Apocalypse Forecast

Inside the command bridge of the Iron Crystal Throne, an awkward silence ensued.

In the silence, everyone looked at each other with astonishment, seeing question marks rising from their foreheads, tilting their heads in bewilderment, unable to comprehend.

What the hell? What’s going on? What exactly happened? How did submitting a report to the Ivory Tower change everything as if a hen turned into a duck in the blink of an eye? The times are changing too fast, and all the adults had a sense of absurdity, as if watching primitive people play with nuclear weapons, finding it hard to accept what was in front of them. They were totally unable to react.

It could only be said that Huai Shi acted too quickly, too fiercely, and too ruthlessly. From the brink of chaos to everyone acting as if nothing had happened, it took just fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes ago, everyone was on edge, a riot on the verge of erupting.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was drinking soup harmoniously, sitting together like brothers, reminiscing about their profound and long-standing friendship.

The same familiar actors, the same familiar venue, but the script seemed to have been switched. The turn of events was enough to stun them for a year.

From the weak and easily bullied peace talks to the fiery and forceful sword-drawing and attacks, it was a seamless set of operations that dazzled everyone.

They had thought he’d handed in a blank test paper, but how had he, before the exam even ended, already become something akin to a judge?

Even now, less than three hours had passed since the summoning ended.

The previously restless and dangerous Hell Swarms had already been tamed and shackled by the Ivory Tower.

The Second Fifth Rat-men, eager to profit from both sides, were the first to be harshly dealt with by Huai Shi, falling victim to his entrapment. Meanwhile, the arrogant and rebellious Snake-man Undead Army was forced to bow their heads under the pressure of the situation, swallowing the bitter fruit of their disdain. The stone Gargoyles, attempting to shirk work and be sly, also received a warning under the brutal ’kill the chicken to scare the monkey’ tactics.

Under the auspices of this newfound ’eternal friendship,’ the three Hell Swarms, each with its own agenda, were forcefully united.

Then, before anyone could react, Huai Shi drew his sword and declared that war was coming. And so, war came, abrupt as it was.

In the midst of this perilous dark night, not even waiting for the next dusk to arrive, Huai Shi, carrying the intimidating aura from the banquet, issued the first order from the commander.

—Depart immediately, regardless of the curse in the night, to aid that isolated exploration team, and take down that Hell control device completely.

After such a feast, a little exercise was in order to aid digestion. Best to act quickly and prevent complications from arising with further delays.

After Huai Shi announced his plan, the entire hall once again fell into a suffocating silence. Everyone exchanged glances, a mixture of bewilderment and unease palpable, yet too daunted by Huai Shi’s recent actions to oppose him openly.

After a brief silence, the elder stood up and asked, ”May I inquire where that rescue team is located?”

”Seven hundred kilometers away, in a complex industrial area in the Town of Dusk, on the fourth underground level. If we set out from here, we should arrive in roughly four hours. If all goes well, we can even have breakfast there after it all ends.”

The elder mused for a moment and said, ”If we don’t have a light source, our tribe may struggle to maintain their condition amidst the curse.”

”That’s not a problem; the light source has already been prepared for you.”

On the tracks of the transport conveyor, four huge iron boxes had been delivered to the right side of the hall. Upon opening the iron boxes, hundreds of just-off-the-assembly-line hanging Wind Lamps were revealed before the Hell Swarms.

”A total of nine hundred and seventy Alchemy Wind Lamps,” Huai Shi said. ”They are filled with Blessing Ointment sufficient to support you in battle for over two hours, so there’s no need to worry about the curse.”

”As for the rest of the time, you won’t need to walk; there’s a driver.”

With his words, outside the hall, a massive truck rose silently from the underground garage, its two bright headlights flaring to life as it honked twice.

Raymond, the expert driver from Hell, was already in position.

The truck was laden with precious Depth Balance Instruments, capable of countering Hell’s erosion for a short period. Through alchemical modifications and the transformation of Border Relics, the space inside its cargo hold had expanded to half the size of a soccer field. It was spacious enough to accommodate all the assembled forces for the operation.

Moreover, the largest Gargoyles didn’t need to worry about the petrifying curse and wouldn’t take up internal space. Everything was prepared for the Abyss Ratmen and the Snake-man Undead Army.

Everything had been clearly arranged.

By this point, what excuse could the elder have to refuse?

Under Huai Shi’s gaze, the aged Snake-man bowed deeply. ”We will follow your orders, sir.”

”And the Gargoyles?”

Huai Shi turned his head and looked toward the row of giant Bat Wing Demons.

In the silence, the leader of the Gargoyles stood up and saluted Huai Shi.

”War is coming, sir,” it said, ”just as you wished.”

With that, the matter was decided.

By the time the command bridge of the Iron Crystal Throne finally caught up, even the noisy Rat-men had already queued up for the truck, leaving behind a messy hall.

As Huai Shi prepared to board the truck, Andrea descended from the sky with the flame of the Red Dragon, her fingertips holding a dazzling wisp of flame, her fiery wings slowly closing.

She landed beside him.

”Is this not too risky?” she asked Huai Shi.

”It’s a risk we have to take.”

In the dim light of the Wind Lamp, Huai Shi glanced at the pitch-black night in the distance. ”We don’t gamble, but the Ivy League must. Since we can glimpse their movements, they might not be entirely ignorant of us... Especially the control center; the sooner we have it in our hands, the better.”

”But your action is too reckless,” Andrea conveyed the suggestion from the bridge. ”At least you should bring the Exploration Team from the Iron Crystal Throne. Alone, the unexpected can always happen.”

”No, the Exploration Team must all stay behind.”

Huai Shi said, ”After I leave, the Iron Crystal Throne will enter the highest alert, ready at any moment for an attack from the Ivy League. For now, our single unit of external forces is enough.”

”That’s also why I insisted on recruiting these swarms. The safety of the Iron Crystal Throne is paramount. Otherwise, if we are attacked, we’ll have no retreat.”

Clearly, his refusal was also within the bridge’s expectations.

After Andrea nodded, she handed him something resembling a remote control. ”Take this. You can use it to call for remote strike support. When necessary, there’s no need to hide the Iron Crystal Throne’s location.”

”I will.”

Huai Shi smiled faintly, put it in his pocket, and looked up to ask, ”Is there anything else you’d like to instruct me on?”

”No, I’m an amateur when it comes to conflict. As a scholar, how can I compare to the wealth of experience of a Judge?”

Andrea glanced back at him. ”The Great Grandmaster said to let you have free rein. After all, no matter what, it’s better than you sulking around with that unpleasant, hard-to-read expression in front of him all day.”

Huai Shi was stunned and raised his eyebrows. ”Am I that disliked?”

”It’s just that no one likes a lion sitting in a cage.”

Andrea smiled, stepped back, and nodded farewell. ”Then, Head of Operations, sir, have a good journey.”

”Yeah, alright.”

Huai Shi withdrew his gaze, stepped onto the boarding ladder, and got into the passenger seat.

The truck door closed.

He gazed out at the surging, endless darkness and chuckled softly.

”Let’s go,” he said. ”We’re off.”

Accompanied by the deep sound of the Gargoyles’ bat-like wings flapping the air, the massive truck roared to life, charging into the deep night.

The fiery tail lights gradually faded.

Like the sun sinking into the mist.

.

.

Amidst a long stupor and agony, Pant Delong opened his eyes to the pale ceiling of a hospital ward. Life-support equipment emitted a rhythmic sound.

”Who’s there?” he asked.

Across the hospital bed, a man sat on a chair, clutching a helmet.

He was wrapped in thick protective gear. His face was aged and his hair grizzled, but his deep blue eyes were like gemstones, captivating and impossible to look away from.

”Deputy Head Michel.”

He said, ”The doctor told me you’d wake up soon—you took a little longer than I thought.”

”How long have I slept?” Pant Delong asked.

Michel replied, ”Three days. Your condition has recovered well; it just cost a fair bit of money.”

Pant Delong laughed. ”I thought money was no object.”

”Money is no object; time is.”

Michel slowly stood, tossing the heavy helmet, which artfully spun on his fingertips. He lifted his head to tell Pant Delong, ”We must take action now, or this will end up being a total loss.”

”Alright.”

Pant Delong asked, ”Anything you need me to do?”

”You’ll take charge of the camp. The Colonel will accompany me,” Michel said. ”Simply put, you’ll oversee daily operations and also handle the commissioners and accountants sent by our investors. If they get angry, let them. Just make sure there are no unfortunate accidents, like someone slipping and falling into water or drowning in a bathtub after drinking too much.”

Pant Delong slowly propped himself up. ”I will.”

Michel nodded and turned to leave the ward.

He traveled along a lengthy corridor, moving through the profound depths underground, then took an elevator straight up, finally arriving in a vast subterranean hall.

The Colonel waiting there had a heavy case on his back, quietly smoking.

”Is everything ready?” Michel asked.

The Colonel removed his hat and replied solemnly, ”Twelve Legions, totaling over four thousand Hell Creatures, await your command, sir.”

Behind him, high-hung lights flickered on one by one with a low hum, illuminating the Hell formations slumbering in the darkness. Monsters from the Abyss raised their crimson eyes, awaiting the command.

”Good.”

Michel calmly gazed at the Abyss Legion stretched out to the horizon before him, raised his hand, and donned the heavy helmet.

”One hundred and twenty years of dissatisfaction and patience since our founding, treading upon the struggles and lifeblood of countless predecessors—we have embarked on this thorny path.”

In that trembling silence, Michel’s eyes lit up with a fierce blaze. ”—This time, we settle it once and for all with the Ivory Tower!”