Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 461 - 399 I Have Another Plan!_1

"Bro, bro, don't go! Listen to me, just hear me out!"

The fragment chaotically exerted an invisible force, desperately trying to hold onto him. "Not the vault, but the engine room below the vault... I was mistaken by those blind idiot Alchemists as a spare part for the auxiliary engine and locked up in a cupboard."

"This is no easy task, you know?" Huai Shi glared, "The engine room might even be more secure than the vault. You're asking for my death!"

The Group Star was no ordinary train, but even on an ordinary train, there was no reason to let a passenger mess around next to the locomotive's power unit, right? To guard against those lunatics who would just carry a bomb and send everyone sky-high, places like these were definitely manned by experts around the clock. For Huai Shi to go there alone would be no different from breaking into the vault.

"That's assuming the guards are still normal."

The fragment hurriedly explained, "Since yesterday, those guys have been bringing the wolf into the house, turning into zombies one by one, their heads stuffed with nightmares. Otherwise, this place wouldn't have turned out like this... Big brother, what's wrong with you... don't leave, wait a minute!"

Its handwriting showed increasing haste because Huai Shi's body was beginning to fade into translucency. The phantom of the Dreamcatcher emerged behind him, and then, his consciousness was pulled by some force, about to return to his own body.

Watching countless whimpering characters flash across the cover of the fragment, Huai Shi, suspended in mid-air, still couldn't help but sigh in the end.

"I'll try, okay? Just don't set your hopes too high…" He paused, then added, "And…"

"And what?" The fragment's hope surged. "Just say it, big brother!"

"Your name."

Huai Shi asked, "You have to tell me, what's your name?"

There was a brief silence, as though the fragment was taken aback.

Just as Huai Shi was about to dissipate, a hoarse whisper rose in his ear, filled with deep melancholy and reflection.

"Beelzebub."

It said, "Just call me Beelzebub."

Huai Shi's figure shook violently and disappeared into the air.

In his last glimpse, he finally saw the true cover of the Steel book beneath the myriad dots of light.

—"Lord of the Flies"

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Huai Shi opened his eyes, panting heavily, drenched in sweat.

"Why am I so exhausted?"

"Where do you think the Dreamcatcher's power comes from? Do computers work without being plugged in? It used your Source Substance; how could you not be exhausted?"

Raven gave him a sidelong look, then carefully lifted a wing. The Dreamcatcher levitated from the bedside, and she unceremoniously stuffed it into an iron box and secured the lid.

The once exquisitely delicate Dreamcatcher was now covered in dust and in a state of disrepair. When Huai Shi's access card was shaken out, the grotesque flesh concealed behind it became exposed. At some point, strands of purple-red flesh had already entwined around the Dreamcatcher, forming a layer of torn, membrane-like material. Through the unevenly colored fleshy membrane, it seemed as if one could see greedy eyes spinning constantly behind it.

Huai Shi inhaled sharply.

"If not for it, you would have already been corrupted by the corruptive force in that dreamland, right?" Raven turned to ask, "So, what did you find?"

Huai Shi directly threw the Book of Fate over. After all, everything he had experienced would appear in the record. He couldn't be bothered to narrate it and risk leaving things out.

"The Fly King, huh?"

Upon learning the true nature of this fragment, Raven couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration. "It's understandable that beings like 'Faust' and '"White Whale"', which inherently have profound origins, would possess self-awareness. But who would have thought that even it, with its modest beginnings, could stand at the same height as them? Quite remarkable."

"Is it that difficult?"

"A child born with congenital deficiencies grows up and makes it into the national team, participating in the Olympics through sheer effort – do you find that easy? Even if there is a gap in their levels, that dedication and determination already far surpass other entities."

Raven commented with admiration, "In Utopia, the relationship between members and records isn't as simple as users and the used. Instead, they are companions who can rely on each other and entrust their souls. That person named Auden finally chose to entrust all his Source Substance and Soul to it, ready to forsake all hope of his own survival to ensure its continued existence."

Huai Shi was somewhat surprised. "I thought after being imprisoned for so many years, it would have quite a complaint about Auden giving it consciousness."

"If it truly hated Auden, why would it bother maintaining the existence of that dreamland for so many years? For it, that's the last treasure left by Auden."

Raven shook her head with a sigh. "Too bad. If you were Fifth Stage, you could have directly preserved Auden's last dream in the Heavenly Kingdom."

"Sis, I know I'm not capable enough, but you have to understand, I only became a Sublimator this summer, and the year isn't even over."

Huai Shi widened his eyes, raising five fingers. "Five months! Reaching Second Stage is hard enough. You can't expect me to take a nap and wake up as a Natural Enemy, right?"

"The future is vast. Keep striving, young man."

Raven looked at him with a teasing smile and did not mock him any further. Instead, she focused on examining the last section of the record in the Book of Fate. Beelzebub's description of the guardians, when compared with the Dreamcatcher's anomaly, made the conclusion unmistakably clear.

"As I suspected, this must be the handiwork of the Good Evening Society." Raven sneered, "Some little bitch wants to cause trouble on this train…"

"Good Evening Society? Who are they?"

Huai Shi looked at her blankly, having only a vague memory of the name previously mentioned by the Man in Grey.

"…"

Raven was shocked, turning to look at him several times in disbelief. "How do you not know that? You haven't even read the '"Current Wanted Directory"' that the Astronomical Society sent you, have you?"

"COUGH, COUGH, this is quite a long story." Huai Shi awkwardly shifted his gaze away. "You know the game '"Birth Process"' was just released, so I've been a bit busy..."

However, upon Raven's mention, he seemed to recall something. He had indeed seen this name on the directory, likely under the category of the Abyss Sect. But that category listed such a long string of names, and those zealots weren't very creative. They just shuffled the same few words and terms around, at most changing the order. Especially with types like the Ranch Owner, who liked to use countless aliases, had numerous followers, and even enjoyed usurping others' positions, playing with layers of disguise like matryoshka dolls. Just the number of sects suspected to be related to the Ranch Owner exceeded 1,800, and he directly controlled over six hundred medium-sized churches scattered across the world, in the Current Circumstances Borderland and even Hell itself. Sometimes, even when sects shared the same name, they could refer to different organizations or factions of the Hell Swarm, depending on the period and location.

Expecting me to memorize them all... You're giving Huaihai Road Little Peppa a hard time!

"Sorry, but other than the Ranch Owner, I don't really remember the rest."

Raven shook her head in resignation. "Forget it. Speaking of which, the backers of the Good Evening Society are also somewhat related to the Ranch Owner. The being they worship, that skill-less, brainless, lucky fluke…"

"—The Rotten Dream Queen."

With the mention of that name, Raven's tone turned mocking. "Though that bitch can be considered one of the [Rulers] blessed by the Abyss, even the most embarrassing one is still a [Ruler] nonetheless, with abilities that shouldn't be underestimated. It seems like she's reaping what she sowed now..."

Rarely, Raven revealed undisguised disgust and contempt.

This piqued Huai Shi's curiosity.

"Do you two have a grudge?"

"No, to tell you the truth, I've never even met her, nor do I have any dealings with her. I purely detest those who just make up the numbers, that's all." Raven paused for a moment and countered, "If you were a strong, independent, confident, self-respecting, and drop-dead gorgeous woman like myself, would you appreciate an ugly, fat, black-skinned bitch who only knows how to sell 'BEEP~'?"

"Alright, I got it." Huai Shi nodded decisively.

Actually, he didn't understand at all, but this was the right time to agree. He absolutely couldn't express any doubt about what she said, especially the part where she described herself.

But the thought of facing the Rotten Dream Queen made Huai Shi's teeth ache. This was a terrifying Existence that, several hundred years ago, had become a Ruler, the Owner of the Great Mob, bestowed with Abyssal Authority, the absolute master of the Mirror World. Wherever there was a mirror, her power could extend. Even a Natural Enemy would struggle to kill her, much less capture her. Protected by Abyssal Authority, she could travel anywhere at any time. And that's not to mention her dreadful ability to use dreamlands to subtly corrupt Sublimators.

It was precisely because of this that Huai Shi was truly puzzled.

"What exactly does she want to do?"

Even if the Group Star were valuable, how could it catch the eye of a Ruler? No matter how weak, a Ruler is still a Ruler of Hell. They might take the Group Star's predecessor, Osiris, seriously, but the current Group Star is hardly worth their attention. The only part of Osiris potentially left here is probably Beelzebub. What's her game?

"What does she want to do? Hehe, you should ask what she is still capable of doing," Raven scoffed. "Although I can somewhat guess, it's none of my damn business. The most important thing is, She ruined our plan!"

Huai Shi couldn't help but roll his eyes.

The word 'our' was used so cleverly, making it seem like she wasn't a victim herself.

"Anyway, that good-for-nothing, trouble-making bitch really pushed me over the edge this time!"

Raven, furious, spun around the table several times on her little wings and suddenly turned, her eyes lighting up. "Fool, I've got another plan..."

"You better not have any plans!" Huai Shi said, his face turning green with fear. "Every time you come up with a plan, I end up dying a terrible death!"

"Are you going to listen then?" Raven countered. "If not, then forget it."

"I'll listen, I'll listen." Huai Shi nodded frantically.

How could he dare not listen? If he listened, there might be a glimmer of hope. If he didn't, he'd probably be toyed with until he died.

Raven showed a pleased smile, as if admiring a teachable youth, and nodded. "First of all, grab your phone."

Huai Shi took his phone. "Okay, then what?"

"Open the Astronomical Society's APP."

"What next?"

"Click the emergency report button down here, yes, that one!"

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