Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 873 - 700: Examination

So you’ve come again!

With high expectations, Huai Shi stepped into the compartment, hoping for a battle of wits and courage with the people of Green Day, only to be greeted with a sudden "Name?" Huai Shi suddenly became unsettled.

In the dim carriage, without lights, the two envoys of Green Day seemed shrouded in a thick fog, their faces covered by strands of darkness.

Their voices betrayed no specific features, only a monotonous tone without even a distinction between male and female.

Beyond the black mist, two pairs of icy cold eyes stared fixedly at this young Hybrid; the moment he stepped into the compartment, an invisible force unfolded, enveloping him.

"Name!"

Repeated the leader.

Huai Shi paused for a moment, looking at them blankly, then quickly responded: "Novice-kun."

"Age?"

"Eighteen."

"Place of birth?"

"Huangquan Slope, Border, that Renxin Hospital..."

To his surprise, every word he uttered materialized with the air’s disturbance, turning into fist-sized metal entities, suspended in the air.

Between the two parties, questions and answers slowly lined up, resembling a chatbox that continuously grew and unfolded.

"Who is your father?"

"Huaizhi Ichiro."

"And your mother?"

"Watanabe Gingko..."

Beside him, the smaller envoy twisted a strange metal ballpoint pen in hand, suddenly interjecting with an irrelevant question: "Are you a virgin?"

"..." Huai Shi was dumbfounded, standing there puzzled, looking at the two.

But the two did not react, merely stared fixedly at him, waiting for his answer, then asked again: "Novice-kun, are you a virgin?"

"... I am not."

Huai Shi’s expression twitched, but then he saw the pseudonym and Chinese characters he exhaled quiver suddenly in the air, turning blood red.

— Lie!

Huai Shi glanced at that metal ballpoint pen in the envoy’s hand, realizing instantly that it was a Border Relic designed for lie detection.

Unfortunately, this setup was no use against the fabricated identity by the Astronomical Society...

The so-called lie detection essentially relied on three principles.

The simplest and most straightforward one was conducting psychological analysis and verification on the tested person, using their mental state to discern whether it was a lie. However, the flaw was that it could easily be countered with hypnosis techniques.

The second, more common method involved connecting the Border Relic itself to certain peculiar places and indescribable mysterious entities, often some spirits born from Hell’s projection from the Sea of Silver or some peculiar object, able to search event records directly to verify truthfulness.

However, such retrieval tools are often limited by themselves, helpless against many unverifiable questions beyond their domain.

The third type was divination-based. Depending on its level and power, the cost could be large or small, and the answers were often ambiguous and unreliable. However, the upper limit for this type of item was often the highest; as long as the level was sufficient and willing to invest substantial resources, making sacrifices, then undoubtedly, the closest answer to the truth could be obtained.

Unfortunately, none of these three were useful for Huai Shi now.

The horn attached to his cranium directly interfered and deceived the first type of lie detection tool, perfectly ensuring there would be no leaks in the fictional identity of Novice-kun. And as for the second type of retrieval, no matter how advanced, it could only retrieve data from Current Circumstances.

As everyone knows, search engines are very unreliable. No matter what keywords you input, the Jurisdiction Bureau can always put an advertisement on the top of the first page.

As for encountering the third type, the Book of Fate was extremely delighted. If Huai Shi wished, he could even make the person divining him believe that he was a carefree alpaca running with drool on the African Prairie.

But it shouldn’t be just this...

No matter how careless, it wouldn’t be so blatant to openly expose the lie detection tool.

Which means, are there other covert methods?

However, the other side obviously gave him no time to think, their questions rapid, nearly questioning every significant and trivial aspect of Novice-kun’s entire life.

Throughout, the two’s eyes stayed glued to Huai Shi.

Making him increasingly uneasy inside, unsure of what current circumstance he stumbled upon. In communication, Ai Qing had already instructed him to be prepared to act at any moment.

No one knew what kind of crisis lay hidden behind smooth sailing.

Until the half-hour-long interrogation gradually came to an end.

The two envoys asked no more questions.

Only Huai Shi asked with an uneasy expression: "Sirs, did I pass?"

Secretly, beneath the emaciated shell, fibers had begun minutely shifting, contracting, relaxing... like a bow and crossbow gradually being filled with power, ready to deliver a Thunder Strike at any moment.

There are a total of two enemies, one on each side, one meter apart.

At this distance, Huai Shi could instantly unleash the Drummer for a round of fierce attacks. If the other party had defensive tools, he would simultaneously use the Yu Step to forcibly flip the moving vehicle. In the moment of losing gravity, using the Axe of Anger or the Hammer of Sorrow to break through defenses, then choose weapons that counter the attributes of the opponent’s Stigma for a powerful assault...

In a moment almost instinctual, countless battle plans flowed through Huai Shi’s mind.

But at that moment, the two Envoys nodded with satisfaction.

The leading one seemed to speak with relief: "Novice-kun, on many crucial issues, you did not lie. You have passed the examination, Green Day welcomes you."

"However, before you officially become a member of Green Day, there are a few final questions that need your answers—"

The other slender Envoy raised the border relic that looked like a ballpoint pen and then clicked the pen cap.

With a crisp click, the sound spread out.

At that moment, Huai Shi found... he had lost control over his own body.

Right in front of him, the words formed from the conversation between both sides began to rapidly change, overlap, and combine, eventually forming the shape and silhouette of Huai Zhisu.

Attached to Huai Shi’s body, this information from him had actually formed a simulated soul and now dominated his body!

All the questions and answers all along were to build this false soul to replace Huai Shi’s own, continuously extracting Source Substance. That metallic ballpoint pen simulated the information of Huai Zhisu, turning it into its own puppet.

If Huai Shi really were Huai Zhisu...

For him now, this was nothing but a shackle, just stripping off Huai Zhisu’s vest would allow him to launch an offensive immediately.

And in that instant, he heard Ai Qing’s urgent voice: "Don’t move!"

All resistance was annihilated into invisibility.

Huai Shi gave up resistance, letting the virtual soul of Huai Zhisu control his body.

"I apologize for the many rude questions earlier, but rest assured, we won’t do anything to you. We only hope you can honestly, from your heart, answer a few questions."

The Envoy spinning the metallic ballpoint pen spoke, apologizing to Huai Shi in a polite and gentle tone after lifting the blockade.

Just that the voice seemed somewhat familiar?

"First question." The Envoy tapped the ballpoint pen in his hand, asking: "Do you despise Hybrids?"

An invisible force dominated Huai Shi’s lips, tongue, and heart, forcing him to speak the truth from his heart: "No, I don’t."

"Very good."

The Envoy’s eyes seemed to soften, then asked: "Have you ever suffered from discrimination, or been unfairly treated because of your identity?"

"...Yes, that’s correct."

Huai Shi answered truthfully—those were pains, coldness, and even malice that both Huai Zhisu and Huai Shi had once endured.

"Third—"

The spinning ballpoint pen paused, then in silence, the Envoy suddenly asked: "Have you ever thought of taking revenge on the world for this, killing those who persecuted you, making those who scorned you pay a price?"

In silence, Huai Shi gritted his teeth, trying hard to align with the other’s intention, but no matter what, he couldn’t lie.

Finally, he sighed in exhaustion.

"No." he said, "I’ve never had such thoughts."

"..."

Instantly, silence descended.

The two Envoys from Green Day looked at each other in astonishment, as if hearing such a bizarre answer for the first time, incredulous. But immediately after, the look in their eyes directed at Huai Shi became subtle.

Through the dense fog’s obstructions, unable to see clearly but unquestionably, their expressions became solemn and serious.

It’s over...

Huai Shi closed his eyes, preparing for action with a sigh, but soon heard the slender Envoy raise a hand, clapping in admiration and praise.

"You don’t need to feel inferior or anxious because of this, Mr. Huaizhi. Such integrity and kindness in character, you should feel proud of it!"

The Envoy solemnly said, "Even a person full of bloody injustices like me must admire such noble will. Novice-kun, only those who understand how to restrain hatred understand how to love their compatriots, only those who know compassion grasp the weight of suffering. Believe that the Great Commander will also be pleased with your presence."

What?

Huai Shi raised his eyes in astonishment, looking across, detecting genuine pleasure emanating from the other side, feeling even more confused.

Why would an anti-social group like Green Day welcome someone kind-hearted like me?

Isn’t it supposed to be that more vicious, more evil, and more anti-social is better?

"Then, the final question."

The Envoy holding the ballpoint pen raised his hand, undisguisedly unleashing Source Substance, continuously channeling power into the border relic, making Huai Zhisu’s virtual persona deeply control all of Huai Shi.

Racking thoughts, allowing no lies or evasions, issuing the final interrogation.

"——Now you, coming to Green Day, what is the thing you want to do most?"