The Final Mural of Ancient Weirdness

They were trying to persuade Gore.

"Just release that video footage, they don't believe it, do they?"

"Yes, once they see that footage, they'll understand."

"That painting has a kind of magical quality."

"Gore, if you don't want to post it, just send me the video and I'll post it."

These people were all Gore's good friends; otherwise, they wouldn't have gone on the adventure together.

Gore held the camera in his hand.

It contains all the content he recorded.

When he saw the last painting, he was so frightened that his mind went blank, and he completely forgot that he was recording a video. Fortunately, in his panic, his hands didn't shake too badly.

Therefore, he was the only one among everyone whose last painting was left behind.

Although it only lasted for a brief two seconds.

Gore rubbed his head, looking exasperated. "Let me think, let me think."

"What's there to think about?"

Do you know how much of a buzz this is right now?

"The first few paintings we posted earned us tens of thousands of yuan in a short period of time, and quite a few people even asked us to play 'GG' (a card game) with them."

"My customer base has grown by over 100,000 followers."

"Once we reveal the last painting, we'll become big celebrities."

"By then, you'll have both money and fame."

Gore opened his reddened eyes. "Do you really think that painting should be released?"

"Didn't someone online analyze that he's Contract Anomalist' who possesses supernatural abilities? If we release his image like this, won't he attack us?"

Gore finished speaking.

Everyone fell silent.

My mind, which had been clouded by money and fame, suddenly cleared up considerably.

"No way?"

"Judging from the inscriptions on those ruins, they're at least several hundred years old."

"Even if that person was Contract Anomalist, he's already dead."

"Yeah, what's there to be afraid of with a dead man?"

Gore recalled the feeling of being watched when he saw the painting, and murmured, "Is he really dead?"

Gore's friend chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't overthink it. Maybe the painting was influenced by some kind of power, which is why it gained a touch of spirituality, allowing us to feel that eerie power."

"I know we know too little about these mysterious, extraordinary powers, and people are always afraid of the unknown."

"But look, so much time has passed, and we haven't encountered any problems, have we? No matter how mysterious a power is, as long as its vessel is human, it will eventually perish."

"Gore, don't worry about anything else. Let's make a fortune, buy whatever we want, and live a free and unrestrained life. Isn't that the purpose of our adventure?"

Gore was eventually persuaded by his friends to change his mind and hand over the video.

His friends were eager to get started. After editing the video, adding suitable music and narration, they uploaded it to their social media accounts.

Once the video was released, many netizens who had been following the story clicked to watch it.

At first, seeing the hikers in the video reacting with such surprise was quite funny. "Haha, the pattern on the door really is quite realistic."

"What pattern is this? I searched online but couldn't find the same one."

"The Ouroboros in the story represents Infinity Serpent in an endless cycle, which also has a corresponding symbol in mathematics: ∞. It also implies infinity, immortality, infinity, and the world."

"Then it's framed by a diamond shape, which makes it look a bit like an organization's logo."

"Is this the symbol of the organization behind the extraordinary individuals in that painting?"

Because they had already seen the previous paintings.

These netizens remained relatively calm.

Some people are debating whether the person in the mural is a superhuman, since the mural does not depict the extraordinary power possessed by the One person who defeated the monster.

"We all know that people in that era, because their minds were not yet open, regarded things in nature that were difficult to understand as mysterious and magical creations. They firmly believed that there were gods and demons in the world."

"Therefore, the murals must contain exaggerations. The monster may not have been that big; it might have just been a little taller than an average person. A brave knight defeated it with a sharp weapon and superhuman strength, and was then worshipped as a god by these people."

"We must view these murals from the perspective of that era."

"Instead of now that we know about the strange occurrences, we can project our own associations onto the murals, distorting their original meaning."

"That's possible, after all, people back then could associate everything they saw with gods and demons."

"So these murals are simply depicting the story of a valiant knight who ultimately defeats the treacherous city lord and becomes the new lord?"

Some agree with these people's views, while others insist that the warriors in the murals are extraordinary beings.

These people argued incessantly.

Until the video reached its end.

In just two seconds, the camera lens became less stable than before due to the involuntary trembling of the hand holding the camera, but it still managed to capture the content of the last painting.

Unlike the previous paintings, which were more abstract and simplified.

The artist used every ounce of their skill to create the last painting.

The masterful use of light and shadow gives the image a very three-dimensional feel. Although a large amount of black and white is used in the painting, it is not a colorless painting.

There were lit candles on both sides, and a person stood where light and shadow intersected, slightly turned to the side, his head also turned to the side, so that no one could see his face, as if he was looking at someone or something next to him.

He was clearly wearing gorgeous and elaborate clothing, and the painter used all his skills to depict this magnificent attire, handling every wrinkle, reflection, and color very well.

It's clear that the material is of the highest quality, and the workmanship and materials used are the most expensive. Only lords or kings could afford to wear such luxurious clothes.

The artist was able to depict these elements, but for the character's face, he used light and shadow to create a blurred effect, with shadows falling on his face and obscuring most of his features.

There was nothing or no one around him, but the scene didn't feel empty. Instead, around him, there were grotesque and terrifying monsters, crouching and guarding him as if he were a king.

It's clearly a profile shot, and the person in the picture isn't looking out of the frame.

However, after these netizens watching the video saw the painting...

A strange and peculiar feeling of being watched descended upon them.