Chapter 23: Sudden Change
[As you enter the crevice, you clearly sense that Fourteen is somewhat agitated, as if fearing something] [You speculate it's because of the flowers]
[The crevice is pitch black, but fortunately, you were prepared and lit up the path ahead with numerous flashlights] [Fourteen keeps quickening his pace]
[The road is rugged, and some people are unable to keep up with the group]
[You realize Fourteen is using the accelerated pace to eliminate the weak and elderly from the team] "Ensuring no casualties, but not guaranteeing no one goes missing, right?"
Wang Ran knew he shouldn't have had any good expectations of the Doomsday Apostles.
The Doomsday Apostles were never benevolent from start to finish.
[You negotiate with Fourteen about this matter]
[You learn that the flowers enter a dangerous active state when there's no light] [For the safety of the majority, you must quickly move away]
[You also learn that Fourteen only considers supernaturals as companions and views ordinary people's lives as worthless] "Can't the Doomsday Apostles control the flowers?"
Wang Ran was a bit confused.
"If you don't consider ordinary people as human, why bother saving them?" [You raise this question to Fourteen]
[Fourteen perfunctorily humors you very seriously]
Wang Ran rolled his eyes: "You'd better not fall into my hands, or I'll seriously beat you up." By the way, who exactly is Fourteen?
[You inquire about Fourteen's identity]
[Fourteen is greatly surprised]
["You actually couldn't tell who I am?"]
Wang Ran gave an embarrassed laugh.
Not only did he not recognize Fourteen this time, he hadn't recognized him the previous times either!
["Junior, you've really disappointed me!"]
Wang Ran was stunned.
Junior?
No wonder he couldn't recognize who Fourteen was, he had been looking in the wrong direction.
Senior...
Wang Ran's search range suddenly narrowed.
Including the senior who helped him move his luggage when he entered school, he had interacted with no more than 10 seniors in total.
Excluding those he met once and never contacted again, only a few seniors from the club remained.
"Zhao Yuehao, Chen Simo, Yin Nanjian, Gu Qiuyuan." Wang Ran pondered, "Which one could it be?" Might as well guess randomly, he thought he was quite good at guessing multiple choice questions.
[You ask Fourteen if he is Gu Qiuyuan]
[Fourteen's face darkens]
Wang Ran thought hard: "If not Gu Qiuyuan, then it must be Zhao Yuehao?" These two seniors talked more in his impression.
[You ask Fourteen if he is Zhao Yuehao]
[Fourteen lets out a long sigh]
"Not Zhao Yuehao either?" Wang Ran was puzzled, "Could it be Chen Simo?" He remembered Chen Simo was into anime and occasionally said some chuunibyou things.
[You ask Fourteen if he is Chen Simo]
[Fourteen becomes furious]
["I'm Yin Nanjian! Yin Nanjian, for crying out loud!"]
["Am I really that forgettable?"]
Wang Ran blushed a little.
He had failed to guess correctly three times out of four options, and this was about recognizing someone by their voice. It was almost insulting!
He said softly: "Choose the shortest for three long and one short, choose the longest for three short and one long. Your names are all similar, making it very confusing for me..." [You claim you were just joking]
[Fourteen reluctantly accepts your explanation]
[You chat with Fourteen about interesting events in the club, subtly flattering him. Although you can't see Fourteen's expression under the mask, you can feel that he is very pleased] [Fourteen develops a liking for you]
[You ask Fourteen about the other three seniors]
[Fourteen doesn't answer]
[You realize those three seniors have perished]
Wang Ran could understand Fourteen's silence.
People who were once laughing and talking in his memories were suddenly gone. It must not feel good.
But why didn't he save them?
[You express your confusion to Fourteen]
[Fourteen explains the ideology of the Doomsday Apostles to you]
[You learn that the Doomsday Apostles hope to establish a new, equal world where everyone should undergo the baptism of doomsday. Only survivors are qualified to see the sunrise of the new world, with no exceptions even for the Apostles' own relatives] "That's too cruel." Wang Ran frowned, "Whoever made this rule must be a bit of a psychopath." If the Doomsday Apostles weren't an organization made up of orphans, then they were truly ruthless to themselves, and the people in their organization must all be cold-hearted.
[That night, you rest deep in the crevice. This is your first time closing your eyes in days] A line of colorful text appeared before his eyes.
[You have triggered "Descent of the Divine"]
Wang Ran was stunned for a few seconds before coming to his senses.
Dead?!
"What's going on?" he wondered, "How did I die? Did I die from overworking?" He had joined the Doomsday Apostles and even got on good terms with Fourteen, who could have killed him?
[Your mental attributes are temporarily reduced to zero]
[An anonymous deity has descended]
Anonymous descent...
Wang Ran felt an ominous premonition.
[You have lost control of your body]
Lines of text burning with crimson flames flashed frantically before Wang Ran's eyes.
[Thrilling escape]
[Tense escape]
[Exciting escape]
[...]
Wang Ran let out a long sigh: "Ah!"
Fancy escapes, if nothing unexpected happens, it must be that incompetent yet ambitious scum again.
"I'm really curious who this scum actually is?"
Wang Ran pondered: "I wonder if there's a way to kick this guy out of the deity team, or let me set up a blacklist to prevent this scum from possessing me?" A line of light blue prompt text appeared before his eyes.
[As the level of "Descent of the Divine" increases, you will gain more autonomy. Currently, 290 mental attribute points are needed to upgrade "Descent of the Divine"] Wang Ran thought pensively: "I should prioritize increasing mental attributes if I have extra attribute points." ["Descent of the Divine" duration has ended]
[This deity left indignantly]
[Before leaving]
[They expressed strong contempt for your weak body]
[A mere ant's body cannot bear the weight of a mountain]
Wang Ran mocked: "It's indeed you, you scum. Only you could be chased around frantically while possessing a deity's body!"
The crimson flames burning on the text quietly extinguished.
[You are panting and kneeling on the ground]
[Fourteen is crouching nearby, scraping off mushrooms growing from his body. You notice dense mushrooms growing on his face, arms, chest, and thighs] [You realize you were attacked by some kind of powder]
[You should have been covered in mushrooms like Fourteen, but the deity's body protected you, and you suffered no harm] [You look around and find this is a completely unfamiliar place. Only about a hundred survivors remain, and everyone's face is filled with fear] [Sobbing, crying, and cursing can be heard everywhere]
Wang Ran exclaimed in shock: "Only a hundred people left?!"
He had brought down over a thousand people. Where did they all go? Are they all dead?
[You notice some people walking into the darkness without looking back]
[They never returned]
[You hear Fourteen cursing too, seemingly saying that they brought too many people underground this time, attracting the flowers' attention] [Fourteen walks towards you]
["Wang Ran, I underestimated you before."]
[You see Fourteen's body covered in holes, not even his face was spared. Many uncleared fungal threads remain in the deep holes, making him look like a demon]
Wang Ran felt chills down his spine.
["You're qualified to know more secrets."]
["But I need you to do me a favor."]
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