True Apocalypse Game

Li Tongchen frowned. ’What stone statues? What Arctic?’

He immediately turned on the TV and flipped to a news channel, which was broadcasting a story from the Arctic Region.

The story was about a highly mysterious and severe natural phenomenon in the Arctic Region.

A few days ago, an earthquake had struck the seabed nearly a hundred nautical miles northwest of the Bering Strait. It was a strong one—a magnitude seven—and had even triggered a small tsunami in the Arctic Ocean.

However, since the quake occurred in a remote, uninhabited area with few islands, and deep on the ocean floor, it had drawn very little attention.

But just today, remote sensing satellites from several major powers had suddenly detected an extremely strong thermal—or rather, energetic—reaction in the earthquake zone inside the Arctic Circle.

At first, it was thought to be a hydrothermal flow caused by an undersea volcanic eruption.

But the thermal reaction zone was expanding rapidly, already covering an area a hundred kilometers across.

Based on the current heat signatures and the affected area, if it were truly a volcanic eruption, it would have to be a supervolcano—one capable of causing a massive ecological catastrophe.

Meanwhile, geological data from the seabed showed no tectonic activity. The crust was extremely thick and stable, which clearly ruled out a volcanic eruption.

This discrepancy only made it all the more concerning.

A large number of oceanographers and geologists converged on the area in various research vessels, eager to find out what was happening.

After all, the previous incident with the Arctic Stone Statue Ruins—which were ultimately leveled by a lost Super Cavitating Nuclear Torpedo—had left many people on high alert.

Today was the day the members of the Ice Dragon Expedition Team were scheduled to descend for an exploratory dive in the Submersible Dragon 9!

The Salvation Army Warriors had been engrossed in the True Apocalypse Game for days. They were completely consumed by its quests, and aside from basic necessities and a few critical tasks, they had paid little attention to events in the outside world.

It was only after failing a mission and being forcibly logged out that they discovered the headline news about the Arctic.

As players of the True Apocalypse Game, they, of all people, understood the true nature of the previous Arctic Stone Statue Ruins incident and the dangers it entailed.

Therefore, the abnormal changes in the Arctic following the earthquake immediately set off alarm bells for the Salvation Army Warriors who saw the news.

"I understand, Adrian my friend. Thanks for the heads-up," Li Tongchen said to the man on the video call. "Let’s postpone our meeting for now. First, let’s see what’s going on up there..."

Adrian nodded grimly. On the television behind him, the same news report on the Arctic expedition was playing.

Li Tongchen poured himself a cup of goji and red date tea. Holding his thermos, he watched the live broadcast on TV, a sense of unease growing within him.

’A bizarre thermal reaction like this can’t be a good sign, no matter how you look at it...’

’...I wonder what the Commander is doing right now?’

On the television screen, several expedition members had already boarded the Submersible Dragon 9. As the winch turned, the vessel detached from the Ice Dragon Research Vessel and began its descent into the ocean’s depths.

Inside the submersible were four expedition members from three different countries.

Two from Hua Country, one from Eagle Country, and one from Bear Country.

Their faces were familiar to people around the world—they were the same four researchers from the Arctic Stone Statue Ruins incident.

As the new deputy captain of the Ice Dragon Expedition Team, Kong Yan was feeling extremely conflicted.

He glanced at Jiang Bing, who had been promoted to captain, and couldn’t help but gripe.

"Captain Jiang, how is it the four of us again? Don’t any of the young folks at the Bureau have any drive? I thought getting promoted meant I’d be spending less time at sea..."

He then turned to the two expedition members from Eagle Country and Bear Country across from him.

"Ivan, didn’t you just get promoted to deputy director? What are you doing here again? And Joe, I just don’t get you. You made a fortune and became a celebrity, so why come back to this grueling submersible work?"

After surviving the near-fatal Arctic Stone Statue Ruins incident, the four had become close friends forged in crisis. They didn’t meet often, but they had never lost touch online.

Hearing Kong Yan’s griping, Jiang Bing rolled her eyes.

"The Bureau didn’t force you to come," she said. "If you really didn’t want to do this dive, why didn’t you say so when they were asking for volunteers? Or am I such an incompetent captain now that you can’t be honest with me?"

Kong Yan pursed his lips.

"What was I supposed to say? That I’m ’scwared’?" he retorted. "They’d laugh me out of the building! As deputy captain, everyone would be talking behind my back... To be honest, I did want to come. I’m just a little conflicted. My kid was just born, you know? That’s a huge death flag. It’s terrifying..."

Ivan, sitting across from them, roared with laughter and clapped Kong Yan on the shoulder.

"Don’t be afraid, Kong! My death flag is even scarier than yours. I’m now the Director of the Russian National Ocean Bureau. Just started yesterday!"

Joe chuckled as well.

"It’s just a small mission," he said. "Oh, by the way, I’m getting married next month. I’d be honored if you all could come to my wedding!"

At that, Kong Yan nearly leaped out of his seat, gesturing wildly at everyone.

"I just had a baby, Old Ivan just got a huge promotion, and Joe is getting fucking married! What are we? A collection of death flags? This is like playing ’Ode to Joy’ at a funeral parlor!"

Then he turned to Jiang Bing and asked tentatively.

"Captain Jiang, you don’t have any good news to share, do you?"

Jiang Bing shot him an exasperated look.

"Why, am I not allowed to have good things happen?" she snapped. "My daughter just made it to the finals of the youth piano competition. Her performance is next week."

Hearing this, Kong Yan’s face went white. He collapsed back into his seat, muttering.

"We’re done for, we’re done for... This is a goddamn one-way trip... What are we going to do..."

Jiang Bing’s brow furrowed angrily.

"Comrade Kong Yan, you’re a deputy captain now. How can you be so superstitious? Can’t you set an example for the younger team members? You have a child, and you’re still this unreliable? Careful, or I’ll tell your wife on you when we get back."

Hearing Jiang Bing’s threat to tattle on him, Kong Yan immediately tried to smooth things over.

"No, no, don’t do that! I was just joking, trying to lighten the mood! I’m a staunch materialist, how could I possibly be superstitious?"

Seeing Kong Yan’s antics, Ivan and Joe couldn’t help but crack a smile.

They were fond of their friend Kong Yan precisely because of his lively personality.

Everyone had been on edge at the start of the dive, but Kong Yan’s clowning had put them all at ease. The deep-sea submersible was now filled with a much lighter atmosphere.

As the light from the surface faded into darkness, the submersible descended several thousand meters, soon approaching the area on the seabed with the most intense energy readings.

At this point, Kong Yan and the others put aside their earlier levity. Their expressions turned serious as they began to rapidly scan the various data readouts, their faces growing more grim by the second.

The temperature here had reached over thirty degrees Celsius!

Without volcanic activity, such a temperature should have been impossible.

And yet, here it was.

The dark red shadow on the energy-detecting radar grew deeper and more intense.

The submersible’s thrusters fired, propelling it forward across the seabed toward the point of the strongest energy signature.

After traveling for more than ten minutes, the energy detector suddenly began to blare a warning.

Simultaneously, the temperature of the surrounding seawater spiked again, now reaching over seventy degrees Celsius!

In the previously pitch-black abyss, a faint light now appeared.

It wasn’t a white light, or any single-colored light, but a brilliant, rainbow-like luminescence.

Seeing the sight before them, everyone in the submersible stared, wide-eyed.

A few dozen meters ahead of the submersible, an irregularly shaped ring, about two meters in diameter, was suspended in the water.

The center of the ring seemed to be covered by a thin film, holding the seawater at bay.

And on the other side of it, visible through the ring, was a vast and starry sky!