I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

The soldiers who were fighting hard suddenly discovered that in the dim light, the swarm of insects had been set ablaze.

Those hideous, seemingly invincible insects struggled to retreat and flee in the light of the flames, trying to escape the range of the light.

The soldiers were incredulous. At first, they thought it was a blessing from the gods, but when they searched for the source of the fire, they saw their comrades, who had fought alongside them, writhing and screaming in agony in the pale flames.

It was only then that they learned who had saved them.

As more and more mages connected to the magic network, the entire network gradually grew and thrived, forming a sanctuary that covered the entire territory of the Night Kingdom.

Looking down at the earth, one, two, three, more flames ignited. These mages used themselves as fuel to light their torches, illuminating the world with their dim yet powerful light that dispelled despair.

At this moment, ordinary people also saw the silk threads that filled the air, like willow catkins.

Simple knowledge flowed into their minds along these threads, and a world unfolded before them.

In this impoverished and backward world, in this age of ignorance, many people spend their entire lives living only in their own towns. They have never seen the vast land, nor the majestic mountains, rivers, and oceans. They live in a daze, indulging in a life of pleasure and debauchery.

However, now, an opportunity has presented itself to them.

Once a contract is signed and access to the Magic Network is agreed upon, endless knowledge can be acquired, allowing one to change their destiny through their own efforts.

Knowledge is no longer a fearsome pollution, but a benefit that everyone can enjoy. The price for all this is to sacrifice one's life when the tide of evil comes and when it is needed.

Some refused, wanting to live a quiet life in their own homes, drifting aimlessly through life. Others hesitated, yearning for knowledge and power yet hesitant about sacrifice and dedication. Still others responded with a handshake; for them, the current situation was bad enough, nothing could be more hopeless.

Sparks of light continued to emerge, illuminating the night sky.

In this long and painful war against the demonic tide, humanity has for the first time possessed a glimmer of hope.

It wasn't the heroic efforts of one or two heroes in a desperate situation, but rather a small-scale miracle made up of ordinary people like you and me.

For the Kingdom of Night, the age of heroes has ended, and history is no longer driven by one or two brilliant geniuses and great men.

For the Kingdom of Night, the age of mortals has begun.

From this day forward, the destiny of fighting against the demonic tide will be etched in everyone's heart. There will be no more ancient heroes in this world, because everyone who lives here is a hero.

Similarly, in Sunset Town, as one of the earliest players to come into contact with the Magic Network, Old Eggplant also had some complex protocols in mind.

He raised his right hand, silver threads wrapped around his fingertips. Old Eggplant now understood that this was the foundation of this world, the law of this world.

At this moment, he only needs to move his finger slightly to manipulate these silver threads, thereby invoking the underlying laws of the entire world and rewriting reality. This is the essence of magic.

He closed his eyes, but did not feel darkness. The sky was filled with dazzling stars, each one opening its arms to him. Before Old Eggplant's eyes, countless knowledge flowed, a torrent containing the essence of an entire world that overwhelmed him.

Old Eggplant recalled the amazement he felt when he first encountered the internet.

In that monotonous and somewhat simple era, the internet brought Old Eggplant a revolutionary understanding. For the first time, he felt the vastness of the world. His originally uneventful life was like a black and white photograph, while the rich and colorful world on the internet was the real reality.

For the current Old Eggplant, this influx of knowledge has given him a completely different perspective on the world.

It's hard to imagine that a game could contain such a wealth of knowledge.

For Old Eggplant, the Kingdom of Night is a real world.

Similarly, in Sia's mind, she was standing on that tall tower.

She recalled the pale yet warm light she felt when she first encountered magic and connected with the magic network, and she stood before that light.

"So, all these years, you've been burning yourself out."

Sia knew very well that finding a god to offer as a sacrifice was extremely difficult, not to mention the Great Old Ones whose true forms were sealed on the moon.

To create a magic network and change the world, Jost used his own power.

Shea had no idea that Jost had been planning this from the very beginning, or that it was just a sudden inspiration in this moment of crisis.

All she knew was that Jost himself had transformed into a god, igniting souls and watching over them for thousands of years.

The Gray Tower and the Magic Web will become Jost's mark; all these days, he has painstakingly built his own prison.

By combining the will of all mages throughout history, a vast constellation of stars was constructed, each star representing a deified mage.

What brought all this together was the knowledge brought by himself and the chosen ones, the method of becoming a god that inspired Jost, leading him to design such a brilliant yet cruel structure.

One hour—that's how long it takes for a mage from the Night Kingdom to burn himself out while sitting on a torch.

And Jost, sitting atop this gray tower, burned himself for who knows how many years.

In fact, most of the people of the Night Kingdom were unaware of his existence, or even their existence.

These people may be unknown, but their achievements will live on forever.

Chapter 747 The Price

Stone's mind was also flooded with knowledge, some of which he already knew, and some of which he had not yet come into contact with.

Miraculously, this knowledge did not come with pollution; Stone was able to read and absorb it easily without worrying about it being corrupted.

Of course, Stone could also feel that this knowledge was like a spider web covering his brain, which could be pulled away at any time. Once it disappeared, it would also be taken away from his brain.

This is the mechanism by which the magic network works: it temporarily grants knowledge to block the transmission of contamination.

Stone even glimpsed some knowledge beyond human limits about dealing with great beings.

Upon seeing this, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Since he can see it himself, then Drizzt...

Stone couldn't help but look at Twisted Fate beside him, who was recovering his strength after using [Simulated Sunfire].

Drizzt closed his eyes slightly, and he could still see the golden lines. The knowledge brought by the flames of the spirit torch flooded his mind. As a chosen one who had been tested and tested, Drizzt knew very well what he needed, unlike those who were encountering such things for the first time who were just curious.

Soon, Drizzt discovered what he wanted from this knowledge.

Knowledge that imprisons the gods.

The mages of the Night Kingdom have attempted to become gods in the past. Some mages learned of the existence of the Great Old Ones before their deaths. They have been researching how to suppress that power and fight against it. Although the mages who came into contact with this knowledge were either dead or insane, through the Spirit Torch and the Magic Network, those great souls who had fallen were able to contribute all their knowledge. Within the Magic Network, thoughts that transcended time and space collided and some answers were obtained.

Trist quickly grasped that knowledge.

However, this knowledge will disappear when he leaves the Magic Network, and after leaving the Night Kingdom, Drizzt will forget everything.

However, as a chosen one, Drizzt naturally knew how to imprint this knowledge.

Just then, he felt himself being shaken.

When Drizzt opened his eyes, he saw Stone looking at him with some concern.

"I am fine."

Drizzt responded that he thought Stone was worried about weakening himself from overusing his power.

"The swarm has retreated."

At this moment, a player suddenly spoke up.

The once-fierce swarm of insects retreated as if they were shadows fearing the sunlight, struggling and dying in the pale flames, leaving behind a trail of corpses.

But the radiance of the Gray Tower was far stronger than the spirit torches in the fortresses that Lu Ban had seen.

The pale sun radiated light as if it were a real sun.

As far as the eye could see, the sun shone brightly, and even the blood moon hanging high in the sky seemed to have faded in color.

The light pierced through the Black Forest, setting the twisted, eroded trees ablaze. The flames, however, produced no thick smoke. The plants crumbled, split, and turned to dust, like butter being heated and melted, before dissipating in the sunlight.

The light of the torches covered an area spanning over a thousand miles.

This beam of light directly opened up a vast area of ​​the Black Forest, reclaiming much of the land that humanity had lost over the years. Clearly, from now on, the center of the Night Kingdom will shift to the vicinity of the Gray Tower, and a new kingdom will be established around it, ultimately becoming the one that Lu Ban saw.

He looked at the small brick in his hand.

[Grey Tower Foundation]

The first brick used in the construction of the Grey Tower.

The construction of the Gray Tower was a landmark in the long struggle against the demonic tide, signifying that humanity finally had the ability to control the extraordinary.

But what is the price?

Lu Ban finally understood the words in the item description.

In the past, sorcerers passively endured pollution, unable to control the erosion, and eventually fell into madness and alienation, just as humans rely on certain weather changes in nature to harvest and cultivate crops.

Once the Gray Tower is built, mages will be able to actively control this power and use it for their own purposes.

As for the cost.

He looked at the tower that was burning silently.

As Jost once said, it is a worthwhile thing to sacrifice one person's life to save the world and ensure its continuation.

Even if the Kingdom of Night eventually succumbs to the demonic tide and is destroyed, becoming yet another tombstone of another alien land, the process of resistance is one that should not be forgotten.

Moreover, there are many witnesses.

Sitting in front of the computer, Zheng Li, who had just finished watching this scene, finally remembered to breathe.

He couldn't utter a single word. The moment the pale flame ignited, he felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out.

This was not the first time he had seen such a scene; in fact, he had witnessed many before.

Zheng Li's medical studies allowed him to learn about many heroes who went against the tide, people who went to war-torn, impoverished, desperate, and places that others would avoid, to save lives and heal the sick.

This is also why he initially chose medicine.

And throughout human history, there have been many similar individuals who ignited themselves to illuminate others.

If Zheng Li felt the fearless spirit of those mages sacrificing themselves when watching "The Tide of Demons," then now he is witnessing a grand sacrifice.

And all of this seems to have been preordained.

The Blood Moon has not yet ended, and the Spirit Torch needs to burn more lives. Behind every flame that is lit is a living person with their own family, life, and dreams. But all of that is transformed into pale flames when the demonic tide arrives, burning briefly and releasing dazzling light that illuminates the world.

Zheng Li even began to think about what he would do if he were in a similar situation.

Even though he can now shamelessly claim that he is capable of sacrificing himself, he knows very well that he is not actually that brave and selfless.

For this reason, Zheng Li felt even greater respect for those monks who sacrificed themselves.

It's hard to imagine that just watching a game livestream could make Zheng Li think of these things and have these feelings.

But everything in the Kingdom of Night felt so real, making it hard to accept that it was just a virtual reality.

three days later.