Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 472 410 You saw it, right?_1

The man was draped in charred purple robes, his entire face already stained red with blood, wielding a bizarre longsword. Seemingly heavily injured, he staggered forward, and upon seeing the approaching Casting Iron Army, a fierce grin spread across his face.

"Get lost!"

He raised his longsword, and as the blade came slashing down, the power from the Rotting Dream instantly enveloped the entire square.

Dozens of flesh-and-blood tentacles bizarrely sprouted from the Sword Blade, sweeping across and repelling the assault of the Casting Iron Army, and in the process, grabbing several travelers who hadn't managed to flee. The screaming victims were pulled into the illusory blade, their voices silenced, with only the sounds of chewing continuing to echo.

After that, he casually grabbed a traveler held hostage by a Believer, placing the writhing blade against the person's neck.

"Make way for me!"

With bloodshot eyes bulging and sharp canine teeth bared, he snarled, "Anyone who steps closer, this Little Brag is dead meat!"

Unfortunately, he had picked the wrong strategy.

The Astronomical Society never negotiates with these lunatics, especially not the Casting Iron Army. Without an order from above, even if they held Commander Ai Qing hostage, these War Machines would not hesitate for even a half-second.

The expression on the face of the Purple Robed Priest spasmed, his Sword Blade poised to slash down again.

At that moment, Huai Shi finally stepped forward.

"Wait! Calm down! Calm down!" he came out and called loudly. "I'm a negotiation expert! You can talk to me about anything!"

He was a ghost of a negotiation expert.

He had to look up how to even write 'negotiation' on his phone.

But there was no other choice but to talk now.

After all, the unlucky sod being held hostage was well-acquainted with him...

Thinking this, Huai Shi couldn't help but let out a sigh, glaring at the pale-faced hostage who was still dripping with snot.

Yuan Zhao. It's you again! How can it be you? Man, you're a Second Stage Sublimator, can't you be a little less embarrassing?

Yuan Zhao also looked bewilderedly at him, glaring back as if to say, I was just out to buy some cold medicine, for crying out loud! How was I supposed to know this was going to happen?

He had barely stepped out of the drugstore when he was held hostage by a dozen lunatics wielding Long Spears and firearms. He didn't even know where to begin making sense of it, nor did he have any idea what was happening. The two exchanged glances, then realized they couldn't understand what the other was trying to say; it was truly a case of a chicken talking to a duck.

The Purple Robed Priest furrowed his brow, asking with suspicion, "Negotiation expert? Does the Astronomical Society have such a position?"

"Of course, there is! Your ignorance is just shocking, you know?" Huai Shi declared boldly. "I'm super good at negotiating. Just now, I even made an old man who wouldn't pay cry! Oh yeah, by the way, was he one of your people..."

He moved forward step by step, only to hear the Purple Robed Priest shout angrily, "Stop! Don't move!"

He immediately stopped awkwardly in his tracks.

The Sword Blade was raised an inch, and the slimy flesh tentacles had already begun to lick at Yuan Zhao's neck. Yuan Zhao looked terrified, glaring fiercely at Huai Shi, signaling him not to mess around.

What kind of negotiation expert was this guy? He was more like an Evil Ghost rushing him to his grave!

More like an expert at botching negotiations!

Who negotiates like that?

At this moment, the Purple Robed Priest had made his decision. Although he didn't believe Huai Shi's bullshit about being a negotiation expert, seeing how those from the Legion stopped advancing the moment Huai Shi appeared, it did seem like he held some significant status.

"You, drop your weapon!" he commanded coldly, lifting his Sword Blade.

Huai Shi raised his hand and threw the Sword of Virtue behind him, then turned around and asked, "And then?"

"Raise your hands where I can see them—" he said cautiously. "Walk this way, slowly, or this little bastard will definitely die, got it?"

He tightened his grip on the Sword Blade, almost slashing Yuan Zhao's neck open. What was more disgusting was that the fleshy tentacles were still slimily crawling onto his face, tickling his nose... He trembled, fighting the urge to sneeze.

It was so itchy!

"Alright, alright, like this, right?"

Huai Shi put on his professional, standard smile, raised his hands high, slowed his pace, and walked forward step by step.

Calculating the distance between them in his mind.

Fifteen meters.

Still too far. A tiny mishap and Yuan Zhao might never have a neck again. Hmm, maybe the Yuan Family would attach a new head to him...

He stepped forward, only five steps to go. Taking a deep breath, he advanced another step.

The flooring beneath his feet let out a faint groan.

The sprinting technique of the Yu Step was charging, causing the muscles in his legs under his trousers to tense up, veins bulging.

Just two more steps.

Right then, he saw Yuan Zhao take a deep breath; unable to hold it back any longer, he tipped back his head and let out a massive sneeze.

Snot bubbles flew out.

Amidst the silence, a strange noise suddenly came from within the Purple Robed Priest's embrace. His expression changed dramatically, and without hesitation, he gripped the Sword Blade tightly and sliced down!

Faster than him was Huai Shi.

His raised hands swung down, and the Axe of Anger flew out. Simultaneously, the floor under Huai Shi's feet shattered with a BOOM, and his body shot forward unexpectedly.

Acceleration!

But he was still a step too late.

Before him, the Purple Robed Priest's expression was ferocious. His body was swelling rapidly as if something was growing inside him at high speed.

The Rotting Dream from the Abyss was about to hatch into reality!

"Let's die together..."

He laughed shrilly, but the laughter was abruptly cut short.

A thunderous roar erupted.

It was as if the Predator in the shadows suddenly leapt out, emitting a roar that shook all souls, freezing everyone's consciousness for a brief instant.

A sharp gleam of light descended from the sky, like the lightning that comes with thunder.

A fleeting shadow appeared unexpectedly behind the Purple Robed Priest, raising an exaggeratedly majestic Broad Sword and slashing down!

From the spine of the sword, a gleam of iron rose, faintly weaving into a pure white tiger's silhouette, indifferently gazing down at everything in the mortal world, with blood-red eyes, teeth grinding, and a ravenous hunger.

Stared at by those void-like pupils, the Purple Robed Priest's movements were completely frozen; even the Transformation within him abruptly ceased.

Like a lamb to the slaughter.

—Stigmata Relic - Mountain Monarch!

In the blink of an eye, the Broad Sword of the Mountain Monarch slashed through.

The savage Stigma residing in the Sword Blade activated, smashing through the Purple Robed Priest's nightmares and shell alike, cutting them open and devouring them completely.

Dazzling crimson splattered out, falling upon the hands of the Teenage Girl wielding the sword.

Yuan Yuan!

In the midst of gunfire following closely from the Casting Iron Army, she reached out, pulled up Yuan Zhao who had fallen to the ground, and looked down at him.

"Didn't you say you were going out to buy cold medicine?" she asked with furrowed brows. "Why did you run here?"

"...It's a long story."

Yuan Zhao subconsciously shoved a Source Material Model deeper into his embrace.

Amidst the fight, the model's box had broken, revealing the scantily clad, two-dimensional teenage girl inside...

"So you made up the excuse of having a cold to not go out, just to run to places like this?"

Yuan Yuan's gaze immediately filled with disdain. "You better think about how you're going to explain this to Auntie."

"Don't do that!" Yuan Zhao exclaimed in horror, too late even to wipe his snot bubbles, as he tried to cling to Yuan Yuan's leg. "Spare me just this once, Sis, just once!"

He didn't manage to grab her leg; it was blocked by a Broad Sword.

Picking up this disgraceful thing with one hand, she threw it aside, and the Broad Sword in Yuan Yuan's hand quickly shrank until it ultimately became a bracelet, returning to her wrist.

"You've been troubled yet again, Mr. Huai Shi."

The Teenage Girl in the gray skirt bowed, her demeanor returning to one of grace and seriousness, and thanked Huai Shi, who stood before her in a daze. "Thanks to you being here; otherwise, this hopeless guy Yuan Zhao would have been in trouble again..."

"Ah, it's nothing. Just doing what's right, doing what's right."

Huai Shi finally came to his senses, hurriedly waved his hand, and curiously looked at the pitiful young man not far away. "Is he really okay?"

Yuan Zhao opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately interrupted by Yuan Yuan.

"He's fine."

The Teenage Girl glanced at her cousin. "It's just a small cold, thank you for your concern. He even ran out with a fever to buy such shameless stuff. I'll report this to Aunt and Uncle in detail later."

"Yuan Yuan, don't go too far!"

As if he saw Doomsday approaching, Yuan Zhao widened his eyes in anguish. "If I'm going to die, we're all going down together! Watch out, I'll tell Huai..."

SMACK!

Yuan Yuan's strike was as fast as lightning, her hand chopping down before Yuan Zhao could finish speaking, causing his eyes to roll back as he collapsed to the ground.

Huai Shi stood by, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"He seemed to have mentioned me just now?"

"No."

Yuan Yuan turned back, her expression serious. "He's delirious from the fever."

"But he clearly said he was going to tell me..."

"No."

Yuan Yuan emphasized again, her expression more serious than ever. "He passed out from the fever."

"Uh..."

Under the Teenage Girl's stern gaze, Huai Shi wisely chose to give up on pursuing this matter any further.

An older cousin hitting her younger cousin, it seemed only natural.

What did it have to do with him, Huai Shi?

Then, the Teenage Girl picked up her unconscious cousin, bid a polite farewell, and after a simple check and confirmation, they turned and left.

Leaving Huai Shi standing there alone, completely confused.

Soon, while checking the body of the Purple Robed Priest, he noticed a phone that had fallen to the ground... its camera still running, screen unlocked and lit.

Upon picking it up, he accidentally hit the shutter button, eliciting a familiar CLICKING noise.

Huai Shi was taken aback, his brow furrowing.

[Would you like to send the photo?]

A prompt from the software popped up.

Huai Shi selected 'No,' then exited the camera mode to reveal the chat group filled with pictures... each image bearing a face he knew all too well.

Huai Shi was stunned.

What kind of group is this?

Why are all the photos sent in this group... all of me?

And each photo came with a caption—'It seems the Lord Prince has lost his way,' 'The smiling Lord Prince,' 'The Lord Prince's silhouette'... 'The Lord Prince having breakfast (///ᴗ///), super cute, I want to pinch his cheeks!'

'The Lord Prince shopping,' 'The Lord Prince smoking (hate that woman beside him)'...

In between, a bunch of group members were excitedly yelling, "Take more photos, more photos!"

"Oh wow, the Vice President is so amazing!"

"She's so fast, typing with both hands..."

"Are there any more?"

...

Huai Shi's hand trembled, then trembled again, the corners of his eyes twitching.

When he shakily clicked on the group information, he saw the title 'Paradise Prince Fan Club,' and his vision went dark.

In the brief moment of stupor that followed, the sound of hurried footsteps arose from afar, so hasty.

As if sprinting towards him, Yuan Yuan approached, panting slightly, her normally grave and composed face unusually flustered and anxious as she scanned around. "Mr. Huai Shi, may I ask if you've seen my... my... phone?"

Before she could finish, she saw Huai Shi's dumbfounded face and the item he had picked up...

The phone's screen was still lit.

Countless foolish messages from group members flitted past, one after another.

She became rigid on the spot.

"You are... the Vice President?"

In the deadly silence, Huai Shi blankly scrutinized the Teenage Girl before him.

He had an epiphany. In an instant, all questions converged on a single answer, leaving Huai Shi to realize the truth, yet he found it unbelievable.

"You... saw it?"

Yuan Yuan lowered her head. Though her demeanor was calm and stern, it somehow came across as terribly ominous.

She locked eyes with Huai Shi and asked softly,

"You saw it, right?"

"..."

Huai Shi's face spasmed violently. He sensed his Death Perception suddenly surge, then just as quickly fade away into nothingness.

In the silence, the Teenage Girl's eyes began to redden.