Fluorescent plants illuminated the walls.
The walls of the corridor, wide enough for giants to pass, were covered in hieroglyphs, or perhaps pictures would be a more fitting description.
"Sheng Taro, it's time for you to shine."
The latter was already intrigued, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Characters that have never appeared in any records, not belonging to any known civilization!"
"Let me study them carefully..."
Sheng Taro scanned from beginning to end. There were about a thousand murals, with a humanoid creature as the protagonist. Some had fur, while others had smooth skin.
But without exception, they all possessed bird-like beaks and four thick fingers.
Clearly, the figures in the paintings were the ancestors of Nitolo!
These Nitolo held various strange tools and drove various animals, all of which Zhang Wei and the others had seen in the Gourmet Pyramid!
"Ball Beasts..."
"Parasitic Snails..."
"Tiger Fang..."
"This is the process of Nitolo taming and transplanting food beasts!"
Sheng Taro murmured, "Accompanying a great era, gods descended to the human world, bringing wisdom and methods for creating delicious food!"
As he spoke, Sheng Taro pointed to the first five paintings.
A group of primitive people lived by slash-and-burn agriculture, constantly suffering from hunger and the ravages of fierce beasts.
At this moment, a god with a bird-like beak and immense power appeared. Not only did it drive away the beasts, but it also taught people how to cook food using fire. Because they could control deliciousness, each generation of tribal newborns became stronger.
In addition, there were astronomy, calendars, celestial architecture, writing, religion, agricultural science, and so on... Da Feng Novel Network
The last painting showed countless primitive people worshipping Nitolo.
Cang Ma said, "According to the murals, this Nitolo isn't as evil as Zhang Wei described; they did quite a lot of good deeds!"
"Don't jump to conclusions, let's see what's next."
What followed was a long period of hunting and development. All sorts of ingredients were captured and raised by Nitolo, building an increasingly powerful empire.
Then came the introduction of some customs.
For example, on the most solemn full moon night, primitive people would spontaneously form a bonfire feast, sacrificing the strongest man and the most beautiful woman. Everyone in the tribe took pride in becoming an offering, with hundreds of people vying for a single spot.
Becoming an offering brought great honor to the entire tribe, and the number of offerings from a tribe even determined its social status.
In the subsequent murals, this full moon night resembled a living hell, briefly depicting all sorts of gruesome spectacles, including various sacrificial cooking methods, which sent chills down the spines of the three men!
Afterward, Nitolo began large-scale construction, building a structure at the center of the land that was unprecedented and would never be surpassed, capable of housing hundreds of fierce beasts living comfortably.
During this period, the technological level of the primitive humans also rose sharply, and they began to develop technology and culture similar to modern humans.
Whenever these humans asked about the reason for the construction, Nitolo would claim it was a structure for salvation, capable of lasting for thousands of years amidst endless chaos and hunger.
Nitolo foretold the apocalypse!
"What happened next!"
"Hurry up and tell us!"
Sheng Taro took a sip of water. "Don't rush, it's enough to make your jaws drop."
The primitive humans were astonished to discover that all the species Nitolo had kept had a place in the Gourmet Pyramid. Nitolo had selected as many as three hundred and thirty-three species!
There was even a place for Nitolo itself.
But there was no place for primitive humans.
To build this structure, the surrounding thousand-mile radius was turned into a desert due to excessive destruction, and the four great mother rivers were completely dried up.
Most importantly, primitive humans had worked tirelessly for Nitolo for hundreds of years, only to be abandoned during the apocalypse.
Rebellion!
Uprising!
On the eve of the doomsday, through the combined efforts of the entire race, they finally defeated more than a dozen Nitolo.
It was these dozen or so Nitolo who had controlled all of primitive humanity for centuries!
Sheng Taro continued, "However, in the murals, this uprising is referred to as the demon of human downfall, the accumulation of human filth over a hundred years."
"So, this uprising must have failed then?"
"What do you think the so-called doomsday is?"
"What? Don't leave us in suspense!"
Sheng Taro pointed to the murals behind them, where hundreds and thousands of Nitolo soared through the sky, bringing hope and light.
"The so-called doomsday is the day when a massive number of Nitolo awaken. These Nitolo instantly spread across the entire world and devour everything in sight!"
"The primitive humans, seeing these Nitolo so fierce, also joined in, eating and drinking alongside them. And after all visible food was devoured, these primitive humans also became food for Nitolo."
"There are a few points that need special attention. First, Nitolo will not touch the species within the Gourmet Pyramid, no matter how hungry they are."
"Second, there is a hierarchy among Nitolo. After the doomsday, it is said that seven noble Nitolo reigned supreme over all other Nitolo..."
"Also known as..."
"Gourmet Nobles!"
Gourmet Nobles!
They were the legendary Gourmet Nobles!
Cang Ma exclaimed, "Are you sure it's Gourmet Nobles? Is this ancient text translated correctly?"
Sheng Taro nodded very seriously. "Absolutely correct, Gourmet Nobles!"
Seeing their surprised expressions, Zhang Wei asked, "What exactly are Gourmet Nobles?"