.

As an ordinary person who was cautious and preferred to plan before acting, Lu Ban finished reading all three options and did not hesitate.

He chose Erosion directly.

*

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