True Apocalypse Game

Of course, no secret stays secret forever. The True Apocalypse Game had been around for so long that it was only natural for rumors to leak out.

Still, Nick was reluctant to give up the precious slot he held so easily.

But from the other man’s words, it was clear that neither the fifty nuclear warheads nor the new type of serum left him any choice.

This was the kind of thing only the Commander had the power to resolve.

’I just hope the Commander won’t be dissatisfied with how I’ve handled this...’

Just then, Kavan spoke again, seemingly nonchalant. "By the way, I captured one of their mid-level guys. Seems he’s the head of the Middle East region. Name’s Ivanovic. The Purification Society isn’t all that, it seems."

"Ivanovic?! The Kremlin’s senior advisor to the delegation in Turkey?" Nick didn’t hesitate this time and said immediately:

"I have a slot, but I don’t know the specific invitation method. I can try saying the words to you... I will invite you to join the True Apocalypse Game."

The moment he finished speaking, the phone Kavan was carrying buzzed violently.

He was then shocked to find his phone had connected to the internet through the satellite equipment he was carrying!

A sentence appeared on his phone’s screen:

"Welcome to the True Apocalypse Game."

His whole body trembled, and his breathing grew ragged.

During a previous assassination, he had learned of the "True Apocalypse Game" from his target, and even more, he had learned of the Commander’s power and his great achievements.

Combining the behind-the-scenes information the Assassin Sect had on the Stone Statue Virus plague and other incidents, Kavan had concluded it was all true. He had even struck up a friendship with that assassination target.

But he couldn’t find a way in, and the desire had been gnawing at him.

Finally, a few days ago, he received another piece of news: existing players could invite others to join!

And Nick was one of those players!

Coincidentally, Nick then gave him a mission, delivering himself right to Kavan’s doorstep. Thus, Kavan seized the opportunity.

It wasn’t for money or a craving for power. He just wanted to meet the figure hidden behind the curtain, the one who had saved human civilization time and again—the mysterious Commander!

He had led the Assassin Sect to this day, but this organization, with its nearly thousand-year-old legacy, had gradually lost its purpose, its heart.

Without its heart, the Assassin Sect was just another criminal organization.

But Kavan had a strong feeling now that the Commander might be the one to show them the meaning of their existence!

Even in death, it would be a life fulfilled!

"What happened? Did the True Apocalypse Game accept you? Maybe it only works with an in-person invitation. After all, everything is up to the Commander’s will," Nick asked urgently.

Kavan didn’t answer. He hung up the phone directly, his eyes glued to the screen in his hand as he asked in a trembling voice:

"Are you... the Commander?"

Just then, the words on the screen changed again:

"Please proceed to the cave at the following location."

A set of latitude and longitude coordinates followed.

Kavan immediately took out a GPS device to check the cave’s location. It was not far from their current position.

He let out a sharp whistle and gave orders to his men.

His men immediately arranged the bodies on the ground to make it look like they had killed each other, planted some explosive devices, and then urged their horses toward the coordinates.

From beginning to end, Kavan clutched his phone, not daring to let go.

...

In the CIA Headquarters in New York, Nick’s face was grim as he stared at the phone in his hand, now a dead line. He then slammed the receiver down.

He never expected this undercover contact with the Assassin Sect to go so sideways. That Kavan had just forcibly snatched a slot right from his hands!

That was secondary. If the Commander thought he was incompetent because of this and revoked his qualification, he would be completely finished...

Moreover, Kavan now had fifty tactical nuclear warheads and was an extremely radical person himself. The situation was subtly threatening to spiral into utter chaos...

"Motherfucker..." Nick cursed again, leaning back heavily in his chair before letting out a long sigh.

The game system should have taken over with Kavan now. With the Commander directly involved, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

As for the mess at Incirlik Base, he could just pin it on the Purification Society... Perhaps it was time for that organization to be exposed to the light of day a little.

’But I wonder what the Commander’s intentions are?’

As Nick thought this, he casually opened his own game system. Looking at the Arabic numeral "8" after his name, he felt a pang of regret.

’Who should I invite next...’

...

An hour later, Kavan and his men arrived at the mouth of a cave hidden beneath a rock face.

The location was close to the nearest city. There had apparently been a minor earthquake here a few days ago. He didn’t know why the "True Apocalypse Game" wanted them to come here.

"Kavan, come in." A line of text flashed on the screen again, but this time it used his name directly and ordered him into the cave!

Kavan trembled, but he wasn’t too surprised. Perhaps Nick had told the game system his name.

He and a few of his men started walking toward the cave, but the screen flashed again: "Only you."

Kavan nodded to the men behind him, signaling for them to wait. He took a deep breath, grabbed an AK and a flashlight, and walked into the cave alone.

The cave entrance was only wide enough for one person to pass through, but the space inside was not small.

After a long, narrow passage, it opened into a space like a subterranean cavern, almost a palace. The beam of his flashlight could only faintly outline the shape of the underground hollow.

But looking at the surrounding rock walls, he saw they were all perfectly smooth, as if they had been artificially carved and then polished!

By now, Kavan had calmed down from his initial excitement and elation, and his mind was filled with questions.

His phone showed no signal at all. Even his satellite communicator couldn’t find a signal, yet his phone was still receiving messages!

’What on earth is going on?’

He even began to suspect whether the "True Apocalypse Game" invitation on his phone was real.

’A trap from the CIA?’

’Or maybe the Purification Society?!’

In short, ever since he’d made real contact with the "True Apocalypse Game," everything had started to feel strange, as if some supernatural force was at play.

"Who? Who’s here?! The current Commander of the Assassin Sect requests an audience with the guide of humanity, the Heroic King, the supreme Commander!" Kavan shouted, shining his flashlight all around.

But the cave was empty, with only his own voice echoing back at him. It was as if the whole thing had been a practical joke, and he was just a fool who had fallen for it.

Suddenly, a silvery reflection caught his eye.

On one side of the cave, there seemed to be a small pool of water.

He looked closely at the pool, and suddenly, the water within it began to churn rapidly, roiling as if it were boiling!

No, it wasn’t water. It looked like liquid metal, like mercury!

Then, right before his eyes, the liquid metal writhed and transformed, and in the blink of an eye, a humanoid figure emerged from the "pool"!

This metal humanoid had a full set of limbs and facial features. It looked like a handsome, mixed-race youth. He seemed somewhat familiar, yet Kavan couldn’t recall where he might have seen him.

Soon, light flickered, and the metal humanoid’s appearance became indistinguishable from that of a normal person!

"You... you are..." Even though he had been mentally prepared, this nearly magical scene still shocked Kavan. He stumbled back several steps, tightening his grip on his AK.

The youth walked up to him, smiled faintly, and asked:

"Were you looking for me?"