Industrial Cthulhu? It's Cthulhu Industrial!!

Chapter 53 Psionic Species and Warning (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

The spirit of nature?

Never mind, it's not important. Let's first select the mythological traits for our own civilization.

Li Ang raised an eyebrow, glancing at the system warning and ignoring it. It wasn't that he disliked the spirit of nature, nor was it because he was petty, nor was it because that bastard often made strange remarks, openly or subtly, saying he had mental problems, was insane, or even thought he was a human being.

What a joke! What are we if not human? Those gods and spirits of nature are all filthy scum; not a single one of them can accomplish anything. Someone like me, with morality, high moral character, and a forward-looking vision, hoping my fellow human beings can thrive and move towards a better tomorrow—what else could I be but human? These people haven't even seen a cheat code yet, and they're already spreading wild rumors. It's truly despicable.

However, Li Ang did not intend to completely ignore the warning; he simply wanted to temporarily appreciate the better things that his villain had brought him.

A kind of vitality, a vigorous growth that can spread to distant places, is called the vitality of the beginning of civilization.

Their future may be one of decline, perhaps becoming an embarrassing, dilapidated empire, or perhaps forever decaying and sinking, but at this moment, their reverence and prayers, as well as their grand vision and aspirations for the future, still bring Li Ang a heartfelt sense of joy.

What could be more gratifying than seeing a group of humans working hard, building their civilization with their own hands, and forging the path to great architecture and technology with their own sweat? Li Ang had always loved this, and he certainly wouldn't change now. He simply loved seeing such a thriving scene. As for things like being surrounded by enemies, that's a normal test for civilization; if it couldn't pass the test, it wouldn't be civilization.

"Hmm~ Let me see, I'll choose the best trait for you..."

Standing inside the illuminated enclosure of the Magic Library, Li Ang raised his eyebrows and slowly looked at the various options presented by the system.

Of course, this wasn't to deliberately stall for time, nor was it because he genuinely didn't want to pay attention to the signals from the spirits of nature; he simply wanted to see what kind of spectacle these wonders would pull this time. And sure enough, Li Ang witnessed some particularly mysterious mythological blessings.

System prompt: You can choose one of the following three mythological traits as the trait for the Magic Library.

Option 1:

Runic Language: We can now express everything in this world using language; our characters and symbols represent magic and the sounds of the world. We can cast spells in our own language whenever we want. It's as natural and simple as speaking normally. Of course, the ambiguities and errors that occur in normal speech also exist in the world of magic. After all, magic is a hazy feeling, not a precise mathematical formula.

The text used has been changed to runes. All spell power is increased by 150%, but the margin of error is increased by 25%. An additional selectable magic technology tree has been added. Research speed for all magic technologies is increased by 300%, which may cause unforeseen consequences. Productivity is reduced by 25%. This nerf is a post-reconciliation nerf.

Option 2:
Myth Reappears: Yes, we have understood the nature of deities. We can become gods, and we can artificially create them. We can create our own mythologies and deities to build our own lineages and dynasties. Why believe in other gods? Why prove that we are the favored child? We can prove with our own power that we don't need anyone's favor; we are ourselves, possessing the greatest power and the most advanced research. Of course, all of this will be bound by the nature of deities, but it's like morality and breathing—who doesn't breathe?

All researchers in the Great Library will receive the Mythology Research trait.

Your race can undertake large-scale research projects and create its own gods to aid in the growth of civilization. However, be aware that gods are beings bound by their own class and position. Their existence proves that fantasy can become reality, and also demonstrates how human ideals can ultimately be distorted.

Once a deity's divine nature is fixed, it is almost impossible to change it through normal means. Only a brutal mythological war can force a god to completely alter their perceptions and principles. Otherwise, they must be utterly destroyed, with all transmission relationships severed, to erase them. If such an act is carried out, the artificial god will unconditionally betray civilization and begin a campaign of slaughter.

The Mythology Research trait increases your Mysticism research speed by 25%, but will incur the strong displeasure of all native gods, nature spirits, and supernatural beings.

Option 3:
Psionic Link: We are one, we are of one mind. Now, we are born with wisdom, our tendrils reaching to every corner of the void. We can sense each other's hearts, elevating our actions and understanding to a new level. Whether in thought, cognition, action, or anything else, we can begin to feel a powerful synergy between us. Some may call this the loss of individuality, but we say it is the beginning of evolution. We have only taken the first step on the ladder of prosperity, while others fear the path to heaven and dare not proceed.

All races of your civilization will gain the trait of psionic connection.

This trait will be inherited by all descendants of your race, and your civilization's inhabitants will gradually awaken empathy over time. This is a precursor to a psionic network, where individuals can subtly sense each other's thoughts, emotions, and ways of acting through a kind of perception-like ability.

Because of this linking method, basic productivity increases by 25%, basic research capabilities increase by 25%, and errors decrease by 50%.

"..."

Looking at the three mythological options, Li Ang did not hesitate for long.

The former's runic language sounds sweet, but the Silver Gate, specializing in large-scale architecture, is clearly unlikely to appreciate something so ambiguous. Furthermore, the current culture is led by researchers, with other forms of magic and sorcery playing a supporting role. Although the researcher is a believer in God, while the wizards are completely absurd, Leon has no intention of destroying the beliefs and language that these people have chosen through the selection process of their environment and nature.

The second option is even simpler, because the essence of gods isn't much different from that of prisoners. At least in Li Ang's eyes, every single one of these things should stay away from his civilization; they're all a bunch of useless and troublesome beings. If Li Ang were in charge, they would have ascended to immortality long ago.

Therefore, in conclusion, the final option is the third one. Although the data for the third one may not seem as high, its advantage lies in its steady and reliable approach.

Things like reducing errors through telepathy and quickly understanding each other's descriptions during discussions may seem insignificant, but the time invested accumulates over time. Each error and explanation requires at least several minutes. Now, with the Silver Gate's productivity, a wall can be built in just a few minutes. This, in another sense, reduces the productivity requirements for each large building.

Therefore, Li Ang quickly chose psychic connection as the defining characteristic of the Magic Grand Library, and began to personally imbue this mythical building with the ability to allow all of civilization to experience the resonance between souls. His body unfurled like a sail, and the surrounding time began to gradually distort and become chaotic.

The collapse, sinking, burning, glowing, and evolution of the building—countless stages—appeared before everyone's eyes simultaneously. Those who witnessed the Great Library bestowing its myths upon them began to develop ripples in their eyes, like tree rings imprinted on their pupils.

Meanwhile, a dim, unsettling mist began to gather in the center of the brain. These bizarre aggregations of countless eras boiled and surged in everyone's minds, compressed and screamed under an indescribable force, and finally flowed along the cochlea to the periphery of the body, gradually gathering into a faint crystalline halo on the forehead, beginning to spread these people's thoughts and creating a kind of atmosphere that could be perceived by each other.

Psychic linking is a racial trait, not a cultural one. In other words, it's the result of some kind of genetic modification and alteration. Their bodies witnessed the overlapping, flower-like architectural forms, their flesh and shells beginning to roll restlessly like mosaics, but before an indescribable power, they were fixed in their original form. Only the overflowing, struggling messages of communication gradually dissolved and dissipated from the top of their faces and heads, even the crystals disappeared, leaving only a single white dot at the very core.

As the scene of the magical library began to dissolve, even the small white spot on his forehead disappeared.

It was as if they had just woken from a dream. Everyone looked at the magical library and the crowd around them with a sense of unfamiliarity. To their surprise, they discovered that they seemed to have gained an extra organ, a new sense, that allowed them to truly perceive what others were thinking and to feel how others felt about them.

Coupled with their efficient and rapid language and writing system, they quickly realized the ease of communication this trait brought. These humans gazed at the magnificent library for a moment, and through intellectual exchange, swiftly confirmed their mutual understanding. They began moving the enormous ceramic tablets and soul clay scrolls containing various secret formulas to libraries and research facilities across the land.

Inside this magnificent magical library, the storage space for knowledge is limitless, and in a sense, absolutely secure. Any thoughts or opinions are communicated through psychic energy with the wizards stationed there. They quickly realized that this magical library was likely a product no less significant than the Great Lighthouse, and the changes it could bring to civilization would be no less profound. The very fact that it could hold all knowledge had already filled all the researchers and wizards with ecstasy.

The wizards, in particular, had long been impatient with the slow and sluggish recording and research results. Watching their neighbors constantly produce all sorts of materials and construction projects, as well as material production, they were eager to prove that they possessed abilities beyond simply growing vegetables.

Driven by those feelings, they finally had a stage where they could fully unleash their abilities.

While everyone was frantically starting to act, Li Ang had already concealed his achievements and returned to the edge of the Silver Gate in the blink of an eye.

Li Ang opened the Silver Gate a crack, peering into the bustling scene inside. He then perused the urgent messages transmitted by the Spirit of Nature from the system. To his surprise, he discovered that there were not just one urgent message, but several.

'Spirit of Nature: I have never seen anything like this… Outsider, I mean Leon, you should come and see. I don’t expect you to emerge from your beloved Misty Isles, but I truly believe you should. I cannot describe what I am seeing with the aid of divine communication; these things are not creations of this world, at least not of this land…'

'Spirit of Nature: Are these also from Ascension Day? They look absolutely magnificent. I think you should come and see them. Ascension Day is truly the greatest and most grand blueprint in the world. I remember it wasn't like this when I left, but it has changed now. I think you should come and see them.'

'Spirit of Nature: Why not come? This place is full of what we need, everything here is wonderful, this is the perfect paradise.'

"...?"

Are you telling me this from a diary?

What kind of emergency communication is this? Where's the emergency?
After reading to the end, Li Ang looked at the words with some confusion until another voice came from the system's demonstration.

System notification: The urgent message from the Spirit of Nature has been interfered with and modified by an unknown force. Do you wish to restore it?

"……reduction."

System notification: The message from the Spirit of Nature has been restored!

'Spirit of Nature: My friend, I have made a mistake. This place is filled with the power of paradox. The day of that empire's ascension has failed, but I did not expect this disruptive force to reach so far and be so intense. I fear I am about to die here.'

'Spirit of Nature: Here, time has become meaningless. All human civilization has collapsed and dissolved in this distorted, spacetime illusion, transforming this place into a completely new continent. And every corner may harbor all sorts of dangers. I thought that as a spirit of nature, I would be fearless, but I failed. The core power here is beyond my ability to withstand.'

'Spirit of Nature: Never come here. This place is a vast hell. I have seen countless cries of agony and despair. You must leave this place.'

"..."

Looking at the prompt above, Li Ang thought for a moment, then recalled the aura left behind by the spirit of nature, and reached out to grab into the shadows of the Silver Gate.

"You mean there's an entire continent here, waiting for me to discover it, right?"

Facing the bewildered spirit of nature inside the door, Li Ang raised his eyebrows and said with anticipation.

(End of this chapter)