Apocalypse Forecast-Chapter 681 - 563 He Convinced Me!_1

Silence, within the prolonged silence.

Huai Shi held up his hands, Liz looked at him, the others stood frozen in place, while the Paradise Guard shouted their hallelujahs.

It seemed like everyone had a bright future.

After what felt like an eternity, Liz’s fingers, which had been resting on the hilt of her sword, finally gripped it firmly, steady and no longer trembling with rage, as if she had regained her calm.

"You think I can’t deal with you just like this?"

Liz stared at him, calmly asking, "Or do you think you can continue to make a fool of me?"

"No, no, no, you’re wrong, Miss Liz. I would never be so arrogant."

Huai Shi still maintained the standard French pose, hands raised high, a sincere smile on his face. "Of course you have a way to resolve the problem at hand, but what about after that? By tomorrow, news that you refused the surrender of an Inspector from the Astronomical Society and brutally killed him will spread throughout the Current Circumstances."

In his bizarre smile, he lifted his eyes, looking over Liz’s shoulder, but that smile made everyone behind her feel threatened.

It was so profound.

"I think, even if the folks from the Ivy League can keep their mouths shut... the Eye of Nightmare might not be so tight-lipped."

Surveying the subtly changing faces, Huai Shi’s smile grew even more pleased. "Why not let me be of some use before I die and help you eliminate these potential repercussions? Ah, rest assured, I’m not carrying any additional communication devices, so nothing that happens here will leak outside."

Liz asked indifferently, "You think I care?"

"I know you’re the High Priest of The First Sun and a cornerstone of the American Genealogy. Please rest assured, I haven’t underestimated your status one bit."

Huai Shi paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "But aren’t you underestimating me?"

Liz did not speak.

"I am an S-level Registered Militia, internally assessed as S-level by the Jurisdiction Bureau. I am also an Astronomical Society Judge and, apart from that, a formal member of the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, as well as the assistant secretary and acting agent to the head of Ivory Tower. I’m officially recognized as the Green Day Nemesis, a thorn in the side of the Ranch Owner..."

Huai Shi’s fingers flipped, and a mobile phone appeared out of thin air, spinning at his fingertips. "Believe it or not, if there were a signal now, and I called Golden Dawn saying I wanted to switch sides, Matthes would come racing over from Nowhere to snatch me? If I die here in disgrace, Miss Liz, my former superiors, comrades-in-arms, and friends won’t let you go. I won’t lie to you, I’m quite well-liked. Whether it’s in the Jurisdiction Bureau or the Existence Institute, I even have friends in the archaeological teams and the tech department. Just a while back, the Suspended Floors department even invited me for an internship! Want to see my contact list? I remember Mr. Lucian is an exploration consultant for your alliance, right?"

Speaking of this, Huai Shi couldn’t help but get animated. "I can guarantee that if even a whisper of my cause of death leaks out, the Astronomical Society will convene a special border tribunal just for you... Are you really able to bear that responsibility?"

How nice it must be to be a lapdog of the Astronomical Society, to have powerful connections to rely on. Even if he was a Second fifth, the feeling of being able to call for help anytime and anywhere was just too good. It’s a pity that there wasn’t anyone to sing his praises and recite his resume for him; he had to do it himself, which kind of lowered his prestige, but as long as it worked, that was enough.

Especially while admiring Liz’s calm demeanor. One could feel the rage churning beneath her serene and solemn exterior.

Huai Shi’s fingers fluttered, and from the corner of his eye, he glanced behind Liz. Soon, his Source Substance was just a bit shy of being enough for him to perform another Shadow Burial Shuttle. Left behind by the Guard Team to cover the retreat, he could directly jump behind the gate and, taking advantage of the dark environment, use the Yin Soul’s innate ability to sneak and escape.

But at that moment, the replenishment of his Source Substance came to an abrupt halt.

Just a little bit short.

It was as if someone had pressed the pause button...

No, it wasn’t just a feeling anymore.

Because in the darkness outside the door, a hand really did reach out, holding a remote control. It aimed at Huai Shi and pressed the button.

Pause.

Not only his Source Substance but even his body froze in place.

Unable to move.

"If Liz can’t bear the responsibility, then I’ll give the order. How does that sound?"

The old man who slowly emerged from the darkness took off his helmet, revealing his grizzled hair, and said to the teenage girl bowing next to him, "You’re still too young, child. When you’re dealing with this kind of guy, you shouldn’t give him any chance to speak... Although they’re not above board, you still need to know a little about these dirty tricks."

"You’re right, Teacher." Liz nodded in agreement, stepping aside without any discontent or irritation.

Huai Shi’s eyeballs moved slightly, struggling to move them again.

He wanted to speak.

The old man picked up the remote control, pointed it at him, and pressed it again. Huai Shi finally let out a sigh of relief; he could breathe again. Though he still couldn’t move his body, at least he could move his mouth.

"Sorry, but who are you?"

He struggled to shift his gaze, asking curiously.

The old man said calmly, "Michel. Just call me Michel."

"...I’ve never heard of you."

After a brief silence, Huai Shi asked awkwardly, "...Are you famous or something?"

"..." Michel’s expression faltered, caught off guard.

"Are you a local celebrity? How many followers do you have on Twitter? What’s your traffic like? You look very impressive. Are you a big country music star from America? Maybe we could follow each other?"

"Shut up!"

Liz interrupted his nonsensical blabbering, about to say something when Michel raised his hand and pressed the remote control once more.

Huai Shi fell silent.

"Well, since he’s already surrendered, let’s take him back," Michel waved his hand. "After all, he’s a catch."

With that, he stepped forward, reached out, and took the Wind Lamp from Huai Shi’s hand.

Very soon, Huai Shi, who had been put on pause, was bound up. The vengeful Liz even put tape over his mouth to keep him quiet, rendering him unable to speak. Under strict guard and surveillance, he was escorted out, shoved along.

Just as he was about to leave the control center’s main gate, Michel’s steps faltered. He turned back to look at him. "Oh, did you bring an umbrella? We don’t have any spares here."

"Huh?"

Huai Shi was taken aback, puzzled. Muffled under the tape, he asked, "Is it already daytime?"

"No, it’s just because it’s raining."

Michel opened up a large white umbrella, stepping past the gate before him.

Immediately, a torrential blood-red downpour came into view outside.

Huai Shi was startled. He looked up, only to find that the underground space, originally sealed off, was now exposed under the Sky Dome. A huge swath of land, along with thick rock layers, had been brutally lifted by some unknown force. These guys had actually created a massive pit-like hole on the surface, exposing the entire underground world.

Outside the control center, countless people huddled under umbrellas or were equipped with rain gear, standing ready. They had occupied the entire underground world.

Before Huai Shi could react, the person behind him shoved him roughly.

He stumbled forward, into the rain.

Then, under the mocking gazes of others, Huai Shi was instantly covered by the blood rain.

Mm, it was chilly.

Huai Shi shook his hair, feeling... quite refreshed.

「. . .」

"Speaking of which, Great Grandmaster... why are we still here watching? Wait, have I already asked this question?"

Inside the control center’s truck, Raymond scratched his head and cheek, his conscience pricked. "Are we really not going to save him? You must have a way, Great Grandmaster, right?"

"Yeah, I was planning on saving him... I was already prepared."

The Great Grandmaster stroked his chin, appearing to be in deep thought. "But his performance has successfully convinced me."

"Huh?!"

Raymond was surprised.

How did Huai Shi perform? How did he convince you? And what exactly did he convince you of?

"Suddenly I felt... having someone infiltrate the Ivy League is quite good. Since his identity is there, as long as we don’t break the agreement, they definitely won’t kill him. We might as well let him stir up trouble within the enemy’s ranks."

The Great Grandmaster asked seriously, "Don’t you think so?"

"..."

Raymond found himself unable to refute.

Deep down, he really wanted to rescue his teammate, but with the Great Grandmaster putting it that way... he realized that perhaps there were more advantages to having his teammate on the opponent’s side than bringing him back. Although it felt terribly heartless to say, there was something about Huai Shi that unwittingly gave people the impression: Even if the Town of Dusk exploded, this guy wouldn’t have a scratch on him. And with his abilities, maybe he could even thrive within the Ivy League?

Of course, the illusion was one thing; the other was based on trust in the Great Grandmaster. If the Great Grandmaster arranged it this way, he must have a way to ensure Huai Shi’s safety.

"But this is really not quite right," Raymond frowned with concern.

"Don’t worry."

The Great Grandmaster waved his hand nonchalantly. "I’ve already communicated with him."

"Huh? When?"

"Just now."

The Great Grandmaster withdrew his gaze, looking into the distance.

「. . .」

Elsewhere, everyone looked as if they’d seen a ghost.

Huai Shi walked comfortably through the pouring blood rain, stretching languidly. Not a single thing was wrong. Not only was there nothing wrong, but he even seemed to be in high spirits, shaking his head and humming a tune. He felt a surge of vibrant life force. His whole being perked up.

What kind of freak was this?

The expressions of those around him grew increasingly bewildered.

On him, even the minor injuries from the previous battles showed signs of healing... If not for Michel’s eerie remote control, he might have already been fully restored.

His mood was getting better and better. He wasn’t even slightly worried about his impending fate.

However, as he walked, something suddenly felt uncomfortable in Huai Shi’s mouth, under the tape. It felt as if something had been stuffed into his mouth, something hard, making him quite uncomfortable.

He opened his teeth slightly and licked it with his tongue, feeling a series of serrated edges.

A... key?

He looked back at the control center behind him, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Soon, with impatient shoving from the people behind, he returned his gaze forward and kept walking.

GULP.

He swallowed the key.