I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

[Jiangnan University, Underground Equipment Room]

Da da da da!

In the confined space, gunfire erupted like thunder. The specially made 5.8mm steel-core bullets, carrying immense kinetic energy, converged into a scorching metal whip, lashing fiercely at the black monster.

Sparks flew everywhere.

This should have been a one-sided massacre. Under the barrage of modern assault rifles, even an adult brown bear would be reduced to mincemeat in two seconds.

But what he saw made Zhao Feng's pupils contract sharply.

The bullets struck the monster's black curly fur, producing a dull thud similar to hitting a sandbag, followed by a metallic clang. The seemingly soft fur was as tough as high-strength bulletproof fiber; most bullets were deflected, with only a few penetrating the flesh and splattering black sap.

"roar--!!"

The earthworm, in pain, let out a deafening roar.

The sound contained some kind of infrasound, which made all the team members wearing tactical headsets feel a violent nausea and dizziness.

"Scatter! It's not dead!"

Zhao Feng roared, but it was too late.

The enraged beast displayed explosive power that defied the laws of physics. Instead of retreating, it braved the dense hail of bullets, its four hooves shattering the concrete ground, transforming into a black afterimage as it crashed directly into the special operations team's formation.

boom!

The "shield man" at the very front—a burly man wearing heavy riot armor—looked as if he had been hit head-on by a speeding dump truck.

The Kevlar riot shield, capable of withstanding close-range pistol fire, shattered instantly.

"Well……"

The team member didn't even have time to scream before he was sent flying and crashed heavily into the pipe behind him. The ceramic plate on his chest shattered, and blood gushed from his mouth.

"Old Zhang!"

His teammate next to him, his eyes reddened, pulled the trigger with his gun almost pressed against the monster's head.

But the earthworm was faster than him.

It suddenly swung its head, and the sharp, knife-like curved blade instantly sliced ​​through the team member's arm, knocking the rifle away with it. The cut was as smooth as a mirror.

This is an unequal war.

On one side are elite warriors accustomed to dealing with humans or ordinary wild beasts.

On one side are monsters from the mythical era, which, although merely a data projection, possess real destructive power.

Fear spread through the black fog.

"Cease fire! Stop shooting! You're accidentally injuring your teammates!"

Amidst the chaos, Zhao Feng maintained his composure. He discarded his empty rifle and swiftly drew his Taser (a high-voltage stun gun) and net launcher from his waist.

"Switch to control weapons! Three sets, install the electric grid!"

Upon hearing the order, the two team members behind quickly retreated and raised two large launchers.

Bang!Bang!

Two large nets woven from high-strength nanowires roared out, unfurled in the air, and precisely covered the rampaging earthworms.

"receive!"

As the winch turned, the net tightened rapidly, digging into the monster's flesh.

"Meow—!!!"

The earthworm struggled frantically, its sharp claws carving deep furrows in the ground. Its strength was astonishing; it even dragged two adult strong men along the floor.

"Power on!" Zhao Feng roared.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!

A pulse of high voltage, reaching up to 50,000 volts, was released instantaneously along the metal wire.

Eerie blue arcs of electricity danced wildly in the dark basement, the air thick with the acrid smell of burning fur—the smell of death itself.

The earthworm's body convulsed violently under the strong electric current, and the fierce light in its four scarlet eyes gradually dissipated, eventually turning into some kind of incomprehensible deathly ashes.

It was ultimately not a true ancient mythical beast, but merely a "low-end version" fabricated by Gu Qing using his spiritual power. Under the violent suppression of modern technology, its biological functions still had their limits.

The electric shock lasted a full half minute.

Only when the monster emitted wisps of blue smoke and remained completely still did Zhao Feng release his grip.

The basement fell silent once more.

The only sounds were the painful groans of the injured players and the spraying of water from the hoses.

Zhao Feng was panting heavily, his body covered in cold sweat.

He looked at the charred, enormous thing on the ground, then at Chu Tian lying unconscious in the distance, and a sense of absurdity he had never felt before welled up inside him.

It was just a wild beast...

They almost wiped out his fully armed special operations team.

What if they are in groups?

What if everything recorded in that book, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, is true?

"team leader……"

The deputy, clutching his bleeding arm and pale-faced, walked over. "Is this thing... dead?"

Zhao Feng stepped forward and kicked the corpse of the earthworm with his boot.

The corpse was as hard as iron.

"They're dead." Zhao Feng's voice was hoarse. "But our world may have 'died' along with them."

He turned around and looked at Chu Tian, ​​who was being treated by the medic.

"How's that student doing?"

The medic looked up, his face filled with horror: "Captain, this kid's vital signs... are too strange."

"What happened?"

"He has multiple fractures and internal bleeding; he should have been in shock by now. But..." the medic pointed to the cardiac monitor, "his heartbeat is very strong, only 40 beats per minute, but each beat is like a pump. Moreover, his wounds are visibly stopping bleeding and scabbing over."

Zhao Feng squatted down and looked at Chu Tian's face, which was covered in blood.

Beneath the tattered clothes, one could vaguely see faint red lines, like tattoos, emerging from Chu Tian's skin.

Those are the traces left by the forced cleansing of spiritual energy.

"Put him in the level one isolation chamber." Zhao Feng stood up, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp. "This kid is key. And this monster's corpse, don't leave a single hair behind, transport it all back to base."

"Everything that happened tonight is classified as top secret. Anyone who dares to divulge a single word will be charged with treason."

"yes!"

……

[Jiangnan City, on the rooftop of a high-rise building]

The night wind was biting.

Gu Qing stood on the edge of the railing, looking down at the special operations vehicle convoy below, which seemed to be busy like ants.

Watching the silver isolation pod containing Chu Tian being loaded onto the vehicle, and then watching the corpse of that earthworm being taken away in a body bag, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

[System Summary: Act 1 "Awakening" is complete.]

Number of participants: 126 (direct witnesses/participants).

[Credit income settlement in progress...]

[Gained Faith Points: 380.]

"380 points..."

A satisfied smile appeared on Gu Qing's pale face.

This is a huge sum of money.

Compared to the previous flashy special effects, this kind of realistic conflict that is "fist to fist" is indeed the most effective in eliciting shock and fear from people.

The fears of those special operations team members were real.

Chu Tian's belief is genuine.

The upcoming official investigation will also prove that the body is "real".

This is enough.

Once a lie is corroborated by physical evidence, it is no longer a lie, but a scientific mystery to be solved.

"puff……"

Gu Qing suddenly clutched his chest, a metallic taste rising in his throat, but he forced it down.

The divine perspective has faded.

The physical pain returned like a tidal wave.

Although Chu Tian did most of the fighting in that big show just now, Gu Qing, as the mastermind behind the scenes, needed to maintain the "black mist effect" and the "stability of the earthworms' existence" in real time, which was a huge drain on his mental energy.

His vision began to blur, and his eyes, which had just acquired the "Deceitful Eyes," felt a sharp pain, as if they were on fire.

"I have to go back..."

Gu Qing staggered back two steps and grabbed onto a concrete pillar on the rooftop.

His current physical condition is actually a hundred times worse than Chu Tian's when he was carried onto the ambulance. Chu Tian is evolving, while he is rotting.

"System, redeem... one [Basic Cell Repair Fluid]."

[Consumes 100 Faith Points.]

[Note: This item cannot cure cancer; it can only slow down organ failure, and is a temporary measure to prolong life, not a cure.]

"Just prolonging life is enough."

A syringe gleaming with a pale green light appeared in Gu Qing's hand. Without hesitation, he plunged it into his neck.

The cool liquid injected into the blood vessels suppressed the excruciating pain that gnawed at the bone.

Gu Qing gasped for breath, leaning against a pillar, watching the eastern horizon gradually lighten.

Dawn has broken.

But for this world, the real night has only just begun.

"Chu Tian has been arrested, that's good."

Gu Qing's eyes turned cold again.

"The authorities will study him and try to analyze his power. And that... is exactly what I need."

"Only by getting the behemoth that is the state apparatus to operate on its own, to study cultivation and to crave power, can my 'myth' rise from the underground to the surface and become a consensus of all mankind."

He pulled his trench coat tighter, turned and walked towards the stairwell, his figure hunched and lonely.

"The next scene should be on a different stage."

"Now that we have 'demons' and 'humans', next... it's time for 'monsters' and 'devils' to take the stage."

In the shadows behind him, something seemed to be growing silently. It was the rift in the world he had just torn open, a rift that could never be mended.