Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 1278: Chapter 976: Construction

”...”

Huai Shi took a deep breath of the eerie wind, clutching his aching forehead, feeling that something was off.

”Hey, you guys, aren’t you all supposed to be alchemists at least? Is modesty completely out of the picture?”

”What’s modesty? I don’t know!”

”Is that thing useful?”

”It’s just a trivial transformation, insignificant!”

”Exactly, as long as we can advance the true essence, even if I turn into a beast, I don’t care!”

”Indeed!”

The eyes of the old dishes who’ve been marinated in the depths of Hell for who knows how many years glowed, almost desperate to kneel down and start kowtowing.

Afraid that Tong Ji wouldn’t want them...

”Hey, what kind of potion did you give them?” Huai Shi turned back and asked.

”Nothing special.”

Tong Ji waved her hand casually: ”There was just some routine assessment, so I casually made a few things, and then this happened. Originally, I just wanted to snag a teacher’s title and work with my fool from home, but these guys are crying and begging for me to become the dean...”

Why bother?

Isn’t it good to be alive, friends?

Huai Shi looked at the alchemists eager to jump into the fire pit with a heart full of pity: ”Isn’t there still a Great Grandmaster?”

”Uh, cough cough...”

Usually Degree looked embarrassed: ”In fact, we’ve invited Mr. Mikhail many times before, but unfortunately, he isn’t interested in this place...”

Not interested is indeed quite the euphemistic term.

Moreover, unlike Garand who’s a traditional Great Grandmaster, Mikhail specializes in super-wide Alchemy and collective composition, even Hell exploration and research, which they couldn’t learn even if they wanted to. Besides, these things... none of them are entirely safe.

Compared to that, the stuff currently going on in Taiyi Academy could almost be called harmless to people and animals.

After all, those are dangerous projects where anything slightly awry could directly blow through the Ivory Tower. Unless Luo Su has gone crazy enough to sleep on a bomb, there’s no way he’d arrange to have Mikhail here.

This has led to Taiyi Academy being like a motherless child for a long time. Although it’s an important institution, compared to other places, it’s always been the little brother.

The budget tightens year by year, and tasks grow heavier each year.

The tough days seemingly have no end.

Now, with hope finally arriving, never mind transformation, even if they turn into hybrids wagging tails, these old guys wouldn’t hesitate.

Moreover, having witnessed the miraculous alchemy technology, who would be foolish enough not to realize a terrifyingly thick Gold Thigh has truly arrived this time?

Leaving is not an option.

They’ll never leave, even if dying means they have to stay as ghosts.

”It’s really troublesome, oh well, as long as you guys stay out of sight usually, it’s all yours.” Tong Ji shrugged indifferently and pointed at Usually Degree on the ground: ”Hey, you, change back, this look is too irritating.”

”No problem!”

Usually Degree nodded furiously, but the time for the youth potion hadn’t passed yet, unable to be undone, after thinking for a bit, he directly swiped his face, instantly smoothing the originally gloomy and stern look.

It looked void and empty.

Making it difficult to discern which was more terrifying...

”Please, in you go! Please, in you go!” The old folks danced with joy at the front, showing the way: ”We’ve cleaned up your office, it’s right ahead...”

But Tong Ji shook her head with no interest.

Looking around.

”Forget it, the smell is too strong... hey you, bring a chair here.” The little girl on Huai Shi’s shoulder ordered with an air of importance, yet a bunch of old men started executing it precisely without complaints.

In a few minutes, a row of chairs was placed in front of Tong Ji.

Because they weren’t sure what kind of chair the big shot wanted, and dared not make an executive decision, they simply brought one of every chair from Taiyi Academy over.

Plastic chair, lounge chair, leaning chair, computer chair, there was even an electric chair mixed in, who knows when it was left as a Border Relic, covered with bloodstains and mold, entwined with countless hatred and pain, waves of resentment surged from it, piercing eyes till they couldn’t be opened.

”What do you need so many for, take them away.”

Tong Ji waved in disdain, casually pointed at a somewhat clean office chair, patting Huai Shi’s head, leaving Huai Shi no choice but to roll his eyes, carrying the big shot over.

But after Tong Ji dismounted, she didn’t sit down, instead she seemed to be waiting for something.

Patting the chair, she looked back at Huai Shi.

As if looking at a misplaced leather cushion, waiting for it to return to where it should be.

”Hey, don’t go too far...”

Huai Shi’s eye twitched slightly, then twitched again, and twitched once more, then, shifting his gaze, pretending not to see, absolutely wouldn’t cooperate!

Then his vision blurred, appearing on the chair out of thin air.

Next, a light body jumped onto his knee, happily adjusting to a comfortable position, elbows propped on Huai Shi’s arm, seemingly very satisfied with the quality of this armrest.

Huai Shi rolled his eyes and sighed helplessly.

”Can you at least act like a leader?”

”Hmm? Aren’t I very authoritative?”

Tong Ji asked puzzledly, ”Why don’t you ask, who thinks I don’t look like a leader? Isn’t it authoritative?”

”Authoritative!”

”Too authoritative!”

”Completely more authoritative than Megatron!”

The old folks queued up began singing praises, with faces like they were possessed by Lizardmen, their little mouths seemed sweetened, and could probably write eight million words just extolling the leader’s leather cushion.

But damn it, this is really enough.

Huai Shi knew these old fellows who’ve turned into Alchemy-shaped beings were completely unreliable.

Shaking his head, heaving a sigh.

”So then, what’s next?”

”No idea.”

Tong Ji blinked curiously, asked: ”As a leader, am I supposed to give a speech first?”

”Welcome, welcome!” Usually Degree led the way, two rows of old dishes started clapping enthusiastically.

”But these old guys are too boring, really nothing to say, better skip it.” Tong Ji regrettably shook her head, then thought of something fun, her eyes lighting up: ”Since the opportunity is rare, why don’t we hold a summoning mystic ritual, summon some Ruler to kill and celebrate?”

”Oh, come on!”

Huai Shi turned pale with fear: ”My students are still here! What if I lose one or two of them!”

”Eh? Something doesn’t seem right.” Tong Ji seemed to have discovered something, her smile becoming more intriguing: ”So, your first reaction wasn’t that it’s impossible, but rather to first move your students away?”

”...”

Huai Shi rolled his eyes almost to the sky.

”Can we talk about serious business?”

”Hm? Wasn’t what we were just discussing serious business? But since you think it’s too exaggerated, let’s forget it.”

Tong Ji smiled sweetly, resting her chin as she glanced at the old-school folks on both sides: ”As the new dean of the Taiyi Academy, one must prove their ability... Besides, the house is too small for me to live in comfortably.”

She paused for a moment and suddenly said: ”Huai Shi, hold my shoulder.”

”Hm?”

Huai Shi froze, thinking it might be another prank, yet he rarely detected a slight seriousness in her teasing tone.

Sighing.

He raised his hand, passing through her ice-cold, dark long hair, pressing against her shoulder through the shirt.

His touch was icy cold.

”Like this?” he asked.

”A little harder.” Tong Ji said: ”Hold tighter, after all, this juvenile body doesn’t have enough strength... Of course, hugging would be best, but you’d probably feel embarrassed, wouldn’t you?”

She glanced back at Huai Shi.

Huai Shi looked down at her.

He tightened his grip, hard.

As if crushing her shoulder, yet she seemed to feel no pain, her smile gentle.

Just smiling.

Just like that, from between her outspread fingers, erupted a radiant red glow, resembling a sharp, slender octagonal wedge. The moment the sharp crystal appeared, it shook and trembled the entire Taiyi Academy!

The mystic rituals enshrouding it wailed, nearing fracture.

Everything became an illusion.

Only this was real...

”God... God...”

Usually Degree stared, eyes wide in shock: ”God’s Wedge!”

Yet under the gaze of those two calm and indifferent eyes, his expression suddenly froze, and he closed his mouth.

Next, terrifying wind pressure arose from nowhere.

Because the God’s Wedge at her fingertips slightly twisted an angle, as if the entire world also flipped over, twisted roughly by an invisible force, a fierce tornado was suddenly raised, instantly spreading.

The brutal pressure descended from above, forcing every Alchemist daring to lift their head to the ground, coldly commanding them to kneel, prostrate, and bow to the divine power!

And then, a slight glow illuminated Tong Ji’s opening and closing lips.

She said:

”—First, let’s bring some light.”

In her hand, the pen named God’s Wedge descended upon the dim Taiyi Academy, lightly tapping—stirring the lake named reality, raising a terrifying whirlpool!

At this moment, Huai Shi actually smelled a familiar scent from that God’s Wedge.

Unbelievable.

It seemed to be his life’s first Stigmata forged, under Tong Ji’s guidance, a silhouette molded with silver and lead...

Paired with the Book of Fate’s writing instrument.

Event Branch!

Now, when the Book of Command from the Supreme descended, the darkness filled in the Taiyi Academy suddenly surged, with countless fissures continuously emerging from the earth and void, forming roaring echoes.

Next, the void darkness started to boil, surge, contract.

Pulled by an invisible whirlpool, congregating towards that one point!

Beneath Huai Shi, the ordinary office chair emitted an unbearable groan, riddled with cracks, yet quickly mended by Huai Shi’s will.

More terrifying was the power erupting from his embrace.

As if pressing upon an erupting volcano.

Terrifying heat emerged from the slender shell, trying to escape his grasp, out of restraint, burning his hands and even his arms, sizzling.

She wasn’t joking!

If it weren’t for Huai Shi pressing her down, this leaked momentum would definitely shred everything nearby, even flipping over this juvenile shell.

And now, amid the storm, Tong Ji’s dark long hair gradually lost its color.

Thin like a dream, floating, growing rapidly, igniting, revealing wisps of fiery red.

”Watch closely, Huai Shi, this is what you’ll soon need to use.”

In that instant, he heard Tong Ji’s whisper from his embrace:

”—About the construction of ’Heaven’s Fortress’!”

The sky-shattering roar erupted.

The sealing mystic rituals above Taiyi Academy shattered in response, yet amid the piercing alarms, the Abyss did not sediment and spew forth, the terrifying Disaster capable of lowering Hell by several depths was already contained.

In the small whirlpool before them, a palm-sized black ring formed.

The disaster crystal that’s been materialized quickly flowed like liquid, demonstrating its terrifying power at the speed comparable to a beam, along the small ring!

That was an entire Hell compressed within a mere inch!

And then, when a streak of flame emerged from the center of the ring, birthed out of thin air, exuding dreamlike brilliance, constantly changing, seemingly encompassing all worldly phenomena.

With the God’s Wedge raising it, it ascended slowly with the dark ring, suspended in mid-air.

”What is that?”

Huai Shi focused intensely, ignoring the pain in his eyes.

”Just some consumables, nothing worth mentioning.”

Tong Ji pressed his wrist, covering his hand with her slender fingers, telling him: ”The following is the key point!”