Apocalypse Forecast

The world seemed to be spinning.

No, it was the darkness that was swirling.

In the deepest part of Helios, the invisible space was constantly inverting and cycling under the mystical rituals of the two Grandmasters, forming one invisible vortex after another.

Sometimes, in a daze, Huai Shi would find himself walking on the ceiling, only to realize sometimes it was just his illusion.

In the silence, apart from the squeaking sounds of mice, there was only the rattling of a small handcart under a skeleton’s backside.

He once suspected he was lost in a dizzying labyrinth.

The further he went, the more the dissipated source substances grew silent, containing the sedimentary breath of the abyss, causing an indistinct unease.

"What’s ahead?"

"The vast space, with sky-high land prices, every inch must be utilized effectively... What else is beside the garbage dump?"

Tong Ji said leisurely, "A cemetery."

Helios’, cemetery.

All dead alchemists are buried here.

"Strictly speaking, it’s those whose ambition exceeded their ability, and ideals surpassed reality." Tong Ji shrugged regretfully, "In short, the less accomplished ones."

Regrettably, reality is that cruel.

On the precious land of Helios, there is no room for incompetents.

Even in death, they receive no grand burial.

They were too safe, too ordinary.

Their skills couldn’t fulfill their aspirations nor cause sufficient legacy curse. They could neither achieve miracles nor transform into disasters.

Many alchemists, even in death, the calamity condensed in their bodies would be enough to turn corpses into bizarre relics, or even mutate into abyss species.

For example, a Grandmaster, once dead, the calamity or miracle condensed over a lifetime of mystic rituals will become a solemn and terrifying relic.

But for some, when they’re dead, they’re simply dead.

Only to be burned to ashes.

In deference to their service to Helios, they’re stuffed into little boxes and tossed in inconspicuous, unobtrusive places.

No expectation of any residual value.

In some sense, this cemetery becomes endlessly mocking.

The incompetent who died have a resting place, ultimately gathered together, seeking warmth, the residual source substances endlessly narrating their past delusions, yet not even forming a ghost.

Only leaving a substance of shame, eternally preserved.

"Since there’s no way to go further, why not return to the current circumstances?" Huai Shi asked in confusion.

"Do you really think Helios is a bus? Get on and off as you please?"

Tong Ji sneered, "Indeed, to maintain Helios’s divine miracles to the greatest extent, prevent technological outflow and those with ulterior motives... Helios only returns to the current circumstances once every seventy years.

But the alchemists monopolizing all this still find it insufficient, desiring longer monopolies and greater benefits. Just look at the Stone Pot Society’s decaying state.

From the first selfish individual to now, the rules have grown increasingly stringent.

Now, it’s entirely different from the start.

Those alchemists coming from the current circumstances can only stay for one cycle at most before being expelled, while those born on Helios can never leave."

These decrees are inscribed in every soul, impossible to defy."

For the alchemists buried here, they are born into the prison of this miracle.

Ironically, some leave, only to dream of returning.

In silence, they passed through the final corridor.

Everything before them opened up immensely.

Even though it remained dim.

Yet, under the skeleton’s headlamp, it was enough for Huai Shi to glimpse places far away.

In this vast and dead space.

As if arriving at a farm.

But on the flat iron ground there were no crops, only rows of low cross-shaped tombstones at absolute precise distances and gaps, placed on the ground, like dead seedlings, extending to the horizon.

Above their heads, towering constructs hung like buildings, their outlines faintly visible.

They were long-abandoned furnace cores.

But now, even these abandoned furnace cores were riddled with cracks, like broken hearts. Split from the middle, the lower heart chamber crashed to the ground, leaving a ghastly scar.

Yet from the half-collapsed abandoned furnace core, a faint light glowed.

Like someone lighting a fire in the ruins of a collapsed giant tower.

There were traces of life!

Huai Shi instinctively gripped the Resentment Water, turned around, and looked at the equally confused skeleton.

The skeleton scratched his head, "I’ve never been here... Is there really someone?"

Huai Shi did not answer.

Whether it’s a human or a ghost, who can say for sure?

He had already encountered a foolish skeleton that brought him back home; it wasn’t possible to hope his luck would hold out to encounter something else with no hostility.

"Isn’t this that... That thing..."

The skeleton pulled out a frying pan from its rib cage, waving it excitedly, "A time for thrilling battle is here!"

"...No no no, just wait a bit, wait okay?"

Huai Shi’s face twitched, "Why are you so bold!"

Huai Shi barely managed to hold down both the skeleton and the dog, raised the Resentment Water, and lightened his footsteps, planning to sneak up for a better look.

But after taking just two steps, he heard a rattling noise from behind.

Turning around, he saw the skeleton on the handcart with an innocent face.

Their eyes met.

In the silence, Huai Shi felt the urge to pull his hair again.

Damn it, I’m a Gold Medal enforcer of the Astronomical Society, a master backstabber, the stealth king of the Ivory Tower. How did teaming up with you bunch of clumsy teammates become so unprofessional!

Soon, Huai Shi found an alternative solution.

He pulled out a piece of tape and simply strapped the big rotor onto the dog’s back!

Instant job change complete, Skeleton Soldier LVUP→Skeleton Rider!

Problem solved!

It’s just that a sneaky infiltrator with a dog-like sneaking skeleton riding a dog behind him can’t help but look suspicious.

But he couldn’t worry about that anymore.

They had seized the moment to lurk beside the fallen furnace core.

Inside the abandoned furnace core, amidst the empty cavities filled with cracks, came an eerie radiance akin to hallucinations.

Huai Shi carefully approached, held his breath, peeked his head out, and looked inside through the cracks. Soon, beside him, a dog’s head carrying a skeleton leaned against the wall, slowly rising up to look inside.

Full of curiosity.

"Oh my..." the Skeleton couldn’t help but whisper: "Such a tragedy..."

Huai Shi couldn’t resist turning his head to glare at him, raising a finger to gesture for silence. The Skeleton looked puzzled, not understanding his intent.

But the people inside did not notice their arrival.

Beneath dim candlelight lay a setup as simple as a slum beggar’s.

Not even a table, countless disordered books randomly strewn upon the ground, with a disheveled old man kneeling among them, hoarsely mumbling something, as if praying.

More like cursing.

The stench was pungent.

It was unclear if it was the smell of excrement, grime, or decay...

Yet he remained oblivious, continuing to scribble and sketch on paper, though his pen had long since broken, lacking ink, and the surrounding pages bore no records of ingenious techniques or the alchemical essence.

Only messy scrawls, incomprehensible scribbles and doodles.

Huai Shi dared to bet that even if he painted something with his toe, it would be a hundred times closer to the truth!

Yet he dared not expose himself.

Traveling the world, the most feared are Taoists, monks, old men, and children. But in Hell, these things are just as feared...

Dressing as religious figures in Hell, eight out of ten are tainted with fallen divine nature, far more formidable than other monsters. As for living and lively old men and children in Hell, they’re even more terrifying.

Pull out any one of them and you could film ten horror series.

After a silent deep breath, Huai Shi was increasingly cautious.

Listening to the chaotic words in the wind.

Only to hear countless curses and hoarse unknown words mixed with jumbled sentences, repeated over and over, never-ending.

"That bastard... damn thing... those lunatics... they’re all crazy... all crazy... long gone insane... He Di... He Di..."

The frenzied figure futilely sketching curses, occasionally sharp cackles, occasionally hoarse roars: "It’s too late, we’ve all made huge mistakes... all my fault... all my fault..."

"I should never have presided over that secret ritual for that bastard’s fate... What did I do? What did I..."

"No, it’s not my fault..."

"They’re getting their due... I’m also... getting my due... we all must pay the price! This is the consequence of violating the law! Violate the Piper... no... violate Helios..."

He chuckled cryptically, then suddenly choked up, as if tears streamed down his face: "All my fault, all my fault, why did I let him be born..."

Back then, I, back then... should’ve strangled Garland, that damned freak, while he was still in swaddling clothes..."

At that moment, Huai Shi felt as if he was struck by lightning.

Not because of the implicit meaning in those words, but because the frenzied old man suddenly turned his charred, hollow eye sockets filled with blood towards Huai Shi.

Flowing tears.

"Please..."

He said: "Please mourn for me..."

Thunder erupted!

In that moment, the Resentment Water in Huai Shi’s hand burst with a loud sound, tearing through the air, intruding into the narrow cavity from outside, entwined with lightning and bloodshot hues, crashing down towards the old man!

But the transformation was faster than him.

As he broke into the fissure, the dim light silently extinguished.

Everything vanished without a trace.

Only a phantom.

Huai Shi’s movement stopped.

When he slowly lowered his head, he saw countless pages flying up in the swirling airflow and discovered the source of that foul stench...

In the corner, a corpse of an old man rotted long ago.

He had been dead for quite some time.

Still clutching the fractured pen.

Under the illumination of the Skeleton’s headlamp, the floor revealed his final scrawled marks.

Written with deep resentment.

But rather, a futile curse, no longer able to take effect.

"...Ga...land?"

Huai Shi remained silent for a long time, unable to believe it.

Not just because he heard the name of the Element of Destructive·Piper.

But because of the name before him.

Before dying, that old man didn’t resent Publius’s actions, but rather hated Garland? Even more unbelievable is that Grandmaster Garland was born above Helios?