True Apocalypse Game

New York. Inside FBI Headquarters.

Inside Deputy Director Mick’s office, Gerard, head of the joint task force for the Colombia nuclear incident, and Senior Agent Sophie sat across from Mick. They were seated formally, the atmosphere tense.

The joint task force had since been disbanded, bringing the case to a successful conclusion. Gerard and Sophie had returned to the FBI to resume their previous duties.

But Sophie knew that things could never go back to the way they were.

Over the past few days, she had used a virtual reality device to complete all the game missions in the "True Apocalypse Game." Although she had been tortured to death and back countless times in the Gray Tide apocalypse, the experience had left her utterly shaken.

Everything was so real. Combined with recent real-world news, including the Petrification Disease outbreak, it made her realize just what kind of danger Earth and human civilization had faced.

The slightest mistake would have meant total destruction, turning the entire world into a living Hell!

It turned out that both the Medicine for Lichen Disease and the medicine for the Evil Spirit Virus were developed by the Salvation Army Warriors, with the Commander’s final say sealing the deal.

Averting a terrifying nuclear war and preventing the Gray Tide’s rampage were also the Commander’s handiwork.

While she had taken her daily life for granted, the Salvation Army, led by the Commander, had been silently protecting all of human civilization—and her—from the shadows.

As a new recruit in the Salvation Army, Sophie had also entered certain specific scenarios within these apocalypse missions, chatting with some veteran players and learning a great deal about the Commander.

She could sense that every player who entered the "True Apocalypse Game" was an elite from their respective field; this was clear from the information revealed in their conversations.

And these people’s reverence for the mysterious Commander had reached a fanatical level.

You could say the Commander was their god, their spiritual leader, the guiding light of their lives.

If the Commander so wished, he could have these warriors lay down their lives for him at any moment.

Yet not a single one of them knew the Commander’s true identity, and the Commander had never used this trust to seek any personal gain.

With his current influence, he could probably even establish his own country.

But he had never done so.

Instead, he constantly made sacrifices for human civilization and for the warriors of the Salvation Army.

Once or twice might be one thing, but ever since the "True Apocalypse Game" appeared, that Savior, that Commander, had remained steadfast, forever making sacrifices.

The more she learned, the more Sophie felt a sense of sublime divinity from the Commander!

There was no need for any brainwashing; just from these past few days of deep learning, Sophie had also developed a profound sense of admiration for the Commander.

At the same time, she now harbored a deep-seated hatred for the inhuman Purification Society that lurked in the shadows.

Deputy Director Mick and Mr. Gerard were right. Compared to the grand cause of human civilization’s survival, the things Sophie used to care about were insignificant.

She had also come to understand the basic truth behind the Colombia nuclear incident.

The people from the so-called Medellin Group and Villa Gold Company were clearly connected to the Purification Society.

And that nuclear detonation could be linked to many previous events in the Middle East, including the attack on the Incirlik Military Base.

Many things that had been unclear and inexplicable before were now connecting, starting to make sense.

After everything she had learned these past few days, Sophie had only one thought in her heart: praise the Commander!

Praise the Commander, praise the Salvation Army, praise all the great beings who allow human civilization to continue!

Sophie even began to wonder what she had done to deserve being a member of the Salvation Army. Could she truly handle the responsibility and become a qualified Salvation Army Warrior?

Seeing the solemn expression on Sophie’s face, Mick offered a gentle smile, as if he had already seen into her heart. He said:

"Don’t worry. Since you’ve already passed the Commander’s test, it means the Commander trusts you—both your ability and your heart... What you should do now is follow your heart and become a true warrior. Of course, you must always be prepared to make a sacrifice. I believe you’ve come to that realization..."

Sophie immediately nodded and said:

"I am prepared!"

Mick and Gerard nodded in satisfaction. This was what they appreciated most about Sophie.

Mick stood up, walked over to a portrait hanging on the wall, and said slowly:

"The reason I gave my only two player invitations to you both is that I saw in you the quality of sacrifice and dedication that defines a Salvation Army Warrior—and, of course, an infinite love for human civilization..."

As he spoke, he turned his head to gaze at the portrait on the wall, meeting the eyes of the Eagle Country’s founding father, Washington, depicted in the painting. He then continued slowly:

"The people of every era have their own greatness. For example, while Washington founded Eagle Country, he was also a slave owner who deeply despised Indians... but that doesn’t detract from his greatness... The Commander’s greatness, however, transcends eras and races. It even transcends himself. That is why we follow him..."

"I’ve called you both here today, as you’ve probably guessed, because of the latest mission released in the ’True Apocalypse Game.’ This is by no means a simple mission. It is also a true test for new players—a test of whether you are truly qualified Salvation Army Warriors."

At this, Gerard and Sophie, who were standing to the side, showed expressions of both excitement and nervousness.

To "new players" like them, everything about the "True Apocalypse Game" still seemed mysterious and grand. "Old players" like Mick were equally mysterious and powerful in their eyes, not to mention he was also their superior.

Although they had experienced other apocalypse missions in the True Apocalypse Game before, those were apocalypses that others had already solved. Guides had even been written for them, so there was no real difficulty.

This time would be their first true trial since joining the Salvation Army!

Just then, two beams of green light shot out from the eyes of the Washington portrait on the wall, shining directly into Mick’s eyes.

The retinal scan completed silently. The wall suddenly slid open, revealing a hidden metal door.

Mick calmly stepped inside. Gerard and Sophie exchanged a look and followed him in.

Inside was a secret room similar to a safe house. The walls were covered with all kinds of weapons and ammunition, and there were even a few maps of New York’s secret underground tunnels.

What was even more eye-catching were the three sofa-like pods in the center of the room.

They were the full deluxe, upgraded sets of "The Stars" virtual reality system.

Mick waved his hand, and the secret room’s door closed again. The thirty-centimeter-thick metal wall sealed shut, making it obvious that the room was impossible to discover from the outside.

He found a game pod and lay down in it, calling out to Gerard and Sophie:

"This secret room is a special privilege for the Deputy Director level. I’ve had it modified. These pods should be more than enough for us to achieve perfect immersion in the ’True Apocalypse Game.’ Come on, let’s go see what this new mission is all about."

With that, he put on the helmet, pressed a button, and was enveloped by the pod, instantly entering the game.

Gerard, just as quickly and skillfully, climbed into his pod. The hatch closed, and he entered the game.

Seeing this, Sophie, with a mix of excitement and trepidation, climbed into the last pod. She pressed the start button and felt her torso and limbs being enveloped by a medium inside the pod. Before her eyes, the blood-red eyeball icon of the True Apocalypse Game appeared.

The eyeball icon apparently detected her presence, and her information appeared in the void.

"Enter game," Sophie commanded.

In the next instant, her vision went black, followed by a wave of dizziness. When the light returned, she immediately felt solid ground beneath her feet.

Looking up, she found herself in a clothing store. Aside from a bit of dust, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

’This is the new apocalypse mission?’

Sophie paused. ’This doesn’t feel like an apocalypse.’

After all, even in the previous Stone Statue Apocalypse, everything had looked much older than this.

The furnishings in this room still seemed brand new.

Though she found it strange, her movements were extremely professional. Holding her breath, she grabbed the scissors from the table.

Just then, a low growl suddenly came from behind her, followed by a gust of wind and the sound of something rushing to attack.

Sophie whipped around and stabbed with the scissors in her hand, instantly piercing her attacker’s eyeball and punching clean through the back of their head!