Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 507 437: The Willow Man_1

Besides power, besides the Stigma, besides the soul.

There indeed exists a certain difference between Sublimators and ordinary people.

Perhaps even before they embraced the miracles from Hell, were entrusted with heavy responsibilities, or simply acted on a whim, they were already different from ordinary people.

According to the statistics and analysis of the Astronomical Society, those with firm beliefs, goals, and persistence in their hearts are relatively more likely to succeed through the crises and trials brought by sublimation.

There is, in fact, a survivorship bias at play here, as a strong will often allows one to persevere a bit longer when facing the agonizing climb out of the Sea of Silver.

And, without a doubt—sublimation changes a person.

After personally experiencing that unrestricted rebirth close to death, Sublimators will, more or less, have some epiphanies.

No longer needing to struggle for survival, they will have more time to scrutinize themselves and everything they face, and then begin to contemplate life.

This leads to a large number of idealists among the Sublimators. The only difference is the amount of idealism and the degree of adherence to their principles.

Some may be too lazy to take action, while others can be hopelessly obsessive.

The sublimation of one's inherent nature brings not only power but, more importantly, grants Sublimators new possibilities and choices.

Now that you have power and the right to indulge, you are free to try a brand-new life.

After all, the world is so vast that it accommodates many heroes, outcasts, bystanders, and even more ambitious folks.

—So, what kind of person do you want to be?

Huai Shi pondered this question blankly, unable to find an answer that could satisfy him.

The only thing he could say with confidence was, "I don't know."

He once had a simple dream: work hard, play the violin well, enter Vienna honorably through his own efforts, marry a woman who loved him, and then renovate the old family house.

Even if he didn't earn much money and his life didn't achieve much, he wanted to live a new life with his head held high.

But now, this goal, which he thought would take a lifetime to achieve, seemed suddenly within reach.

He no longer worried about making a living; he had even become a Disastrous Musician. The Stone Marrow Pavilion was also impeccably renovated, and even the family members he had lost had returned to his side.

Not only did he make it into the card pool while still alive, but he also avoided being cartoonized.

Abyss Kitchen Devil, Disastrous Musician, Legendary Investigator, Prince of Paradise, Green Day Nemesis, The Anointed One... A host of titles, all at once, were bestowed upon him, making him appear imposing and dazzling.

As if he had become someone extraordinary.

But only when he occasionally looked in the mirror could he see his own face, still bearing traces of the past.

But it was already completely different from before.

Even though his passion for the arts hadn't diminished in the slightest, he could no longer return to a life where playing the violin was all it took to feel content.

After realizing this, he became even more bewildered.

Unsure of where to go.

Who is he?

He is Huai Shi, the Astronomical Association New Sea Inspector, the Second Fifth carrying the Book of Fate, the Jurisdiction Bureau's eagle's claw, the soon-to-be outdated Paradise Love Shake Dew, Bahamut the Dragon of the End, Osiris's temporary pilot, the guardian of the Heavenly Kingdom, the inheritor of Utopia...

Once these numerous titles were placed upon him, the part that truly belonged to him became increasingly diluted.

No longer visible...

Huai Shi fell into deep thought.

"Pardon my boldness, Mr. Huai Shi."

Tilaral looked at Huai Shi, seemingly curious, "May I ask your age...?"

"Seventeen," Huai Shi replied.

Tilaral was stunned, dumbfounded.

Although he knew he was speaking to a confused young man, he had not expected him to be so outrageously young.

The effect of yesterday's phantom made Huai Shi appear more mature and reliable than he actually was, maintaining a consistently vibrant and stable state, not easily affected by his surroundings.

But he really hadn't expected Huai Shi to be so young.

"This... this is really..."

He was stunned for a long time, then shrugged with a wry smile. "Honestly, this is completely beyond my expectations. But now, I feel there's no need to rush those questions."

"Hmm?" Huai Shi was puzzled.

"After all, you are only seventeen, aren't you?" Tilaral laughed. "You still have plenty of time to ponder, and the world still has room to be tolerant towards you."

His gaze toward Huai Shi, besides shock and admiration, no longer hid his envy.

It's good to be young.

Youth is the greatest asset.

He still had the chance to make mistakes, the leeway to be naive, and more time to think and correct, allowing him to make choices with ease...

Truly wonderful.

"Everything I've just said is merely small talk. You have plenty of time to seek more answers and explore more of this world."

After a moment of thought, Tilaral added seriously, "However, I might be able to offer a little help here."

With that, he gestured towards the shovel hanging next to Huai Shi's backpack.

"If my senses are correct, your Stigma is of the plant lineage, right?" Tilaral said. "If you want to earn some Correction Value on the side, I might have a decent job to offer."

"Oh?"

Huai Shi looked up curiously, only to see Tilaral standing up, grabbing his bag, and extending another invitation. "Dinnertime is just about here, would you mind joining us? I can invite another friend... his temper is a bit foul, I hope you won't mind."

He had nothing better to do anyway.

Besides, he was quite curious about the job Tilaral had mentioned.

Tilaral drove, and they left the city behind quickly, heading into the wilder parts of the mountains—a surprise to Tilaral, as Huai Shi showed no sign of discomfort, rendering many of Tilaral's prepared explanations unnecessary.

Huai Shi never suspected Tilaral harbored any ill intentions.

After all, their combat strengths weren't even on the same level; besides, he didn't sense any malice from Tilaral.

He was just curious about where Tilaral was taking him.

They had reached the mountain roads and were now deep in the ancient forest.

In a little while, they could see faint lights ahead. The scent of raw wood wafted through the car's windows. Numerous large trucks were parked around, and under the distant lights, the scene was rather busy.

This was a lumberyard.

The entrance even sported a sign from the Forestry Association.

Tilaral had clearly been here many times before, moving with ease. Several workers greeted him warmly, and he responded with equal enthusiasm.

He ordered two dinners from the cafeteria without hesitation and then pushed open an office door. Not caring that no one was inside, he took a seat and poured water for Huai Shi as if it were the most natural thing to do.

"The manager here is an acquaintance I met at environmental meetings; don't be a stranger. Feel free to sit wherever you like."

Huai Shi found a spot and sat down, surveying his surroundings.

The office clearly belonged to a rough-and-tumble kind of man; it hadn't been tidied in who knows how long. The floor was littered with footprints, and items were chaotically spread everywhere.

There were several animal skulls hung on the wall, long neglected and covered in dust.

Tools were strewn about everywhere—chainsaws, hammers, axes, nails... A bicycle was discarded in a corner, seemingly unused for ages. There was also a motorcycle half-disassembled in the middle of the room, with parts scattered all over the floor and a thick smell of motor oil in the air.

Within the entire room, only a family portrait looked clean, as if it was frequently wiped.

Soon, a worker brought in the food.

There were three portions.

The food at a lumberyard was naturally nothing special, but the portions were large and filling, with plenty of meat.

Without waiting for everyone to arrive, Tilaral gestured for Huai Shi to start eating.

About halfway through the meal, someone pushed the door open and entered.

Huai Shi, holding his bowl, glanced up with a look of slight understanding.

A burly, middle-aged man with a face full of stubble walked in, still carrying the scent of motor oil and wood chips, his heavy footsteps indicating his fury.

Upon entering, he could no longer suppress his anger. He threw his keys and gloves onto the table and burst out cursing in Claw Crater language.

"Damn those invasive species, damn those Yingzhou People! Ah, those fucking bastards... Do you know how they fooled me? Saying they're working on it, it'll be discussed at the meeting..."

He complained to Tilaral, "Discussed? Discuss my ass! If they were of any use at all, we wouldn't need to import eighty percent of our timber each year! Those damn traders only want to drive the prices down! They just want to see us fail..."

"Heh, calm down, calm down." Tilaral put down his fork and gestured at Huai Shi. "I've brought a friend along."

Huai Shi observed the middle-aged man, realizing he was a Sublimator, and was quite familiar with his Stigma: Druid Genealogy · Willow Man.

He had used this disguise during one of his own scams not too long ago. Clearly, this man was the genuine article, unlike his own imitation.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man also scrutinized him, frowning and asking bluntly, "Who is he?"

Tilaral wiped his mouth. "You've been busy lately, so I've brought someone over to help you out."

"A kid?" The middle-aged man snorted disdainfully. "What good is he? I don't need him."

"Hey, listen, my friend, I'm here to help, not to cause trouble," Tilaral raised a finger, saying earnestly. "You can refuse, but at least don't take out the anger you should be directing at those Yingzhou People on us..."

...

After a moment of silence, although annoyance still lingered, the middle-aged man finally shook his head and sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry, that was my fault. Let's have some drinks; it's on me."

He pulled a bottle of strong liquor off a shelf, poured three glasses, and placed them on the table.

Additionally, he pulled out a piece of vine-like plant from his pocket and placed it in front of Huai Shi.

Huai Shi looked down at it and understood:

"Yingzhou Dragon Quercus?"