I became a god by treasure hunting after arriving 500 years early

```

Lu Yuan looked at the large pile of gold, platinum... along with metals like ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, and osmium nearby.

It was somewhat painful.

"Gold is just dense and heavy, but it actually doesn't take up much volume."

"It's not that I'm stingy, it's that they're really useful."

What if I encounter a civilization?

Which civilization doesn't like precious metals?

But after packing half of it, the Storage Space was full, and no matter what, nothing else would fit, so he could only give up reluctantly.

Lu Yuan lay on top of a mountain of trash like a dragon, bidding farewell in agony and deep affection.

This was the fruit of his hard work over four years, to leave it all behind for newcomers—it always felt like there was a lush green meadow on his head.

Caught up in the moment, he even took off his clothes to get up close and personal with the metallic garbage.

"Brothers, I'll be leaving tomorrow."

Under his trampling, the mountain of trash started to rustle, as if bidding him farewell.

"Wow!" Old Cat looked on in shock, covering its eyes with two paws, but still sneakily peering through, "Pervert... there's a streaker!"

"Where are the police? Police!"

A piece of metal scrap flew out and knocked Old Cat's head off, sending it crashing to the ground.

"Pervert my ass, your species with over a hundred genders calls me, a normal person, a pervert! Look, see, I'm still wearing pants!" Lu Yuan unabashedly pointed to his own crotch.

"Ow-ow-ow!" Old Wolf watched on the side, gloating over the misfortune.

"Not only a pervert but also a cat abuser, police!" The cat's tail stood erect, and the headless body kept searching for its head.

...

And so, cough cough, he finally got his luggage organized.

Lu Yuan lay among the piles of trash for quite some time... almost the whole day, in fact.

He spent the time daydreaming, lost in nostalgia.

Thinking back, when he first arrived at the Meida Civilization, he was rather pitiful, scared half to death by a giant snake, without food and without clothes.

But now, he'd adapted to life here, surviving till the end of the world?

Yet he had to set off once again.

Here he had experienced despair, dejection, tears, anger, and sorrow—indeed, a lot of gray memories had been left behind.

"And the despair of those times, when placed in the present, is just a bit of hardship after all," Lu Yuan laughed heartily, looking towards the distant clouds, enjoying the chirping of birds deep within the forest.

A tiny relic of the Meida Civilization recorded in this data center, marking the four years like a speck of dust in the cosmic timeline.

Meanwhile, in the nearby farmland, crops grew silently; four years is an eternity—the plants in the fields would no longer be harvested by anyone.

"Today is my last day here, and I'll set out tomorrow."

After his philosophical musings on the universe, Lu Yuan returned to the data center reluctantly and put all the textual materials back in their original places.

[Central Archive C, performance list]

[Ke Dagou, one late arrival this month, one early leave... Performance B.]

[Ke Ergou, unwilling to work overtime, lowered one performance rating... Performance B.]

[Xin Qigou, spends three hours in the toilet every day, Performance C.]

Looking at this piece of paper now, it still seemed somewhat comical, yet also heavy.

Lu Yuan put it back in its place.

All these familiar names were long gone.

And now, Lu Yuan was about to depart as well.

"Other civilizations will discover you, don't worry, Ke Dagou, Ke Ergou, Xin Qigou..."

He also returned the books titled "Great Fleet of Deep Space" and "He Farms Attributes on Pangu Continent" back to their spots.

"Great books, for other civilizations to see."

Then he cleaned for a while longer.

Lu Yuan looked at this home where he had lived for four years, every single detail so familiar.

He had laughed here, cried here, and also brooded alone in his room. So many, many stories truly unfolded here.

It was like a mother, accepting him when he had nothing.

It was a warm harbor.

Unfortunately, he was destined to leave it behind.

A one-way journey, with no possibility of return.

The home remained silent and unresponsive.

After cleaning meticulously, making every place spotless, and discarding all the household trash that needed to be thrown away.

Lu Yuan spent his last night here, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, always feeling like there was something missing in his heart.

In the end, he took out some gold and crafted a beautiful golden statue, and, at the bottom, engraved a few lines of text.

Under the harsh effects of time, no matter how advanced the civilization, what often stands till the last is just a pile of stones.

[I once came here, lived for four years, gained a lot, and I am thankful for everything here.]

[I have returned most of the materials to their original places.]

[I have also left behind quite a few Extraordinary Resources, without taking everything.]

[May later civilizations cherish this place. It is my second home.]

[Here I defeated a demon, and took my first step.]

[I shall witness a greater world.]

[Ninth Epoch, Human Civilization Number 18, Lu Yuan, was here.]

Lu Yuan suddenly burst out laughing, "Hahaha," the feeling of emptiness and reluctance to leave dissipated, replaced by a strong sense of pride...

"Damn it, I should've written more achievements!"

Even Old Cat, who was watching on the side, couldn't refute... being credited with killing a demon was indeed a badass feat.

So what if I wrote it down!

"Let's leave it at that, write too much and it starts to look like I'm showing off on purpose."

```

Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction, suddenly understanding the importance of "ritualistic sensation".

With a small knife, he carved the golden statue with exquisite detail, even including Old Wolf and Old Cat…

He felt that having this object as a substitute for himself to remain here made it less heartbreaking.

The statue seemed to become eternal.

His spirit calmed down instantly.

Sometimes a thousand words are no match for a simple ritual—this statue here proves that we were once here.

We may just be insignificant splashes in the lengthy river of history, as if we never existed once we merge back into the flow.

But who doesn't want to leave behind a mark uniquely their own?

...

...

The next morning, before dawn had even broken, Lu Yuan got up full of vigor.

The distant chirping of birds and insects echoed in his ears, while the sun peeked through the end of the mountain range.

In that vast world, what was waiting for him?

Old Wolf also got up early, amusingly biting at a butterfly in the air with its long snout.

It was always carefree.

The never-sleeping Old Cat began its habitual nagging, "Comrade, I understand your thoughts. But today is indeed a good day to depart. I have observed the skies. For a long time to come, it won't rain, which will allow you to travel much further."

"Got it, you lump of cat shit, always hurrying me," replied Lu Yuan as he took a deep breath.

He turned around, bowed to the building, then placed the golden statue in a corner.

Gathering his large backpack, he shut the door of the room.
Continue reading at empire

"Goodbye, my second homeland!"

A man must always head towards the distant horizon, don't ask why…

A man is born to journey far away.

"Howl!" Old Wolf called out, following Lu Yuan immediately, tail held high with excitement.

The first few she-wolves that had followed it came running over like a whirlwind.

Seeming to sense something, they circled around Old Wolf and Lu Yuan non-stop, occasionally biting at Lu Yuan's pant leg, occasionally rolling over to show their bellies, inviting him to stroke them.

The biggest difference between wolves and dogs is that wolves show affection with gentle bites of their teeth.

While dogs show affection with licks of their tongue.

They are still wolves, not dogs.

This is good!

It means they can still survive in nature.

Lu Yuan patted their heads and gave them some pieces of Pomegranate Fruit.

The she-wolves ate happily.

"Live well here… I'm off. Goodbye!" he said, and then, waving his hand, he set off in the eastern direction.

"Howl!" A she-wolf howled, seemingly questioning why he was suddenly leaving and if they shouldn't sunbathe together.

Where are you going?

Lie together on the big rock.

"Howl!" More wolves began to call out.

"I've grown up!" Lu Yuan turned around and shouted, "Like those two bear cubs, I'm going to go live on my own in a faraway place."

He spoke very loudly.

Even he himself did not know why he had to be so loud.

The wolves, after all, weren't as smart as humans, they just looked on from a distance… just watched…

They didn't follow him.

Soon they would forget the person who once stayed here and adapt to a brand new life.

The most ordinary farewells are just like that, on that very ordinary morning, under the bright sunshine, in splendid spring light, waving farewell to each other without saying much. Then fate's threads remain in yesterday, never crossing paths again.

Lu Yuan took a detour to check on that mother bear.

Pregnant, she was still sleeping.

At the entrance of her cave lay some bare corn cobs, with flies and mosquitoes buzzing around.

If Lu Yuan didn't seek her out, she wouldn't bother coming over—as she naturally had a wild streak and cherishes her freedom.

Even when exactly she found a male bear and got pregnant was unclear to Lu Yuan—she was just pregnant.

"So, no farewell then, good luck Sister Bear," said Lu Yuan as he threw half a Pomegranate Fruit into the cave, hearing her surprised roar faintly.

…

There was no need to subdue or visit the Sky Scorpion, the Snake King, or the bees anymore.

Lu Yuan walked deeper and deeper into the forest, with Old Wolf closely at his heels.

Soon, he left the valley and could no longer see the ruins of the Meida Civilization.

The gigantic Cannibal Flower, hundreds of meters tall and lush with leaves and branches, could only be seen peeking out above the jungles.

But after half an hour, even the Cannibal Flower had disappeared into the forest.

"Goodbye, Cannibal Flower!"

"Goodbye!"

The feast has ended, they have all gone far away.

And I am amongst the mountains.

The jungle is dense, no longer recognizable.

We won't meet again.

...