I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Lu Ban put the cat into a jar and sealed it away.

"This cat seems to have the power to ensnare people's minds, making everyone hopelessly fond of it, wanting to possess and protect it. If it were used to deal with insects, I reckon all the insects would gather around it."

Lu Ban commented.

If the insects are all individuals with independent wills, then it is impossible to win the hearts of all the insects by relying on a single cat.

However, the swarm of insects in the wasteland is a unified whole. So, as soon as one insect sees the cat, it means that all the insects have seen the cat. They will definitely gather towards the cat and eventually be caught by Lu Ban.

It can be considered an insect trap.

The sound of a cat struggling and meowing came from inside the jar. Lu Ban was tempted, but he still used another jar to cover the first one, completing the nesting doll and isolating the sound.

He closed his eyes, briefly imagined the cat, and immediately wanted to open the jar and release the cat inside to breathe frantically.

Fortunately, Lu Ban has strong self-control and knows how to postpone enjoyment.

He plans to go on a cat-petting spree after he finishes his tasks.

"It seems this thing has more than just a visual effect."

Lu Ban said.

"This is also a kind of cognitive impairment. If the Time Bug makes you confuse it with the teddy bear, then this kind of cognitive impairment will spread through the image. Just like things that carry the image of the Time Bug will create new Time Bugs. Normally, once you have seen this cat, it is difficult to get rid of its influence."

Feng Yu explained.

"Whether you see its appearance, hear its voice, or think about its looks, you will be bewitched."

"No wonder it's so expensive."

Lu Ban sighed.

The price of the [Small-Scale Natural Disaster Generator] is similar to that of the [Cat Poisoning], one of which changes the weather over a large area and the other is mind control, both of which are very useful for Lu Ban.

After spending several more days preparing, Lu Ban finally completed the preliminary work for heading to the wasteland.

He carried a backpack containing a small-scale natural disaster generator and a canister containing cat poison, a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), a crowbar, and some water and food.

The wasteland is mostly desert and Gobi, lacking water and food. If you want to find something to eat, you mostly have to eat insects. Lu Ban doesn't like the taste of insects, and it's hard to guarantee that eating too much insect meat won't turn him into an insect.

After finishing these tasks, Lu Ban went to the coffee table in the living room. On the coffee table, illusory and distorted dishes appeared. Lu Ban frowned slightly as he looked at the vegetables that looked like worms wriggling inside.

[Enter the Silent Land?]

【whether】

He then picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the food.

An indescribable taste spread from the tip of his tongue, sending a shiver down his spine. Then, a sensation of intense heat and extreme cold enveloped Lu Ban, as if he were suddenly in a polar blizzard or under the scorching sun of the Sahara Desert.

At the same time, the system's indifferent and cold text gradually appeared.

The flow of time in the Silent Land is different from that in the outside world.

Countless tiny figures appeared before him, dancing around him. Upon closer inspection, he realized that almost all of these figures were Lu Ban himself. Some of them were dressed in ethnic costumes, some in suits, and some were naked. These tiny figures were dancing different dances, full of joy, as if it were a year-end celebration.

Looking at these little figures, Lu Ban felt an urge to dance. Just then, he saw all the little figures suddenly freeze in place, their heads turning toward him in all sorts of logical and illogical ways, their eyes filled with nothing but darkness.

Lu Ban was startled, realizing that he had sat on something soft.

It's sand.

When Lu Ban touched it, he felt something flowing through his fingers.

A burning sensation followed.

The light filled Lu Ban's entire field of vision.

"We should move on."

A voice came from beside him. It was a woman. Lu Ban looked over and saw a woman with dark brown, slightly curly hair and healthy wheat-colored skin. She looked like she was of mixed race, with the three-dimensional features of a Westerner and the softness of an Easterner. Although she was not considered beautiful and had freckles on her cheeks, she could feel a kind of vitality in her expression.

"it is good."

Lu Ban grasped the hand the other person offered and stood up, leaning on the crowbar.

"Your walking stick has a rather unique design."

The woman chuckled and then walked forward.

The sky ahead was clear and the sun was blazing. The sand and gravel on the ground were already boiling. The high temperature caused the air on the ground to move, and the distant landscape began to sway like a mirage.

Lu Ban glanced at the camel-like creature beside him, as well as his two other teammates.

One of the men resembled a guide; his skin was darker, a complexion developed from years of sun exposure, a sign of experience in this desert.

He had a knife tucked into his waistband, and some crystals on his right forearm, a sign of illness.

The man's name was Setsuna, and according to what Lu Ban knew, his abilities were probably related to speed or something similar.

Another woman with curly brown hair, wearing a hat, looked to be from the same place as the first woman, only with slightly fairer skin. She rode a camel and appeared somewhat nervous.

The woman was called the Singer. There were sparkling crystals on her neck, which probably indicated that her abilities were related to her throat or voice.

As for the woman who started at the beginning, her name was Shuangxin.

Lu Ban looked ahead, and amidst the swaying sunlight, the cold and indifferent words of the Silent Land appeared.

【wilderness】

[In the ninth year of Pericles, no meteorite struck.]

The swarms of insects destroyed city-states; more than scorching deserts and arid oases, they became the greatest threat humanity faced.

People are trying to study insect swarms, to study the queen high above them, and to find the weaknesses of these creatures.

[Or rather, the possibility of finding weaknesses in these organisms]

[Task Difficulty: Enhanced]

[Mission Objective: Find the Queen Insect]

Mission Objective: Survive

[Mission Objective: Obtain Du Danping's Melody Fragment]

Finding the queen insect in this vast desert seems to require a very long time.

Thinking of this, Lu Ban suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He looked at the man beside him and suddenly spoke.

Do you know about Halloween?

Halloween?

Upon hearing this unfamiliar word, he tilted his head, not quite understanding it.

Halloween?

The brown-haired singer repeated it, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Is that some kind of holiday?

Shuangxin, who was walking at the front, asked.

"It is a festival that can bring joy."

Lu Ban glanced at his companions, hoping they weren't insects in disguise.

Chapter 485 Expel them all!

"We belong to Utopia."

At night, by the campfire, the singer spoke, explaining to Setsuna.

“Utopia, I know, it’s a large city-state.”

The firelight reflected on his face in an instant. He wasn't actually that old, probably around the same age as Lu Ban, but the hardships of life had made him more mature.

"Yes, a large city-state. We practice a democratic parliamentary system. You know democracy? In the old days, it was the best political system. Whenever the city-state encountered a problem, we would convene a parliament and everyone would vote."

The singer reminisced as she spoke, her face beaming with excitement.

Lu Ban thought for a moment and figured he was probably on Shuang Xin's side, so theoretically he should know about Utopia. So he didn't interrupt and just nodded to the side.

“There aren’t many people in our village, and everyone listens to the village chief.”

"I'm not really interested in democracy or parliament," Shana said. "In the wilderness, small villages are often destroyed by a sudden sandstorm or a swarm of insects. Most villagers are people who live one day at a time."

“You can also give it a try. The village chief’s judgment alone is bound to be flawed. We can only come up with the best solution by discussing it together.”

The singer patiently and skillfully guided the audience.

But in an instant, he simply shook his head.

"Don't say that. Not all city-states follow this system."

Shuangxin spoke up.

What other types are there?

Lu Ban couldn't help but ask.

"Well, some city-states are led by the strongest saint, who alone can decide the fate of the entire city. Other city-states are governed by several saints. The city-states that have survived to this day all have their own unique characteristics."

Shuangxin explained with a smile that the food cooking over the campfire was also emitting a fragrant aroma.

Lu Ban just wanted to eat.

He got what he wanted and received a bowl.

This food is made by cooking something hard in water until it softens. It's like a soup, but thicker and at least smells like food, though it doesn't look very oily.

Lu Ban picked up the spoon and took a big bite.

It tasted like boiled meat in plain water, without any saltiness or sweetness, and of course, without any fishy smell. This is probably what boiled chicken breast tastes like. To be honest, it wasn't very tasty.

But it's at least better than insect meat.

Lu Ban wasn't picky; eating was the priority, so he quickly finished the food in his bowl.

"This stuff is delicious! Is this all the people in your great city-state eat?"

She ate only a little slower than Lu Ban, and after finishing, she wiped her mouth and savored the taste.

"These are all things that are easy to store. They are made by drying insects and then adding flour. Fortunately, we can still grow them where we are. The ones we eat in the city are prepared in a more refined way."