Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 690: Chapter 568: Bizarre Dream (Thanks to Bai Ze the Queen for the alliance reward_1)

Huai Shi had a dream.

He dreamed that he hadn’t actually come to the Town of Dusk but had gone to a humid, crazed place instead.

In that place, jungles infested by Hell sprawled endlessly, teeming with countless ferocious plants, Erosion species, and even Hell’s fierce beasts and strange creatures. Among the jungle that resembled an ocean, innumerable hordes and tribes of varying sizes were interspersed.

There, he led the Iron Crystal Throne to excavate relics left behind by fallen gods—the Rejuvenation Pool, scattered across the land. However, amidst the dense woods, they encountered a bizarre cell of The Church, which worshipped the Ranch Owner and even included one of the Six Crowned under the Ranch Owner’s command, the Healer.

The Healer, mastering plagues and vitality, was indeed difficult to deal with. But Huai Shi, poisonous through and through, was no pushover. With the Iron Crystal Throne’s support, they began to swiftly spread viruses, infecting the scattered settlements. After subduing and weaponizing the savage, frenzied hordes, they turned upon each other in combat.

As the war raged on, both sides’ methods constantly escalated. Countless new viruses emerged. These included the Essence of Self-Immolation, which caused spontaneous combustion upon encountering the sun; the Medusa toxin, which petrified people in the darkness; the Blood Red Strain, which rapidly aged those who inhaled it; and the Bewildering Dream that caused Source Substance loss, among others.

Back and forth, the fight surged on with fierce exhilaration.

In the most dangerous and desperate moment, Huai Shi pulled out the Stone Tooth Sword from the altar of the Rejuvenation Pool and launched a backstabbing attack on the Healer!

A strike with his back to the water, a reversal of the desperate situation!

Huai Shi, victorious in every way!

And then... he woke up. Staring blankly at the ceiling, he felt the pillow cold and damp.

As he raised his hand to touch his face, he discovered that his eyes were swollen from crying in the dream.

Was that dream really so wonderful?

It felt quite ordinary, yet why was his heart so bitter?

”You’re awake?”

Beside him, Liz’s head suddenly popped up, looking down at him with an expressionless face.

”Huh?” Huai Shi blinked in astonishment. ”Why are you in my cell?”

”You think I’d fancy coming in here?”

Liz frowned unhappily. ”You sleep and talk in your sleep, that’s all fine, but you scared the guard! The entire airship upped its defense level because of you, what do you say to that!”

”...I... What did I say?” Huai Shi couldn’t catch up.

Then, Liz snorted, took out her phone from her pocket, aimed it at his face, and played a video. The video was indeed of Huai Shi’s cell.

But it was nothing like he had imagined.

Under the thin blanket on his bed, a shell of a body twitched spasmodically, as if electrocuted. His features were twisted. Huai Shi could hardly recognize himself.

Even the shadows cast by his body roamed uncontrollably upon the walls, leaping like a shedding snake. When he suddenly tensed and arched his back, his expression turned horrifyingly ferocious.

It seemed something was killing him.

In the video, the prisoner was gasping and roaring hoarsely, his throat emitting sharp, raspy sounds.

It was a language he had never heard, filled with chaos and madness, memorable after just one listen. Incredibly, Huai Shi understood it!

The screen was like a mirror, letting him glimpse the ferocity hidden within his own shell.

It began with delirious mumblings and whispers, eventually escalating into a mad roar.

”We... encompass all... We create everything...”

Amidst hazy laughter, ’Huai Shi’ seemed to be sobbing. He reached out, trying to grasp the intangible air, desperately raging, ”But, Sun Caster... how can one change... change this stony nature?”

No one responded. But ’Huai Shi’ screamed in rage, bellowing.

That piercing sound, even muffled by the phone recording, still pained Huai Shi’s eardrums.

Suddenly, it stopped abruptly. The bizarre screams, the incomprehensible, disturbed whispers, and in the end, the madness turned into sorrow. What was left of despair was nothing more than a humble plea.

”Please save us... We beseech your mercy... Sun Caster, please... please...”

That shattered voice faded quickly with the tears.

In the silence, only the hurried footsteps from outside the door could be heard. And then, he woke up again... opening his eyes.

As if returning from Hell, only to find that he was still in Hell.

”Are you okay?”

Liz looked down at him, scrutinizing his appearance, ”Crying and whining, it’s unseemly.”

”Every man has a past that’s hard to look back on, especially someone like me... it’s particularly unsightly...”

Huai Shi rubbed his hair, got up, and asked, ”Got a cigarette?”

”No.”

Liz shook her head indifferently. ”It’s not good for the body. Better quit it sooner rather than later.”

She gave Huai Shi one last glance and warned, ”Don’t stir up any trouble.”

”Haven’t I always been very cooperative?” Huai Shi said with an innocent look, spreading out on the bed. ”If you don’t like it, I can change the position...”

Very cooperative indeed, Huai Shi flipped over.

”...I hope so.”

Liz said coldly, ”Even though I really want to kill you, I don’t wish to do it when you are unarmed.”

”The more violent the resistance, the better the taste, right?”

Huai Shi narrowed his eyes and smiled. ”That’s truly regrettable. How about letting me throw in a move when the time comes?”

”Depends on my mood.”

Liz withdrew her gaze and turned to leave.

The cage returned to silence. Not long after, Huai Shi fell into a deep sleep once more.

”Precipitation of erosion is a common phenomenon. Don’t take on too much psychological pressure. Sublimators with sensitive perceptions often suffer from this condition in Hell, experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations, but it’s not as if something outrageous is parasitizing you. If I must describe it, it’s more like a psychological ’detox phenomenon.’”

「The next day.」

A scholar from the Ivy League reviewed Huai Shi’s medical report and concluded, ”The genealogy of the Heavenly Kingdom and the Abyss is too compatible, causing you to receive an overwhelming amount of information during the fight with the Variator.

Perhaps there were many details even you didn’t notice, but the soul itself will reject these records of events that do not belong to you. Once it accrues to a certain scale, rejection will occur, leading to the condition you experienced last night.

Look, it’s just like how someone in a high-pressure environment for a long time becomes irritable and depressed. This is a normal reaction, indicating your soul’s immune system is functioning.”

”Is that so?”

Huai Shi was taken aback. ”I also had a very strange dream.”

”Fever can cause strange dreams, right?” The scholar smiled. ”Don’t worry. How should I put it? The stability of your soul far exceeds the average level of Sublimators of the same rank, almost catching up to the Fourth Stage. Plus, your mental structure and stress resistance are uncommonly strong. The erosion from the Abyss’ precipitation is probably less serious for you than a minor cold. It’s truly enviable.”

Hearing this conclusion from the professional scholar in the medical room, Huai Shi let out a sigh of relief.

As long as he wasn’t possessed by some messed-up demon or ghost, it was all good.

He wasn’t worried about being lied to, for on her wrist was a very obvious Double Snake Emblem—the Hippocratic Oath.

Unlike certain doctors in the Current Circumstances who just mention it casually as if it’s a tongue-twister, scholars who truly take the oath often pride themselves on it and follow the vows from the bottom of their hearts. Every unfaded Hippocratic seal is proof of noble ethics and a pure soul.

Moreover... more importantly...

Huai Shi lifted his eyes, and while the doctor was checking him, he stealthily glanced at her head. Through the gaps on either side of the long hair, a pair of slightly quivering cat ears popped out.

Cat ears!!!

A big sister with cat ears!

Although he knew it was very impolite to stare at someone’s physical features, Huai Shi couldn’t help but take a few extra glances and really wanted to give them a rub...

”Is it strange?” The scholar felt a bit embarrassed, evading Huai Shi’s gaze. ”Sorry, I didn’t wear a hat today.”

”Ah, it’s fine, no problem.” Huai Shi tried to pull back his gaze, forcing a serious expression.

Beastified characteristics.

A phenomenon often seen in newborns in some of the shallower border regions. It could be the facial features or the hair, and sometimes even an extra tail might grow. For a long time, pervasive discrimination existed against those with beastified characteristics. Many places publicly declared an unwelcome stance towards them and expelled those who presented such within their communities. It was not just because of their abnormal physiological characteristics, but also because their natural Abyss Resistance was low. Furthermore, under severe emotional stress, their souls could easily lose control, leading to abnormal conditions.

Many gruesome cases confirmed this misfortune. Before vaccines and stabilizers were available, those with beastified characteristics were put on the unwelcome list like infectious disease patients. Even after the Astronomical Society’s management policies, the situation barely changed.

It was unsurprising that many with beastified characteristics harbored thoughts of seeking revenge on society.

As is well known, over forty percent of Green Day’s members are Beastified Characteristic Beings from various borders... and these individuals would be particularly radical in their terrorist activities.

After being knocked unconscious by Feng Ping in Jinling, Huai Shi had encountered a scholar with beastified characteristics at Green Day’s base. That person’s beastification was minor, affecting only his eyes. Later, he had been treated as a gift to the social security bureau’s Davarish. Because of that battle, Huai Shi got the chance to enter the Orchard Gym, where he met Luo Lao and his senior....

One could only marvel at the mysterious nature of fate.

While he was musing, the blood analysis for the day was already completed.

The big sister with cat ears put away her tools and released Huai Shi’s blood draw strap, ”You’re very healthy today, don’t worry... even though your blood is crammed with nearly an entire volume of the Hell Virus encyclopedia.”

The subject of Huai Shi’s blood and bodily fluids left the big sister with a speechless look. She barely restrained herself from grabbing the disinfection tools to scrub Huai Shi inside and out.

After she nodded towards the door, another person came in, opened a medical kit, and began skillfully mixing various potions, preparing a special sedative for Huai Shi.

The measures taken were extreme: physical incarceration, Source Substance lockup, Stigmata Seal, uninterrupted six-layer surveillance twenty-four hours a day, a three-level underground prison, and rigorous full-body examinations down to each pore. Indeed, the Ivy League was just short of clamping several hundred pounds of shackles on him and freezing him in a refrigerator.

Despite this, they still treated Huai Shi using the highest standards. Even if the viruses didn’t have a miraculous effect, he wouldn’t miss out on being struck with a weakening curse seven times a day.

Even the sedative was a double dose. To prevent resistance, they changed the formula daily, ensuring he couldn’t lift anything more than his belt.

And during the injection, Huai Shi vaguely sensed a distant tremor deep within the earth.

The fighting has started again, huh.