by N. Heller
"You guys are working together now?" Hegel asked after he had come back to his senses. He sounded a little bit aggrieved.
"The people from the white camp are here. They were eliminating our platforms and planned to sacrifice this guy. So he's now on our side and bring us to the rest of white camp," Maxin answered. When he raised his head, he saw that Hegel was scratching his skin. Maxin had no idea why the people he came across recently all seemed to have a problem with their skin. He heard a screech and saw Hegel tear his skin off.
He threw the piece of skin laced with dried yellow shadows on the ground and began scratching his face once more. As if he were peeling an orange, Hegel soon removed all the dried yellow shadows from his body. When he stood up straight once more, he looked the same as he had in the morning. Even his clothes had returned.
"Why are you all so surprised?" he asked, raising one of his thin eyebrows. "This is not my first time participating in God's ordeal. Do you think I would come unprepared? This skin is pretty useful, but it cost a fortune. Hehe, that girlie searched everywhere, but she left out my skin—hey, don't you move!"
Startled, Maxin stopped pulling Zen up from the edge. "What—what's wrong?"
Hegel made a few quick steps towards Maxin and Zen, a sardonic smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He lowered his head to look at Zen as he snickered, "You say he can see through the fog?"
Hanging on to the side of the platform, Zen did not reply.
"Yeah," Maxin answered, "Maybe one of the people in the white camp removed your…"
"It was him."
Maxin turned silent. "What did you say?"
"He is the one who removed my platform," Hegel said, tipping his chin toward Zen. He then continued impatiently, "I was right behind you guys just now. The moment my platform disappeared, I knew the people from the white camp were here, so I swam with all my might towards the nearest platform."
"So? That doesn't explain anything," said Soulsqn as she walked forward, drawing Hegel's attention from Zen to her.
Hegel paused for a moment before moving on, "Have you all forgotten? When I climbed onto this platform, all of your backs were facing me. None of you were looking in my direction. Do you know why?"
Maxin suddenly saw the light. They could not see anything in the fog, so they had to rely on Zen. He had known there was somebody falling into the water behind them, but he did not tell them to look back.
"He did not want you to know it was me," Hegel harrumphed. He stretched his arm forward as he made to grab Zen by his collar. There wasn't any room for Zen to evade Hegel's hand, so he was caught by him despite his best effort to retaliate. As soon as Hegel's fingers grabbed his collar, Zen suddenly stopped moving. His whole body stiffened, looking like a wax sculpture. "Besides, he's the only one around here who can see through the fog clearly. If it wasn't him, then who?"
"Perhaps there are other members of the white camp around here…" Soulsqn muttered.
Hearing this, Hegel raised his head and stared at Soulsqn blankly as if he found her statement amusing. "That's impossible. What could they possibly achieve by hopping around like bunnies?"
Before Maxin and Soulsqn could press on, Hegel pulled Zen up from the edge. As if he were invincible, he began searching Zen's body and said, "Ah, I knew it. This fellow must be lying to you. Do you still remember the rules? Zeus said that we can eliminate any platform we wish after we enter our opponent's camp. We don't have to jump around to remove the platform. I suppose all of them are waiting for us in the first row. That's what I'd do if I were them."
Maxin was stunned. His face turned pale.
'If that is the case, what about Ji Shanqing?'
Chapter 642 - Is Maxin’s Ability The Strongest In The Apocalypse?
Things were getting a little bit out of hand now. Maxin furrowed his eyebrows deeply as he fell into deep thought. Slowly, he instinctively slackened his grip on Zen.
To recap, this should be the sequence of the entire event: first, the members from the white camp took advantage of the fog and invaded their camp. Then, Ji Shanqing encountered Zen, but he got away. After that, Zen bumped into Maxin and Soulsqn.
'If Zen did not lie to us, under the circ.u.mstance that no one is guarding the first row, Ji Shanqing should be in the white camp now,' Maxin thought inwardly.
However, he had forgotten about the rules. Zeus had indeed mentioned that anyone who broke into the opponent's camp could remove any platform they wanted.
'Any!'
The white camp knew that the arrangement of their platforms was 10x10. They only needed to shout something like "the last platform on the fifth row" and they could remove that platform. Simply put, right after the members of the white camp had entered their camp, they could eliminate all the platforms effortlessly by staying at the first row. There was no need for them to go around and expose themselves to danger.
It all seemed reasonable, except for one thing.
Maxin was confident that he did not come across Zen in the first row. It was the same for Arlo, the one who almost wiped them out. It occurred to Maxin that the white camp had voluntarily let go of the best solution and decided to go about things the hard way. Otherwise, Arlo would not have met his demise.
The questions were apparent now. Why was the white camp hell-bent on entering their opponent's territory? How many white camp members were there in the black camp's area now?
If he could find the answer to those two questions, then perhaps he could figure out where Ji Shanqing was now.
A plan was slowly taking shape in Maxin's brain. It wasn't difficult to get information from Zen, though it was just a little bit of a waste. When Maxin raised his head, he saw that Hegel had taken off his gloves and begun rummaging Zen for his Special Items.
He had been raided clean by Ji Shanqing, so he was very excited when it was his turn to robbing other people. He laid utter waste to Zen's robe. The only thing on Zen's body that was saved from getting ravaged by Hegel was his hood.
Maxin did not stop Hegel. Since Hegel had proven himself to be a formidable ally, Maxin thought it might be a good idea to let him have all of Zen's Special Items so that he could remain on their side. As the thought surfaced in Maxin's brain, Hegel wheeled around, staring him down. Maxin quickly recoiled two steps, threw his hands in the air submissively, and said, "Don't worry, I am not going to…"
The expression on Hegel's face suddenly froze.
Losing his balance, Hegel dropped to the ground, the back of his head connecting to the rock with a meaty smack. He obviously still retained his senses, as he gurgled something indecipherable while on the ground.
"Luckily, I had this on me," Zen mumbled to himself. He tried to gather his robe but to no avail. He forwent his attempt to fix it and instead took it off, bringing his face that looked like a catfish to the light. It was only at this moment that Maxin realized that Zen could dispel his ability.
Zen kicked Hegel a few times. A sardonic smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he said, "You two are lucky. I have this item on me that could activate an effect should somebody try to rob me. See, he looks like he's having a stroke, right? Well, the effect is similar to a stroke, but there is more to it than that. Apart from getting paralyzed, this Special Item will cause him to lose his senses."
Zen seemed to feel very elated, as he had become more talkative. On the other hand, Hegel had indeed lost control over his body. His mouth slightly gaped, saliva dripped from the corner of his lips, and his words slurred.
Maxin stared at Zen closely. Then he said, "You guys were in the Olympics, right?"
Not only Zen, but Soulsqn was also surprised by the sudden question. "Yeah? Isn't that obvious?" Zen dropped his smile. His two heavy, jowly cheeks dragged down.
Maxin nodded as he continued, "Okay, then. Are you ready to listen to my rules?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Zen was starting to get impatient. "What rules?"
"Haven't you realized it yet?" Maxin grin
ned. He sat on the ground. "Anyone who answered my question will fall under my ability."
Zen froze. He seemed dumbfounded. After two seconds, he stammered, "What—What kind of ability?"
"In every apocalyptic world, I can only initiate my active skill five times. I have used it in the Olympics, and I didn't want to use it against you. But you left me no choice." Maxin's attitude changed drastically. Smiling, he rested his chin on his palm as he said in a soothing tone, "Do you have any more questions? I will try my best to answer them for you."
However, this time it wasn't Zen who talked but Soulsqn.
"It sickens me to hear you talk like this," the flesh worm remonstrated, "You sound like Zeus."
"Ah, there's nothing I could do about it." Maxin's grin grew wider as his eyes turned into slits. Aside from his appearance, there was also a Zeus-like aura about him. "Because we are in the Olympics. When I activate my ability, I will be affected by the world I am in, too."
"I don't understand a thing you said!" Zen walked two steps forward. He wanted to do something, but his rationality held him back.
"We are now in a world of competitions, so rules play a very important factor here. I will now explain to you the rules in detail. This is the only chance you will get to familiarize yourself with the rules, so be sure to pay attention," Maxin said light-heartedly, "My ability is heavily affected by the world I'm in, thus the effect will be different every time."
He played with his fingers on the ground as he continued, "For example, the Olympics is a world where every posthuman has to participate in a competition and follow the rules to stay alive. When I use my ability on you, if you don't do as I say and follow my instructions, the consequences will be the same as if you broke the rules of the Olympics."
Zen's face slowly turned pale. He looked dead.
"That is not possible… This ability is too dangerous. You can do anything you wish!"
"Tsk, you are such a bad listener," Maxin sighed dejectedly, "There is, however, a shortcoming to my ability. I can only use this ability five times in a world… Anyway, do you want to try and break the rules? To be honest, of all people, I love rulebreakers the most! They are always fun to see!"
It seemed as if Maxin had been possessed by Zeus. Unless he was a seasoned actor, there was no way he was bluffing about his ability.
Zen lowered his head, his lips quivering. He could not make up his mind on whether or not to try his luck and run or submit to Maxin. He did not speak for a long while. There was an unbearable long silence until Maxin shattered it with a laugh.
"I know what you are planning to do. Yes, my ability has a time limit. However, the timer will not start until you begin the game."
"Game?" Zen asked. "How am I supposed to play a game when I am alone?"
Maxin did not reply. He turned to Soulsqn. "Queen, did you hear it?"
The flesh worm nodded.
"Then please do me a favor and tell him."
"You are not the only one who answered the question," said Soulsqn as she poked at Hegel, who was lying like a dead log on the ground next to her. "This guy answered the question as well."
Zen spun his head, and when he met Maxin's gaze, the latter said with thick merriment, "I can ask a question to multiple people concurrently."
"I guess we should get it rolling now. I have prepared a very fun and enjoyable activity for you. The rules are simple: whoever loses has to answer one of my questions. So, are you ready?"
Chapter 643 - What Should We Do To Have Lin Sanjiu Back?
[Antidote Family Anti-theft System]
Founded by Mr. Appel, a former notorious thief and promising young entrepreneur, who had recently received angel investment, and also a father to 14 illegitimate children. When he was serving sentence in jail—I wonder how he survived—he came across a great business opportunity. Special Items were invaluable assets to posthumans, and he wondered why most posthumans chose to bring their Special Items along wherever they went.
With the technological support from The Munitions Factory and his years of experience as a thief and robber, Mr. Appel began to develop a portable anti-theft system to protect the user's property from getting stolen by somebody like him. Mr. Appel was cunning. He programmed the system to be invisible and only be activated under a condition. When the system detects that the thief dropped his or her guard, the system will release an electric pulse that will temporarily paralyze the thief. Since this effect will cause the thief to be unable to move for a certain period of time, many ill-intentioned, perfidious people are willing to pour a mint of money to have this system installed on them.
There are rumors that Mr. Appel is secretly developing [Antidote Family Anti-theft System Cracker], but The Munitions Factory has denied such a claim.
Similar to every other product from The Munitions Factory, they produce very little of the anti-theft system every year, and it's always in short supply. It's also rumored that The Munitions Factory will recycle their own products to increase the...
The product instruction card ended here. "I got this instruction manual from the black market," Zen explained.
When Hegel recovered from the effect induced by [Antidote Family Anti-theft System], the first thing he saw was Maxin's enthusiastic face.
"Right on time. I was about to splash water on your face if you didn't wake up," said Maxin in an urgent tone, his eyes gleaming with a manic light. "Come over here! We're going to start the competition now!"
"Okay, okay, I'm coming," answered Hegel. Right after that, he lowered his head and suddenly sprinted, charging straight at Maxin. Zen's eyes lit up. However, before Hegel could get any closer to Maxin, his legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees.
A few seconds later, both Hegel and Zen were crouching by the edge of the platform. Their bodies quivered like the last leaf of autumn in the winter wind. They reluctantly stretched out their arms, hovering right above the sea. There was a piece of broken skin on Hegel's hand, while Zen held a supporting bar. Their faces were ugly.
"Whoever fishes out more of those yellow abominations in 30 seconds wins." Maxin sat in a lotus position as he peered at a pocket watch in his palm. "Three, two, one, start!"
Even though Soulsqn was reluctant to be the umpire of the match, after Maxin announced the beginning of the game, she still performed her duty professionally by craning her neck and looking ahead. At first, Hegel had the upper hand. The broken skin was easy to use, and he got six yellow shadows in the twinkle of an eye. On the other side, things were not going very smoothly for Zen. Fifteen seconds had passed, yet he had only gotten seven yellow shadows thus far. The supporting bar he used did not provide any friction for the yellow shadows to cling onto, so he had a hard time getting them.
Not wanting Hegel to steal all the thunder, Zen decided to pull a swift one on him. The supporting bar might not be useful in fishing something, but it was an amazing tool for a surprise attack. Seizing the chance while Hegel wasn't paying attention to him, Zen brandished his rod and beat Hegel's broken skin out of his palm.
"Ah, ah, ah, no fighting here," Maxin warned Hegel, who had shot up from the ground. Then, he turned to Zen and grinned. "I can see that you are trying very hard to avoid answering my question."
Zen's forehead trickled with cold sweat, but he did not raise his head. In the end, Zen won the game by a hair width. He had fished out one more yellow shadow than Hegel.
He let out a sigh and retreated to the back as he tried to avoid Hegel's cold stare. Crossing his arms across his c.h.e.s.t, Hegel said with a gloomy face, "A bet is a bet. Ask me whatever you want."
"Oh, I did not expect that we would come to this so smoothly," Maxin said contentedly. "Ms. Ji Shanqing will be seeing me in a different light."
Staring at him, Soulsqn muttered under her breath, "I don't know about that guy, but I'm pretty sure I'm now seeing you with new eyes."
Maxin turned a deaf ear to her accusation.
Hegel's expression turned grim when Maxin ment
ioned about Ji Shanqing. He spat harshly, "Fine then. After all, there is no way you can save that woman."
He paused for a moment before continuing with downcast eyes and bad grace, "I suppose my things will eventually perish along with that woman. In that case, there's no use in me keeping it a secret anymore."
Both Maxin and Soulsqn were stunned as understanding instantly dawned upon the two of them.
"What do you mean?" A bit of hope came flooding into the flesh worm as she asked, "Lin Sanjiu is still alive?"
"Yes, but not for long," Hegel said, throwing cold water on her. "Do you remember the several Special Items she took from me? Well, I'd say she is pretty lucky. Although she did not take a lot from me, she got the most useful one."
"This is the first time I heard someone say she is lucky," the flesh worm said. "What was the thing she took?"
The answer lay in Hegel's Special Item.
[Human Traffickers Roster]
This roster comes from a dedicated and ambitious mafia man who had been actively engaged in human trafficking activities in certain countries of Southeast Asia such as Laos and Cambodia. He had an A4-sized pocket folder that he kept at his side all the time. This Special Item was sought after by many people after the end of the world.
Direction of usage: First, defeat your target and make sure that he is seriously injured. Second, while he is on the ground, open the pocket folder and put him into the pocket sleeve. Don't worry or feel upset if you fail. You may need to try a few times, as the success rate is five out of a thousand.
Next, make sure that the leecher inside has everything he needs to survive: water, air, food, sunlight, sleep, and a PS4, to name a few. It will be a difficult process, as similar to rearing goldfish, you will never know the manner of their death. Aside from that, you will also need to ensure that they cannot escape from the pocket sleeve.
"Automatically summoned to replace you when the roster detects a severe danger about to occur?" Soulsqn opened her eyes so wide that they almost fell from their sockets. "In other words, somebody in the pocket sleeve replaced Lin Sanjiu when she fell into the sea?"