Apocalypse Forecast-Chapter 664 - 549 - Long Drought Meets Sweet Dew_1

Under the blazing sun, amidst the cracks of the dilapidated highway, a massive truck sped forward, stirring up layers of dust.

After getting through the initial discomfort, Huai Shi had barely adapted to the current speed... At least he could handle it as long as he didn’t bash around carelessly.

Although still too fast, it wasn’t a constant brush with death every moment.

Once he relaxed a bit, he finally felt inclined to take a good look at the scenery outside the window.

With the module rotating, having left the desert behind, they had entered the boundaries of a vast city amongst the sand-filled sky. Countless factories had ceased operation, with only tough shrubs struggling to grow from the rubble.

A sense of decay hit them head-on.

Yet, there was also a kind of startling beauty.

Indescribable, but Huai Shi suddenly found himself somewhat understanding the ruin enthusiasts of Current Circumstances. It was like the loneliness of being abandoned by the entire world, yet there was also a reassuring silence that gradually relaxed him, bringing a sense of tranquility. Although this peace and quiet were, in themselves, abnormal enough.

Through his Helmet, he remarked softly over the radio, "Even though it’s called Hell, it looks pretty much like any ordinary wasteland."

"An ordinary wasteland?"

Raymond sounded like he thought something was wrong with his ears. "Ordinary wastelands don’t have this many ruins, right?"

"...Some places do have them."

Huai Shi fell silent for a long time. The images of that village gradually being swallowed by the sands, and the countless silent, empty faces, re-emerged in front of his eyes.

He shook his head vigorously, dispelling those recorded memories.

"Is Current Circumstances really that chaotic now? Or is it just that your ways are wild?"

Raymond thought for a while before finally catching on. "I forgot you used to be an Inspector... You must have seen all sorts of messed-up stuff. Speaking of which, I’ve been curious about something I never asked: What are the perks for Inspectors? I heard that in addition to internal benefits and a ton of exclusive discounts, you guys get paid leave every year too."

"There is, but there’s hardly any chance to use the paid leave," Huai Shi shook his head. Thinking back on the past year’s life, he couldn’t help but sigh. "Because basically, there’s nothing to do at home every day except play video games or gacha games on my phone, bored out of my mind... Occasionally when you go out, a bunch of people try to slip you bribe money, hoping to drag you down with them into corruption. Honestly, it’s so annoying. I feel like if this keeps up, I might lose my dreams and become a despicable member of society. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to the Ivory Tower."

Raymond almost missed the accelerator, his eyes wide and stunned. "Really?"

"Of course it’s not true! What did you think?" Huai Shi rolled his eyes. "How could there be such good things in the world? If it was that peaceful, how do you think I made it to the Third Stage in half a year? Staying at home, there’s always someone plotting to persecute you. Once you’re out, you’ve got heartless bosses treating you like livestock, working you to death. Even your job applications could accidentally lead you into a cult base, and going out for a trip could get you robbed by the Good Times Club en route. With all that, people still think you’re a homicidal maniac. Who would want to live such a miserable life?"

Raymond gasped. "How have you managed to survive until now?"

"Maybe I’m just lucky and tough?"

Instantly, Raymond’s look toward Huai Shi became complicated, as if he were looking at a Paralympic athlete—filled with both admiration and pity, and even a faint trace of encouragement.

Stay strong, young man, keep it up!

Huai Shi had no idea what was going through the guy’s mind.

During the long trek, the two chatted off and on, which kept them from feeling too bored or tense. Raymond was a seasoned professional by now and had long been accustomed to such chaotic affairs. As for Huai Shi, he simply found this place quite cool, feeling relaxed and happy.

It seemed that the upgraded version of Soloist adapted to Hell much better. Once Huai Shi’s Swarm began to take shape, the sense of repulsion and pressure from Hell subsided considerably.

The difference was like that between a newbie who just arrived in town and someone who had lived there for two or three years.

Significant, but not major.

The Curse still posed a threat to him.

Even with a full set of protective gear and a Helmet on, under the glare of the sunlight outside the window, he could still feel his skin cracking and aching; sometimes, when he moved his mouth, the dry skin on his face would split.

Even though it would quickly heal, it was particularly uncomfortable.

Even after Huai Shi switched his body’s ecosystem to a desert state, it didn’t help much. But at least after downing a few bottles of beer, the cracking lessened significantly.

"How much farther?"

"Once we get past this ring area, it’s about seventy kilometers to the nearest underground entrance. Going down, it’ll take about three to four hours, maybe longer since we’re not clear on underground conditions. We’ll have to play it by ear then," Raymond said, glancing at the navigation screen under the white cat’s rear and casually scratching the cat.

Then he got a vicious swipe from the white cat.

His gloves were almost slashed through.

By now, they had passed through those stacked factories and entered a dead city, uniformly monotonous and silent, as if it had been copied and pasted.

Among the tangled mess of overpasses, countless gray-white buildings stood chaotically on the surface like a jungle.

There were no windows to be seen, not even an entrance.

They looked like they were merely piled up from some sort of solid rock slab akin to concrete, evoking unpleasant thoughts of tombstones and the like.

And among the many high-rises, some plots had completely collapsed, revealing giant, slow-moving mechanical structures underneath. Plumes of black smoke occasionally burst forth, accompanied by shrill noises.

They were gradually venturing deeper into the Town of Dusk.

According to Huai Shi’s estimates, the total area of the Town of Dusk was about the size of Qiong State, maybe even a bit smaller, as overly detailed data was unavailable.

In the many classifications of Hell, the Town of Dusk fell under the most hidden and sunken category.

Enshrouded by sandstorms and unannounced snowfall, torrential rains, and gales at its fringes, the farther one traveled outward, the more elusive the sights became.

Until, at the very end, one’s entire being would disappear into the overlapping state of Hell and the Outer Abyss, never to return. Unless one wore some special Border Relic or possessed a unique Stigma, the vast majority of Explorers wouldn’t attempt to approach the edge.

Huai Shi and his team had entered this place relying on the stations pre-established by the Iron Crystal Throne. But even the stations weren’t absolutely safe; tragic colleagues like Condra were still assimilated there, unable to find release.

Just as Huai Shi thought of this, out of the corner of his eye, it seemed a figure emerged without warning from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building. When he looked closely, however, the figure had vanished again.

In his blurred memory, that swollen silhouette seemed to look his way, then raised a hand, pointing in the direction they were about to head. So enthusiastic, so considerate. Longing, desiring, expecting. Guiding them, step by step, toward irrevocable doom.

Huai Shi stiffened for a moment, instinctively drawing his sword.

"Just now..." he said hoarsely, "it seemed like I saw the colleague who went missing before... from the Iron Crystal Throne..."

He didn’t mention Condra’s name directly, instead opting for this term that everyone tacitly understood. Raymond’s expression also became strange.

No, to be more precise, the frivolous smile that usually graced his face vanished for a moment, replaced by solemnity. He was expressionless.

"What a coincidence, I also saw a former colleague on the radar," he narrowed his eyes, looking far into the distance outside the window. "It’s just not from the Iron Crystal Throne—"

"Hm?"

Huai Shi frowned, but before he could react, a piercing alarm sounded from the cockpit.

LOCK-ON ALARM!

Suddenly, Raymond slammed on the accelerator, executed an elegant drift in place, and raced off the elevated road, shouting from mid-air, "—The Eye of Nightmare is coming, be careful!"

BOOM!

A violent roar erupted from their original position.

A landing pod as large as a refrigerator fell from the sky, smashing onto the ground where they should have been. Then, the outer Armor exploded with a BANG, and the flames dwelling within erupted, soaring into the sky.

In the sky above, as the optical invisibility frame was discarded, a ferocious silhouette slowly emerged.

A gigantic flying vessel emblazoned with the emblem of the Eye of Nightmare materialized from mid-air. Though not as immense as an Airship that could cover the sky, it still cast a menacing shadow over the earth.

Propelled by two massive propellers, the oversized helicopter-like vessel rapidly decreased altitude and doggedly followed right behind Huai Shi and his team, refusing to let up.

If the vessel had been equipped with missiles that could be used in Hell, they likely would have already launched a full salvo, reducing Huai Shi and his team to ashes by now.

Still, threats no less formidable than missiles were rapidly closing in.

From the crashing landing pod, six flashes of flames soared into the air, shrieking like fireballs as they chased after them.

The truck landed with a tremendous CRASH, unscathed as it smashed through a wall, speeding clumsily along.

Huai Shi was almost entirely flattened against his seat, unable to move.

He began to feel grateful for having discovered the sick bag beneath his Helmet.

"Damn, it’s the Salamander!" Raymond cursed, yanking the steering wheel sharply, trying to swerve and shake off the pursuing flames. But those flames, floating in the air, clung to them like living things, refusing to let go.

"Is that a Hell Swarm?" Huai Shi looked up at the rearview mirror.

"Yes, a Hell Swarm with a pact with the Eye of Nightmare. They’re all half Source Materialized, half-organic fire spirits, not afraid of the Curse in the sunlight."

BOOM!

Before Raymond could finish, an explosion burst forth, and the truck jolted violently, nearly flipped by the collision with one of the oncoming fireballs.

The fireball paused mid-air for an instant, ready to strike again.

But then, the dented cabin was suddenly torn apart, and from within emerged a large hand clad in Iron Armor, which, unbelievably, grasped the ball of fire spirit out of thin air in the sunlight. The hand squeezed it a couple of times.

What’s your problem, kid?

The Salamander’s flame contorted, finally revealing a burning figure struggling desperately to draw its sword and slash at the large hand. Then, the hand lifted, holding the Salamander’s body, and violently smashed it against the nearby wall, grinding it mercilessly.

A shrill scream erupted from the flames, then quickly died out. Soon, no flames remained.

But in this brief respite, the other five fireballs abruptly changed direction, slamming into the wheels beneath the truck, as if determined to take them all down together.

The truck’s cargo bed shook, then split open on the spot, falling away to reveal the seats welded to the chassis and the nine behemoth-like figures seated on them.

Encased in their heavy protective suits, the Paradise Guard drew their standard-issue shotguns from their belts, cycled the actions, and aimed at the flying flames arrowing towards them.

"Holiness—"

Accompanied by the fervent chant, they pulled the triggers.