New Mythical Artifact

Creation God's Kingdom

Yin Shen held a mirror in his hands. Dream Sovereign Hila stood behind him, one hand resting on the back of the stone chair and the other supporting her chin.

Beside them, a brown-haired little girl lay sprawled across the armrest, her head tilted against Yin Shen's arm as she peered at the image within the mirror.

They watched as an ancient city emerged from the darkness, appearing upon the sea of sand.

The spirit sighed with feeling.

"How wonderful," she said.

"A city from 250 million years ago has once again appeared in the mortal world."

"People from the previous era can now enter this era again."

Once, she had asked Yin Shen if the next era could retain shadows of the previous one.

The answer was yes.

Shelly, her head still resting on Yin Shen's arm, pouted. "Without the protection of monster power," she said, "it will surely fall apart soon."

"It will collapse immediately and turn to sand."

This "soon" was debatable.

Perhaps in the eyes of such beings, ten thousand or a hundred thousand years was still considered soon.

"That is someone's homeland, their city," Yin Shen said.

"And it is not called falling apart. It is just new people replacing old people, new buildings replacing old buildings."

Demon Abyss Kingdom

The Yinsai Temple of the Demon Spirit Pyramid consisted of multiple connected palaces. On an exposed corridor connecting the main and side halls, a peculiar demon spirit puppet leaned against the railing, reading a book.

Sunlight fell upon the demon spirit puppet, casting its slanted shadow across the railing.

The puppet wore elegant robes covered by a cloak adorned with mysterious patterns.

Ever since the Demon Abyss Kingdom emerged on the surface, sand has blown in continuously from the distance. Although the outer wall stood as a barrier, it could not stop the wind-driven sand entirely.

This created many troubles for the city. It was said that the Demon Spirit King and Queen were planning to address the issue.

But for now, the problem remained unsolved.

This made cloaks a common piece of equipment for demon spirit puppets.

At the same time, Elena had her own reasons for wearing one.

The book in Elena's hands had been brought in by the Snake People from outside.

It recorded legends, stories, and strange tales.

Elena used these legends and stories to understand the outside world and its changes, to learn about this entirely new era.

"Vivien became the Scarlet Goddess. She truly survived to this era by relying on Stuen's Ruhe Seal."

"Has the God of Knowledge and Truth Asai also awakened? Did he not seal himself away in despair?"

"So many people searched for his shadow, but none could find him."

"And Xiao. That traitor did not die but became the Original Sin Evil God."

"He looks just like his former master."

As the perspective shifted downward, it became clear that while the voice carried outward, the puppet Elena made no movement to speak.

Looking closer, one would discover the speaker was not puppet Elena at all.

Beneath Elena's hood were two faces, one real and one phantom. A Divine Apostle's face appeared within Elena's puppet body, her features partially blending with those of the puppet.

There were two selves within her body.

One was her former self, and one was her current self.

The speaker was the phantasmal face squeezed beneath the hood.

Tower Spirit Elena.

"This era has changed so much," she said. "It is completely different from our time."

"So abundant."

"Life is all around us."

"Plants spread across the land, and animals move freely on the ground."

Tower Spirit Elena's voice was complicated as she said this. In the Trilobite Man era, there had truly been nothing.

The book's pages turned to records about the divine beings of the Land of Sunrise. It described an ancient deity carrying a lamp who entered the Land of Sunrise, illuminating the eastern world.

"God of Alchemy and Desire Iva?"

"Probably. That should be the former Ferryman!"

Tower Spirit Elena quickly identified the God of Alchemy and Desire Iva from the records. The legends about him included tales of his journeys through the Dream Starry Sea alongside Prince Smerkel of Suinhor City-State.

Moreover, this era no longer had legends of the Ferryman, only of the Divine Boat.

So where had the Ferryman gone? How could Iva enter the Creator God's Kingdom? Between his silver garments and the image of him carrying a lamp, Tower Spirit Elena recognized his identity immediately, without needing to think much.

Puppet Elena interjected at this point.

"He helped us," Puppet Elena said. "His apostle, Oran, brought it back to us."

"And because of that, you were able to become the Tower Spirit of the Demon Spirit Pyramid!"

The ultimate technique of the Tower Spirit School had given her some inspiration, or at least provided a reminder. The technique itself was crude, just an idea without a proper theoretical foundation.

"Actually, their imagined tower spirits were probably just weakened versions of mythical artifacts. To imagine the power of mythology with such limited power and foundation is already quite remarkable."

Puppet Elena's voice grew more serious.

"However, we still have not figured out the principles behind the birth of mythical artifacts. How did Anhofus manage to create the Little Person in the Bottle?"

"But we know the theory of creating ghosts. With your power, plus my body as a node, operating the Demon Spirit Pyramid should not be a problem."

Tower Spirit Elena finished reading the entire book. She only spoke after the puppet closed its pages.

"You want to create a mythical artifact?"

"All of this is only temporary."

"You are the one who desires it," Puppet Elena said, turning to the Tower Spirit. "Then you passed the thought to me."

"When it becomes a mythical artifact," Tower Spirit Elena said with a nod, "it might allow the demon spirits to leave this city."

"Most people probably will not want to leave," Puppet Elena said.

That phantasmal face looked toward the mysterious ancient city wrapped in yellow sand.

"But not wanting to leave and not being able to leave are two different things," Tower Spirit Elena said.

"I sense your thoughts," Puppet Elena said to the Tower Spirit, "but I do not understand."

"What is the basis for this?"

"Why would becoming a mythical artifact allow us to leave this city?"

Tower Spirit Elena had once been Sandean's student and had received the most orthodox Temple of Truth inheritance. She also served as an instructor at the Temple of Truth for many generations, teaching numerous students and disciples.

"The Dream Realm is also called the Spirit Realm," she said.

"It can ignore spatial distance and transmit power to any location."

"When it becomes mythological, we can connect the Tower Spirit Domain directly to the Dream Realm. We can then use the Dream Realm as a medium to extend the range of activity for all demon spirit puppets beyond this city."

"Once the Tower Spirit Domain connects to the Dream Realm, demon spirits will be able to leave this city. They can go anywhere the Dream Realm can influence."

"It is just like those demigods and their believers. No matter where the believers are, demigods can communicate with them, and believers can pray to the demigods through rituals."

Mythology could open the doors to the Dream Realm and place its domain within the Dream Realm. This had long been evident to all.

"How can the Demon Spirit Pyramid be forged into a mythical artifact?" Puppet Elena asked.

"Anhofus certainly knows," Tower Spirit Elena replied. "He would know most clearly."

This went without saying. Anhofus was the first person to create a mythical artifact, and when Tower Spirit Elena said the name Anhofus, she was also pointing to the God of Knowledge and Truth, Asai.

But Puppet Elena remained silent.

She knew that Tower Spirit Elena had some aversion to the name Anhofus.

Anhofus was Haru's student, but he was also the major factor that directly caused Haru's madness. He was the chief culprit in creating the Little Person in the Bottle as well.

Although Asai was not Anhofus, the relationship between these two names was even deeper than the relationship between Tower Spirit Elena and Puppet Elena.

To ordinary people, they were indistinguishable.

"Is there anyone else who knows?" Puppet Elena asked.

Then Tower Spirit Elena immediately named another person.

"Xiao definitely knows, too," she said.

Xiao possessed nearly all the secrets of the Little Person in the Bottle. He had taken all the knowledge from Anhofus, the Little Person in the Bottle, and Lan, ultimately creating the Path of Wisdom.

But this did not need saying, either.

Tower Spirit Elena would never ask him for help.

So the last name was the key. "Besides them," she said, "the Ferryman Iva might know as well."

"I will try to contact the God of Alchemy and Desire Iva," Puppet Elena said with a nod.

"Let's see if we can get this knowledge from him."

Puppet Elena immediately utilized information she had recently learned.

"In this era, there is something called the Divine Messengers."

"We can write a letter," she continued, "and have the Snake Person who has not yet left put it into the Rainbow Tree's hollow for us."

But Puppet Elena was not certain. "Will the God of Alchemy and Desire Iva help us?" she asked.

Tower Spirit Elena was not sure either. "Let us try and see," she replied.

The reappearance of the Demon Abyss Kingdom left many rumors and stories in the mortal realm.

It was also an event worthy of attention for those ancient beings, the demigods of the human world.

Miracle Sky Garden

God Iva stood beneath the Rainbow Tree, taking something from the tree hollow.

As he stood there, he suddenly remembered a figure from the past, someone who carried a leather suitcase and often smiled with pursed lips. She was a person who had once been trapped in this very tree hollow.

A wood nymph delivered another letter to God Iva. It was signed by Elena of the Demon Abyss Kingdom.

God Iva's wife, the Golden Queen, approached him from the flower sea of the Cup of Desire.

"God Iva," she said.

"Who sent you a letter?"

Sending letters through the Rainbow Tree was not something just anyone could do. One could send a letter out, but whether it would be received was another matter.

This was especially true for letters sent to deities. Not many people had the privilege of sending letters to Iva.

Therefore, even as Iva's wife, she rarely saw anyone send a letter to the deity.

God Iva wore a silver robe, creating a gold and silver symmetry with the golden-haired Golden Queen.

"Yesael City has reappeared in the world recently," he said. "Elena has returned with the People of the Abyss, though in a different form."

"Lady Elena hopes to obtain the Path of Wisdom from me to forge the Demon Spirit Pyramid into a mythical artifact."

"In her letter, she says she is willing to pay the price."

"What should I ask for?" God Iva asked.

Although Iva had improved compared to before, he still would not think about complicated things most of the time.

He would just think straightforwardly and act honestly.

It was similar to how he had once promised the Dream Sovereign to ferry the dream, and so he guarded that starry sea for an entire era.

"Is the Path of Wisdom important to you?" the Golden Queen asked.

"Are you the only one who possesses it?"

God Iva shook his head. He had already given the technique to several of his apostles. This type of deification technique was certainly precious, but to true mythological beings, it was not as precious as one might imagine.

And God Iva was not the only one who possessed this technique.

The God of Knowledge and Truth, Asai, and the Original Sin Evil God, Xiao, both had it. Besides them, the Sky Messenger Duma of the Winged People had received it, as had some followers of Asai and Iva in the mortal world.

"Then why use something that cannot exchange for anything important," the Golden Queen said, "and in doing so, consume a friendship with another predestined mythological being?"

"Their help in a critical moment," she continued, "is far more important than something you can get now."

"You are right," God Iva said with a nod.

White Tower Alchemy Alliance

Oran, the apostle of the God of Alchemy and Desire, received a divine revelation and prepared to journey once more to the Endless Desert.

He was to visit the mysterious realm and city that had recently appeared in the Endless Desert, though God Iva had not told him what he was to do there.

Within the lively White Tower Academy in the thriving Land of Sunrise, Oran overheard conversations about new tales of the city in the Endless Desert. These stories were unlike any told before.

This time, people had not just seen the city but had actually entered it. Those who went inside had even conversed with its residents.

Although they could not understand the residents' language, the city's residents were all ability users who could communicate through telepathy.

The news, which came from several merchant caravans from Thunder Marsh, caused a stir throughout the city. Many students in the White Tower Academy were also discussing the matter.

"The Demon Abyss Kingdom... I think that is what they call it."

"Abyss? Sounds like a deep trench in the sea, not a realm in the Endless Desert. I think Sand Kingdom would be more fitting!"

"Perhaps the current land was once ocean and sea trenches!"

Some students always proposed ridiculous theories, immediately drawing mockery from many others.

After that student retreated, the conversation continued.

"Living metal puppets? Somehow that sounds very similar to former Principal Oran, does it not?"

"There are too many wondrous places in this world. When I graduate, I must go out and see them."

"You had better not wander around. The Land of Sunrise is good enough, and it is quite dangerous outside."

Listening to the discussions among the academy's students and teachers, combined with the divine revelation, Oran understood everything.

"Lady Elena has come back to life?"

"That is truly wonderful."

Oran looked forward to meeting Lady Elena again. He wondered what the meeting would be like and if she had accomplished what she wanted to do. He was also curious about what that ancient city really looked like.

At that time, he could only glimpse it from afar in the storm, unable to see its true appearance.

Oran had recently crafted several artifacts, including a flying carpet that could soar through the sky.

Riding this flying magic carpet, Oran set off toward the distant Endless Desert.

He avoided the shortest route through Thunder Marsh, as it was a deadly forbidden zone. Unlike in the Endless Desert, the sky was the most dangerous part of Thunder Marsh.

Oran followed the coastline northward until he reached the Endless Desert.

He discovered that several villages and towns had sprung up along the outer edges of the Endless Desert, stretching toward the south and east.

Many of these people had fled from the Land of Sunrise.

The families of the former council of elders had brought their entire clans and territories here to start anew.

Oran noticed this but did nothing. Their choice not to remain in the White Tower Alchemy Alliance was their own decision. After all, their dispute was merely ideological and had not yet reached the point of total annihilation.

Oran began searching for the Demon Abyss Kingdom in the sand.

The city's position constantly changed, like a giant ship floating on the sea of sand.

Previously, he had spent several months searching for this city.

Whether it was due to divine guidance or pure luck, on the third day after entering the Endless Desert, he finally saw the city.

Oran, carrying his lamp and riding the magic carpet, descended from the sky.

From the highest point of the city, on top of a giant tower, someone directed him, guiding him straight toward the front of the palace.

Oran saw that it was a metal puppet.

It looked almost identical to his former self, with a strikingly similar outline.

The flying magic carpet passed beneath the giant tower, through layers of ancient stone buildings, and around multiple bridges and corridors.

"This city is absolutely breathtaking," he said.

The city was magnificent enough when viewed from a distance.

But the experience of truly entering it was completely different. This was not just a city, but more like a layered labyrinth.

Massive buildings towered upward, connected by layers of suspension bridges, corridors, and rope bridges.

Once inside, one felt completely lost, unable to find their direction.

The city was so spacious that it felt like falling into a place devoured by time. Without a view of the sky, one might feel they could never escape.

The flying magic carpet landed in front of the palace, where the crowned Demon Spirit King and Demon Spirit Queen emerged.

"Welcome," they said.

"Apostle of God Iva."

Oran immediately returned the greeting, following their guidance toward the depths of the inverted pyramid.

Oran entered the Yinsai Temple.

This was the first time he had seen such an ancient temple. Dedicated to Yinsai, it was unlike the shrines of the second era. He stared in a daze at the blurred image of the deity until a figure emerged from the temple's depths.

He saw Elena.

The ancient apostle had become a puppet, but when she raised her head, Oran saw two faces, one real and one phantom.

Puppet Elena called his name. "Oran."

The phantom Elena watched Oran in silence, her steady gaze creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Before Oran could respond, a powerful and overwhelming will suddenly descended upon him.

Oran's appearance twisted and transformed.

He took on another form, one filled with divinity and radiance. His clothes changed to a silver robe, and his whole body emanated mythological light.

God Iva, using Oran's shell, had descended into this city.

"Yesael City!" Iva said, glancing around.

Anyone from the first era who arrived here would surely express such amazement.

The name Yesael and this city carried countless stories and memories.

"Lady Elena," he said, turning to her, "Iva has arrived as requested."

Facing the demigod, Elena did not know how to address him, especially since she was the one seeking his help.

"You can simply call me Iva," God Iva said.

"Iva, welcome," Elena replied.

Afterward, the two stood in silence for a long time. Neither spoke, and the weight of their thoughts filled the air.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

God Iva was clearly not someone who engaged in pleasantries. He had come in person only because the one before him had an extraordinary status, warranting a personal visit as a show of respect.

But as for any further niceties, he would not bother.

Faced with the awkward silence, he simply brought out the 【Path of Wisdom】.

It was a copper-shelled secret text.

"Lady Elena, this is what you wanted."

Elena was stunned. She had not expected to obtain it so easily and so quickly.

She reached out and took the secret text that led to the path of mythology. She opened her mouth to speak but said nothing for a long moment.

Much like Iva, Elena was also clearly someone who did not communicate well with others. Her words were stiff and direct.

"What do I... need to pay?"

But this actually suited the rhythm of their conversation better.

"Nothing," Iva said, shaking his head.

"Even without me, you would obtain it before long."

"Not many people from the previous era remain. I hope there can be more contemporaries like you, Lady Elena."

"I will remember this favor, Iva," Elena said.

"I hope that next time, you can visit my realm as a guest, Lady Elena," Iva replied.

"My wife heard your story and greatly admires you."

"She said she is very much looking forward to meeting you."

Elena's expression looked less rigid as she earnestly said,

"If I have the opportunity, I will certainly come."

When Oran awoke, he was already outside the temple.

Puppet Elena was seeing him off.

The phantom face that had been squeezed together with hers, however, had vanished without a trace. The copper-bound book she had been holding was also gone.

It seemed she had taken that secret text of the path to mythology to another world.

"Lady Elena," Oran said.

"I am very grateful for your help before," he said. "Without you, I could not have achieved what I have now."

"Sometimes, when you help others, you are also helping yourself," Elena replied.

"When you receive others' kindness, they are also receiving yours."

"No need to thank me."

"This is fate, or perhaps you prefer to call it destiny."

Having expressed his gratitude, Oran felt much lighter.

He bid her farewell, then rode his magic carpet around the city, chatting with many residents.

Having once been a puppet himself, he felt a special kinship with these strange puppet-formed beings.

After purchasing some miracle creations, he left the city.

The flying magic carpet circled in the sky as Oran looked back toward the inverted pyramid.

He suddenly recalled the phantom figure with the cold aura inside Elena's body when he had seen her earlier.

"That spirit..." he wondered.

"What exactly was that about?"

For some reason, Oran suddenly recalled the ultimate technique of the Tower Spirit School. It was known as the Tower Spirit Technique.

As Oran left the Endless Desert and reached its edge, he noticed scattered groups of powerful wing demons, stone demons, and fire demons approaching from the distance in a continuous flow.

They moved deeper into the sea of sand, all heading in the same direction.

This was unusual. There seemed to be something there that was irresistibly drawing them in.

These were the elite among monsters, not just in terms of power, but also because they had developed a rudimentary wisdom that allowed them to sense this calling.

Oran did not understand. "What are they doing?" he wondered.

But he vaguely suspected it might be related to the divine revelation that had sent him to the Demon Abyss Kingdom, even though he did not know what his deity had discussed with Elena.

However, the timing of this unusual phenomenon, happening right after his deity's meeting with Elena, made it difficult for him not to link the two events.

The monsters made their way toward the Demon Abyss Kingdom but halted outside the city. According to their covenant, monsters were forbidden from entering.

They needed to undergo a transformation before entering the place they so desperately desired.

On the walls of the Demon Abyss Kingdom, demon spirits opened the city gates.

"Come in," the puppets shouted.

The puppets turned back, calling to those inside the city.

"More have come today," one of them said.

"Several have already arrived," another added.

A stone demon stepped through the towering city gate as the Demon Spirit Pyramid radiated a brilliant light that enveloped its form.

Its body structure began to change, developing a special circuit within its stone form.

The Wisdom Circuit.

When the stone demon entered through one side of the city gate, it was still a tall stone monster. By the time it emerged from the other side, it had become a small humanoid clay puppet.

No longer heavy or crude, no longer terrifying.

It appeared delicate and small, somewhat adorable.

The metal puppet demon spirits waiting inside the city immediately erupted in cheers.

"A new demon spirit is born."

"The eight thousand one hundred and twenty-eighth, the eight thousand one hundred and twenty-eighth has been born."

"And there are more outside."

This newly born being was not just another demon spirit. It represented the future and hope of its kind.

Next, a fire demon walked through the city gate.

Its form was ever-changing, floating in a twisted state. At times, its body expanded to an extreme size, while at other moments, it shrank until it was nearly invisible.

Upon entering the city, the fire demon transformed into a glass figure with a transparent dome for a head. The dome displayed intricate circuits, inside which flames swirled and danced.

A metal puppet demon spirit approached, draped clothing over it, and welcomed it.

"Welcome to..." it said.

"The Demon Abyss Kingdom."

Both the stone demon from before and the fire demon stood dazed, staring at everything around them.

Like newborn infants, they walked into this city.

But as they looked at the demon spirits applauding to welcome them, they felt completely different.

They had changed completely.

They now possessed true higher wisdom.

No longer mixed among beasts, fish, and shrimp.

No longer in chaotic ignorance.

Although they were a species of wisdom, they had never before truly embraced it.

Now, a new door had opened for them.

They could learn, they could grow.

They could even establish their own forces, countries, and civilization.

One by one, monsters with awakened consciousness traveled from distant lands, crossing swamps, wastelands, and ice-covered mountains to reach this place.

Amid the endless yellow sand, they found their destination and a place to belong.

They freed themselves from their ignorant chaos to become a truly wise race.

And in this transformation, the power of the Demon Spirit Pyramid gradually grew stronger.

Until one day, the Demon Spirit Pyramid would finally transform into a true mythical artifact.