Chapter 129: True History? Ulterior Motives!

What is depicted on the mural?

It actually caused the five brothers and the three socially‑anxious folks to all curse aloud?

The content is actually not complicated; it can be briefly summed up in one sentence.

However, the mural's narrative style leans toward realism, yet its presentation is exaggerated, giving a very strong first‑impression impact.

Twenty murals tell the story of a worldwide drought, total crop failure, and a man pleading with the god he worships for food and water to save his daughter who is on the brink of death—but to no avail.

The man is a faithful priest of the god; his soul leaves his body, enters the divine realm, and sees the god.

In the divine realm, fruit trees abound, and milk and honey flow across the land.

The god is holding a grand celebration, with every kind of delicacy available and wine that refills as soon as it is drunk.

The man suppresses his urge to swallow, performs three kneelings and nine kowtows, offering the most devout ceremony.

He begs the god to grant water and food, to save his daughter and to save all believers of the god in the mortal world.

Unexpectedly, the supremely merciful god of the scriptures not only remains unmoved, ignores the man's plea, and coldly says: "You should know that suffering for your god is your sole mission. Besides death, your faith and prayers gain you nothing."

So‑called loyal faith is nothing but a fart in the god's eyes.

So‑called believers are like leeks in the field.

As long as He occupies the divine throne for a single day, He can continuously obtain batch after batch of believers.

The man was mocked, received nothing, and was kicked out of the divine realm by the god, cast back into the mortal world.

The man's daughter curled up in his arms and died in agony from extreme hunger and thirst.

Extreme pain and anger overwhelmed the man.

Yet tears could not roll down.

The man's bodily moisture was also near depletion.

After burying his daughter, the man resolutely abandoned the faith he once held firm and spat upon the divine emblem he once treasured.

All those in the mortal world who had prayed to the god and received no blessing or response, before death, unleashed their resentment toward the god's followers, gathering against the man and the divine emblem he trod upon.

A wondrous change occurred.

The man obtained supreme power belonging to darkness.

The despised divine emblem transformed into a God‑Slaying Sword that acknowledged the man as its master.

The man seized the God‑Slaying Sword and, without hesitation, charged toward the god's divine realm.

After a fierce battle, the man slew the god who had the power to save yet ignored the believers' deaths from thirst and starvation.

From then on, the man became the embodiment of the god's judge.

Any god who disregards believers' pleas despite having the ability to act is labeled an evil god by the man and eradicated one by one.

How could the lofty gods tolerate such a treasonous ant?

A protracted war erupted, lasting a thousand years without cease.

The gods fell, and the man also died.

All humans in the mortal world perished in the flames of war.

The world's origin was severely wounded, teetering on the brink of destruction.

In a nutshell: the god committed evil deeds, and the world reaped the bitter fruit.

What point broke the defenses of the five brothers and the three socially‑anxious individuals?

Even raising a dog requires giving it bones to eat.

As a superior being (a god), to be so indifferent to the pleas of inferiors (believers), begrudging even a trifling response or blessing—who else should die if not him?

Such a superior being, placed in the Wizard World, would have long been overthrown and killed.

Even the world's origin cannot be considered innocent.

To give birth to such a god, the world's near‑destruction seems like a fitting price.

After viewing the mural, the outspoken Ba Ke couldn't help but snap: "Just this? And we're supposed to save this world? Might as well destroy it outright!"

The other four brothers and the three socially‑anxious folks didn't necessarily fully agree with Ba Ke's view, yet none spoke up to oppose it.

Clearly, they could not immediately find a reason for themselves to intervene and save this world.

Lin Ke held a different opinion.

He had merely been shocked by the mural's content earlier; he did not wholly believe it.

Whether the mural records true history, a myth, or perhaps a true account that has been exaggerated, there is still no definite conclusion.

A one‑sided account is hard to take at face value.

The same story, told from the god's perspective, could also be framed as believers making endless demands.

Either the world's resources or the god's own resources have already been exhausted in past blessings and replies.

Believers who obtained nothing despite their pleas grew enraged and began to slay gods.

This, too, is logical.

Of course, this story is purely Lin Ke's brain‑filling speculation; he dare not voice it.

Considering the mortal enmity between the Wizard World and the Gods' World,

the Academy, in the Two Districts Grand Comparison, arranged such a small world—suspected to have been brought to the brink of ruin by a god's misdeeds—as the venue for the contest,

in order to guide wizard apprentices to develop aversion toward gods and the Gods' World, which is entirely understandable.

The Academy embellishing the mural's content is also not impossible.

Lin Ke suspects that, besides this small world, there are many places akin to Jiangxin Sandbank that contain records describing why this world is heading toward destruction.

Thus, the Academy can enable more wizard apprentices to learn the history of why this world is nearing ruin—i. e., the mission background.

And the god's original sin.

Guiding the thoughts of wizard apprentices so that they develop aversion, hatred, and loathing toward gods, the divine system, and the Gods' World.

Setting aside those irrelevant trivial thoughts, Lin Ke began to consider the impact and inspiration brought by the mural's content.

There are three main quests: 1 "Choose Faction" is already completed, 2 "Faction Confrontation" and 3 "Save the World" are underway.

There are seven side quests: Quest 1 "Investigate the Truth of the World's Withering"; if the mural's content is true, this quest can be declared completed.

Quest 2 "Draw the World Map", Quest 3 "Collect water samples and analyze components", Quest 4 "Collect soil samples and analyze components", Quest 5 "Prepare various plant specimens", Quest 6 "Prepare various animal specimens"; Lin Ke has been advancing these throughout his journey to find Mo Li.

Quest 7 "Find the World's Sustainable Development Strategy" is interlinked with side quests 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Without understanding the world's ecology, what talk is there of sustainable development?

Looking back now, side quest 7 and main quest 3 are also closely related.

Having saved the world, shouldn't we give it a sustainable development strategy, lest it plunge again toward destruction?

Thinking this way, everything connects.

So, the key to everything is how to save the world.

Lin Ke came to his senses and said, "Before the mission, there are no personal preferences; prioritize completing the mission, don't indulge in idle thoughts."

"Yes, boss."

Ba Ke scratched his head, his tone a little embarrassed.

He had indeed just been venting his emotions, not considering how such words could easily shake the team's morale.

"What should we do next?"

Mo Li asked at this moment, "Should we still go inside behind the bronze gate?"

"Of course."

Lin Ke gave an affirmative answer without hesitation.

The secret passage, the mural—obviously they're just appetizers, pre-meal desserts.

The main feast should still be waiting ahead.

"You all retreat from the secret passage first."

Lin Ke once again directed the team members to the safe zone, while he himself stood beside the iron door, ready to shut it directly if anything went wrong.

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is the best.

With a thought, thorny whips lashed out.

The wood-system zero-ring witchcraft originally meant for attack fell into Lin Ke's hands and has been doing various chores.

Several thick vines climbed the bronze gate, tightly wrapping the door handles, then pulled hard to both sides.

A creaking sound rang out.

The bronze gate slowly opened.

Lin Ke focused his attention, ready to respond at any moment.

However, aside from the air becoming a bit oppressive, nothing untoward happened.

The bronze gate swung open, revealing a plain circular tomb chamber.

There was no gold, no jewels, no valuable burial goods whatsoever.

In the center of the tomb chamber lay a thin wooden coffin.

A skeleton sat at one end of the coffin, left hand resting on the coffin, right hand propping a black greatsword.

The skeleton's posture seemed to guard the person lying in the coffin even after death.

Combining the mural's content, everyone guessed the skeleton's identity and who lay within the coffin.

As for that greatsword, the moment Lin Ke saw it, he employed the Secondary Mist Rain Technique, creating a thick fog to conceal its form.

The reason for this is simple.

The greatsword continually emitted a demonic whisper.

As soon as anyone's gaze fell upon it, they couldn't resist the urge to pick it up and hack, slash, kill.

Lin Ke, relying on his highest realm, fully activated the Brain Seal Technique to resist the temptation.

The others had no mental defenses against it.

They all stepped forward a few paces.

Only when Lin Ke shrouded the greatsword in fog did they regain their composure.

Among them, Mo Li was the most frightened.

Fortunately, she had restrained yesterday the impulse to explore the bronze gate alone.

Otherwise, she might have become the greatsword's puppet.

After a long sigh, Mo Li, still uneasy, said, "Perhaps we shouldn't go in after all."

"Hmm."

Lin Ke stored every detail of the tomb chamber in his Memory Palace, then without hesitation closed the bronze gate.

Apart from that greatsword and the skeleton suspected to be a God Slayer, the tomb chamber held nothing special.

It seems the purpose of the tomb chamber's existence is to corroborate the mural's content.

To make people believe that the mural's content is the truth of this world's impending doom.

Of course, these are merely Lin Ke's speculations.

Perhaps entering the tomb chamber, touching the skeleton, opening the coffin, and taking the greatsword would trigger a different scene.

For example, a resurrected, furious God Slayer angry that outsiders disturbed his daughter's rest.

Grave robbers come to no good end!

Lin Ke sought stability, preferring to forgo possible clues rather than undertake needless risk.

Since we're not exploring the tomb chamber, shall we just leave then?

"Let's dig a bit in the other directions."

Lin Ke decided to make a few earth-affinity teammates suffer a little, trying to see if they could find other relics.

This attempt lasted a full hour.

Aside from a large amount of earth, there was no gain.

Not to mention relics, not even a hair was found.

This phenomenon indirectly confirmed Lin Ke's speculation about the significance of secret passages, murals, and tomb chambers.

They are very likely props deliberately left by the academy to tell the participants the mission's background.

"Rest now, no matter what happens, it will be clear."

After tossing and turning for so long, night had deepened; Lin Ke stopped his exploration and let everyone rest properly.

Everyone returned to the previous resting place.

"How's the situation?"

Gesturing for the others to set up camp and rest, Lin Ke walked up to Dalton and Lin En and asked.

"Lan Ni. Tai Le and her group came after us again, found the leftover rope, and then left."

Dalton reported a somewhat special place.

Lin En added: "Before leaving, Lan Ni glanced over here several times, seeming to guess we had landed on the sandbar."

"Alright. You've worked hard; rest a bit, I'll keep an eye on the monitor."

Lin Ke kept this in mind, lightly comforted the two, then waved and said, "Ba Ke, Ai Ji Ao, come over."

"Boss, any orders?"

Ba Ke and Ai Ji Ao immediately put down the tent parts in their hands and walked over.

"Tonight, you two will take turns on watch with Dalton and Lin En, each for an hour, okay?"

Lin Ke asked politely.

He doesn't always put on airs as the boss; often he still fully respects the five brothers.

"No problem, not just one hour of watch—two hours are fine too."

Ba Ke patted his chest, making a thumping sound.

Ai Ji Ao, not much of a talker, simply nodded firmly to indicate agreement.

After arranging the watch schedule, there was nothing else.

Lin Ke sent off the four people, while he multitasked.

One eye on the real-time reconnaissance feed of the round flying disc and scout puppet, the other thinking about the problem.

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Mo Li brought over a folding chair, unfolded it, and sat beside Lin Ke.

She didn't speak to disturb Lin Ke's contemplation; she simply leaned forward, propped her cheeks with her hands, and quietly gazed at Lin Ke's side profile.

Her gaze showed no special feeling; it was calm, clear, like a babbling stream.

After a while, Mo Li lowered her hands, sat up, feeling uncomfortable, then half-laid back and lazily asked, "Lin Ke, what are you thinking about?"

Lin Ke had long noticed Mo Li's arrival, and his peripheral vision also detected her gaze, but he gave no response.

Hearing Mo Li's question, Lin Ke replied, "I'm thinking about how to complete the faction mission."

"Any progress?"

"Yes."

"Tell me in detail?"

"Sure."

Lin Ke weighed his words and said, "The murals show that humanity in this world is completely extinct."

But we have personally seen that other creatures, plants and animals still exist, and not a few.

The faction mission given by the academy is to save the world, not to save the creatures in it; the difference is huge.

After a brief pause, Lin Ke voiced a previously resolved doubt: "Earlier, I didn't understand why I was assigned to the positive faction."

Clearly, after entering this world, I have been constantly destroying the ecological environment.

Now I've figured it out; the reason isn't complicated at all.

"What is it?"

Mo Li played the straight man, feeding him lines so he wouldn't be doing a solo comedy act.

"It's because I didn't have the intention to deliberately destroy."

Moreover, I've been doing side quests, collecting water and soil samples, making plant and animal specimens.

The academy's tower spirit used to monitor the grand competition might judge this way, deeming me inclined to save the world, and thus placed me in the positive faction.

"And what about me? I haven't done any side quests at all."

Mo Li seemed to have caught a loophole in Lin Ke's statement and raised a question.

Lin Ke chuckled and countered, "You also don't have the intention to deliberately destroy, right?"

"I've dug so many tunnels—how is that not deliberate destruction?"

Mo Li wasn't convinced by Lin Ke's explanation and continued, "What about those assigned to the negative faction? Why are they there? Just because they didn't do side quests? Or because they deliberately destroyed the environment?"

Lin Ke had actually given serious thought to this question just moments ago.

He offered his guess: "Both are possible. But I think the most likely is that the academy needs to split into two factions, so it's inevitable that some people are assigned to the negative faction."

Mo Li burst out laughing with a "pfft".

"Isn't this just talking nonsense?"

"Right, you said there was progress—specify,"

After laughing a while, having finished teasing, Mo Li asked about the main matter.

"How should we save the world?"

(End of chapter)