Apocalypse Forecast-Chapter 620 - 515 Answer_3
Unlike other ravens that are akin to Yin Souls, these had genuinely acquired the Stigma of Yin Souls and had become members of Huai Shi’s Legion.
The compatibility between the miracle from Hell and this flock of ravens was absurdly high, with absolutely no obstruction between them.
However, perhaps influenced by Huai Shi’s soul, intricate silver-white patterns rapidly appeared on the bodies and wings of the nine ravens, giving them an almost metallic texture.
And in the beaks of those nine ravens were clasped ancient and ornate candelabras. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
On the candelabras, short pieces of candle were burning quietly, emitting a faint glow from the darkness.
The dim flames looked so unreal, like illusory bubbles, unaffected by even the most turbulent and savage gales.
"Candelabras?"
Huai Shi couldn’t understand what this transformation was all about. Yet, through these nine Candle-Holding Crows, he could feel that the entire Crow Flock was under his control, like Arm Use, with their intentions shared and completely unobstructed.
The entire Crow Flock had become an outer extension of Huai Shi’s Legion. With their addition, the Stigma of Soloist underwent another metamorphosis, seeming even more complete, filling Huai Shi with a genuine sense of exhilaration.
Leaning on the power of the Ivory Tower, Huai Shi had crossed the toughest hurdle with such ease and simplicity.
From now on, as long as Huai Shi methodically nurtured the Crow Flock to grow into an Abyss Horde, he could harvest Correction Values continuously, aiding Soloist in rapid growth.
A thought struck Huai Shi. He pulled out the Book of Fate, aiming at the nine Candle-Holding Crows in the flock and snapping a picture.
Now that they were also part of his Legion, this move should work. But even Huai Shi didn’t know what kind of record the Book of Fate would capture—it was all down to luck.
Fortunately, once the Book of Fate snapped, the ravens were still ravens, and no strange transformation occurred.
However, the eyes of a few ravens bulged as they stared at Huai Shi and suddenly squawked, "Holy!!!"
It was as if a remarkable switch had been flipped, and the Crow Flock instantly erupted.
All the Flying Birds grew agitated, fixing their gaze on Huai Shi and starting their fervent praise, "Holy! Holy!! Holy!!!"
This scared Huai Shi green in the face. Where on earth did this flock of fanatics come from? No, it’s like they were a bunch of repeating machines...knowing only this one line! Are you all possessed by Lizard Men?
After Huai Shi finally managed to soothe the flock of ravens, several hours had already passed. His ears were buzzing continuously.
In the middle of the night, if not for the excellent soundproofing of the basement, the neighbors would have probably been knocking on the door by now. Huai Shi wasn’t worried about being able to fight them off, but what if the ravens mistook them for enemies and pecked them to death?
He was in a complete fluster. All this time, a certain black-hearted woman lounged nearby, delighting in his misfortunes.
Only when Huai Shi had run out of options did she pick up the birdcage she had bought for herself at an antique shop and casually tossed it over.
"Catch."
Huai Shi staggered as he caught the splendid birdcage.
It looked light as a feather, but it weighed almost as much as solid steel.
However, upon opening the door of the cage, one could not see the interior of a typical birdcage. Instead, a mesmerizing array of blurry, multicolored lights spewed forth.
It was like the entrance to somewhere else. Without thinking too much, Huai Shi simply pointed at the birdcage, and without a word, the all-encompassing Crow Flock lifted into the air, turning into a gray-black storm that entered the cage.
Incredibly, they all went inside! After the last raven flew in, the door of the birdcage CLICKED shut on its own.
A wisp of white fog arose in the now-empty cage. When the mist dissipated, an animated raven appeared inside, hopping around.
One could also see a condensed landscape of mountains, forests, and a graveyard beneath.
As Huai Shi held the handle of the birdcage, he could feel the state and changes of every raven inside. They weren’t cramped or uncomfortable; instead, they promptly adapted to this new place and cheerfully started singing a new round of hymns...
"What is this?"
Huai Shi examined the birdcage, turning it over in his hands, filled with wonder. He had never noticed such an extraordinary thing in his own home before.
"Dream Cage."
The black-hearted woman, who had had her fill of entertainment, said, "It’s made from scraps of Rotten Dream. Just think of it as a super-sized Elf ball. It can contain any amount of ethereal Source Substance creature groups... It’ll also help you get some good sleep in the future."
It was as if she could hear the ever-present grand chorus of the Ravens’ hymns, and her smile grew stranger still.
"I hadn’t realized you were such a fan of Ravens," she said.
Suddenly, she leaned closer, scrutinizing Huai Shi’s face with a smile. "Or is it that you have some unspeakable thoughts about your big sister, so you want to find a few Ravens to rub and squeeze and hug?"
"I’m not, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense!"
Huai Shi leapt up in fright, eyes wide. "How can you slander someone out of nowhere!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Her slender eyebrows rose slightly, and she sighed as if with regret. "Then I must have misunderstood... Seeing how you just looked like you had more to say, I thought you wanted to continue the benefits from last time. What a pity."
"What pity, damn it!"
Huai Shi became furious. "If I really wanted your benefits, I’d rather suck on a chisel for quicker satisfaction!"
And so, the woman’s smile became all the more jubilant, leaving Huai Shi quite annoyed.
He wanted to punch her.
But after glaring at her for a long time, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He simply shook his head, sighing helplessly.
Huai Shi lifted the cage in his hand and asked, "Haven’t you noticed the problem yet?"
"Holy?"
"Not that."
Huai Shi scratched his head, growing increasingly irritable. "Haven’t you noticed... an overlap in personas? No, I mean, with so many Ravens suddenly showing up, I wouldn’t know how to tell them apart in the future. No, I mean, after knowing each other for so long, I can’t keep calling you ’hey, hey, hey,’ right?"
"You make a good point."
The woman nodded thoughtfully and then suggested, "How about you call me Crow No. 1, and then rank them second, third, fourth from there? That would be quite nice, wouldn’t it?"
"Not nice at all."
Huai Shi was not angry, nor did he glare. He just stared seriously at the woman in front of him. "I’m not asking how to distinguish between all these Ravens in the future; I’m asking for your name."
Huai Shi looked at her and finally gathered the courage, asking earnestly, "—Tell me your name."
"..."
In the silence, the woman in front of Huai Shi seemed to freeze, her eyebrows raised. She inspected the youth before her as if seeing Huai Shi for the first time.
She couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, but she did not speak.
After a long wait, Huai Shi finally admitted defeat. He sighed, waved his hand, and turned to leave. But before he could depart, he heard a voice, soft as an illusion, coming from behind him.
"Tong Ji."
"Hmm?"
He turned around in astonishment, freezing on the spot.
For she was standing right behind Huai Shi, so close he could almost feel her breath on his face.
Huai Shi instinctively stepped back. Yet she pressed forward, step by step, reaching out, nearly pinning Huai Shi against the wall.
As she examined his stunned expression, she revealed a smile of triumphant mischief.
In the quiet, Huai Shi could only hear the chaotic beating of his own heart. He couldn’t help holding his breath.
"You..." he asked hoarsely, "What are you saying?"
"Hmm? Didn’t you just ask a question? I’m answering you," she said, still smiling. She reached up to tuck her long hair behind her ear. Then, her beautiful and exquisite face inched closer, and she whispered by his ear, "Don’t forget, Huai Shi..."
She said, "My name is Tong Ji."
That was her introduction.
A year later, it arrived belatedly.
Huai Shi spent the whole night awake.
