Chapter 85: Advancement and the Backrooms’ Invasion

As the things before his eyes were gradually swallowed by a sheet of white light, Chen Qing could no longer see anything else.

When he finally struggled free and the glare faded from his vision, the scene before him had already returned to the ruined abbey.

He was kneeling on both knees, hands cupped before him, head bowed. The silver threads in his eyes had already been scorched black.

The moment his palm moved, the object in it made him freeze for several seconds.

He turned his hand over, and in his palm lay a sphere.

He lifted his head, and the flesh mask on his face slipped into his hands at that very instant.

Chen Qing hesitated slightly, and a flood of information instantly filled his mind.

One came from a non-relic; the other, from the dying remnants of a divine being.

“Class E non-relic — Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
After use, the user will gain part of the target’s recent memories and assume the target’s appearance.
Containment requirement: once every seven days, it must be carried into a stranger’s home without being discovered.
Usage requirement: obtain the target’s DNA. After use, one lie must be completed.
Failure to meet the requirement will cause it to swell gradually until it dissolves.”

“Class E item — False Lie.
After use, it greatly increases the user’s credibility.”

Beside him, Bu Zhaozhao’s silhouette slowly emerged in midair.

“Has your advancement ritual been completed? Did the advancement succeed?”

At the question, he looked up with a smile. “Yes.”

“What kind of effect does it have?”

“Pretty much as you guessed. After taking on another person’s form, I can gain part of their recent memories. The side effects are much smaller than you expected.”

At his words, Bu Zhaozhao was clearly stunned. “Smaller? How could that be?”

“It seems it no longer alters my thoughts. Instead, a new usage condition was added: every time I use it, I have to complete one lie.”

“How could that be?” Bu Zhaozhao’s eyes widened in astonishment. She reached out, but just as her fingertip was about to touch the mask, she abruptly drew back.

“How could there be such a huge change?” she murmured, her face full of curiosity. “Forget it. It’s a good thing, anyway.”

“You’re not curious?” he asked, looking at her. “I thought you’d want to borrow it and study it.”

“It’s meaningless.” She shook her head slightly, regret showing on her face. “The advancement rituals of non-relics are all unique. Even if you use the same formula, even if it’s the same person, the outcome can be completely different. Time never stops moving forward. It’s meaningless.”

Hearing this, Chen Qing also grew curious. “So how exactly do non-relic advancement formulas work? Why did you say it was impossible for such a huge improvement to happen?”

“An advancement formula for a non-relic is usually made up of multiple materials. Each material represents one possible result of the advancement. At the same time, each one also represents an additional effect the non-relic may gain after advancing.”

Chen Qing understood at once. “So material A represents route A, and once the advancement is complete, it may still gain some special effect from material B, right?”

“Yes. And the advancement path is quite vast. The more materials you add, the greater the chance of success, and the stronger the non-relic itself becomes. But the more materials you add, the higher the chance that you include something which will cause the advancement to fail.”

“If that’s the case...” Chen Qing asked again, curious. “Back then, how did you know what additional conditions were needed in the advancement ritual?”

She tapped her own head. “Knowledge has a price. I’ve already paid it.”

“Are there non-relics that can help provide knowledge?”