Apocalypse Forecast

The bomb that Tong Ji suddenly threw out was so big that Huai Shi’s mind buzzed, and it took a long time for him to react.

Just listening to her teasing tone and description, it’s not hard to imagine a group of insatiable lunatics pushing the entire Current Circumstances to the edge of a cliff to progress further.

But after knowing so much and experiencing so much for such a long time, how could Huai Shi not understand the difficulties and pain within?

Being a tool is painful, and being born as a tool is even more painful.

Especially when he had choices. He knew what he represented and what he carried, and he chose to bear it, so as not to disappoint those who believed in him.

So that he and more people could be happy.

From the bottom of his heart, he felt this was a meaningful thing to do.

But how can something born as a refrigerator, a color TV, a microwave, and a refrigerator rebel against its destiny?

Born because of the Sky’s Command, and die because of the Sky’s Command.

It can only be described as pitiful and lamentable.

A thousand years of life and endless authority, not a bit belongs to oneself, no matter how brutally the human side is expressed, it is hard to resist the prophecy of Doomsday.

Everything has an end.

People will die, grass and trees will wither, gods will fall, and even the Current Circumstances will one day exhaust its life and fall into the Abyss. The Fates’ three goddesses who foresaw all this have long turned into Skeleton, buried in the dark together with the dust and their woven Spider Silk.

Who else cannot resist fate?

For tools like Sublimators, the craft of Alchemy, and even the miracles of this world come about because of it, don’t they?

But the result is a collective fall, all resistance turns into nothingness, leaving only the lament and howl of the fallen echoing in Hell...

This is destined to be a tragedy.

Although there are also many doubts and questions within, countless thoughts flooded Huai Shi’s mind all at once, and he did not know where to start asking.

He could only put this question aside for now.

It took a long time to calm down.

He began to think over the next strategy once more.

With the four points of Divine Nature provided by the Temple, the originally strained funds suddenly became ample, but Huai Shi was not yet in a hurry to redeem his Yin Soul Period self.

Combining five Peppa to create an Axe of Anger, on the one hand, lacked the Source Substance, and on the other hand, the existence of the Incarnation of Anger was too large, requiring five Souls to support its structure.

According to Huai Shi’s estimation, if he wanted to condense the Incarnation of the Spear of Compassion, probably about three of his Yin Soul Period selves would suffice.

With Huai Shi’s combat power during the First Stage fighting against the Third Stage, the price of three points of Divine Nature was cost-effective.

But six points of Divine Nature were still not enough; another accumulation was needed.

Saving for one more round would be the ideal choice, but reality might not be so ideal. If next time he encountered Publius or Garand, wouldn’t that be terrible?

Let alone getting either of them, Huai Shi would probably get cold feet just meeting He Di.

Three rounds have passed, and with the ability of the former top of Helios, who knows how many versions of the Aberration under his command have been iterated. The Incarnation of Anger might not be able to manage it.

Moreover, even if the destructive power of the Incarnation of Anger exceeded his expectations, even more exaggerated than the limits he imagined, it still had its flaws.

It was only one.

To be precise, it was just one axe, self-governing in chopping people.

The tactics were overly simplistic.

This was Helios, after all, and any Alchemist who still survived intact until now was not ordinary; the legacies and origins they possessed varied greatly, bringing about too many changes. A little carelessness might lead to ending up in the gutter.

Therefore, spending some Divine Nature to make up for one’s shortcomings was necessary this round.

To stabilize his own state in the ever-changing battles, he couldn’t rely on a one-trick pony but needed comprehensive development.

That limited what could be considered.

Huai Shi flipped through his exchange list, cautiously considering each option, starting to eliminate them one by one.

Unnoticeably, time passed.

Just when Huai Shi, dizzy and unable to help sighing, suddenly felt something furry jump onto his pants and climb upwards.

It was Fish Ball.

The little white mouse widened its eyes, squeaked a few times, still holding a tiny rice ball in its hand.

The air was filled with the aroma of rich soup.

From the workshop behind came the skeleton’s call: "A-Dog, time to eat!"

Huai Shi couldn’t help but roll his eyes: "I’ve told you, it’s Huai Shi, not A-Dog!"

"Okay, okay, you People of the Current Circumstances are really complicated."

The skeleton sat in his little cart, cheerfully holding two bottles as he came out: "Guess what? I found my little tricycle back! And my brewed wine!"

Huai Shi was stunned to hear this, not expecting the skeleton to have this ability.

Well, contestants had to stay in their own areas, but nothing said the audience couldn’t go wherever they wanted, especially now that Helios was much safer.

Huai Shi followed the aroma and found that tonight there was actually a stew of half a slab of pork, with all sorts of miscellaneous things floating in the pure white broth.

Who knows where it harvested this from some laboratory in Helios.

But after seeing Hellish cuisine so often, how could a Chef Demon like him care about this, so he immediately scooped a spoonful to taste it. The soup was unexpectedly rich and flavorful, with a hint of spiciness and a strong, delicious aroma.

He couldn’t help but feel his appetite boost.

The skeleton happily poured the amber liquid into a horn cup and handed over a glass, then took his own and clinked it cheerfully with Huai Shi.

"Cheers!"

With that said, he gulped it down, spilling it all over his bones.

Huai Shi looked on speechlessly.

It was hard to imagine that if this were Publius’s true nature, how could the once straightforward and friendly Great Grandmaster reach the point of sacrificing everyone ruthlessly?

But as things stood, Huai Shi had long since started viewing the skeleton and Publius separately and didn’t want to think too much about it.

He just raised his glass and drank heartily.

He was taken aback for a moment, eyes wide open.

The amber wine was so sweet it made you almost swallow your tongue, like honey dancing down your throat, instantly invigorating you.

And as the slight intoxication surged, an involuntary smile of relaxation and joy was revealed.

In an instant, those heavy shadows and intense battles were cast to the back of his mind.

Forget all your troubles and wave your fork first.

Time to eat!

In the glow of candlelight, he chatted and laughed with the skeleton, devouring the feast.

Thus began a banquet with only two people and a mouse.

So pleasant.

Time seemed to slow down, to halt its pace, stopping here under the light.

In the distance, beside the Sun Caster’s throne.

The figure of Tong Ji quietly appeared.

She leaned beside the seat, resting her chin on her hand, quietly observing that joyful figure, and silently smiled.

Quietly watching.

.

.

After the food and drink, Huai Shi had that dream again.

The world in the dream was still desolate, the world dim, and the flying birds and walking beasts mourned silently.

Only a haggard man leaned on a horse, wandering between worlds, confiding, pleading repeatedly, and finally, came to Huai Shi once more.

Hoarse pleas.

"Please, mourn for him..."

Huai Shi laughed.

No, it wasn’t Huai Shi.

But the shell in which Huai Shi resided, the perspective Huai Shi glimpsed... the true master of this dream laughed.

Gazed at the humble figure of the visitor.

Didn’t speak.

Just a mocking, teasing, indifferent, cruel, gentle laugh.

.

When Huai Shi woke from the dream again, the countdown had once again reached its end.

The grand sound of bells tolled.

The divine light poured down from the solar disk.

And before Huai Shi, the mist abruptly parted, and a four-sided obelisk covered in cuneiform writing slowly emerged, rising, retaining the afterglow and grace of the gods after thousands of years.

Atop the obelisk, on a platform resembling an inverted pyramid, there was only a single high-backed chair, and the elderly lady upon the chair lifted her eyes to gaze at Huai Shi.

Remarkably, her height seemed to faintly exceed Huai Shi’s by a line.

A female Alchemist from Egypt, and also the priestess of the Cat God· Madame Emara.

Her demeanor was solemn yet dignified, but held no malice or mockery.

She looked at Huai Shi solemnly.

"Mr. Huai Shi, I’ve long admired your name."

Emara opened first and said: "Before we begin, I have a proposal."

Hearing this, Huai Shi hesitated for a moment and then nodded: "Go ahead."

And Emara, looking down at the plot beneath Huai Shi, said bluntly: "I wish to obtain your temple. If you are willing to lose this game to me, I am willing to offer my own two plots as compensation and gift you the unique secrets of Egyptian Alchemy.

With my signature, you can go to the Holy Temple of Thoth at any time to claim it without any hindrance. If I can return alive, Your Majesty Bastet’s temple will be your ally steadfastly forever.

This is the oath I made to the gods, and I will never break it."

With that, she raised her hand, and the symbol of the Cat God flickered in her palm.

Huai Shi couldn’t help but frown.

He didn’t know what exactly she was plotting. Especially when Huai Shi looked down and saw that she already had three plots. It was obvious she got one from someone else.

Among them was indeed a temple that Emara never exchanged. But the remaining two plots are also rare and fertile lands.

One is a complete workshop above Helios, well-preserved, properly sealed, and even has a weapon production line. The other, shockingly engraved with a vast Mystic Ritual, although the effect is unknown, one can feel the overwhelming pressure subtly emanating from it.

Even if it cannot provide divine value, it certainly has its irreplaceable role.

Two plots for one, Huai Shi stands to gain.

But the problem is, can the short-term losses be compensated for in the long term? Why must Huai Shi make the exchange?

Huai Shi pondered for a moment and shook his head frankly.

"Excuse me, but I’m not inclined to consider this proposal."

He said: "Can you tell me why?"

"...I need divinity."

After a brief silence, Emara sighed, "A lot of divinity."

She raised her hand and unbuttoned her heavy sacrificial robe.

The old woman is seventy years old, nothing dazzling to speak of, but more shockingly, her skin below her neck had long been replaced by layers of earth-yellow bandages, as if her skin had cracked open.

From within, black ichor continuously seeped out.

Pale beast hair extended from it, clumping together in dirty strands, a sight too harrowing to behold.

"Divine mutation?"

Huai Shi exclaimed in astonishment.