Apocalypse: System of lotteries



"Anything else?"Ming once more inquired.

Euryale shook her head, signaling there were no other places.

"So, these thirty-some places, they were all planned by you, correct?"

"Yes... indeed they were."

"Very well."

Ming tucked away his notebook and, with a swift motion, drew Euryale into the mind store. Walking to the balcony, with a mighty punch, he shattered the glass pane. Deep thoughts engulfed him, especially about how formidable Janice seemed.

[Raoul glanced over, hinting with a slight impatience, "Boss, shall we go? Hovering for this long, my wings are getting tired."]

[...]

Mounting Raoul's back, Ming directed towards the north, "Home!"

[As the foodie stared intently at the sea urchin in front, he nudged Napoleon, "This delicacy is quite delightful; you should try it!" Napoleon blinked in disbelief, "But it's full of spines; wouldn't it get stuck in our throats? Foodie, are you trying to trick me?"]

[Da Vinci casually passed by and remarked, "Why not have one of the nearby zombies try it first?"]

[Napoleon, catching on, signaled zombie #00032, "You there, come and have a taste." The zombie picked up the sea urchin and gulped it down.]

Ding~ Experience +10, Gold +10.

What kind of sea urchin is this powerful? Consuming it can kill a zombie? Quite a find!

[Merlin, scrutinizing another sea urchin, observed, "Ah, it's mutated and extremely toxic. Quite a treasure."]

[The frogs, leading a horde of zombies, were busy collecting sea urchins by the water's edge.]

[Foodie blinked, "Look at it, isn't that turtle weighed down by its shell? Would it move faster without it?"]

[Napoleon pondered, "Isn't that its protective armor? When in danger, it pulls its head and limbs inside. Maybe they're known as retracting head turtles?]

[Da Vinci apologized to the sea turtle, "I'm sorry for these two, they are so rude." The sea turtle responded gracefully, "It's okay. I'm a sea turtle; they were talking about land turtles."]

Ming chuckled to himself, "How much meat can one get from a sea turtle? And the effort to break its shell, mince the meat... it's not worth the yield."

[Foodie and Napoleon nodded in agreement, "Exactly, we were talking about land turtles. Da Vinci misunderstood us. So hurtful."]

[Da Vinci disdainfully regarded the two and addressed the sea turtle, "Why aren't you in the sea? How did you end up on land?" The sea turtle replied somberly, "I couldn't stay in the ocean any longer. My family was eaten. I narrowly escaped from between the teeth of a massive shark."]

Ming, lying atop Raoul's back, peered down at the water between the buildings, pondering, "All the terrestrial creatures are mutating; it must be even more terrifying in the oceans given the vast number of species there, constantly preying on each other."

Realizing something, Ming sat upright, "So... considering the rate at which oceans are expanding, is there any chance that the fifth chapter is about a world submerged? A globe where land is scarce?"

Humanity might have to seek refuge in mountainous areas. If that's the case, all human zones would need to migrate, all would have to traverse through the mist.

"So, what if..."

An epiphany struck Ming, "Could the mist have been preparing us for this fifth chapter all along?"

It's all interconnected. As per the game's design, in the third chapter, if survivors were dedicated to killing monsters in areas and instances, their accumulated scores would be enough to completely break through the mist.

Upon breaking the mist, monsters inside wouldn't have had the time to evolve and mutate, making it easy for people to team up and defeat them. However, the reality is that only a fraction ventured into these zones in the third chapter, and the mist wasn't lifted immediately.

Hence, the creatures within the mist had ample time to evolve, forming a formidable barrier, awaiting the arrival of the fifth chapter. By then, with monstrous waves crashing from behind and the mist's monstrous entities ahead, this would be the real survival test!

[Da Vinci felt pity for the sea turtle, "Would you like some relief? Now that you're ashore, perhaps you don't need your shell?" The turtle hastily shook its head, "This has been my home for decades."]

[Foodie and Napoleon earnestly added, "Da Vinci is right, sea turtle. Now that you've chosen to live on land, you shouldn't be burdened by your home anymore." The turtle replied, "All my vital points are in this shell. Without it, I couldn't survive."]

[Napoleon signaled the Cyclops to stand down; there was no need to break the turtle's shell.]

Ming sighed with relief. It's quite a feat for the sea turtle to still be alive, especially under Da Vinci's compassionate heart. 

[Da Vinci consoled the sea turtle, "Come with us. We'll take good care of you, like siblings." The turtle hesitated, "I'm scared."]

[Foodie scoffed, "You have nothing to fear. You barely have any meat on you. Not even enough to get stuck between a worm's teeth." Napoleon retorted, "Worms don't have teeth, you're uneducated."]

[Napoleon told Foodie, "Being uneducated isn't the problem, being manners is. Now spit me out of your mouth."]

Ming thought, "I hope this sea turtle is a five-star creature. Otherwise, even if it lays eggs, it's worth it. I heard a sea turtle can lay dozens, even hundreds of eggs in a single clutch. That's far better than chickens."

[The frogs officially welcomed the turtle, naming him "Little Ocean" as he hailed from the vast sea.]

[As the frogs conversed with him, they learned of beings in the sea even mightier than sharks. These creatures kept sharks as pets and relished turtles. Napoleon was puzzled, "With your hard shell and little meat, why are you such a delicacy to them?"]

[Foodie slapped Napoleon, remarking, "Young one, you don't understand a gourmet's heart. A turtle's shell has a delightful crunch." Little Ocean nodded, "The sharks think so too."]

~~

Raoul wanted to remind you, "Don't laugh while drinking. I'm right below you."

"Alright."

Ming patted Raoul's head, playfully ruffling him, "Consider this a hair wash for today. Don't waste water."

[The frogs and Little Ocean stood side by side, gazing at the formidable figures emerging from the waves. They had humanoid bodies with fish heads, meaty fins with bone spurs, holding tridents in their two arms, fins on their back, scales covering their lower bodies, and fleshy fins extending to the tail. Pairs of faint purple eyes stared at the frogs and the little turtle.]

[Napoleon croaked, zombies, forming ranks behind him, flying leeches hovering overhead, a Cyclops swinging a massive tree to the left, giant zombies holding saplings and mantises to the right, and stone gargoyles ready for battle. The tension between them and the sea creatures was palpable.]

[Napoleon spoke, "I am Napoleon, the man destined to unify the world. Who are you?"]

[The frogs watched as the "fish-men" retreated into the water without uttering a word. Napoleon puffed out his chest, "Such impolite fellows."]

~~

Ming dismounted Raoul, landing on the ground. He picked up the four frogs and gazed at the gentle waves. He saw no trace of the fish-men but deduced that they weren't mermaids as mermaids lack fleshy fins.

Suddenly, the sea became tumultuous. A wall of waves rose in the distance, and dozens of colossal white sharks burst through, their golden eyes gleaming menacingly. Atop each shark was a squad of "fishmen."

Ming recognized them. They weren't mermaids, but Naga sea sirens!

Then, an orca appeared, atop which stood a four-armed Naga siren with piercing red eyes fixed on the people ashore. She brandished a longbow adorned with coral and shells, nocked an arrow, and released it.

The arrow shot with astonishing speed. Ming made no move to dodge but caught it, placing it at his waist as an ornament. He then drew his Victory Silver Bow, releasing ten energy arrows that whooshed straight toward the red-eyed Naga.

The Naga tried to catch them, but these were no ordinary arrows. They forced her back several steps before she stabilized. Her eyes, sharp and surprised, radiated a powerful aura at the shore.

Matching her, Ming unleashed his own formidable presence, locking eyes with her.

[Your frogs cheered you on, their spirits unwavering. "She may be formidable in the sea, but on land, she'd be left with nothing."]

[Merlin whispered to his siblings, "It seems she isn't wearing any clothes."]

[Foodie, with his belly protruding, remarked, "Isn't it better without clothes?"]

~~

Ming continued the stare-down with the Naga Queen, who kept her focus on the distant shore. Thunder roared and lightning flashed as another torrential downpour approached. The massive wave fell, and the Naga sirens vanished beneath the sea's surface.

Ming, gazing into the vast ocean, declared, "Let's go home!"