While Fio was explaining the mural, Qin Ming had already strode up to the altar.
Honestly, he didn't even need Fio to explain it—just by looking at the artifact on the altar, he understood that this treasure could grant wishes.
Because it was way too famous! It was actually the legendary Alara Lamp—Aladdin Lamp—Alara Magic Lamp—ah, whatever!
Anyway, it was that legendary thing!
[Name: Aladdin's Magic Lamp]
[Type: Special Item (Mythical Grade)]
[Usage Requirement: None]
[Effect: Summons the Genie to grant three wishes]
[Description: When I grew up, I spent a whole year trying to understand why, after getting three wishes, Aladdin only wanted to become a prince and then rushed off to propose.]
[Note: This is a plot item and cannot be taken out of this world]
A mythical-grade item! A real mythical-grade item!
Qin Ming had been around a long time, but this was the first time he'd seen a mythical item!
Unfortunately, it was a story-limited item and couldn't be taken out of the mission world. But that was fine—being able to make three wishes was already worth it.
His eyes lit up as he excitedly picked up the lamp and started rubbing it vigorously.
With a harsh screeching sound, a flash of light burst from the lamp, and in the next second—smoke gushed out of the spout!
Then it formed into a figure with blue skin… a female genie?!
Before Qin Ming could even react to what he was seeing, the female genie stood with her hands on her hips and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Congratulations, lucky one! You've successfully summoned the legendary genie! So now, you must fulfill my three wishes!"
Qin Ming's face lit up with excitement—though he was confused why the genie was female—but as he listened, his expression gradually stiffened.
"No problem, no problem! My first wish is… wait, what? What did you just say? I grant your wishes?!"
"That's right! You're the one who grants my wishes! That's your reward for summoning me! And my first wish is—"
CLANG!
Before the genie could finish, there was a loud thud.
Expressionless, Qin Ming had simply raised his hand and tossed the lamp straight into the abyss…
Damn it! A fake genie?! What a scam!
Watching the lamp tumble into the chasm and vanish without a trace, Qin Ming curled his lip in disdain.
He turned to leave—only to hear the howling of wind. To his surprise, the discarded genie flew right back.
Hovering in front of him, clutching the lamp, the genie's smile was gone—replaced by fury.
"You dare throw me away?! Throw me, the symbol of ultimate power?! You summoned me, now you must grant my three wishes!"
Her fog-like body shimmered as she floated inches from Qin Ming's face and jabbed him hard in the chest.
"My first wish is: I want supreme authority!"
SLAP!
Before she could say more, Qin Ming delivered a crisp slap to her face—to help her "wake up."
The genie's head tilted from the blow, but oddly, she didn't get angry. Instead, she slowly turned her head back, giving Qin Ming a playful, almost mocking look.
"Was that your way of rejecting my wish? Well then, don't blame me—you asked for it!"
As she spoke, the genie drifted backward, then suddenly raised her hands and clapped them together.
SMACK!
A visible shockwave burst outward from her palms, spreading in all directions.
Moments later, the ground began to rumble.
The stone pillar beneath Qin Ming and the others started to shake violently!
They looked down in stunned silence—only for their pupils to contract sharply.
From the base of the pillar, an endless tide of black insects was swarming upward like a living flood.
Scarab beetles! Flesh-eating insects, specially bred for death rituals… basically mutated dung beetles!
Even Qin Ming's face changed at the sight of the sheer number of scarabs. The group immediately turned into blood mist and shot into the air.
Looking at the platform that had just been completely engulfed by scarabs in the blink of an eye, everyone was still shaken.
Before they could even speak, another crisp slap rang out.
The next second—there came the sound of rushing wind from above!
Qin Ming and the others looked up to see countless bats and mummies raining down from the sky like dumplings, descending on them from all directions!
Faced with the dense "mummy rain," Qin Ming and the others turned into blood mist, dodging back and forth.
While they were weaving through the airborne assault, a third slap echoed.
This time, the surrounding stone walls began to tremble violently. Under everyone's astonished gaze, they slowly started to close inward toward the central pillar.
The pyramid was collapsing in on itself!
"What the hell is this thing?!"
Seeing that the genie could control the entire pyramid, reshaping it at will and even summoning hordes of monsters, Kasamoto Eri couldn't help but cry out.
Liona reacted even more decisively—she fired straight at the female genie!
But whether the bullets hit the genie or the lamp below, they simply passed through—completely ineffective.
As the pyramid closed in, trapping them more and more tightly, Qin Ming's pupils shrank when he saw the genie raise her hand again with a smile, clearly about to deliver a fourth slap.
"Wait! I'll grant your wish!" he shouted.
SLAP!
Just as Qin Ming finished speaking, the fourth slap landed.
But this time, after the sound echoed, everything fell into silence. Nothing happened.
The collapsing pyramid froze in place. The falling mummies above also stopped midair. Even the swarming scarabs below retreated like a tide.
Seeing this, the genie's once-smiling face abruptly fell. Her arms hung at her sides, and she looked visibly disappointed.
Qin Ming, however, let out a deep sigh of relief.
He had guessed correctly! The genie's power only activated because he refused her wishes.
Now that he no longer rejected her requests, she had no reason to attack.
She was a pure mechanism-based monster!
Watching her float gently down, Qin Ming's gaze flickered with a strange light.
The genie, hands on her hips, sneered at him.
"Fine then. Grant my wish—I want supreme power!"
At that, Qin Ming smirked and said playfully, "No rush. I said I'd grant your wish—I didn't say I'd do it right now."
The genie froze for a second, then suddenly broke into a bright grin. She leaned in close, locking eyes with him.
"Clever little brat. So you've already figured out the trick. Looks like I don't get to play this round, huh?"
"No, no, no! There's still more to play! I swear I won't just drag things out forever. I'll find a way to grant your wishes—because I really want to see what you'll give me after I do."
The moment he said that, the genie's smile froze.
Meanwhile, Qin Ming's grin only grew wider.
The Nightmare Space had a rule: reward is directly proportional to effort.
The more you gave, the better the reward.
You might not get something perfectly suited to you—but it would never be useless.
And now, this genie—who wielded terrifying power and was tied to a mythical-grade item—had reversed the roles and was demanding that he grant her three wishes!
Sure, it seemed unreasonable. The "correct" strategy was to agree, stall for time, and avoid giving her a reason to attack until the mission ended.
But what if—what if he actually granted all three wishes? What would the reward be?
Qin Ming didn't know, but he did know one thing: the reward would definitely surpass his expectations.
Most importantly, he had a hunch. A very bold hunch...
He stared intently at the genie, who was still frozen in place, then suddenly asked, "Hey, Genie—can I ask you a question? Do you know the Tathagata Buddha?"
The genie didn't reply.
But her pupils contracted sharply.
And that reaction was all Qin Ming needed. He already had his answer.
Just as he suspected—this genie was also one of those beings. She had transcended the Nightmare Space. She knew of its existence!
She even knew the Tathagata Buddha!
(End of Chapter)