Chapter 5: The Legendary Hidden Item_3

Damn, not dead yet.

As a tingling sensation crept across his scalp and he was about to forcibly climb up, he saw that blood-red, heart-shaped pendant rolling towards him, only to stop by his hand.

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A shred of remaining rationality led Lu Bu'er to find a way to survive.

If these fanatics wanted to perform a ritual with this item, he could use the pendant to command the followers!

He reached out to grab the pendant, but it felt as if he had seized a scalding hot iron.

The blood-red, heart-shaped pendant began to pulsate eerily in his palm, melting into a viscous, dark substance in an instant and burrowed into his palm.

Only the metallic shell was left, its surface flickering with a faint glow.

Gone!

Lu Bu'er was shocked. His palm felt a piercing pain as if an unknown substance had penetrated his body, flowing through his veins to every corner of it, finally reaching the part of his brain that frequently malfunctioned and settling there completely.

And on his palm, a strange heart-shaped mark appeared.

"Special mutation detected, compatibility one hundred percent, rarity incalculable, determined to be unique!"

"Fusing with the Seeds of the Heavenly God..."

"Dark Matter devouring authority opening!"

"Activation failed!"

A cold mechanical voice seemed to echo in his mind: "Host has not completed evolution, please become an Evolver as soon as possible to unlock the Seeds of the Heavenly God's authority!"

The mechanical voice fell silent, and the metallic shell turned into a dead object.

Lu Bu'er was dumbfounded. He had listened to the heretics' ritual earlier and they had described this strange heart. It was said to be a special lifeform, but no one was able to awaken it.

And now it had fused with him.

"Special mutation?"

Wait a minute, this thing could be what his parents talked about.

The secret item hidden within the instance!

Because the moment the Seeds of the Heavenly God fused with him, he felt an intense predatory desire—as if the mummies before him were not terrifying monsters but prey that could be hunted for food.

An intense hunger welled up inside him.

Even the urge to devour those monsters surged through him.

Lu Bu'er felt it was utterly absurd, but now was not the time to consider these things; more pressing dangers awaited him.

The Hierophant, also dazed by the blast, completely lost his sanity at the sight.

"You ugly creature, how dare you touch our sacred object?"

The old Hierophant roared furiously, lifting his withered hands in an attempt to strangle him: "What have you done to the sacred object? Give it back! Now, give it back to me!"

Lu Bu'er cursed inwardly. If this so-called Seeds of the Heavenly God were the easter egg left by his parents, then it was rightfully his.

This old Hierophant trying to steal his opportunity was clearly courting death!

Unfortunately, since he had not evolved, he could not unlock the corresponding authority of the Seeds of the Heavenly God, which was of no use at the moment.

In a critical moment, sitting on the ground, he retreated frantically, continuously slapping the ground.

He Sai's chainsaw had been blown away, and as he searched fruitlessly through the equipment box, he could only pull out a... signal flare.

A signal flare could also inflict damage when fired at close range.

"Throw it here, throw it here!"

Lu Bu'er growled upon catching a glimpse of the flare with the corner of his eye.

He Sai, not knowing what good the signal flare would do, could only toss it over.

Lu Bu'er grabbed the signal flare, but the old Hierophant had already charged at him, his withered right hand gripping his throat tightly, the other hand searching frantically all over his body.

He was probably trying to find the sacred object.

Officer An and Boss Zhang wanted to save him, but it was already too late.

Just as Lu Bu'er was about to retaliate with the signal flare, something else came to mind.

In the end, he chose not to shoot the old Hierophant with the signal flare.

Instead, he aimed it at the sky.

Bang.

The mist was illuminated by a red glow.

The old Hierophant's face was lit up, but he paid it no mind, still roaring incessantly: "Give it to me, give me my sacred object! Where have you hidden it? Hand it over promptly!"

His hands grew increasingly forceful.

Fortunately, due to his severe injuries, he couldn't exert much power.

But even so, it was more than Lu Bu'er could resist.

Lu Bu'er struggled with all his might to no avail. As time trickled away, just when he was about to be strangled to death, there was a faint sound of wind.

No, not the sound of wind.

The old Hierophant and his followers all froze.

Lu Bu'er knew he had bet correctly.

What is a group of fanatical cultists practicing a secret ritual in a forbidden land most afraid of?

Of course, it's being discovered by the orthodox Church.

What Lu Bu'er needed to do was to draw their enemies toward them.

Beneath the light of The Golden Ancient Tree, thick, blood-red stains spread along the barren earth, as if nourishing the roots deep underground. A strong wind picked up in the snowy mist, and golden vines swayed like dragons and snakes.

Everyone looked up to the sky, only to see the shadow of a helicopter descending from above.

"Calling Linhai military headquarters, this is patrol squad B537. A life-threatening disaster has occurred in the Land of the Departed. We're about to commence a clearance operation and rescue the Cocoon Breaker. Report complete."

A faint sound of blades could be heard, suddenly breaking through the terrifying screeches.