Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 292: Chapter 255: Fight to the Death Part 3

”Why be so infuriated?”

Huai Shi calmly observed her. He watched her desperate struggle, her hands trembling as she forced spoonful after spoonful of the rage-filled dish into her mouth.

”There’s a saying, ’The world kisses me with pain, I respond with a song.’ Can you sing?”

In the deathly silence, only agonized screams echoed.

The essence of Apocalypse and the virulent poison of the plague erupted from within her body, bringing endless despair and madness, tearing her Soul and sanity to shreds bit by bit.

Yet, for some reason, in the silence, those screams seemed to take on a melodious, lilting quality, like a song.

Huai Shi nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand. The side dish was served.

The white fish flesh, emitting a faint char, was stained with a subtle, inky green that whetted the appetite.

”This is the new Plague Dragonfish dish I’ve learned. Give it a try. It contains over a dozen carefully cultivated variations. I trust each bite will offer a unique sensation.”

”If you have the guts, then kill me, you useless trash!”

Amidst the soul-rending agony, Lin Yu glared at Huai Shi. The corners of her eyes split, and blood slowly trickled down as she snarled, ”Don’t even have the guts to kill someone, do you? You spineless cur, you mongrel!”

”Ordinarily, that might have been the case, but not anymore.”

Huai Shi’s fingers intertwined, resting gently on the table. He meticulously studied Lin Yu’s convulsing face and told her, enunciating each word, ”Miss Lin, you hurt my friend.

”Even though I believe our true friendship might have only lasted for an absurdly brief moment—and yes, that guy was foolish, a chuunibyou, and prone to muttering to himself—when he was dying, I was genuinely heartbroken.

”So, this sorrow I feel? You absolutely must experience it for yourself.”

As the toxins and plague spread, countless spots and festering sores erupted on Lin Yu’s face, making her already twisted expression even more hideous and frenzied.

”You’ll regret this, Huai Shi! You definitely will!” she screamed hoarsely, her voice a roar. ”Once I get out of here, everyone connected to you will die!”

”Ah, I know.”

Huai Shi nodded serenely. ”I believe you’re probably capable of that.”

Thus, he accepted it all with equanimity.

”I don’t know why you possess such confidence, such a sense of superiority, that you believe you can decide who lives or dies. But I get the feeling you very much want me dead. My life might become quite troublesome after this.”

He paused, then asked earnestly, ”Miss Lin, my life is already filled with troubles. I sincerely hope for fewer of them. Do you understand what I mean?”

”PAH!”

Lin Yu scoffed, mustering all her strength to spit at him. But she was too weak. The saliva landed on her plate and, with the movement of the knife and fork, was mixed with the fish and returned to her stomach, bringing indescribable pain.

”It seems you didn’t quite understand. But I understand your meaning perfectly.”

Huai Shi watched her silently, his demeanor as cold as frost. ”Perhaps you grew up in a very privileged environment. Perhaps you were so well-protected that you came to believe everything in this world is yours, or will be eventually.

”Consequently, you’ve never truly understood one thing:

”Death is a terrifying thing.”

He sighed softly. ”That’s why you can’t comprehend how much I don’t want to die.”

Huai Shi waved his hand. A waiter approached reverently from a corner, holding a bottle of red wine. He poured a thin, viscous stream of the scarlet, iron-scented liquid into a glass.

”Didn’t you want to kill me? To eat my flesh and drink my blood?” Huai Shi picked up the glass, peering at the swirling scarlet within. ”Actually, it’s quite simple. All you have to do is say so.”

Then, as Lin Yu’s pupils dilated, the glass of wine was slowly placed before her.

Countless baleful Source Substances seethed within it, coalescing into the crimson of murderous intent. So blinding.

”Drink it. This is my blood.”

The young man smiled, yet his expression was as ferocious as an Evil Ghost’s.

He snapped his fingers. The head chef pushed open the kitchen door, stepped forward with the final main course, and reverently placed a steak before Lin Yu. He sprinkled it with black pepper sauce and spices sourced from the Abyss.

On the hot iron plate, the rich aroma of meat wafted through the air. So tempting.

But in the Witch’s eyes, it was the most profound Disaster. Its malevolence and darkness permeated the air, cloaking the entire restaurant in an ominous shadow.

”Eat, Lin Yu.”

Huai Shi smiled, looking at her. ”Your wish has been granted.”

”...”

Lin Yu trembled, her expression contorting as if she were staring at a madman. She fixed her gaze on Huai Shi’s face, unable to conceal her terror and despair.

”You... you... lunatic... You actually...”

She screamed with all her might, fighting against her own body, but her hand still futilely lifted the crimson liquid, slowly tilting it into her throat.

The concentrated killing intent, rage, despair, and darkness solidified, erupting from within her. Inch by inch, it tightened its grip on her last threads of sanity, pulverizing her final defenses, and allowing the Abyss’s malice to engulf her.

In despair, she let out a wail as her Soul cracked, a violent fissure appearing.

”Spare me! I beg you, kill me...”

She could no longer hold back her tears, sobbing as she pleaded, ”Don’t make me eat this...”

”Honestly, I’m not adept at dealing with opponents this way.”

Huai Shi watched her cry her heart out, slowly shaking his head. ”But thankfully, I managed to learn some valuable lessons from a friend who is rather strict and demanding.

”Ah, although she can be harsh with her words sometimes, she’s actually a very good person and taught me many principles. For example...”

He paused, then continued, ”As long as I’m worse than the bad guys, no one can hurt me anymore.”

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

In the silent hall, under the numb gaze of countless onlookers, the scene unfolded on the large screen. The handsome young man casually picked up a knife and fork and, with a light touch, began to help her cut the main course on her plate.

When he spoke, his tone was calm and composed, carrying an undeniable, stern coldness.

”So, from this day forward, you must learn to shiver at the mere mention of my name. You will cry in terror at the sight of my face. And you shall kneel and repent at the sound of my voice.”

As if proclaiming her Fate, Huai Shi gazed at her face and enunciated each word:

”—Because you made me your enemy.”

Dead silence reigned, a silence like death itself, where even the sound of sobs was extinguished by suffocating despair.

Only Huai Shi’s voice spread through the hush, gentle and cordial.

”One year from now, two years, ten years... you might mature. You might become more understanding. You might even build a new life. But every day when you open your eyes, you will live forever in this nightmare—for as long as I walk this earth.”

At the dining table, the woman trembled uncontrollably, engulfed by a bone-deep chill that stole her voice.

The meat, laden with malice, was lifted on a fork and brought to her lips.

”So, eat, Lin Yu. This is your Fate.” Huai Shi bent down, whispering in her ear, ”Let this be a feud between us, until death.”

And so, during the organizing committee’s live broadcast, under the astounded and awestruck gaze of countless viewers...

The Demon’s tyrannical banquet finally reached its shrieking climax.