Chapter 9: Ancient God Fire Lamp

Moonlight Ancient God's Sacrificial Altar.

Yang Qizhou thought of the Holy Image of the Moonlight Ancient God.

Putting aside the bizarre occurrence of being able to bring rewards from the Deceit World into reality, just the various mind-boggling scenarios alone heavily impacted his young mind.

Watching the sun could lead to death, wandering at night could also lead to death, though bizarre and terrifying, at least still within the realm of human acceptance.

But the notion of a male mother was too surreal,

and stone statues being able to give birth shattered all conventional views.

Unfortunately, Deceit World is a text game where dialogue isn't controlled by the player; otherwise, Yang Qizhou would have heavily criticized it,

as the text continued to refresh.

"You are awed by the beauty of Night Watch Captain Lena."

"You think of Alice, and the flames of passion in your heart are instantly extinguished, lamenting how the more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she is in this world."

"You didn't immediately mention the Moonlight Ancient God's Sacrificial Altar but instead asked Lena about her intentions in inquiring about this matter."

"Lena's face showed melancholy as she explained the reasons behind it."

"It turns out that in the past, Fire Stealing Village and the Forest Hundred Clans had signed an alliance under the witness of the Oath King to jointly resist the terrifying anomalies of the wilderness. The Fire Stealing Ancient God and Moonlight Ancient God had even collaborated to create divine paths between their realms, allowing believers to travel freely without the threats of the wilderness."

"But not long ago, the divine paths suddenly collapsed, causing Fire Stealing Village and the Forest Hundred Clans to lose contact."

"To find out the truth, many Night Watchers embarked on the mysterious and unknown wilderness heading to the Moonlight Ancient God's Sacrificial Altar, including the former Night Watch Captain Porter."

"But none of them returned."

"Now, in the wilderness, an unknown terror has set its eyes on Fire Stealing Village, making Lena deeply uneasy and urgently in need of the Forest Hundred Clans' help."

"You intended to speak about your experiences at the Moonlight Ancient God's Sacrificial Altar but hesitated when thinking of the Evil Altar dedicated to the Dream Hidden King because you were unsure if Lena was a friend or foe."

"You chose to conceal some facts and only told Lena that the Moonlight Ancient God's Sacrificial Altar had been abandoned by the time you arrived."

"Lena was deeply shocked,"

"She was unaware of the existence of the Dream Realm Mother Goddess Flower Seed, nor the fact that the Moonlight Ancient God's Holy Image had given birth to the Dream Realm's Child, believing that it was the Old Gods' follower Alice lurking outside Fire Stealing Village who brought the disaster threatening to annihilate Forest Hundred Clans."

"You noticed that although Captain Lena was shocked, she was not surprised and couldn't help but ask the reason."

"Lena stated that this area is close to the unknown lands of the wilderness, a place where the blessing of the Radiant Gods cannot reach. Here, the bizarre and the unknown coexist, with mystery and terror equally prevalent. The environment is so harsh and terrifying that tribes and villages are constantly being engulfed by waves of monsters. The disaster facing the Forest Hundred Clans is unsurprising, and the next to suffer catastrophic destruction might just be Fire Stealing Village."

Yang Qizhou thought about the previous plot,

the rapid weathering and decay of Fire Stealing Village structures, Night Watchers aging and dying at a visible rate, everything turning to nothingness, only Alice expressing gratitude to the character for leading her way.

If not for the ability of the Desecrating Dark Crow, Fire Stealing Village might no longer exist.

Yang Qizhou secretly felt relieved; the old world was too terrifying, lucky he didn't live in it, otherwise he wouldn't survive half a day without knowing how he'd perish.

The game continued.

"The destruction of the Forest Hundred Clans and the abandonment of the Moonlight Ancient God's Sacrificial Ground made Lena realize the severity of the situation; she decided to consult the Fire Stealing Priest to discuss the threats currently facing Fire Stealing Village."

"You then thought about the 'Night Watcher's Remains' in your possession, and couldn't help but hesitate."

"Such a greedy and cheat-like explorer."

"Will you risk taking out the 'Night Watcher's Remains' to see if you can get any benefits?"

"Or will you decide to hold onto them for now?"

"Please make your choice."

If it were any other player, they would definitely be at a loss, because the 'Night Watcher's Remains' have unknown powers that can deter lurking threats in the wilderness, and offer not insignificant utility. Giving it away would be a significant loss, although the Night Watchers would likely offer some benefits in gratitude, whether they would match the value of the remains is up for debate.

But Yang Qizhou wouldn't, because he has the Dark Crow of Profane Fortune.

Yang Qizhou chose 'yes' without hesitation.

"You took out the 'Night Watcher's Remains' and explained they were tricked from Alice's hands."

"Lena recognized the 'Night Watcher's Remains' as belonging to her missing father, the previous Night Watch Captain Porter, who disappeared on his way to the Moonlight Ancient God's Sacrificial Altar, and was deeply saddened by his misfortune."

"You lost the 'Night Watcher's Remains.'

"In gratitude, Aileen gifted you the 'Ancient God Fire Lamp.'

"Ancient God Fire Lamp (Excellent): A tool used by Fire Stealing villagers to steal fire, requiring a 'Fire Spark' to ignite and activate. It contains a trace of the Fire Stealing Ancient God's Divine Power, capable of dispelling illusions in the mist and revealing real scenery."

"You gained Lena's favor."

"You have a 'Fire Spark,' and the Ancient God Fire Lamp has automatically ignited."

What a treasure.

Yang Qizhou willed it, and a bronze oil lamp appeared in his hand, the flame seemingly coming alive, flickering in the moonlight.

The 'Ancient God Fire Lamp' is an advanced version of 'Fire Spark,' retaining the attribute of dispelling illusions in the mist; however, the attribute of moving along the true path into 'Fire Stealing Village' has turned into revealing real scenery. Although it differs by just one word, the effect is incomparable.

After fiddling for a while, Yang Qizhou refocused on the game.

Originally, he intended to use the Dark Crow of Profane Fortune's ability to retrieve the 'Night Watcher's Remains' after receiving the rewards, but upon seeing the words 'you gained Lena's favor,' he changed his mind.

This favor from the Night Watch Captain might be the key to triggering hidden future plotlines.

"I hope I didn't make the wrong bet," Yang Qizhou muttered to himself.

The game continued.

"After meeting with Lena, you are returning to your residence under the guidance of Yixiu."

"You passed by the large mansion you previously infiltrated and couldn't help but ask Yixiu who the owner of the place is."

"Yixiu showed a look of admiration and said that the person living there is the most revered Fire Stealing Priest in Fire Stealing Village, a representative who holds the authority of the Fire Stealing Ancient God and mediates between the villagers and the divine."

"The Fire Stealing Priest covertly worships the Dream Hidden King?"

"Goosebumps rose all over your body, cold sweat dripped from your forehead and back, and terrible speculations filled your mind."

"You returned to your residence."

"Nightfall came,"

"Following Yixiu's instructions, you 'stole fire,' using the Star Realm gods' fire to dispel the terror in the darkness."

"You survived the night."