True Apocalypse Game

Shen Feng remained impassive. He covered his wristband with his sleeve, stared at Ivanovic, and continued speaking:

"...You want to save this world... You love this world... You love humanity deeply... For this purpose, you’ve infiltrated the Purification Society... waiting for a critical day... to play your part..."

On the shadow screens around them, brilliant smiling faces appeared—Asians, Caucasians, Black people; Easterners and Westerners; old people and children; men and women. Every one of them beamed with a brilliant, heartfelt smile, their eyes filled with a love for the world and for life.

"Love... Love..." A smile also appeared on Ivanovic’s face. He murmured the words, having fallen completely into an unconscious state.

Shen Feng then asked slowly:

"Where is Cthulhu?"

This time, although a hesitant look also appeared on Ivanovic’s face, he quickly said:

"All the Purifiers know Cthulhu is still alive, but no one knows his exact location. Many believe he is still in Nebraska, at the Purification Society’s former headquarters. Most think he hasn’t left Eagle Country, and a few guess he might have gone to Central and South America..."

Shen Feng nodded. He hadn’t expected someone of Ivanovic’s level to know Cthulhu’s true location anyway.

"Who is the Whisperer? Or what is it?"

Ivanovic’s brow furrowed. He didn’t convulse again. Instead, an air of righteousness came over his face as he declared loudly:

"It is a Demon, an evil entity that wants to destroy the world! It is the public enemy of human civilization! It is an enemy I have sworn to fight to the death!"

Shen Feng raised an eyebrow. He understood that Ivanovic himself didn’t know the true nature of the Whisperer, so he was simply repeating the content of Shen Feng’s hypnosis.

’Next question.’ "Who is your handler? Who are the other Purifiers you know? What is the Purification Society’s organizational structure?"

Ivanovic said slowly:

"My direct handler is Cheney, the temporary speaker of the Eagle Country Senate. The Purification Society uses a point-to-point, single-line contact structure. Different members only contact their own superiors and subordinates, rarely communicating with those at the same level. As the head of the Purification Society’s Middle East region, I know no more than five other Purifiers. They are..."

The completely hypnotized Ivanovic looked incredibly docile and obedient, as compliant as a primary school student. In just a short while, he had spilled everything he knew.

Shen Feng then took out the paper with the sketch, unfolded it, and said:

"Last question. How did you get this paper? And how did the artist of this sketch know what I look like?"

On the sketch paper was his appearance in a white lab coat, after being disguised by the Nanomechanical Cluster.

He had seen similar sketches many times before, and it truly baffled him.

Ivanovic’s face was blank as he said slowly:

"I drew this when I was six years old. As ’Spiritual Children’ of the Purification Society, we can perceive the future at certain special moments. We can see certain scenes from the future and record them... According to Cthulhu, human consciousness itself is dependent on neural signals in the brain. It’s a quantum-state existence. The brief connection of consciousness with the future and the past is caused by the spatiotemporal properties of quantum entanglement..."

’Is that so...’

Shen Feng vaguely understood what was going on, but he still found it hard to believe.

After all, the brain science involved was far beyond the current era, and it didn’t seem like something a charlatan group like the Purification Society could have researched.

However, Ivanovic was now under deep hypnosis. What he said was likely the truest reflection of his inner thoughts.

’Perhaps Ivanovic himself has been deceived. I’ll have to solve this puzzle myself.’

At this point, Ivanovic had revealed all the secrets he knew. There was no more value in interrogating him.

What Shen Feng was most looking forward to now, however, was what would happen after Ivanovic returned to the Purification Society.

’Will Cthulhu discover that Ivanovic has been hypnotized by me, and that I can reactivate the hypnosis at any time?’

’If Ivanovic is awakened by the trigger word and resolves to become a "Savior," what will he do?’

’If Cthulhu discovers all of this, how will he react?’

’Hypnosis within hypnosis, an awakening within an awakening... The very thought of this dream-within-a-dream drama is exciting...’

"Sleep... You’re tired... All you want to do now is rest well... and then wake up in three hours... Also, your hypnotic trigger word is ’Antichrist’..."

The moment Shen Feng finished speaking, the completely controlled Ivanovic immediately lowered his head and fell into a deep sleep, breathing like a baby.

Shen Feng stood up. The Gray Tide that formed the entire metal hypnosis chamber began to recede like a tide, flowing into the underground through the drainage pipes to lie dormant and wait.

The carpets, furniture, flooring, and ceiling that had been devoured were now completely unrecoverable, leaving only a bare, unfinished room and Ivanovic, sleeping on the operating table.

Shen Feng slung his bag over his shoulder, walked to the window, and opened it. He looked out at the dead-silent Persian Gulf and the moon hanging high in the sky. Taking a deep breath of the sea air, his muscles bulged as he leaped from the third floor, landing in a soft patch of grass and sand.

Then, like an ordinary tourist, he walked toward the seashore and waded into the waves.

In no time, he was swimming like a fish out into the dark Persian Gulf...

In a suite in the hotel, Kavan, who was sitting cross-legged and guarding the Commander, suddenly opened his eyes and looked at his phone.

The icon for the "True Apocalypse Game" was flashing again, displaying a message:

"The fish is in room 3205. Release it into the sea tomorrow."

Kavan understood that the Commander had finished his business and immediately gave an order:

"Go to room 3205 and retrieve the target from the hotel."

Although he didn’t quite understand why the Commander wanted to release a member of the Purification Society, he still carried out the order meticulously.

His surrounding subordinates bowed and immediately headed for room 3205.

But when they arrived, they were shocked to find that it had turned into a bare, unfinished room. In the center of the room was the target, sleeping soundly.

Shaking off their shock, they immediately took Ivanovic away and sealed the room to prevent any information from leaking.

After receiving his subordinates’ report, especially the description of the room, Kavan couldn’t help but frown.

Having experienced the Gray Tide apocalypse in the "True Apocalypse Game," he immediately understood that such a scene was clearly the work of the Gray Tide.

’Evidently, the Commander himself controls the real Gray Tide.’

’He controls a power sufficient to destroy the world.’

’Of course, it’s all under the Commander’s control. There shouldn’t be any problem...’

Kavan walked to the window and looked out at the Persian Gulf, shimmering under the moonlight, a hint of worry on his face.

’Perhaps...’

「Meanwhile」

On a beach several kilometers from the Burj Al Arab Hotel, Shen Feng swam ashore and once again walked toward the brightly lit city of Dubai.

Without bothering to dry the seawater off, Shen Feng raised his hand and looked at his wristband.

"The next phase of the game is about to begin. Player has unlocked a new world: Biohazard World."