True Apocalypse Game

The moment he finished speaking, Ivanovic felt a jolt of electricity flash deep within his mind, causing his entire body to shudder.

Then, a deluge of information, like a hidden spring surging from the ocean floor, flooded his brain in an instant.

All of this information was about the Purification Society!

It included the very origins of the Purification Society, the moment the first Cthulhu heard the whispers of the Whispering God, the current status of every branch of the organization, and details on every single Purifier.

The information was vast and detailed, yet Ivanovic absorbed it all in an instant, as if he had known it from the very beginning.

Clearly, this was a gift from the Whisperer, information exclusive to Cthulhu!

However, through this information, Ivanovic also discovered that it wasn’t so much that the Purification Society was created under the Whisperer’s direction, but rather that Cthulhu had brazenly thrown the organization together after learning of the Whisperer’s existence.

His goal was to get closer to the Whisperer, to be bathed in its radiance, and to attain supreme glory.

In a way, it was kind of like a simp trying to fake a connection...

All this time, the Whisperer had never given many instructions to the Purification Society. Most things were done on Cthulhu’s own initiative, leading the Society as he saw fit.

To the Whisperer, the Purification Society was dispensable. But to the Purification Society, the Whisperer was their very reason for being, the source of their existence.

This time, after Cthulhu’s death, the fact that the Whisperer communicated directly with them—the Purifiers—to select a new Cthulhu was already considered an immense gift.

A flood of emotions washed over Ivanovic. He felt more keenly than ever that the Whispering God’s divine power was unfathomable to mortals, and at the same time, he was filled with gratitude toward it.

After all, not even the first Cthulhu had been chosen by the Whispering God. Yet he, Ivanovic, had been personally appointed. The significance of this was simply immense.

As he processed the information in his mind, Ivanovic was also stunned by the sheer power of the Purification Society.

This monstrous organization, after so many years of lurking and infiltration, had long ago grown into a colossal entity that had spread throughout all of human society.

A true monster.

The power he now commanded was enough to start a world war.

Then, the Whisperer’s words from before surfaced in his mind:

"...Ivanovic... the new Cthulhu... bring the Sea Beast into the Abyss..."

’That last phrase was truly baffling.’

However, Ivanovic understood that this had to be a matter of extreme importance, likely related to the Whisperer’s next move.

’This is the first time the Whisperer has ever actively requested the Purification Society’s assistance. It has to be executed perfectly.’

’Perhaps this single task could be enough to completely destroy human civilization and welcome the advent of the Whispering God.’

"Sea Beast..." Ivanovic murmured, then turned to Brendan. "Brendan, have you ever heard the name ’Sea Beast’?"

Brendan looked up, his brow furrowed slightly as he shook his head.

"I have not... Is it related to the previous Cthulhu’s plans?"

He spoke cautiously, partly to probe and see just how much Ivanovic, the new Cthulhu, had been told.

Ivanovic gave a dry laugh.

"It has nothing to do with the previous Cthulhu. I am now in possession of all the Purification Society’s information..."

Brendan’s heart skipped a beat at those words. He quickly lowered his head, realizing this must be a blessing from the Whispering God.

Though his heart was filled with envy, he didn’t dare show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

The memory of how mysterious and powerful the previous Cthulhu had been was still fresh in his mind.

’From now on, I can no longer treat Ivanovic as my former ally or subordinate. I have to be truly, deeply respectful toward him.’

Ivanovic shook his head, realizing the information he possessed was far beyond what these ordinary Purifiers knew. It was useless to ask them.

He then said to Brendan,

"Brendan, you stay. The rest of you, go about your duties."

The assembled Purifiers immediately rose, paid their respects, and departed.

Brendan stood up and remained at his side, hands clasped, having already made the mental shift in his status in that short time.

His mind was already racing, exploring other possibilities.

’Even though I didn’t become the new Cthulhu, I can become the new Cthulhu’s right-hand man!’

’After all, the Purification Society still wields immense power. If I can become Cthulhu’s right-hand man, I might gain control over a few more lines. Then, the power I command will be far greater than what I have now.’

’Not even Cheney in his prime could compare to me then!’

’Of course, it all depends on whether Ivanovic likes me or not. I have to perform well.’

Brendan quickly replayed their recent power struggle in his mind, trying to remember if he had done anything to truly anger Ivanovic.

He soon felt a sense of relief.

While they had clashed head-on during the fight for leadership, everything had been resolved amicably in the end.

There was no real animosity between them; in fact, they had ended up as partners.

’Good.’

’Maybe I really can become the new Cthulhu’s right-hand man.’

Ivanovic said, his expression unreadable,

"Brendan, I’m not like our former leader. I believe our great cause can only be accomplished if all Purifiers work together. Now that I am Cthulhu, I will need my own core team. Everything will depend on your performance."

The offer was unmistakable. A look of delight spread across Brendan’s face as he said,

"Leader, please rest assured. I have always held you in the highest regard. From this day forward, I will dedicate all my strength, and even my life, to you!"

The previous Cthulhu had been suspicious and secretive, notoriously elusive. The mid-level cadres of the Purification Society rarely, if ever, saw him.

Now, it seemed, all of that was about to change.

Ivanovic nodded, satisfied. He continued,

"The old leader’s organization of the Purification Society was too antiquated. It can no longer meet the demands of this new era. Therefore, I intend to reform the entire Society along corporate lines, making our power more centralized and our operations more efficient... But before that, I need you to contact the Pacific Line and the Polar Line and search for clues about the Sea Beast..."

He then gave Brendan several coordinates and code phrases.

Brendan was ecstatic. He knew these were the contact methods for the other two lines, information only Cthulhu could possess.

’If I can pull this off, I’ll be Ivanovic’s right-hand man for sure!’

After giving Ivanovic his assurance, he turned and left to carry out his task.

The conference room door was closed with quiet reverence. Ivanovic downed the whiskey in his glass, poured himself half another, and carried it over to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Dusk was falling, and though the sky was dim, all of Manhattan was already ablaze with lights, a picture of bustling prosperity.

This time, Ivanovic’s mood was completely different.

He knew now that, if he so desired, he could hold everything outside that window in the palm of his hand—and perhaps even the entire world.

’The supreme ecstasy of being able to control everything, to destroy everything!’

As a Purifier, he had weathered many storms over the years. He could even guess who had killed Cthulhu—it had to be that fearsome Antichrist.

From his current perspective, however, he was almost grateful to that Antichrist.

’If the Antichrist hadn’t killed Cthulhu, how would I have ever gotten the chance to become the new one?’

’I’d still be stuck under Brendan, quietly serving as the deputy for our line.’

’But now, everything is different! Everything is under my control!’

Sipping his drink, reveling in this ecstasy, a slightly crazed smile slowly spread across Ivanovic’s face.

But then his brow furrowed. He suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something.

It was as if something was buried deep within him, like a thorn, ready to pierce his heart at any moment, creating a subconscious sense of crisis and urgency.

’But... what was it?’

He pondered for a long while but came up with nothing. He had no idea what it could be.

Ivanovic then shook his head lightly, a careless smile on his face.

’I’m worrying over nothing.’

’I’ve become Cthulhu. What is there to worry about? All that’s left is to eliminate that so-called Antichrist and his Salvation Army.’

’I may have suffered a setback at his hands before, but now that I have greater power, it’s hard to say who will come out on top.’

’That ’Sea Beast’ must be a clue left by the Whisperer, something that can change everything...’

Then, Ivanovic raised his glass, making a toast to the distant city. A grim smile touched his lips as he muttered to himself,

"Mr. Savior, the great Antichrist... for the glory of the Whispering God, I will bear witness to your death and destruction..."

The former Cthulhu was dead. A new Cthulhu had been chosen by the Whispering God. In an instant, this news spread to every Purifier.

For the vast majority of them, it was the first time they had ever heard the Whispering God’s voice, so they understood exactly what this meant. There was not the slightest opposition to the decision.

After the recent blow, the entire Purification Society, like a centipede that had lost a few legs, began to operate with precision once more, as if it had suffered no real damage at all.

This, in fact, was a credit to the former Cthulhu, who had divided the Society into different, separate lines to avoid being wiped out in one fell swoop.

Under the new Cthulhu’s command, the Purification Society began to move swiftly, laying the groundwork to find the legendary "Sea Beast." Once again, the undercurrents began to swirl...

...

"ACHOO!"

In the study on the second floor of a small courtyard in the suburbs of Tai City, Hua Country, Shen Feng let out a huge sneeze. "Is someone talking about me?" he muttered. "Why do I keep sneezing?"

A tall, beautiful girl in a maid’s uniform standing nearby brought a cup of Ban Lan Gen tea to Shen Feng.

"This is what you get for gallivanting around without enough layers. Did you catch a cold? Drink this. It’s for prevention."

It was Jingwei’s android avatar.

Shen Feng didn’t argue. He obediently picked up the cup of Ban Lan Gen and downed it in one go before placing his backpack on the table.

After his trip to Colombia, he hadn’t returned directly to Hua Country. Instead, he had taken a detour to various places to make some arrangements, specifically conducting preliminary explorations for the framework of a global Gray Tide network.

He had only just gotten home this morning and hadn’t even had a chance to sit down.

"Haha, another piece for the collection," Shen Feng said with a grin, opening his backpack and carefully lifting out Cthulhu’s petrified head.