I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

"On the wasteland, faith can determine everything."

Price: 666 Quiet Points

"...Is this a statue of a deity?"

After reading the description, Lu Ban felt that this idol with 666 points of silence was definitely a huge trap.

Who knows which god you'll connect to after worshipping it?

Of course, from this point of view, Lu Ban really believed that it could exorcise evil spirits—as long as it was more terrifying than a ghost, it could eliminate all strange things!

"Foreign idols are still unreliable."

Lu Ban continued flipping through the pages and found a product that leaned towards the East.

It was an ancient book, bound in thread, like a martial arts manual in a wuxia novel, except that the cover only had strangely shaped and distorted foreign characters that no one could decipher.

【Crane's Musings】

【excellent】

[Notes recording taboo knowledge]

The works of Heming Daoren have always been highly sought-after collectibles among the wealthy in the ruined capital.

Immortality, power, wealth—these are the worldly desires from which people seek to obtain.

But madness is the only outcome for most people.

[“Those who possess knowledge do not seek others out; in fact, they go out and chase after others.”]

Price: 700 Quiet Points

"...It seems that the Chinese style doesn't quite work either."

Lu Ban felt that this kind of riddle-like product was probably a huge rip-off.

He searched for a while longer and finally found a pretty good-looking item in the [Secret Treasures] category.

That was a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument).

Chapter 015 Rogue Musical Instruments

The suona was entirely black, with seemingly intricate patterns on its surface that formed some kind of writing, but Lu Ban couldn't recognize them.

[The bandit's suona]

【excellent】

Even a weathered suona, once held in your hands, can be mastered.

The suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) only resonates among certain artisans from the East in the ruined capital.

People believe this instrument originated from the worship of certain deities, and that its sound can summon the gaze of great beings.

Regardless of joy or sorrow, a resounding voice always penetrates the heart.

"Don't brag, we're one of them!"

Price: 444 Quiet Points

Four hundred or so Silent Points is relatively inexpensive for a product of excellent quality.

The reason Lu Ban chose the suona was primarily because he felt it was very festive. No matter what kind of music it was, the suona's high-pitched tone could turn it into a cheerful song.

In addition, the suona itself is also used in funerals and other occasions, and is closely related to the spirits of the deceased. The suona also has the effect of warding off evil spirits.

Finally, the description of this prop seems relatively safe, at least ordinary people can use it, and the mission instructions include a statement not to stop playing. Lu Ban guessed that music might be the key to completing the mission.

He really has no musical talent; the only instrument he knows is the recorder, which he learned in elementary school, and maybe the triangle as well.

Therefore, it is quite difficult for Lu Ban to learn to play in a short period of time.

This suona seems to have been tailor-made for Lu Ban.

With that in mind, he got off the subway at his stop, went to a deserted place, and immediately clicked to buy.

Lu Ban suddenly felt that his backpack had become a little heavier.

He opened his backpack and found a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) inside.

The patterns on the surface of this suona actually have a kind of complicated and perplexing feel, but when you touch them, they feel very smooth. The glaze of the suona is different from that of ceramics and wood, and is more like the skeleton of some kind of creature.

Holding it in his hand, Lu Ban felt certain knowledge flowing into his brain. However, unlike the [Last Words], this knowledge was like a sticky spider web, spread across the grooves and surfaces of the cerebral cortex, as if it could be pulled away at any moment.

Lu Ban has now mastered the playing methods and techniques of the suona, and he feels that he is roughly at the level of a skilled worker.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Ban brought the suona to his lips and blew it.

The high-pitched sound immediately pierced the air and resounded along the street.

Lu Ban's fingers moved naturally, as if his hands and mouth no longer belonged to him, existing only to play this piece of music.

The melodious sound of the suona echoed through the street. This was a suburb with few pedestrians, but Lu Ban's actions were still enough to attract attention.

Lu Ban felt that as he played, his whole body became tense and his joints stiffened, like an old man on his deathbed. Only his fingers became more and more flexible, playing short and intense melodies.

Lu Ban had never heard this piece before, but judging from the melody, it seemed to be a ritualistic piece, a piece that had a calming effect on people's minds.

Unbeknownst to Lu Ban, more and more people were surrounding him.

Lu Ban glanced at the audience member next to him. The person seemed to have been bewitched by something, with a blank expression and lifeless eyes, swaying slowly with the rise and fall of the suona music.

He discovered that all the listeners had become in a similar state.

Those people were dazed, confused, and dazed, only slightly curling their bodies towards Lu Ban, who was playing the flute, as if worshipping some supreme being.

As for Lu Ban, who was playing the flute, he was like a puppet on strings. He looked ahead at the sky above the low-rise buildings in the suburbs. Above the originally blue sky was the deep and boundless universe and stars.

Among the stars, one shines brightly, echoing the melody of the suona.

"...!!!"

As soon as Lu Ban saw that star, his scalp tingled, and his brain, which was entangled in a web of knowledge, exploded with a buzzing sound.

His vision pierced through the atmosphere, far beyond the solar system, approaching the dark yellow star at an incredible speed.

In that instant, Lu Ban's body suddenly felt free from restraint, and he hurriedly removed the suona from his lips.

Everything disappeared.

The people around Lu Ban came to their senses. They were a little confused, but they quickly realized that they had been attracted by Lu Ban's suona music. Many people even took out banknotes from their wallets and placed them on the ground in front of Lu Ban.

Lu Ban, holding a suona in his hand, had cold sweat beading on his forehead, and the early summer sun could not dispel the gloom in his eyes.

"...There's a serious problem with this suona."

Lu Ban felt like he had almost been sent away just now.

Compared to the friend under the bed, the experience just now felt even more bizarre to Lu Ban.

"So that great being was an alien?"

Lu Ban hesitated to look up at the sky, afraid that he would see the moon smiling at him.

At this moment, Lu Ban saw the figures on the banknotes on the ground distort and turn into the cold text of the system.

Name: Lu Ban

Occupation: Director

Education: Bachelor's Degree

……

[Willpower: 80]

[Education: 70]

Luck: 20

[Rationality: 71]

Silence Points: 1666

[Unique Skill: All or Nothing]

[Unique Skill: Last Words]

"I've lost my rationality again."

Lu Ban quickly noticed the difference in his panel.

The experience just now made Lu Ban lose five points of rationality.

It seems that being frightened lowers one's rationality... But why is it that, although being frightened does make one's thinking confused, one should return to normal afterwards?

What happens if my sanity reaches zero?

The more Lu Ban thought about it, the more he felt there was a big problem.

He bent down to pick up the money, counted it, and it was almost a thousand. He didn't know if it was because everyone was really influenced by the suona music, or because of some mysterious and unknowable reason.

"If we ever really can't make ends meet, we'll play this suona to earn money."

Lu Ban joked to himself.

"So, these products are actually a case of fighting poison with poison?"

Then he thought of something else.

If you encounter any vengeful spirits or ghosts at the theater at night, and you play the suona yourself, you might summon even more bizarre things to suppress those little ghosts.

Thinking about this, Lu Ban didn't know whether he should feel relieved or worried.

"Fine, we've already changed it."

He consoled himself.

Even if you don't play it, maybe hitting those weird guys with a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) would be effective.

With over a thousand Silent Points remaining, Lu Ban decided to exchange them for a suitable weapon.

He's not good with firearms and ammunition; they could easily injure him, and they probably wouldn't be very effective against ghosts or monsters.

He continued flipping through the product catalog as he boarded the bus to the former site of the Grand Theatre.