The Artifact Forger from the Beginning of Collapse

"???" by Chen Li.

What are you going to do?

“And most importantly, your parents are among them,” the elf said to himself.

"Why does that matter? Do transmigrators have to be orphans?" Chen Li immediately interrupted.

Has Xiao Heizi finally shown his true colors?

"Because your parents are the most important people to you right now. In the future, the extreme results-oriented person you become after losing the most important people will be able to use the miracle system to save more worlds that yearn for miracles."

"Save the world?" Chen Li found it hard to believe.

You want me to sacrifice my parents and then go with you to save the world? Are you out of your mind?

Are you serious about saving the world?

“That’s right, saving the world. Master, the Miracle System has its limits. I’ve learned something from my long journey of saving the world: the gentler you are, the more you give and take, the less likely you are to save the world! The greed in people’s hearts is enough to destroy the world!”

"As a miracle system that has witnessed the darkened consciousness that arose after the destruction of countless worlds, I understand that the system indeed needs living beings as hosts, otherwise it cannot defeat those greedy and cunning beings! Therefore, my mission upon my birth is to find a suitable candidate, and then..."

"And then?" Chen Li sensed something was wrong as he watched the increasingly frenzied little sprite.

"Create a savior who only cares about results! A savior who determines the world's course with his own will, not one who is controlled by the world! Grant miracles to those who thirst for them, and let the greedy, insatiable, and unruly people fend for themselves, or even eradicate them completely!"

"This is my realization!"

The little elf's tone gradually turned from calm to maniacal, and black mist from who-knows-where stained the little elf's clothes and silver hair!

Even the white stockings she was wearing turned into black stockings!

"???" Chen Li almost couldn't catch his breath.

Chen Li is now unsure whether the other party is extreme or conservative.

Or rather... extremely conservative?

"Come, Master. Forging miracles is simple. Just place your personal class panel and photo together, and give it a gentle tap with the Miracle Hammer."

"Now, please sacrifice all those with time, space, and fate-related aptitudes in the entire world, as well as the most important person to you, and then come with me to save the world!" The little elf, now corrupted, still maintained a gentle smile.

The little elf snapped his fingers, and a forging hammer radiating brilliant light appeared in Chen Li's previously free right hand.

"..."

"Master, what are you waiting for? Do you need my help?" Seeing that Chen Li hadn't moved, the little elf leaned over.

Looking at the constantly flashing photos and then at the little sprite that seemed to be urging him on, Chen Li felt a surge of anger.

Alright, alright, forging, is that it?!

I'll let you forge!

Chen Li grabbed the photo and threw it aside, then slammed his head against the forging table.

But something touched the forging platform before Chen Li did: the system panel that had been floating in front of him and, according to Chen Li's research, only kept a fixed distance from him.

This forging table seemed to possess a power that could transform the illusory into the tangible, and Chen Li was not wrong.

You guessed wrong? Then send it.

"well?!!"

The little elf was stunned when he saw Chen Li raise the Hammer of Miracles and smash it down on the two overlapping panels in front of him.

"boom!"

The moment the hammer fell, Chen Li's mind went blank, all five senses vanished, as if he had fallen into an endless abyss.

Countless bizarre and fantastical scenes unfold before your eyes, along with the prayers of countless people, the joy of being saved, the insatiable greed and thirst, and the despair of everything being destroyed...

While Chen Li was completely bewildered by all of this, he saw an extremely faint point of light.

Those tiny specks of light, like solitary stars in the night, were so captivating that one couldn't bear to look away for even a moment.

As the light point drew closer, Chen Li reached out without hesitation and grabbed it.

After a moment of confusion, Chen Li opened his eyes again.

"Ah, it worked!" The little elf sighed softly, his voice filled with boundless joy and excitement.

Chen Li instinctively dodged to the side, but found that the little sprite didn't bother him. Following the sprite's excited gaze, he saw that the personal profession panel and system panel that were originally placed on the forging platform had disappeared, leaving only a... book?

"Hmm, so it ended up like this? It's not bad at all. This is probably the most suitable funeral in my mind." The little elf kept nodding as he looked at the book.

"Funeral?" Chen Li was taken aback.

"Yes, a funeral. If it weren't for the impending extinction of the [Miracle Light], I, this last [Spark], wouldn't have been born in my final moments. The [Miracle Light] is the true name of my true self."

"The reason I've given it the name 'System' is naturally to better portray the villain with ulterior motives. I quite like this character, so you can continue to call me that for the rest of this last minute." The little sprite nodded again, turning to Chen Li with a smile.

At the same time, Chen Li could see the little elf's body gradually dissipating from bottom to top, becoming fragmented.

“Playing a role? In other words…” Chen Li suddenly realized something.

"Yes, I lied to you. In fact, the Miracle Power of the [Miracle System] was already exhausted because it could not distinguish and performed all kinds of miracles without any limit. After coming to this world, the only things of value are the last bit of original Miracle Power and the [System] itself."

"Based on my assessment, given my personality and abilities, I am powerless to reverse the situation. Therefore, I intend to entrust myself to a suitable person, allowing them to inherit the final light of miracle. And you are the best candidate I can find. After countless failures, to finally find someone suitable to entrust myself to is a miracle in itself," the little elf said with a smile.

To forge a miracle, both parties must be "willing".

Moreover, there is no risk in forging miracles, which means that once forging begins, the miracle system will inevitably be destroyed.

The little elf was worried that Chen Li would be unwilling after learning the truth, so she tricked him once.

"Then you just..."

"It was all an act. After being fooled so many times, I've naturally learned to act. I'm so sorry I fooled you," the little elf apologized sincerely.

"???"

Chen Li originally thought the other party was naive and easy to fool, but it turned out that he was the one who was deceived.

"As a miracle system that has failed so miserably, I will leave you, Master, with three pieces of advice summarized in my experience." The little elf held up three fingers.

At this point, the elf's legs below the knees had disappeared.

"So you're going to say your last words? Aren't you going to try to save yourself?" Chen Li asked urgently, realizing he'd been tricked.

If Chen Li knew the truth, he wouldn't be willing to take on any responsibility like the "Last Miracle Light."

"First, discard useless gentleness, after all, gentleness can't save anything, just like your current helplessness. But I hope you can remain kind, because kindness is the foundation of miracles," the little fairy said.

"What kind of time is this to still have the leisure to laugh at me?"

"Secondly, it's better to teach someone how to fish than to give them a fish. Never give them whatever they crave without restraint; it will only turn them into lowly parasites. Be careful not to end up like me, with nothing left but to gamble with my life for a chance, which is why I'm in such a sorry and embarrassing state," the elf continued.

Chen Li forgave the little elf instantly, because the little elf was so ruthless that even he himself laughed at it.

"Third, preventing fraud is really important. The Miracle System is too innocent, which is why so much of its Miracle Power has been swindled away, even causing countless disasters. If you had the chance to deceive people or be deceived, which would you choose?" The little elf admired the anxiety and frustration on Chen Luo's face, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

The "miracle" seems to have awakened some extraordinary fetish before it disappeared.

"Can't you just get to the point? Like, is there any hope for you? And what am I supposed to do next?" Chen Li had a headache looking at the little elf who only had one head left.

“You’re still so naive, then I’ll give you one last piece of advice—miracles are never free. Creating new miracles always requires sacrificing old ones, like me,” the little elf said quite frankly.

"Buzz!"

Perhaps the word "miracle" triggered some keyword, because the book that was originally resting on the forging platform flew up, opened its pages, and covered the last phantom of the little elf with a snap like a label, before quietly floating in front of Chen Luo.

And that's how Chen Li came to see the book's title.

—The Guide to Forging Curious Items

9

4

Chapter 3: I defeated the Herrscher of the Void?! Really?!

The first thing Chen Li did after reaching for and taking the "Guide to the Forger of Rare Items" was to shake it vigorously.

At the last moment, the book suddenly made a move, which Chen Li did not think was a coincidence.

No matter how much he shook, Chen Li couldn't find any trace of the "miracle".

Even though Chen Li was still somewhat unwilling to give up, he could only give up for now.

Chen Li's top priority right now is to thoroughly understand this guide to forging rare artifacts, as it is the foundation for his future.

Upon opening the book to page 1, Chen Li saw a familiar personal profile.

Name: Chen Li

Title: World Destroyer (Not yet activated, can be enabled)

(No title has been obtained yet; the title will be automatically inherited from the Miracle System.)

Race: human

Occupation: Rare Item Forger

Level: Lv1 (0/100) (More features will be unlocked after reaching level 10)

(Forging artifacts consumes Miracle Power but grants experience. Level increases physical attributes, mental resilience, resistance to various elements, resistance to exotic energies, and the speed at which skills below that level are learned.)