by N. Heller
Pushing down the consternation, she took a deep breath. With outstretched arms, she dug both her hands into the sea and activated [No Coincidence, No Story].
As if he sensed her action, the highest god wheeled his head around and studied Lin Sanjiu. At this moment, twilight descended down the horizon with blinding speed as if it could not wait any longer to pass the stage to the ethereal darkness of the night.
The highest god suddenly smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. Their surroundings became darker and darker with every passing second. Soulsqn laid not far away from his palm. Although she twitched and struggled, she still could not free herself from the unseen power.
Nothing happened. Even though she had activated [No Coincidence, No Story] for a few seconds, everything remained the same.
"What an ugly creature," said the highest god as he pulled Soulsqn up. The second he placed his palm on the flesh worm, she suddenly ceased all her movements, hanging motionlessly from the highest god's hand. It looked as if he was holding a red towel. "I don't like her, but it seems that analyzing her is the quickest way for me to get rid of all of you."
Lin Sanjiu's heart gave a slight start as her face took on a ghastly expression. She summoned the [Tornado Whip] into her palm. Then, using the [Tornado Whip], she conjured up a destructive gust of wind and hurled it towards the highest god. She did not know how long it would take for the highest god to analyze a specimen, but she just hoped that she was not too late.
"It's done."
The highest god's voice came as the gale swept across him. The strong wind played a wild game with his face, wrenching his flawless facial features out of shape. His package flopped madly in the wind. However, when the wind abated, he still emerged unscathed.
"That was fast," the highest god sounded surprised as well, "I did not expect this. Anyway, let me see what is in your little brain."
As the night gradually crawled upon the sky, the highest god looked at the three posthumans in front of him before closing his eyes.
"Hmm… Propagation?"
Chapter 667 - Everyone Is A Bolt In Socialism
The night came real quick, the final rays of twilight fighting off the rising darkness. In the distance, the white fatty and Puppeteer, whose body lolled over his shoulder, got fainter with each passing heartbeat. Soulsqn and the highest god were consumed by the darkness and became mere silhouettes in Lin Sanjiu's eyes.
The highest god remained silent for several seconds.
Lin Sanjiu guessed he was inspecting Soulsqn's memories. After all, it was impossible for him to finish analyzing Soulsqn's biological information at the same time. However, something just did not add up. As the queen of a species that had existed for such a long time, it occurred to Lin Sanjiu that the highest good took far too little time to analyze the flesh worm's memories.
"Nüwa," the highest god said suddenly, making Lin Sanjiu's heart make a somersault, "Procreate. Find Nüwa, Lin Sanjiu will bring me to Nüwa. Get a new organ, give birth to the next generation, my clansmen, procreate…"
Taking a deep breath, the young deity slowly tightened his grip.
The flesh worm's figure instantly contorted like a rubber band. As the highest god gripped harder, her head and tail puffed out like two balloons about to explode. She squirmed, trying her very best to wriggle free from the highest god's clutches as the latter jerked her close to his face.
"What are these cancerous things in your head? Procreation? S.e.x organs? Can't you think of anything else?"
"What did you say?" Soulsqn could finally speak again. When she spoke, her voice was sharp, tearing through the night, "That is the silliest question I have ever heard. Procreation and continuation is the most important and crucial subject that no species can detach from. And I, as the Queen of the Souls, it is my duty to make sure of the perpetuation of my clan. If I don't care about these things, then who should I care about? Lin Sanjiu?"
"Where is your memory?" It seemed like the highest god had a hard time accepting her explanation. "So long as you experience something, it leaves traces in your brain. So where are those traces?"
"That's easy. All I have to do is keep one keyword about a certain incident in my mind," Soulsqn refuted. "There is nothing I can do. I have been living for so long that if I had to remember each and every single thing that happened in my life, my brain would have busted already."
Lin Sanjiu let out a long sigh of relief after hearing what Soulsqn said. Her forehead was wet with cold perspiration. It was only at this moment that she saw the light of why the flesh worm took so much time when she asked her to describe her an ability. It turned out that since the flesh worm curtailed every occasion she had gone through into one word, she had left out most of the details.
The highest god shut his eyes tight. Lin Sanjiu had no idea what happened, but the flesh worm suddenly let out a pained scream, causing Lin Sanjiu's heart to give a little start. Without wasting any second, she quickly leaped into action. While she lunged at the highest god, she charged up a tornado.
Her attack grew fiercer in tandem with her intense emotions. A tumultuous columnar vortex descended from the sky and onto the sea. It s.u.c.k.e.d water midair as it rushed across the sea with great momentum at the highest god. The young deity's face turned serious. Tossing the Queen of the Souls into the pitch-black night, he raised his arm and halted the progress of the massive gyrating water column barehanded.
Sliced into half, the waterspout whizzed past the highest god and plowed forcefully into the sea behind him, sending a huge amount of water into the sky before showering down onto the people below like a salvo of sharp lances.
"You…" He was so consumed by rage that his teeth clattered. Every word he wrung out of his lips was filled with anger. "You… lowly creatures."
Lin Sanjiu stopped her movement.
"It's fine, it's fine…" hissed the highest god through gritted teeth, "I should not get angry. I'm going to turn every single one of you into a Zeus. After that, I can take my sweet time studying your brains."
A chill trickled up Lin Sanjiu's spine to her brain, as she did not have a good feeling about this. She took out the [Ability Polishing Agent] and pointed it ahead. When she saw the scene in front of her, all color faded from her face at once.
The highest god stood on top of the receptacle of blackish water. In between the rolling waves, she could faintly see a few strands of yellow flitting across her eyes. More and more yellow shadows then appeared, the number snowballing at an eye-blinding speed. They occupied the entire sea in the blink of an eye. Lin Sanjiu bristled at the sight. As she did not welcome the consequence of being transformed into a Zeus again, she floundered her legs and flopped her arms with all her might as she shouted, "Polva! Polva! Come over here!"
Unfortunately, Polva had seized the chance when the highest god took his eyes off him to row himself out far. He was now approximately a thousand meters away from Lin Sanjiu, and his reply sounded so muffled and distant that she could not hear it at all.
'There is no way he could reach here in time…'
As the thought surfaced in Lin Sanjiu's mind, another idea came in and bumped the previous thought away. She opened her mouth wide and shouted her loudest shout, "Use the horn to summon me! Quick!"
A yellow shadow had swum to her side by the time she finished her sentence. Setting her jaw tight, she exchanged the [Ability Polishing Agent] with the [Tornado Whip] and pushed the yellow shadow away with a gust of wind. However, she knew such a measure could only be temporary.
"That freak will be affected as well…" Polva raised his voice and replied.
"I don't care!" Lin Sanjiu shouted back, the veins around her neck bulging. "I'm going to die if you don't do it now!"
If there was something good about Polva, it would be his obedience to Lin Sanjiu's command. Before her words died away, the brass noise of a horn rang out. Clutching her [Tornado Whip] tightly, Lin Sanjiu fought off the relentless yellow shadows as she darted out at
a speed beyond her own capability. She could barely sing "Internationale," but she couldn't care less about other people's opinion on her singing in a life-or-death situation such as this. As she mumbled the lyrics of the anthem, she slapped her hand on the ankle of the white fatty's corpse.
At the same time, she wheeled her head around. As expected, the highest god's face floated in the dark very close to her.
He crouched on the sea surface, his hand gripping firmly to the arm of the white fatty's corpse. For a moment, the quizzical expression on his face told Lin Sanjiu that he had no idea how he had come here.
Despite knowing that the trumpet would summon the highest god as well, coming face to face with him at such a close distance still made Lin Sanjiu's hair stand on its ends. Just as she wanted to send him away with the [Tornado Whip], the corner of her eye caught something, and she froze.
[Heed To The Call Of Socialism] would summon, at most, 13 people within the radius of the item holder's side. Hence, she was not surprised when seeing the flesh worm climb up the white fatty's corpse. However, aside from Soulsqn, there were two other people tightly hugging the white fatty's corpse. With so many people jerking around the body, it slowly began to sink.
'Who are they?'
"What are you waiting for? Hit him!" One of the figures jerked his head up and yelled. When the familiar voice slid into Lin Sanjiu's ears, she flung her whip at the highest god's face.
It occurred to Lin Sanjiu that Maxin had been swimming towards them after he had been flung away by the highest god. He was probably very close to them, so he was summoned by the white fatty's trumpet as well.
"Let me help you!" With those words, Maxin leaped onto the white fatty's corpse with a swift motion. Along with the wind, a gush of water went straight at the highest god. Since they were very close to the highest god, they had to tone down the intensity of their attacks. Be that as it may, their forces were still great enough to cause some injuries to their target when they hit.
The highest god snapped himself out of his trance. He released his grip on the arm and tumbled back. Lin Sanjiu dared not to press on. When she saw that the highest god had retreated, she quickly clambered up the white fatty's corpse. The body tilted and almost threw all its passengers into the sea when all five posthumans and one flesh worm climbed onto it. Although it did not flip over in the end, it began sinking, and from time to time, they could see yellow shadows swim beside them.
"It's you?" Maxin and Polva instantly recognized each other even though their surroundings were dark.
"It's you?" At the same time, Lin Sanjiu stared at the fifth person in the sea. Although she knew who the person was, Lin Sanjiu could not remember her name. "You are… that arms dealer!"
"Sister, it was a rocket," the little girl scowled miserably, "I'm a Special Items dealer. I wanted to sell you a rocket, but you did not buy it from me. My name is Lucy, remember?"
"Get up, quick!" Maxin interrupted. "The highest god is returning!"
"Successor!" Polva shut his eyes and shouted as he held tightly to Puppeteer.
Obviously, it was possible for one person to succeed in the position of six people. Lin Sanjiu's eyes blurred, and when her vision became clear again, the highest god was in another direction. The only thing different from a few seconds ago was that their distance had become nearer. Polva could not be blamed, as the reaction speed of the highest god was superb.
"What is happening?" asked Lucy falteringly. Taking advantage of her petite stature, she hung onto Maxin's arm like a chrysalis hanging on a branch. "Who is that pervert?"
"Just don't go near the water," Maxin shook her off impatiently, "Queen, explain to her!"
Polva had activated the "successor" twice within those few seconds, and the highest god was getting pissed off at failing his attempt so many times.
"Oh hello sweetheart," the flesh worm shoved her face close to Lucy's and shouted excitedly, "We meet again!"
The little girl did not reply, a dumbfounded expression dawned on her face. It was as if her brain had shut down due to the weird events that were happening around her.
"Leave her alone!" Lin Sanjiu snarled. She had no idea why the flesh worm still held on to her thought of wearing Lucy as her next human pouch at a moment like this. After that, she turned back to Maxin, and with a voice thick with apprehension, she asked, "How should we catch him if we cannot go into the water?"
Even though the sky had darkened, Lin Sanjiu could still feel Maxin's intense gaze as if he was looking at a lunatic. "We are already having a hard time defeating him, and you still want to capture him? Are you mad?"
"Successor!" Before Lin Sanjiu could say anything, Polva shouted again. Right now, he just kept his eyes on the highest god while hugging Puppeteer in his embrace as if he was a teddy bear. His voice got sharper with each shout.
Soulsqn inspected Lucy meticulously. The young girl's face was as dark as the night sky.
"I need his help…" Just as Lin Sanjiu was about to say something, a yellow shadow-imbued wave hit them from the right. For a moment, shouts of fear and cursing filled the air. After Maxin fought off the yellow shadows, the highest god snickered.
"A bunch of peasants," he commented as he crossed his arms in front of his c.h.e.s.t. "You can't even go into the water. I'd like to see how long you can hold it."
The highest god was right. It was out of Lin Sanjiu expectation that so many people would suddenly appear. Her brain was a quagmire of confusion, and there was nothing she could do but get thrown here and there by the waves. Suddenly, she stretched her arm forward and grappled at Soulsqn's nape. "Didn't I say to leave her alone?"
"Don't!" Lin Sanjiu shouted, but she was too late.
However, Lucy did not fall into the sea but stood and ran. Dumbfounded, Lin Sanjiu took out her [Ability Polishing Agent], allowing the silvery beam to chase away the darkness. There, she saw a familiar carpet spreading underneath Lucy's feet.
"That is Puppeteer's," Maxin said, "I thought it was already lost when the tsunami came…"
"Quick, go up there!" Lin Sanjiu shouted. She grabbed Polva and Soulsqn, and leaped onto the carpet. Sensing their movements, the little girl turned around and hissed, "Go away! Why are you following me?!"
Then, she froze in her tracks, staring woodenly behind them.
Chapter 668 - Night Games
At that moment, Lin Sanjiu felt a tingling numbness throughout her body.
Lin Sanjiu had no idea what Lucy saw, whatever it was that stood behind them. To be precise, the highest god was not behind them. She turned her head around abruptly. Her neck made a cracking noise. However, she couldn't see anything in the dark. Without even a glimmer of starlight, Lin Sanjiu's field of view was swallowed by the pitch-black surroundings to the extent that she couldn't even see the silhouettes of the things nearby.
'What did that girl see?'
When Lin Sanjiu squinted her eyes trying to see further, Lucy's overwrought voice pierced through the night.
"B-Big Bro, you and I are complete strangers." Anxiety dripped from her brittle voice while she spoke so quickly that she sounded as if she might bite her tongue the very next second. "Whatever happened between both of you has nothing to do with me, and I really don't want to be involved. May I leave right now?"
The highest god stood several meters away from the carpet as before. His sculpted body created a beautiful silhouette in the dark. He did not make a single sound. Amidst the sound of the sea breeze in the onyx-black night, it was almost as if the whole world had gone silent along with him. Lin Sanjiu could only hear the laboured breathing sounds from the few people around her. However, she suddenly felt a strange sense of uneasiness. She felt as if she had forgotten something important.
She silently summoned the [Ability Polishing Agent] and held the card with its hard edge pressed against her palm.
"W-what's going on?" Polva whispered, his voice thick with fear. However, nobody answered him.
"So...it's a no?" Lucy's vo
ice quaked, sounding even more frightened than before. She was so nervous that she even started hiccuping.
"Of course," the highest god replied slowly, a hint of cruel mockery in his voice, "You may leave."
The sound of a hiccup came from the other end of the carpet. Then silence returned. Lucy's vague silhouette remained in the same spot as she turned her gaze to Lin Sanjiu's group.
"Erm...hic," Lucy spoke hesitatingly, "F-first… you'll have to—"
"Oh, you only have one chance to leave, and it's right now," the highest god interjected. At that moment, he was stifling a laugh.
Just as he said those words, Lucy immediately sprung up and disappeared into the darkness. At that same moment, Lin Sanjiu activated her [Ability Polishing Agent]. Silver light poured down her raised arm. She gave her surroundings a sweeping gaze and immediately realized what was amiss.
The sea breeze, Lucy's hiccups and the squishy sounds as Soulsqn wriggled… She heard all sorts of noises in the silent darkness. However, all these sounds momentarily distracted her from one thing. The one sound she should hear was absent—sea waves.
Lin Sanjiu quickly held the [Ability Polishing Agent] in front of herself. The silver light from the bottle flooded forward and illuminated Lucy's skinny body. Lucy reacted deftly like an anxious mouse in the dark. The second the light hit her back, Lucy changed her direction decisively and jumped off the carpet. With a few quick steps, she ran straight back into the darkness.
There wasn't any waves around the carpet now.
"W-where is the sea?" Polva mumbled, stupefied. The silver light caused him to squint, but he didn't dare to turn his eyes away from the highest god. "Where is the sea? What did he do?"
"You are all quite lucky," the highest god exercised his neck lazily while rolling his shoulders. "Who would have thought that this carpet would return… I gave it some thought. Previously, I couldn't kill all of you in the sea. Let's change a location. Why don't we do it on land?"