Chapter 29: Wonders of Corruption and Rotten Wisdom (Revised)

"The residents of your territory have developed a sense of distrust!"

"The residents of your territory are experiencing extreme discomfort!"

"Please note, if the comfort level continues to decline, your territory's residents are very likely to flee the city! Please quickly raise the comfort level to a normal standard!"

Forget the residents, even I find it disgusting just looking at it...

Watching those countless former serfs and captives in the swamp, pinching their noses as they crawled up and down the writhing structure—though it was very impolite—Li Ang always hallucinated that they were maggots on rotting matter.

Because this Wonder is truly disgusting.

Even though he was the individual responsible for regulating the Magic, even though he was the one who personally decided to build this structure. But truly watching that disgusting Corruption Temple begin to gradually take shape, Li Ang still felt a visceral, physiological discomfort from the bottom of his heart.

Etemenanki, in Li Ang's original world, is considered very likely to be the prototype for the mythical Tower of Babel. In many legends, this building seems to be regarded as having very ominous signs; it seems that those who built it and those who decided upon it never had any sense of good fortune.

But in this world, the Magic-infused Etemenanki clearly has different problems. Although it is not the Tower of Babel, what is presented in Li Ang's eyes is another serious issue.

Choosing a mountain hollow, Li Ang used Magic to corrupt and transform the area inside the mountain.

The generation of a swamp area did not count as a particularly large waste of Li Ang's energy.

But looking at the construction method of that Wonder, as well as its appearance and the philosophy of the building, Li Ang began to deeply suspect that building this Wonder might lead to a bit of alienation from his followers.

Because it looked far more heretical than the labyrinth looming in the mountain peaks.

In Li Ang's construction blueprint, the image of the Corruption Temple looked like a corpse rotting and stinking in a swamp, a loathsome thing undergoing giantism.

Those serfs and workers were pinching their noses, wandering around the Corruption Temple with unwilling expressions, scattering some rotting food, and chanting Runes whose meanings they did not know, but which could effectively channel Magic.

Li Ang had to be glad that those Knights had already dispersed to explore the map; otherwise, they would have inevitably ended up with a confused or rebellious psychological state.

But as this rotting building gradually took shape, Li Ang could also feel his own consciousness sinking down.

That corrupt, damp, warm swamp seemed to offer people another kind of choice.

Every time the construction of a Wonder began, Li Ang could feel that these Wonders seemed to be feeding back a unique sensation to him. For example, the sense of manipulating the world from Stonehenge, the hallucination of omnipotence brought by the Myriad Phenomena Labyrinth, while what the Corruption Temple gave him was a strange, moist warmth.

The third day passed, and when serfs finally began to vomit in disgust and flee from this writhing building, Li Ang was finally relieved and saw the notification he had hoped for.

"You have created a brand new Wonder! Your civilization progress has increased!"

"Your civilization Wonder progress has accumulated to 300%. After the civilization is founded, this trait will become a part of your civilization."

"Your civilization construction currently lacks: population, cognitive turning point, a second city, or sprawling territory."

"Please keep up the effort!"

The moment construction was completed, the already disgusting building on the swamp really became as disgusting as it could possibly be.

It was as if Li Ang's final Magic guidance had given this thing life; a pale-white shell floated and swayed in the swamp, beginning to release layers of yellow-green mist.

Those ordinary workers didn't even have time to scream before they were covered by the countless mist. But fortunately, this was not some grotesque poisonous mist that could kill people. Rather, it was a manifestation of one of the Corruption Temple's abilities.

"Rotten Wisdom begins to spread!"

"You have obtained many clues regarding wisdom!"

"You have realized the cage of the God of Wisdom!" A warm, damp feeling, as if something were wrapping around his mind, came through.

Watching the Wonder in the swamp constantly spraying corrupt green mist and shrouding his own figure in the swamp, Li Ang slowly let out a breath.

This Corruption Temple, although it looks ugly, is truly fragrant to consume.

A bit of Rotten Wisdom solved some of the confusion in his heart and also let Li Ang understand what that so-called God of Wisdom actually was.

Rather than a God of Wisdom, it is more like a God of Idiocy. Although it grants the ability of wisdom, it has placed unspeakable poisons of wisdom in every hidden corner.

At the very beginning, it is indeed possible to use this wisdom and these ideas to solve problems to a certain extent. But in reality, this is a clever toxin; the more one utilizes this wisdom, the more one will walk down a deviated path.

Then, in later research and development, there will inevitably be different thoughts and ideas interfering, and the things forged will basically all be Demon creations.

What is even more disgusting is that this blessing cannot be refused.

In other words, everyone currently engaged in scientific research is almost unable to cross this cage because they have no awareness of this aspect at all.

However, with Rotten Wisdom and his cheat, Li Ang does not need to worry about this problem at all. As for why, because the cage of the God of Wisdom is just a negative buff to Li Ang.

"You have come into contact with Classical Era technology!"

"The cage of the God of Wisdom has begun to operate; all technologies in the Classical Era require an additional 25% consumption of research points to be researched!"

It's only a -25%, not even a hair compared to a disaster.

And most importantly, Li Ang also discovered another function of the Corruption Temple.

Within the sphere of influence, any swamp terrain element can be regarded as an extension of Li Ang's body and a Magic Sentinel. In other words, even if there is only a small, non-renewable piece of land, Li Ang can cover it.

The moment he obtained this ability, Li Ang mentally gave the Knightly Order a suggestion: whenever they observe suspicious phenomena in any key area, they should just build a small swamp on the spot. As for the requirements for a swamp, they are actually very broad.

As long as it possesses the concepts of water, soil, and the cycle of life and death, it suffices.

In other words, as long as one digs a hole in the ground, adds some water to mix, and sprinkles in the blood of one's own people, Li Ang can appear from it.

Good stuff.

Although it is good stuff, it is also truly disgusting.

Li Ang endured the psychological discomfort and finally manipulated the Magic to pull those somewhat intoxicated civilians out of the swamp.

Before Li Ang could say a few words to soothe these civilians whose moods had fluctuated so wildly, a scarlet notification snatched away all of Li Ang's attention.

"The God of War has been angered by your posturing!"

"He has decided to dispatch a Demon Legion to destroy your home!"

"..."

I didn't even come looking for trouble with you, and you're coming to look for me?? Looking at the scarlet words on the notification, Li Ang was almost laughed to anger.

(End of chapter)