《Daily Disposable Persona》


 CH 1

    Dawn was about to break.


    A narrow band of white along the eastern horizon gradually brightened, hauling a city hidden in darkness into the light. It was like someone had rubbed a wisp of hazy white sand in the sky, cold and bright.


    Under the gloomy sky, the Huangpu River was still brightly lit.


    Dujiakou on the river was China¡¯s leading financial center. Every second it birthed unimaginable wealth. Its lights were brilliant, glowing golden red in the distance, sleeplessly standing guard throughout the night.


    Today¡¯s weather wasn¡¯t very good. It looked like rain.


    The security guard in front of the Jiangzhou Financial Building had a black umbrella in his hand. He dutifully waited at the doors to serve those who came to work but didn¡¯t have an umbrella.


    This early in the morning, all of Dujiakou was still silent.


    An hour later, countless financial elites from all over Jiangzhou would arrive here by car or subway to begin their hectic, busy day.


    After a few minutes passed it began to rain.


    Hazy drizzle fell from the sky like countless ethereal threads.


    Through the curtain of rain, the security guard saw a man approaching, covered in a cloak of darkness.


    He quickly trotted over to hold the black umbrella over the head of the visitor.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The young man nodded politely and smoothly offered thanks.


    He was born with a handsome and lazy appearance, slender and long-boned. He wore a white shirt, black school uniform pants, and a dark blue marigold school badge on his chest.


    Because it had just rained, his black hair was a little damp. Transparent beads of water clung to his hair like pearls embellishing fine silk.


    Today was a work day. A student in a school uniform clearly didn¡¯t belong at the door of a major financial office building.


    However, this building was famous for celebrities, and the children of a certain boss often came to visit. Not to mention, the school logo on the boy¡¯s uniform belonged to Qingyang High School. This was a famous aristocratic school in Jiangzhou. Even if you had money, you couldn¡¯t necessarily get in. You had to have some kind of background.


    The security guard was about to speak, but the boy lowered his head slightly and gave him a glance.


    There was nothing different about the glance itself, except for a faint chaotic stream of light flashing in his eyes.


    The security guard fell into a trance. His face suddenly relaxed.


    For a while he was silent. Still holding the umbrella, he walked to the office building, opened the entrance with his own access card, then stood aside like a wooden man, a faithful, loyal guard.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    The young man brushed past him. He turned his head and walked into the elevator hall with a snap of his fingers.


    At the moment the elevator door closed, the security guard returned to himself. He froze, looked at the umbrella in his hand, and showed a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Strange¡­ Did I just go out? ¡°


    The raindrops on the black umbrella slowly dripped down, plopping on the ground. That was his only answer.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan stood in the center of the elevator.


    He casually pressed the button for the top floor, and the elevator slowly began to ascend the elevator shaft. The empty interior reverberated with the cheerful sound of Haydn¡¯s Cello Concerto in C major, pleasant but subdued.


    This was the Jiangzhou Financial Building. The skyscraper was nearly six hundred meters high, with 119 floors in total. The entire building was clad in streamlined glass, full of futuristic beauty.


    It was six in the morning.


    Zong Yan had less than two hours to finish his task, no matter how big or small.


    Even worse, today was the last day of Qingyang High School¡¯s final exams.


    If he couldn¡¯t get to the classroom before 8:30 AM, Zong Yan would be recorded as having abandoned the exam.


    If he withdrew from the exam for no reason, he¡¯d be invited to the teaching director¡¯s office for tea, where he¡¯d receive a serious lecture and denunciation.


    Qingyang High School was known as a prestigious school, and its attitude toward academics was quite strict. Zong Yan usually only made small mistakes, which meant being summoned to the teacher¡¯s podium to review. He¡¯d never committed such a big infraction before.


    Zong Yan sighed, felt around in the school bag he was carrying, and took out a handwritten manuscript covered in black.


    Once exposed to the air, the manuscript gave off an unspeakable stench, which was especially effective in the narrow elevator.


    The teenager wrinkled his nose in disgust, and his black eyes darkened. He quickly flipped through the pages and fixed his eyes on a specific passage.


    The book was relatively new. The main text was handwritten in Arabic with pen, interspersed with some Greek, Latin, and ancient Gaelic. It was a thick sheaf of paper, quite weighty in the hand.


    It belonged to a translation commission he received two days ago. The client paid five times the normal deposit and told him to translate the text as soon as possible.


    When it came to translation, Zong Yan was an old hand.


    Zong Yan had a secret¡ªhe could pull various ability cards out of the void.


    There were many types of cards, including ordinary ability cards and superpower cards. There were even daily disposable persona cards that would give you a tense and exciting magical transformation scene anytime and anywhere. Unfortunately, daily disposable persona cards charged by the hour.


    No matter how bitterly he regretted it, he hadn¡¯t managed to draw many superpower persona cards over the years. But he had a basket full of ordinary ability cards.


    Like a speed reading ability card, a basic wilderness survival ability card, and a hassle-free English communication ability card.


    Especially the language proficiency cards. It wasn¡¯t just English or languages like Spanish and German, but also relatively rare languages like Latin and Hebrew. Last year he pulled out an ancient Egyptian language card.


    When it came to the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt or the cuneiform script of ancient Sumer, Zong Yan could read them without any obstacles. He could personally travel to the pyramids of Egypt and have a dialogue with the dead.


    For Zong Yan at his current stage, language ability cards were indeed the most practical type.


    Because he could use these abilities to take translation jobs, and pay the rent, water, electricity, and gas with the money he earned. It was just enough to support himself.


    But Zong Yan never thought he¡¯d get in trouble just by taking a job as a translator.


    Zong Yan was used to reciting silently to himself when translating texts. When he got the manuscript, he did the same as usual without much thought. As a result, when he finished reading the text to himself and was about to transcribe it to another book, he glanced back at the codex and saw that a paragraph had suddenly gone missing.


    At the same time, there was a note in the manuscript written in scrawled English. It said: Do not open this notebook, or those things will return to the world.


    It was all very strange. As strange as his ability.


    Because in all these years, the only person Zong Yan had seen who didn¡¯t conform to the universal laws of physics was Zong Yan himself. He¡¯d never observed anything else unusual. This was the first time.


    It was by no means an ordinary manuscript.


    Zong Yan already had some vague conjectures in his mind.


    Something out there, using this manuscript as a medium, had been summoned from the void and descended on this peaceful world.


    According to the notebook, that thing was called a ¡°star vampire¡±.


    In the dark, this anomaly seemed to touch a commandment hidden deep in Zong Yan¡¯s soul.


    A certain chaotic fragment, mixed with disordered and uncanny impulses from somewhere even more unknown, rushed out of this inexplicable unnamable place, following his blood. The rampage washed through the young man¡¯s muscles, flowing through his entire body, until it was filled with an unhappy emotion commonly called displeasure.


    Get out!


    A voice from long ago resounded, coming from the furthest recesses of the universe. It penetrated the boundless, star-studded dimensions of space, where a chant echoed through a vast and majestic palace.


    He stared at the blank line on the page and shoved it into his book bag with the back of his hand.


    Zong Yan had to find the thing that was summoned and send it back where it belonged.


    He had a kind of intuition¡ªthe thing that was conjured up was here.


    ¡°Ding! You have arrived at Floor 118.¡±


    The cold announcement sounded inside the elevator. Zong Yan took a deep breath and stepped outside.


    If Dujiakou was the premier financial center of Jiangzhou, then the tall, three-spired skyscrapers of Dujiakou were its greatest landmarks.


    Among them, the financial building was the most well-known. Most of the tenants here were large multinational corporations. Undoubtedly, working here was a symbol of ability and status.


    Even in the early hours of the morning, the windows on many floors were still lit up. Because of the time difference and their busy work schedule, financial elites worked overtime day and night. All their clients were senior executives from Fortune 500 companies or heavyweight tycoons. They couldn¡¯t slack off in the slightest.


    The top floor of the financial tower had a sightseeing platform. Because of the rain, it wasn¡¯t especially bright. The air was still.


    Zong Yan glanced at the location of the cameras, and his fingers moved silently.


    The teen in the school uniform easily crossed the ticket gate of the sightseeing hall. In an instant, he flashed to a dead spot of the monitoring equipment one second before the ability ended.


    Zong Yan¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t very good. All the superpower cards he got were E-class.


    For example, he could summon a little cluster of not-very-smart crimson flames to save the cost of fuel when he didn¡¯t have much money. In winter, he could use the flames to warm his hands. However, because of its occasional sluggishness in response to its master¡¯s commands, if Zong Yan wasn¡¯t careful he might set himself on fire.


    For example, he could conjure up a piece of ice that didn¡¯t melt very fast, so that in the sweltering summer weather Zong Yan wouldn¡¯t die of heat exhaustion within the four walls of the family apartment.


    For example, he could call out a small half-bottle of water, which was crystal clear, absolutely pure and pollution free, and sweeter than a mountain spring.


    For example, he could summon leaping starlight to his fingertips and use it to read books at night. It was good for both looking cool and saving money on electricity.


    For example, he could pause time for a few seconds locally, like the incident just now.


    It was one thing to use these abilities to improve his life, but if he was going to use them to fight against the thing summoned from the black leather codex¡­ it was obviously impractical.


    The last remnants of night in the distance had almost disappeared. People might come up here at any moment.


    Zong Yan looked at the gradually increasing numbers on the elevator display board behind him. Without any warning his slender fingers sank into the void and pulled a thin card from the brilliant gap in space.


    The boy on the card was suspended in air, dressed in a white, short-sleeved, Greek-style tunic, with strips of cloth wrapped around his feet. Long platinum hair was scattered on his shoulders. His eyes were as clear as emeralds, like a spirit of the forest.


    The clothing and temperament were totally different, but the face was still Zong Yan¡¯s.


    This was the highest level persona card in Zong Yan¡¯s possession. Despite the many restrictions, it was his trump card.


    A-class daily disposable persona¡ªChild of the Wind.


    The name ¡°Child of the Wind¡± was bestowed on it by Zong Yan himself. Its main ability was to control the wind and give himself the ability to fly through the air. For details, please refer to Peter Pan.


    This card wasn¡¯t drawn randomly by Zong Yan. He synthesized it with a B-rank wind-type persona card and a D-rank speed-enhancement persona card. The success rate of synthesis was only about 5%, but the blind cat managed to find a dead mouse.


    In theory, the A-rank Child of the Wind could be upgraded to S-class through synthesis, but Zong Yan hesitated to do so because each persona card could only be obtained once.


    After all, this was his only A card. If the operation wasn¡¯t successful, it might turn into a waste card. It was better not to take the chance.


    ¡°Hee hee hee hee hee¡ª¡±


    A cold, disgusting laugh emerged from the distant void. Crimson light loomed in the air. If you gazed at it closely, you could see scarlet blood dripping from a gap in reality, and scraps of conglutinated broken flesh.


    It was suspended outside the financial building. He was vaguely able to see those crimson tentacles dancing in the rain, like a creature from the end of days.


    The more it rained, the more the sound of the laughter was muffled, and the bloodstains were washed away, leaving nothing behind.


    The perpetrator was extremely skilled. It couldn¡¯t be called ¡°human¡± or ¡°beast¡±. It was something more difficult to put into words, some kind of inexpressible ¡°monster¡±.


    Obviously, this thing had eaten, because a dried-up corpse was hanging on a glass support bracket outside the tower, tottering with the rain and whistling wind.


    If it wasn¡¯t discovered, maybe it would become one of the countless strange stories of Jiangzhou.


    Zong Yan¡¯s face went cold. Without hesitating, he crushed the Child of the Wind in his hand. The shattered card turned into millions of fragments which disappeared into his body.


    ¡¾Daily disposable persona card ¡°Child of the Wind¡± requires SAN value = 35. Current SAN value = 40. Activation successful.¡¿


    ¡¾Attention. This persona can be maintained for roughly 3.5 hours¡¿


    All right, the pay per minute billing had begun.


    After the dazzling light disappeared, he triggered the safety bolt on the window and effortlessly jumped from the inner ledge to the glass bracket outside.


    It was nearly six hundred meters above the ground, and this was the tallest building in all of Jiangzhou. Standing here, you could easily take in the entire city. Just a glance down was enough to dazzle the mind.


    Zong Yan held the invisible wind blade tightly in his hand and flew out without looking back.


    The cold steel and iron of the city swept under his feet. Countless unseen winds obeyed his commands, gently stretching out their hands to force away the rain that would have soaked him.


    The young man with long platinum blond hair flew through the thick curtain of rain. Wherever he went, the raindrops avoided him.


    It was clear he was about to face an indescribable creature, but Zong Yan had no fear.


    There were many side effects of daily disposable cards, one of which was that it affected the user¡¯s personality. Now, for example, Zong Yan could feel himself surging with fearlessness, arrogance, and courage.


    He had used this card countless times, flying high in Jiangzhou after nightfall. Soaring over the yellow surface of the Huangpu River, crossing above the crowded Bund, jumping into the clouds, free-falling from a height of ten thousand meters.


    His soul emerged from the body of a boy sitting in a classroom looking up at the sky, launching towards a vault of freedom in the heavens.


    He commanded the stars, anchoring them, and crowned himself king of the wind.


    ¡°Get back where you belong, star vampire.¡±


    The Child of the Wind spoke to himself, and the wind blade in his hand stabbed at the void without mercy, roaring in the pounding rain a declaration of war.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Here I am, sailing the stars, and anchoring them, and crowning myself king of the winds. ¡ª Adonis,  ¡°King of the Winds¡±


    Zong Yan: Guardian Sweetheart1, transform! Image transformation! Go!


    <1>


    The internal settings are completely different from COC3. They¡¯re basically my private settings


    If the little cuties came for a tone of despair and terror, let Ya apologize first. This article probably doesn¡¯t express that kind of nameless horror. The essence of Cthulhu is hopelessness and the unknown. This story doesn¡¯t have that. It¡¯s basically a hot-blooded chuunibyou who¡¯s full of hope to save the world. After all, chuunibyou people are all about running around and punching ancient gods.


    <2>


    The main story has a slight group pet4 direction


    <3>


    Started a new story! It¡¯s a new journey. Thank you for your support! YaYa loves you!


    <4>


    Finally, thank you for sending mines and nutrient solution5 to this story before it opened =3=


    TL Notes:


    Welcome! I¡¯m happy to share this story with you guys in English!


    Because of all the various stuff involved in getting a new project added, I plan to skip posting tomorrow. After that I should be able to update daily (with occasional breaks).


    Thanks for reading!


    ¨C Confectioner aka Gao Dian Shi (¸âµãʦ)


    ¡ª


    General notes:


    daily disposable ¨C ÈÕÅ× ¨C daily disposable, single use, single serving, one use per day


    persona ¨C ÈËÉè ¨C character setting, character type


    high magic ¨C ¸ßÎä ¨C g¨¡o w¨³ ¨C Alternatively: high martial arts, but this isn¡¯t a martial arts story.


    ¡°King of the Winds¡± is a poem by Adonis. The translation to English used here is by Kamal Abu-deeb


    ¡ª


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Zong Yan ¨C ×ÚÑÜ ¨C Z¨­ng Y¨£n ¨C Our MC


    ¡ª


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    star vampire ¨C ÐÇÖ®¾« ¨C AKA ¡°Shambler from the Stars¡±. It might not be the type of vampire you¡¯re thinking of ¦²(¡ã§¥¡ã¦Ô)


    It was red and dripping; an immensity of pulsing, moving jelly; a scarlet blob with myriad tentacular trunks that waved and waved. There were suckers on the tips of the appendages, and these were opening and closing with a ghoulish lust¡­. The thing was bloated and obscene; a headless, faceless, eyeless bulk with the ravenous maw and titanic talons of a star-born monster. The human blood on which it had fed revealed the hitherto invisible outlines of the feaster.


    ¡ªRobert Bloch, ¡°The Shambler from the Stars¡± (source)

 CH 2

    A hush fell over the examination room. The only sound was the scratch of pen nibs sliding across white test paper.


    The walls were white, and the soft radiance from the light fixtures overhead pooled silently on the desks.


    Outside, the rain fell harder and harder.


    Da-da-da-da. The raindrops fell from high in the clouds, striking the stone slabs on the ground with a sound of diffused agitation, but it was hampered by the door and didn¡¯t intrude into the examination room.


    Knock knock knock.


    There was a rap on the door, then it was pulled open halfway.


    In an instant the noise outside became much clearer. The sound of rain rushed in.


    The man at the door lifted his eyes.


    The teenager¡¯s short black hair was wet, and his school uniform shirt had been washed so many times the color was faded. He stood in the doorway of the classroom.


    Half of his sleeves were soaked by rain, as were his trouser legs. His other hand held a transparent umbrella slightly tilted, and his long fingers squeezed the handle to fold it up. Cold rivulets of rain slid down the clear surface of the umbrella. The water coalesced into a small puddle on the dark ground.


    With the curtain of rain as a background, when viewed from a distance it seemed like countless light sources were all focused on him.


    ¡°Sorry, teacher, I¡¯m late.¡±


    His voice was faint. Intermingled with the sound of the rain, its timbre was asa cold as jade.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to enter fifteen minutes after the start of the exam.¡±


    ¡ªIt had been more than thirty minutes now.


    The invigilator inside the classroom frowned and glanced at the time on his watch. Then he walked over and pulled the door closed in front of the boy. As he spoke through the door, his voice had no mercy.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Students who are absent from the exam must go to the teaching director¡¯s office to write a self-review.¡±


    Many of the students in the classroom looked up one after another.


    There were a lot of sightlines. Some were indifferent, some had worry written clearly on their faces, and some were gloating.


    Zong Yan just stood by the door and pursed his lips. His eyes swept through the clear glass window. Then he silently turned his back, opened the umbrella, and walked into the rain again.


    ¡°Sh*t, look at him like that. What¡¯s he trying to pull?¡±


    Ye JingMing looked back at Xia KeYan behind him. He wasn¡¯t surprised to find a faint expression of concern on her usually calm, unruffled face.


    His fist tightened. He was so angry the pen almost flew from his hand.


    ¡°Ye Ge1, don¡¯t get mad. Think about the physics final exam. Zero points in physics¡ªthe old devil will grill him to death.¡±


    On the opposite side, another of his little followers immediately lowered his voice to say something, but the next second the invigilator swept over a warning look. The boy¡¯s neck shrunk back and he dutifully shut up.


    The examination room fell quiet again, as if what just happened was a perfectly ordinary incident.


    But in the end it disturbed the mood of many students.


    In Class 3 of year two, Zong Yan was an existence that didn¡¯t quite fit in.


    In fact, this applied to all of Qingyang High School.


    At the beginning of the first year of high school, every grade of Qingyang School buzzed with rumors of an amazing freshman in the senior high department. He even overshadowed the student who placed number one in the high school entrance exam.


    This freshman had no other characteristics. He was good-looking and said to have an outstanding family background.


    The first item, good looks, was obvious to all. Just one day after entering school, the position of school grass updated in everyone¡¯s minds. The strength of his physical hardware was apparent to everyone.


    But the second item was never confirmed.


    Qingyang High School had always been a prestigious school in Jiangzhou, with well-equipped facilities and a strong teaching staff. The educational credentials of the teachers started with Tsinghua, Peking, and Jiao Tong. The entrance requirements were extremely high, and its graduates dominated Jiangzhou year after year. In Jiangzhou, as long as a family had some connections or heritage, it was almost a requirement to send their children there.


    There was a consensus that students in Qingyang High School either excelled in their studies or came from rich or influential families.


    Unfortunately, Zong Yan¡¯s academic performance was mediocre. Since the first option was ruled out, logically the second option held, and that meant either rich or powerful.


    ""


    Zong Yan was also the sole exception to the secondary language classes on Friday afternoons, having received instructor approval not to attend. It was said that he¡¯d mastered several languages.


    Aside from a prominent or high-ranking family, who would go to such lengths to cultivate that kind of knowledge?


    In addition, Zong Yan was mysterious in his daily life. He never joined any kind of club organized by the school, didn¡¯t participate in extracurricular activities arranged by the class, and even found excuses to push off the spring and autumn trips every semester. Every morning he walked into class with the teacher when the bell rang. After school, he followed the teacher¡¯s footsteps out. He absolutely never stopped anywhere else on campus.


    Even so there were many girls in Qingyang High School who secretly had a crush on him.


    When class was over, many girls took the long way around and walked past the door of Class 3 of senior two on purpose. They walked with their friends in their arms, dawdling and pacing back and forth, just to look at him through the window. Sometimes the teacher stayed after class to go over various problems. When the teacher left, he found the corridor outside was crowded with people, just like the runway of a fashion show.


    There were a lot of people who loved Zong Yan secretly, but there were also a lot of people unhappy with him.


    Ye JingMing was one of them.


    Ye JingMing came from a good background and was the son of a local luxury goods trading company. His father built his business from scratch, caught up with the policies of the times, and built a prosperous company. He was a respected man in Jiangzhou who was courted by the locals.


    In Class 3 of senior year two, Zong Yan¡¯s academic performance might be mediocre, but Ye JingMing scraped the bottom. However, the eldest young master hadn¡¯t come to school to study. It was said that his father had already made connections. He was just waiting for year three to transfer directly to the International Department of Qingyang High School to study the IELTS Foundation Program and be sent abroad for gilding. Not to mention, his father was a trustee of Qingyang High School and had donated money for a new building, so the teachers of all subjects turned a blind eye to him.


    Originally, Zong Yan¡¯s poverty level meant he didn¡¯t exist in the same space-time continuum as Prince Ye. Unfortunately, for reasons that were completely unknown to Zong Yan, Ye JingMing liked to cause trouble for him both overtly and covertly.


    Ye JingMing had been dissatisfied with Zong Yan¡¯s existence for a long time. He was chairman of the Anti-Zong Yan Alliance of Qingyang High School.


    Anyway, whenever Zong Yan was unlucky, this guy felt pretty content.


    Given Zong Yan¡¯s degree of self-absorption, he didn¡¯t even recognize all the students in his class. It was only Ye JingMing who¡¯d made a deep impression. Over time, Zong Yan managed to learn his name.


    If a student missed part of the final exam, he would be invited to the director¡¯s office for tea.


    To make it to the exam, Zong Yan had fought the star vampire for three hundred rounds and finally cut his opponent to pieces with his knife. Still in the persona of the Child of the Wind, he flew without stopping all the way from Dujiakou in Pudong New Area to Qingyang school in Jiading District.


    Generally, Zong Yan only used the Child of the Wind to soar up to the dome of the sky at night and breathe the free air, a way of escaping the pressures of life. This was his first time flying in the city during the day.


    His Child of the Wind persona only lasted three and a half hours. If it dropped in mid-air, even the gods wouldn¡¯t be able to save him.


    If the rain weren¡¯t falling so heavily today, like someone carrying a basin of water overturned it from the clouds, limiting visibility to a very blurry range, Zong Yan wouldn¡¯t have dared to fly back.


    If his superpowers were exposed, absolutely nothing good could come of it.


    Not to mention that he was the only person with superpowers in the world.


    This was engraved in Zong Yan¡¯s mind when he first discovered his ability to remove cards from the void.


    It was true that some insane things like star vampires had shown up later, but as long as they were driven back, everything would return to its original state.


    Zong Yan was convinced of this.


    He hadn¡¯t missed the exam for no reason¡ªhe was saving the world.


    ""


    Wasn¡¯t that so much more vital and important than a final exam?!


    Zong Yan thought his logic was iron-clad and justified, which should be equivalent to a perfect score. But as a matter of fact he was a bit laid back when it came to school, classified as an unruly problem child.


    On a daily basis the old devil physics teacher would call him out by name to stay late, but Zong Yan would sneak away. Don¡¯t even mention the teaching director.


    He still had to go back and find the client who commissioned him to translate the black manuscript.


    There was something wrong with that person.


    Zong Yan had been used as a pawn. But since he¡¯d started the matter, he was going to finish it.


    Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts were very calm. Without hesitation he turned away from the door of the teaching director¡¯s office.


    Anyway, once the final exams were finished, he only needed to come back to school in two days to get his summer homework. Then he could start his happy and fulfilling vacation.


    In the morning two days later, sitting in the classroom while the head teacher harangued him, Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts hadn¡¯t changed


    Zong Yan was very biased when it came to subjects. He did best in mathematics and English, especially the former. He was ranked first in that subject in his grade.


    Generally speaking, it was logical that if you were good at math, you wouldn¡¯t be terrible at science.


    Maybe Zong Yan was born to be the counterexample. His physics was utter garbage.


    The description ¡°a dog¡¯s breakfast¡± was personally awarded to him by the physics teacher. It was used as a metaphor for his perfect score of 110 in mathematics while routinely managing only 30 points in physics.


    However, Zong Yan¡¯s development was balanced in two aspects. When it came to science, he was trash at physics, and when it came to liberal arts, his history marks were about the same. He hovered around 30 points every time.


    The situation was similar with literature.


    But Zong Yan wanted to study theoretical science later and would probably take other science courses for his major. He might need to explore a wider range of pathways in the future.


    The old devil of physics: I have you now.gif


    The summer holidays were coming soon. As soon as the teacher¡¯s lengthy diatribe ended, Zong Yan wouldn¡¯t have to be terrorized by physics for the next two months.


    Summer vacation held a great attraction for any student. So Zong Yan was mentally both in and out of the classroom, and the roar went into his left ear and out of the right. He walked obediently to the back of the classroom to stand for punishment, hanging his head low and drifting off drowsily.


    Knock knock knock.


    As the physics teacher spitefully detailed the inexorable path from a missed exam to a wasted life filled with remorse and squandered dreams, the door of the classroom was knocked on once again.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt. We appreciate your cooperation.¡±


    Police officers in black uniforms filed into the room, displaying a search warrant and police certificates to the teacher on the platform.


    ¡°Ah, oh, please.¡±


    The physics teacher was stunned by the intrusion. He hurriedly took two steps back.


    The whole class was dead silent, and everyone stared with wide eyes as this team of armed police entered the classroom.


    They were all dressed in crisp uniforms, police badges, and long batons.


    ¡°My God, is that a real gun¡­¡± Ye JingMing muttered.


    He stared at the black gun grip belted to a police officer¡¯s waist and gulped nervously.


    Obviously guns weren¡¯t new to anyone, but it was the first time these greenhouse flowers had encountered real firearms. They couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous.


    The policeman at the head of the group had a photo in his hand. He looked around the classroom for a while. Then without hesitation he walked up to Zong Yan, who was standing at the far end of the classroom for punishment. The police officer looked serious.


    ¡°Hello, student. According to our investigation you have a connection with the murder case in the financial district two days ago. Please come with us.¡±


    Zong Yan, who¡¯d been about to doze off, immediately opened his eyes on full alert.


    ¡ª


    TL Notes:


    school grass ¨C У²Ý ¨C school idol (male), school beau, school hunk, campus beau. Female equivalent: school flower


    Eldest young master ¨C ´óÉÙÒ¯ ¨C d¨¤ sh¨¤oy¨¦


    Prince Ye ¨C from Ò¶´ó¹«×Ó ¨C Y¨¨ d¨¤ g¨­ngz¨«


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    You can find the master list of transliterated names and titles in Chapter 0 ¨C TL Notes. New in this chapter:


    Ye JingMing ¨C Ò¶¾°Ã÷ ¨C A male student in MC¡¯s class


    Xia KeYan ¨C ÏÄ¿Éåû ¨C A female student in MC¡¯s class

 CH 3

    ¡°Hello, student. According to our investigation you have a connection with the murder case in the financial district two days ago. Please come with us.¡±


    The police officer in charge spoke in a cold, hard voice, and his eyes were as sharp as a falcon¡¯s. He stared closely at Zong Yan¡¯s face, not letting any hint of expression escape his notice.


    Two days ago. The financial center. It all pointed to the same incident.


    Zong Yan thought he¡¯d taken enough steps to conceal himself. He didn¡¯t expect to be caught the first time. It was really kind of embarrassing.


    Although he had some powers ordinary people didn¡¯t have, Zong Yan considered himself to be pretty low-key. If it hadn¡¯t been for the star vampire, a genuine threat to human life, Zong Yan never would have dared to openly fly in a rainstorm, which could expose his abilities at a glance.


    He had nothing to do with the corpse drained by the star vampire. On the contrary, he¡¯d upheld justice, performed good deeds, and accumulated virtue. He busted his chops to cut down that creature with his wind knife, eliminating a menace to the public. And because of that, he¡¯d also missed the exam.


    It had to be said that Zong Yan was an innocent person facing false charges.


    But if you weren¡¯t guilty of anything, you wouldn¡¯t be afraid of ghosts knocking at your door.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He nodded quietly and didn¡¯t make a move, cooperating with the police.


    Although he looked calm on the surface, Zong Yan¡¯s heart was in turmoil.


    He was just a poverty-stricken student. He studied hard until 3:00 AM and made progress every day. Although he didn¡¯t have any parents, he¡¯d grown up with his grandma. The only difference between him and other people was that he possessed superpowers.


    But the heavens could see the conscience of everyone under the sun. Zong Yan had never done a single bad thing with his abilities.


    If he had done something bad, he wouldn¡¯t be so poor.


    ¡°Take him away.¡±


    When the police captain saw Zong Yan¡¯s cooperation, his expression relaxed a little. He waved his hand and the officers in back surrounded Zong Yan in a cross shape. Each one looked alert and on guard. It seemed that if Zong Yan pulled any sudden moves in the middle of all these people, they¡¯d immediately pull out their guns or just come in for a chokehold.


    The whole thing was utterly weird.


    Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts were a mess.


    He still hadn¡¯t figured out how he was exposed. Obviously he¡¯d detected every camera and shielded himself with an electromagnetic pulse in the elevator. There was really no reason to be caught like this.


    What¡¯s more, the degree of severity was shady as hell. Why the need for such a big show of force against a student? Generally speaking, if a minor was suspected of a crime, weren¡¯t they supposed to protect his privacy?


    Zong Yan began to speculate and made a frightening guess.


    ¡ªMaybe they¡¯d known for a long time that this seemingly ordinary second-year student had unusual abilities.


    In any case, he was all set to go.


    ¡°Mr. Officer, could there be some kind of misunderstanding?¡±


    When the police took Zong Yan into custody and were preparing to walk out of the room in full view of the class, the physics teacher suddenly came over, trembling, and broke the silence.


    ¡°This is my student. I know his character and temperament. I guarantee on my life, there¡¯s no way he would ever have something to do with a murder.¡°


    Zong Yan¡¯s head jerked up. There was a complicated light in his eyes.


    The physics teacher of Qingyang Senior High year two was a balding old man surnamed Liu. The students called him Grandpa Liu to his face and ¡°old devil¡± behind his back.


    The nickname was born because of his unparalleled academic rigor, and also because he carried a ruler with him. Students who didn¡¯t listen would be called up in front of the classroom and really get their knuckles rapped. It was said that this was the old man¡¯s practice going back decades. Doctoral students who graduated from Qingyang High School and came back to visit their alma mater said that the reason they¡¯d learned physics so well was because of the pain of having their hands slapped at the beginning.


    The old devil had previously been a front-line teacher who only taught graduating seniors. He couldn¡¯t count how many top students he¡¯d groomed for the college entrance exam, and he was utterly famous in Jiangzhou. Two years ago, he¡¯d retired to enjoy his sunset years, but later the school leaders with immense respect invited him back to teach.


    But when he returned, he said that his body wasn¡¯t as strong as it used to be. Coaching seniors year after year took too much of a toll on his health, so he applied to follow the same group of students for all three years starting from senior one. He just didn¡¯t expect to meet such an unenlightened blockhead as Zong Yan when he came back. He was lucky the rage didn¡¯t give him high blood pressure.


    Most days, Zong Yan¡¯s relationship with the old devil bristled with tension. After all, he was a repeat problem student who never changed his ways. Although he didn¡¯t go so far as to blatantly contradict the teacher in class, when the old devil told him to stay late, it went in one ear and out the other. Zong Yan was still the first to leave when class was over.


    Zong Yan had always been at odds with the old teacher. He never thought the man would speak up for him at a time like this.


    ¡°Also, this arrest obviously isn¡¯t following the normal judicial process. Zong Yan is our classmate. His character¡¯s obvious to everyone. We can all vouch for him.¡±


    A clear, crisp voice came from the first row.


    Zong Yan looked back and met the eyes of a black-haired girl. She froze for a moment, then bit her lower lip and somewhat awkwardly averted her eyes.


    Zong Yan was stunned, too. Without changing expression he looked away.


    He really didn¡¯t take much notice of his classmates, but he knew this girl.


    Xia KeYan.


    The school flower of Qingyang High School, she had good looks, good grades, beautiful calligraphy, and played the violin. She was versatile and talented.


    Not to mention that she came from a famous family of scholars in Jiangzhou. It was said that the principal of Qingyang High School was a family friend. Every school commencement ceremony, the principal personally awarded her a prize.


    Although Zong Yan didn¡¯t pay much attention to things like that, the old devil couldn¡¯t resist comparing them all the time. After enough repetition, he remembered her name.


    But Zong Yan clearly recalled that he¡¯d never said a word to this girl. He didn¡¯t expect her to come forward now, standing up to injustice.


    She must feel camaraderie for a fellow Chinese student.


    ¡°Me too. We¡¯re all classmates¡­¡±


    ¡°I can also promise¡­¡±


    ¡°Me too¡­.¡±


    After Xia KeYan spoke up, most of the students in the classroom followed suit.


    ""


    For most of them, don¡¯t mention their names, Zong Yan didn¡¯t even recognize their faces.


    But now each of these unfamiliar students, whom he barely knew, were gazing at the police officers with sincere eyes, speaking up for a classmate they didn¡¯t know that well.


    Zong Yan suddenly wondered if his usual anonymous bystander-like personality wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought.


    ¡°Please excuse us.¡±


    The police captain frowned. ¡°It¡¯s true this isn¡¯t standard procedure. I regret that I¡¯m unable to explain it further. However, I will tell you that we only need this classmate¡¯s cooperation to record a statement. This isn¡¯t a direct arrest of a suspect. Please don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t wrong any good person.¡±


    Now that the police had said this, it was difficult for them to say anything more. They could only watch as the troop of people took Zong Yan out of the classroom.


    When he got to the door, Zong Yan stopped in his tracks and turned around. The police on both sides immediately put their hands on their guns, watching him warily.


    ¡°Thanks, everyone.¡±


    The black-haired teenager in the faded school uniform simply nodded towards the classroom, bowed briefly to the physics teacher, then turned and left without hesitation.


    ¡°Holy sh*t, Ye Ge. That kid¡¯s really out of luck this time¡­¡±


    The little follower craned his head to peek out of the window as the police escorted Zong Yan down the long hallway. Each classroom along the corridor was shocked by the show of force. One after another, students stared in disbelief.


    ¡°What in the world was that? What a show. If I didn¡¯t know better I¡¯d think they were shooting a movie.¡±


    Ye JingMing was a little pale, but the scene where Xia KeYan had spoken up for Zong Yan was a bit too eye-piercing for him to endure, so he reflexively sneered, ¡°Sixteen is old enough to be criminally responsible. He knows what he¡¯s done.¡±


    He didn¡¯t lower his voice, so even the students in the back row heard him clearly. The class leader frowned. ¡°Ye JingMing, pay attention to what you say. We¡¯re all classmates. How can you slander someone for no reason?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Ye JingMing saw Xia Keyan had also turned away, and the expression on her face wasn¡¯t good. His heart immediately thudded.


    He was about to say a few words in his own defense, but his voice was drowned out by a sudden roar.


    What was that?!


    The noise was so loud it shook the windows of the entire classroom. The teacher¡¯s impassioned lecture was nearly inaudible in an instant.


    When they looked outside, they saw a dark helicopter suddenly fly over the grounds of Qingyang High School. The huge rotor rumbled and roared in the air and swirled patterns into the neat fake turf of the football field. Gale force winds gusted below.


    The helicopter was black, and a golden dragon with open teeth and claws was painted on its body. The smooth lines and dark projections below the small wings on its sides indicated that this wasn¡¯t an ordinary civilian helicopter but an actual military helicopter.


    Many of the physics teachers in Qingyang High School were military enthusiasts. They immediately recognized this was the most recent WZ series. They were red-faced with excitement and ran down the hallway to take photos.


    The sudden arrival of a helicopter made everyone a little confused.


    The police officers who escorted Zong Yan to the side of the playing field had clearly expected this. Their faces were serious, but their eyes revealed a faint bit of excitement.


    ""


    Clunk¡ª


    The helicopter¡¯s door sliced open. The man who jumped down wore a solid black military uniform outlined with pale silver thread. On his chest was the same dragon emblem with teeth and claws, and his trousers were neatly tucked into brightly polished military boots.


    ¡°Dragon Group Special Operations Unit, pleasure to meet you.¡±


    The uniformed man nodded to the police captain and showed his ID. ¡°According to my orders, this person¡¯s statement and the follow-up investigation will be transferred to us for processing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± The captain took a deep breath. His furrowed face wore a serious, even reverent expression.


    Everyone within the establishment had heard of the ¡°Dragon Group¡±.


    In fact, their fame went far beyond that.


    Internationally they were as well-known as the U.S. Navy SEALs, the 22 Special Air Service regiment of the United Kingdom, and the GSG9 der Bundespolizei of Germany. They were also one of the pivotal forces guarding the great land of China. Although they were relatively low-profile in their home country, in the eyes of military buffs they were the patron saints who guarded the nation.


    Every year, countless young people joined the army. Many dreamed of someday passing the Dragon Group¡¯s youth pre-training selection and becoming a member of their reserve.


    But this wasn¡¯t the most important thing. What was most important was that everyone knew that each member of the Dragon Group wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.


    ¡°Not an ordinary person¡± was an ambiguous term. Although everyone knew there were no ordinary people in the Dragon Group, exactly what aspect wasn¡¯t ordinary had never been officially defined.


    The police captain had retired from the front line of the army to the reserves. He knew more about the Dragon Group than most.


    There was a one in a million chance a person would have something that others did not. These extraordinary talents were called Awakened Ones.


    The threshold to join the Dragon Group Special Operations Unit was to be Awakened.


    The captain had developed some vague conjectures in view of the autopsy results, so he¡¯d specially transferred additional personnel and applied to go beyond the judicial process. Now that the truth was confirmed, he still couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath.


    Since the Dragon Group was involved, the nature of the incident was unmistakable.


    This teenage boy who was still in school, the sheriff surmised, was no ordinary person either.


    There was a high probability he was an ¡°Awakened¡±.


    ¡ª


    A while later, class ended with a flurry of activity, and the hallway was crowded with a dark mass of students.


    All the students who heard the news came to have a look. After all, Zong Yan was pretty famous in the school. To this day there were popular photos of him on the school forum.


    School was like a pool of stagnant water. As long as there was anything to stir things up, the ripples would spread everywhere.


    Meanwhile, the talks between the two sides went smoothly.


    According to the rules, the Dragon Group could intervene in any case, especially when they found an unregistered ¡°Awakened¡± person, and they could intercede without any conditions whatsoever.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although this incident is related to the Awakened, it¡¯s not something a student could do.¡±


    Since the person in charge of the Dragon Group said so, the police captain felt relieved.


    There were certain things the Dragon Group wouldn¡¯t reveal too much about, just like the incident this time. But cases involving the Awakened were few and far between, and the Dragon Group didn¡¯t have time to immediately rush over, so the police captain followed orders and didn¡¯t ask many questions.


    He was well aware that if this student was Awakened, the matter could no longer be handled by ordinary public security institutions.


    So the two sides exchanged pleasantries for a few moments on the playground of Qingyang High School. After they saluted each other, the police officers negotiated with the principal who arrived to ask questions, and then they left the school.


    Zong Yan was successfully handed over to a mysterious organization called the ¡°Dragon Group Special Operations Unit¡±. Neither the police nor the school authorities made any objections.


    Anyway, the three sides all decided to go their own way. None of them had any intention of asking the opinion of Zong Yan, the person concerned, as if he¡¯d been convicted with a rubber stamp.


    Although Zong Yan had never heard of the Dragon Group Special Operations Unit, he still knew what special operations were.


    Deploying special forces? That was outrageous!


    ¡°I just need to make a statement, right?¡±


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t wait for the members of the Dragon Group to speak. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any solid evidence to prove I¡¯m a suspect, that¡¯s all I have to do. I have civil rights.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    The leader of the Dragon Group was obviously stunned for a moment. He immediately revealed a smile and extended his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so guarded, little brother. Here, my name¡¯s He Yuan. Let¡¯s be friends.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He stared at the other person¡¯s hand, which was clad in a half-fingered combat glove. The inside of the thumb was covered with thick calluses, which were marks left by routine use of some kind of weapon.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only reason we invited you.¡±


    He Yuan was very sensitive to the complete disbelief on the teen¡¯s face, so he hurriedly explained, ¡°You can rest assured that our Dragon Group is by no means an unofficial organization. Even if we stood here for a long time it would be hard to explain, so¡ªlet¡¯s get on the chopper first, then we can take our time to explain.¡±


    Zong Yan was thinking that it sure didn¡¯t look like they just wanted a friendly chat when they made a huge scene and were being all fierce and evil ah.


    But when you were under someone else¡¯s roof, you had to bow your head. So he looked at He Yuan without speaking, made a ¡°please¡± gesture, and took the lead to climb into the helicopter.


    Helicopter gunships were fighter aircraft designed for combat, used for anti-tank and air-to-air missiles to suppress enemy firepower by creating air control points on the battlefield. They could be transformed into mobile air batteries anytime and anywhere.


    Such air fighters made the best use of every inch of room, and helicopters were known for their lightness, so the space left for the crew was greatly reduced. Aside from the pilot, the aircraft could only accommodate four or five people.


    There were miscellaneous items stacked at the tail end inside. If you looked closer, you¡¯d find there were all kinds of guns, and there was even a half-assembled sniper rifle. The weapons were left there like cabbage sold on the street, casual as anything.


    In the cabin, in addition to the pilot, there was a man wearing sunglasses in the co-pilot seat.


    ""


    His military uniform was exactly the same as He Yuan¡¯s, but the rank on his shoulder was clearly more senior.


    Zong Yan quietly withdrew his gaze. He lowered his head and sat in the farthest corner in silence.


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯re here.¡±


    He Yuan pulled the door of the helicopter closed behind him, and the light in the cabin suddenly dimmed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The man in sunglasses gave a slight nod, lifted his eyes from his tablet, and the helicopter¡¯s main rotor began to spin again, taking off rapidly from the playing field and skimming away into the distance.


    TL Notes:


    busted his chops ¨C ¾ÅÅ£¶þ»¢Ö®Á¦ ¨C the strength of nine bulls and two tigers ¨C tremendous effort; an immense amount of energy; all one¡¯s might; all one¡¯s strength


    WZ ¨C ÎäÖ± ¨C WuZhi ¨C a medium attack helicopter. The WZ-10 was introduced in 2012


    patron saint ¨C ÊØ»¤Éñ ¨C Alternatively: guardian angel


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Awakened ¨C ¾õÐÑÕß ¨C Alternatively: Awakened Ones, Awakeners


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    He Yuan ¨C ºØÔ¶ ¨C H¨¨ Yu¨£n


    little brother ¨C СÐÖµÜ ¨C xi¨£o xi¨­ngd¨¬


    boss ¨C ÀÏ´ó ¨C l¨£od¨¤

 CH 4

    It was quiet in the cabin. Everyone was wearing a headset.


    The helicopter rumbled up from the center of the school playing field. In the distance, they could see the PE teacher leading students over from a school building. The bleachers were full of spectators, but it was far away, so everything was a little blurry.


    A city of steel and iron stood at their feet, and the sun roved over the skyscrapers, provoking prismatic trails in the glass.


    Although Zong Yan had flown high above the city countless times, this was his first experience riding in a helicopter. He naturally turned his head to the side and peered out of the porthole. But the whole time he was quietly pricking up his ears. He didn¡¯t miss the slightest movement inside the helicopter.


    The man wearing sunglasses in the co-pilot¡¯s seat was holding a tablet. After he tapped on it twice with his fingers, he jerked his chin at He Yuan, who immediately understood.


    ¡°Little brother ah, don¡¯t be too nervous, okay? Let¡¯s just talk casually and relax for a bit.¡±


    He Yuan had a master¡¯s degree in psychology from Miskatonic University. Later, when he joined the Dragon Group, his commander tasked him with managing the mental health of the team.


    He easily read the distrust and vigilance in Zong Yan¡¯s sitting posture and demeanor. So He Yuan rubbed his nose and decided to start by building rapport to lower the teen¡¯s psychological defenses.


    This was a matter that required careful handling. Dragon Team 7 had just returned from the Syrian border, and they were supposed to have a long vacation. They certainly didn¡¯t expect to rush over to a school the moment they came back. Apparently, the leadership had called them in to bring this second year student back to headquarters intact.


    He Yuan wasn¡¯t cleared for more details than that, but he could read between the lines.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about? Why don¡¯t you answer a question for me first.¡± Zong Yan narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to cede the initiative of the conversation to someone else.


    Unexpectedly, He Yuan readily agreed. ¡°Sure, ask away.¡±


    No, this attitude of yours is a bit too suspicious.


    Especially when there were a bunch of fancy murder tools piled up behind the cabin. If negotiations broke down, wouldn¡¯t they just pick up one of those weapons and kill him?


    Zong Yan sensed that something with He Yuan¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t right. Generally speaking, when strangers became eager all of a sudden, they had an agenda.


    ¡°Why do you guys think I have something to do with a murder at the financial district two days ago?¡±


    The entire time, Zong Yan had been thinking about this. He couldn¡¯t understand it.


    His actions were so stealthy they should have been flawless.


    ¡°Well, it turns out that someone happened to be working overtime and saw it. When the body was discovered and the investigation team collected evidence and canvassed for witnesses, that worker gave us a lead. But as it turned out, when we retrieved the security footage, no suspicious person was seen. So we pulled the surveillance for all surrounding city blocks, and that¡¯s what clinched you.¡±


    He Yuan had just received the mission briefing document and was trying to recall its contents.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    A thousand miles of levee collapsed by an ant hole, that¡¯s probably what this was called.


    ¡°To be fair, can I ask you a question, too, little brother?¡±


    Seeing that Zong Yan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good after this question, He Yuan knew the teenager might not want to talk for a while, so he took the initiative to attack.


    The Dragon Group had a device to detect Awakened. When an outbreak occurred, the source would be detected. All Awakened were on file, so if there was an abnormal awakening source, it meant there was a new Awakened person.


    Generally speaking, whenever a new Awakened appeared, the Dragon Group would send someone to meet them.


    He Yuan was honored to receive the task of being the guide. Since the Dragon Group had locked onto Zong Yan, it was his job to make the high school student admit he was the awakening source, and then provide the initial guidance to the new Awakened.


    ¡°You can ask.¡± The boy in the school uniform gave him a listless look. ¡°But I reserve the right to refuse to answer.¡±


    He Yuan chuckled twice, suddenly leaned over toward him, and gave him a mysterious wink. ¡°Did you ever have a kind of feeling when you were growing up, like when you were alone, a very intense kind of feeling? Something that felt like it traveled through your entire body. Er, not something that follows the blood vessels. Maybe it would be more accurate to call it meridians, although that description is a bit abstract¡­. If you wanted to describe it specifically, it follows some kind of channel throughout your body, drumming in your heart and trying to break free¡­. And then you find you suddenly have some kind of extraordinary power. If I had to explain it, it¡¯s like waking up from a deep sleep. Have you ever had something like that?¡±


    Zong Yan looked at him with a wooden face, like he was staring at a moron. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, maybe I didn¡¯t describe it too well. How about this, have you ever seen a super blockbuster Hollywood movie or Japanese anime? The kind that has those characters in it, like Spider-Man¡ª¡±


    He Yuan wanted to continue, but he was interrupted by a sudden rustling sound.


    The man in the co-pilot seat suddenly turned around without warning, slowly and methodically took off his gloves, and folded three of his fingers down. The remaining index finger was vaguely directed toward Zong Yan.


    The next moment, a gleaming flame suddenly appeared on the tip of his finger, flickering in the cabin. The fire had been woven into a golden red pattern, lighting up everything around them.


    In an eye-blink, the flaming tail of the fire fractured into leaping golden arcs of electricity. Sparks rose into the air, buzzing and spitting, then turned into a dark blue swirl of water. As the curl of water floated, the dark blue inside it grew lighter and lighter, and finally condensed into crystal-clear frost.


    After the frost appeared, the temperature in the cramped cabin dropped several degrees almost instantly.


    ¡°Boss¡­¡±


    He Yuan helplessly propped up his head. He really wanted to remind the boss about the organization¡¯s thousands of confidentiality regulations. But when the man gave him a cold sweeping glance, He Yuan immediately made a zipper action on his lips to indicate that he would never be a shameful informer.


    To tell the truth, He Yuan thought his boss was bullying the high school kid too much.


    The Dragon Group held ranking tournaments every quarter, and the boss of Team 7 took first place every time. It was like he felt duty bound to hammer everyone else¡¯s head into the dirt and sweep the championship.


    People said the Chinese Dragon Group was incredible. But the members of the Dragon Group knew it was really only Team 7 that was incredible. The entire team was following the path of evolving into berserkers under the leadership of their crazy captain. As soon as the enemy heard Team 7 of the Dragon Group was coming for them, they immediately waved the white flag on the battlefield.


    And this year the boss¡¯ awakening source had evolved, directly promoting him in rank from Auxiliary to Monarch level. With the ability to manipulate nine different elements at the same time, he¡¯d become the ninth living Monarch.


    And right now a Monarch was bullying a high school student who didn¡¯t even know he was Awakened. He Yuan just wanted to hide his face.


    According to the rules, when they got back from Syria they should have immediately gone on leave. Instead they were called over here on the double for this kind of trifle. It was normal to feel disgruntled, not to mention the bad temper of their boss, who exploded at the first sign of a disagreement.


    ¡°Well, the boss doesn¡¯t mean any harm, ha¡­¡±


    He Yuan quickly tried to remedy the situation with a joke. If this student really was Awakened, then given the tiny odds of becoming an Awakened, he might become a colleague in the future.


    Maybe he hadn¡¯t noticed that none of the new recruits who joined the Dragon Group were willing to join Team 7. Half of the credit for that belonged to the captain, who didn¡¯t know how to restrain himself.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He fell into a rare silence.


    Zong Yan was baffled by everything.


    First of all, he was extremely certain he was the only superpowered person in the world. He was also certain he had never heard of the Dragon Group before.


    Ever since he got that inexplicable black manuscript, an unknown thing called a ¡°star vampire¡± had appeared, and then the world and his perception had both turned upside down.


    Was there something wrong with the world, or had something been wrong with his memory from the beginning?


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t have a clue. He even found it absurd.


    He felt instinctively there was something he didn¡¯t know, and the gap was caused by an information mismatch.


    If this was just an ordinary policeman, Zong Yan would be dead set on covering up his abilities. But now that the Dragon Group had come to his door and confirmed he had a superpower, there was no point hiding it anymore.


    Zong Yan had gone back to the second-hand bookstore two days ago and asked Grandpa Zeng. After looking into it for two days, he still couldn¡¯t find the identity of the client behind the black manuscript.


    Whoever it was, they were very mysterious. They¡¯d paid five times the normal deposit and it wasn¡¯t even clear when they were coming back to get it. This proved the client only wanted a scapegoat. There was never any intention of taking the notebook back.


    Since Zong Yan couldn¡¯t find out any more and the relevant authorities had intervened, he might as well leave the matter to them.


    ¡°Just admit it, kid.¡±


    The man in sunglasses raised his eyebrows belligerently. The aura on his body was strikingly cold and fierce. For no apparent reason it made one think of a long sword drawn from its scabbard.


    ¡°Man up already. It¡¯s boring to pretend.¡±


    This was a man who¡¯d seen blood.


    Although he was wearing sunglasses, Zong Yan could clearly feel the eyes locked on him like a hawk.


    If this man wanted to start things right here, Zong Yan might not even have time to use the Child of the Wind. Besides, his San value hadn¡¯t fully recovered. He really didn¡¯t want to use his daily disposable card again in such a short amount of time.


    The frost on the man¡¯s fingertips persisted a few seconds before it broke apart and disintegrated, dissolving into dust and disappearing in the air, as beautiful as a dream.


    Goading someone with an insult, it was the lowest form of provocation.


    But Zong Yan didn¡¯t have much choice. If he couldn¡¯t explain how he was able to evade the cameras, there was no way to clear himself of suspicion.


    Now he understood the other side was eyeing his abilities.


    The only thing Zong Yan couldn¡¯t figure out was, if the other person also had superpowers, why was he such a lightweight? ? ?


    Zong Yan always felt like he was extremely unlucky. The permanent superpower cards he¡¯d drawn over the years were basically E-rank. Most days they were only good for lighting a fire or rubbing an electric spark between his fingers.


    But don¡¯t we need to dial up the diversity of elemental superpowers here¡ªwasn¡¯t it just making a few snowflakes out of thin air and performing an elemental conversion? Hahahaha, who¡¯s afraid of who!


    ""


    Anyway, Zong Yan got really excited when he made up his mind to reveal himself.


    With a cold smile, the dark-haired young man copied the sunglasses man¡¯s pose. He folded down three fingers and raised his index finger slightly with a rather impish expression.


    Oh, it looked like the boss really had guessed right this time. The boy was also Awakened. It was just that he was too young and got stirred up.


    He Yuan stared at the flame that sprang up from Zong Yan¡¯s finger and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    The existence of the Awakened wasn¡¯t known to the public, so at the beginning many Awakened thought they were unique. This idea didn¡¯t get laid to rest until they were found by the organization.


    This kid awakened before he was an adult. That meant his talent was online. He was a person who¡¯d probably stick around in the future.


    Just as He Yuan was thinking this, his eyes suddenly froze.


    The black-haired boy slowly straightened his other fingers, suspending an ice prism over his thumb. A golden arc of electricity also leapt above his middle finger.


    He Yuan was stunned.


    Crap, this kid just woke up and he could already command three elements. And his control was so steady. His talent was limitless! After enough training, maybe he could even hit Monarch level!


    What was the situation at Monarch level? Sadly, the Monarchs of the world today could only be counted on two hands. Each one served as the central force of the Earth¡¯s defense against otherworldly invasion.


    Such a good seedling. No wonder the organization sent them over personally.


    But he had no way of knowing that was just the beginning.


    Because the next moment, the people in the cabin witnessed a miracle.


    After three fingers, there were four fingers, five fingers¡­ all the way to the final tenth finger.


    At the tips of each of the boy¡¯s distinctly-jointed fingers, ten different elements were quietly suspended, like fragments from a long-ago universe that didn¡¯t interfere with each other, easily controlled in his hands.


    In this tiny cabin, they witnessed the birth of the youngest Monarch in the history of the Awakened.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Hahahahahaha, people are saying the name ¡°Dragon Group¡± is awkward. Actually, the name was chosen in honor of the original corny chuunibyous. While we¡¯re at it, let¡¯s have a quiz: who never read a novel when they were young about urban powers and an organization called the Dragon Group? lights a cigarette.jpg


    The Dragon Group in this story is a secret organization that belongs to the country¡¯s covert institutions. It¡¯s an upright organization that protects the country and defends the people. Although the name is a bit corny, they keep up with the times and are very stylish!


    ¡­


    Thank you very much for your support. I¡¯ll continue to work hard!


    TL Notes:


    ""


    weapon ¨C ¼Ò»ï ¨C tool, utensil, livestock, guy, fellow


    fancy murder <tools> ¨C from ɱÆøÌÚÌÚ ¨C have plenty of fight in sb.; amuck; be out to kill; death in the air; murderous; run amuck; sabre-rattling; see things with bloodshot eyes; There is a prevailing thirst for blood.; with a murderous look on one¡¯s face


    goading ¨C ¼¤½«·¨ ¨C prodding sb. into action; encourage sb. to do sth. by means of criticizing his ability; goading sb. into action (as by ridicule, sarcasm, etc.)


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Monarch ¨C ¾ýÖ÷ ¨C Alternatively: sovereign


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    kid ¨C С×Ó ¨C Alternatively: brat, boy, little child

 CH 5

    There was silence in the helicopter.


    That was a hell of a thing to see.


    The hierarchy of Awakened people was clear-cut. From Level 1 to Level 6, then Auxiliary phase, followed by the capstone Monarch level.


    The criterion for determining an Awakened person¡¯s level was how many elements they could control.


    Being able to master seven elements was Auxiliary level, while Monarchs needed to master nine or more.


    In general an Awakened person could only control one or two elements when they first awakened. If they had the ability to handle three or four, it was enough to be called gifted. Awakened people as a whole were already scarce, and even among them, at most one in a hundred had that kind of talent.


    The record for a new Awakened came from Britain in the twentieth century. Just after awakening, he controlled seven different elements and immediately entered Auxiliary level. At the time it set off an uproar within the occult community. There wasn¡¯t a single person who wasn¡¯t left in awe.


    But this boy wearing a school uniform had just spread his slender fingers, and at the tip of each finger there was a different element.


    A flame flickered, a puff of wind drifted, a curl of water rippled, an ice prism glittered, a point of light gleamed, a dot of darkness seethed, an electric spark pulsed, a branch of wood sprouted, a metal shaving glinted, and a black clump of soil rustled.


    Radiant light converged into multi-colored lines in the narrow cabin until it finally disappeared into nothingness.


    That was ten elements!!! Ten!!!


    He Yuan immediately jumped up from his seat and slammed his head into the ceiling. It wasn¡¯t possible to restrain his excitement.


    A seventeen-year-old at Monarch level???


    Not just him, but also the sunglasses-wearing Si Yan swore out loud and almost made the helicopter swerve back and forth.


    Even Si Yan, who¡¯d just broken through Monarch level himself, had only mastered nine elements. You could imagine his shock.


    ¡°I can do it too.¡±


    Zong Yan seemed completely unaffected by the other people¡¯s mood. He even wondered to himself why they were so surprised. For him the scene just now was like a child taking out his toys and saying ¡°do you have one of these¡±, ¡°I have one too¡±, like a kid¡¯s display of one-upmanship.


    Anyway it wasn¡¯t an astonishing thing for him. After all, that was the most Zong Yan could do.


    They were all E-rank abilities, which he summoned at random times to the tip of his fingers just to amuse himself. Take fire, for example. If Zong Yan wanted to go any further, he¡¯d have trouble scratching up a fireball.


    It was because of this that Zong Yan was a little bewildered by the look in their eyes.


    Hey, hey, what¡¯s up? Everyone here¡¯s E-class, so just talk normally, okay?


    ¡°Oh, and even though I have this ability, that murder has nothing to do with me. If your organization wants me to clarify, I can provide evidence.


    ¡°Because I was framed.¡±


    No, we didn¡¯t actually think you were a suspect in the first place, He Yuan thought numbly.


    Maybe at first because of the unknown state of affairs, the police had been on alert for a potential enemy. But the Dragon Group was a professional organization accustomed to fighting against otherworldly creatures. The murder case was obviously caused by some kind of extraterrestrial.


    The Dragon Group had been activated to take over this case because it was classified as something ordinary people couldn¡¯t handle. And the other reason was to investigate whether there was a new Awakened in Jiangzhou.


    In a nutshell, compared to the murder case, Zong Yan was the main attraction.


    Thank heavens the Dragon Group got there first.


    He Yuan felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. The temples on both sides of his scalp were vaguely bulging.


    What on Earth was a seventeen-year-old Monarch?


    How terrifying. He was only seventeen years old and hadn¡¯t even experienced Second Awakening yet. His future was beyond imagination.


    If he wasn¡¯t guided to the right path, if he were bewitched by some kind of sect, for example, the consequences would be unthinkable.


    Fortunately¡­ this person had now been found by the Dragon Group.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Star vampire£¿¡±


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s what it said in the book.¡±


    Zong Yan quietly concealed the matter of his killing the star vampire, and instead dumped the blame on the unknown client.


    After the farce on the helicopter just now, he¡¯d come to understand a very important point. That is, his superpower seemed to be different from whatever these people called ¡°awakening¡±.


    Since it wasn¡¯t the same thing, they might as well be chickens talking to a duck. Zong Yan had to take it one step at a time and firmly conceal the cards in his hand.


    ¡°Where did you put the manuscript?¡±


    ¡°¡­ In my school bag. I left in a hurry, so it¡¯s probably still in the classroom.¡±


    He Yuan was thoughtful. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll take notes.¡°


    The room was silent, and the cold light overhead cast its pale illumination on the floor.


    This was an impregnable underground fortress. The main part of the structure was built from an extremely high-end cold-forged alloy, and the overall effect was of cool, hard, black steel. In the case of aerial bombardment, it could ensure the people inside were safe and protected. Even in a nuclear attack they could launch the fastest response possible.


    Zong Yan sat in a chair with one hand propped on the table, watching He Yuan scribble with a pen. He suddenly asked, ¡°Is this an underground headquarters?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The tip of He Yuan¡¯s pen paused for a moment. After the ink began to pool on the white paper, the pen continued to slide smoothly to the other end.


    ¡°Have you heard of the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command?¡±


    Of course Zong Yan had heard of it.


    NORAD was developed by the Americans during the Cold War.


    At the time, the Soviet Union had pioneered the development of satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The United States, also a superpower, was naturally shocked.


    On the chessboard of geopolitical statecraft, the military was one of the most important elements.


    If the Cold War were to heat up and the Soviet Union launched a nuclear strike at American soil, the United States would have no defense.


    It was under this kind of pressure that American talent hollowed out a mountain and created NORAD, which was a full fifteen stories high. The Americans armed it with the finest equipment and shipped over countless high-density instruments. It monitored the entire country and even the world, ensuring that if the Soviets suddenly went to war, the United States wouldn¡¯t suffer a decapitating strike all at once.


    ¡°This is an underground command center, but unlike the Yankee version, the Dragon Group¡¯s base only deals with things ordinary people can¡¯t manage.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Awakened?¡± Zong Yan asked.


    Back on the school playing field, Zong Yan heard He Yuan say the word ¡°Awakened¡± to the police captain.


    This word had never appeared in his memory before, but Zong Yan had a vague sense of foreboding that it was the reason for most of the things that had happened to him today.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He Yuan finished writing the last few words and nodded pleasantly.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know if he was imagining it, but ever since he¡¯d demonstrated his rookie superpowers with all ten fingers on the helicopter, the attitude of these Dragon Group members seemed to have made a 180 degree turn. The man¡¯s face was full of smiles and even, to overstate it a bit, somewhat servile.


    ¡°There are certain people who aren¡¯t born any different from everyone else, but one day they suddenly awaken and possess extraordinary powers. The odds are about one in three million. In other words, it takes about three million people for just one Awakened to appear.


    ¡°Usually, awakening happens between the ages of eighteen and nineteen. Nineteen is the most common. And these people are called Awakened.¡±


    After explaining, He Yuan continued down the line. ¡°One last question¡­ Why did you accept the commission?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zong Yan remained silent for a while. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t have any money.¡±


    For a young person, it was an extremely difficult thing to talk about.


    During the first semester of senior high school, Grandma suddenly died. Since then Zong Yan had lived alone.


    When he took translation jobs it was difficult for him to make much money. Even with state subsidies he was stretched to the limit.


    He needed to earn money to support himself. He had to pay water, gas, and tuition fees. Moreover, for various reasons, translation jobs weren¡¯t available every month. When he was truly down and out, the only thing Zong Yan could do was buy a big bag of steamed buns, and then every day in his little room he summoned water out of thin air to improvise some soup.


    Then, suddenly, there was a job with five times the deposit. The owner of the second-hand bookstore naturally gave him the details, and a chain of events followed.


    He Yuan didn¡¯t react to the answer. He just wrote down the last few words in his notebook, suddenly closed it up, and showed a friendly smile. ¡°The statement¡¯s finished, so you can ask anything else you want to now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, when can I go back?¡±


    The man across the table looked like he was choking on the question. It took a long time to reply.


    ¡°You want to go back? Aren¡¯t you curious about this ability?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean, I¡¯m curious.¡± Zong Yan nodded his head. ¡°But if I want to know, I¡¯ll have to pay something in return. So tell me, what do you want?¡±


    Holy sh*t, this kid was a little too insightful, right?


    He Yuan stared at Zong Yan¡¯s deep black eyes, and suddenly felt an unfathomable sense of uncertainty.


    Generally speaking, when a person found out they had powers they didn¡¯t know about before, there were three kinds of ordinary reactions.


    Wild joy, or panic, or disbelief and avoidance.


    The problem was this kid had none of the three.


    And the other problem was that He Yuan had been named the guide of this new Awakened person, so he had to continue even with a massive headache.


    It was truly worthy of being Monarch-level at awakening. Talk about perplexing.


    ¡°No, no, no. All of us are Awakened, and there are only a few thousand people on the planet with the ability to do what we do. Ever since ancient times, historical records have been littered with traces of Awakened. Because there are so few of us, the Awakened are very harmonious and friendly with each other, especially for official organizations like ours that are part of the government. There will absolutely never be any cost to you.¡±


    These words were completely true, and it didn¡¯t matter who you were. The treatment of Awakened who were discovered by the Dragon Group was so good it was almost astonishing. They focused on supporting and vigorously cultivating talent. Even the high tuition of Miskatonic University was fully covered by the state.


    Not to mention an unbelievable talent like Zong Yan, who¡¯d shocked the commander himself.


    The cameras in the room probably covered 360 degrees without any blind spots, and the recording was synchronized to the Logistics Department of the Dragon Group. The psychological profiling team was in full swing. The Research Department had pulled every detail of Zong Yan¡¯s life trajectory from childhood to adulthood out of the archives. It was likely the little Awakened had been touched, traced, and examined from top to toe by now.


    A newborn Monarch, pristine and unpolished, was the focus of all eyes. The country had even taken the unprecedented step of blocking all information on the subject, which was an alternate form of protection.


    He Yuan suddenly cleared his throat. He lowered his voice, ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t you want to find out the truth about the world?¡±


    This statement was really trying hard to push his buttons.


    Zong Yan pursed his lips.


    But he really couldn¡¯t refuse.


    He needed to get faster. He needed more information.


    Outside the glass curtain wall, an old man in a military uniform interlaced his fingers and straightened his back as he gazed through the glass.


    The dragon-shaped badge on the old man¡¯s chest was black and gold, representing the commander in chief of the Dragon Group.


    His hair was gray and his eyes were deep-set, but his face was hale and hearty.


    The otherworldly monster that appeared on top of the financial building was the first case in China. But it wasn¡¯t the first in the world.


    Recently there had also been instances of anomalies in ancient relics all over the planet.


    The intensifying tempo of such events could only mean that something in the universe had already begun to stir.


    Human beings were an amazing species. They were incredibly weak, but they were also able to peer into the vastness of the cosmos. It was precisely because of their vision that they understood how insignificant they were.


    If certain things truly awakened¡ªjust like the sky full of stars, if they really returned to their original orbits¡ªthe kind of havoc they¡¯d inflict was unimaginable.


    As was whether humanity would survive.


    ¡°Could he be our chance?¡±


    The pattern of questions and answers and note-taking proceeded inside. When Si Xun suddenly spoke, his voice was remote.


    ¡°How the hell do I know.¡±


    Si Yan, the captain of Dragon Team 7, stood next to the commander with an impatient look on his face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not old enough to be senile, you should remember what happened with the last person who was able to control six elements the moment he woke up.¡±


    The commander was silent for a long time. Suddenly he lifted the cane in his hand and indifferently gave Si Yan a whack. He didn¡¯t even give the other man a chance to dodge, but accurately jabbed him in the spine.


    ¡°You little brat, how dare you talk to your old man with such a rude mouth? Don¡¯t think you can step on your father¡¯s head just because you¡¯re the ninth Monarch.¡±


    It was true. Compared to the powerful second Monarch who¡¯d reigned for half a lifetime, the ninth Monarch who¡¯d just assumed the throne was indeed his junior.


    ¡°Old man, what did you just do?!¡± Si Yan roared in anger. The lightning in his hands began to surge.


    He¡¯d basically spent the entire year in Syria. He¡¯d only just now returned to Jiangzhou and got promoted to Monarch level on the way. And now he was itching to see how much of a gap there was between him and the old man.


    ¡°I¡¯ll klap you.¡± The commander sneered again and threw the cane in his hand. His whole body began to surge with the same electric light as he punched out.


    For a while, the corridor outside the glass wall was full of lightning and thunder, with a flurry of explosions and flames shooting in all directions.


    Members of the Dragon Group passed by from time to time. Everyone felt so moved they made a silent detour.


    The commander and seventh captain had such a great father and son relationship.


    TL Notes:


    main attraction ¨C ÖØÍ·Ï· ¨C a play involving much singing and action; an opera difficult to act or sing


    ¼¦Í¬Ñ¼½² ¨C chicken talking to a duck ¨C talking without communicating, people not understanding each other


    one step at a time ¨C ²½²½ÎªÓª ¨C advance gradually and entrench oneself at every step; consolidate at every step; expand as one goes along; fortifications are erected every time the troops make an advance; make a stand at every step; move carefully every step on the way; on the alert


    servile ¨C ¹·ÍÈÁË ¨C dog¡¯s leg / fig. one who follows a villain / henchman / hired thug


    full of smiles ¨C ºÍÑÕÔÃÉ« ¨C a (pleasant) benign countenance; a pleasing, gracious face; a pleasant smile on one¡¯s face; all smiles; be all smiles and sweetness; be outwardly all friendliness and kindness; cheerful, amiable manners; with kind and pleasant countenance


    didn¡¯t matter who ¨C ͯÛÅÎÞÆÛ ¨C Neither the old nor the young will be cheated.; be equally honest with aged people and child customers; cheat no one neither the old nor the young; deal honestly [be honest] with one¡¯s customers


    junior ¨C from µÜµÜ ¨C d¨¬d¨¬


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Si Yan ¨C ˾Ñå ¨C S¨© Y¨¤n ¨C Captain of Dragon Team 7


    Si Xun ¨C ˾ѫ ¨C Commander of the Dragon Group

 CH 6

    The Dragon Group didn¡¯t release Zong Yan until the moon was bright and the stars were dim.


    During that time, he met almost all the bigwigs of the Dragon Group, including the commander in chief. One by one they patted Zong Yan on the shoulder with proud smiles on their wrinkled faces, saying over and over that the younger generation was fearsome, and how optimistic they were about this junior.


    Zong Yan had no idea how he was dragged onto such a pirate ship after revealing his superpower.


    Because the Dragon Group was extraordinarily generous. Every one of them assured Zong Yan that all Awakened were a family. Awakened people who entered the Dragon Group could feel like they¡¯d come home, and as soon as it was convenient for him, he could pack up his things and move into one of the Dragon Group¡¯s apartments. The state would pay all the utilities, central air, and heating costs, and there was no rent at all. He could even have his name posted on the door. He could take three meals a day in the Dragon Group¡¯s dining hall, be allocated funds directly from the Dragon Group¡¯s internal account, and basically would never have to spend another dime. And after joining the Dragon Group, there was a significant allowance every month, not to mention other benefits that flowed like running water.


    As Zong Yan listened, dumbfounded, he struggled with the temptation of money.


    Before he left, He Yuan warmly invited Zong Yan to have dinner at the base. Zong Yan, meanwhile, agreed to experience the Dragon Group¡¯s cafeteria with the mentality of never spending money if he could rub a meal for free.


    The main location of the Dragon Group base was underground, while support facilities like the dining hall and dormitories were at ground level or above.


    And this wasn¡¯t some rural suburb, but a busy commercial center in the middle of Jiangzhou. The land was so expensive that it made one click one¡¯s tongue, even rivaling the Third Ring Road in Yanjing.


    A skyscraper in the business district, that was the Dragon Group¡¯s base.


    The subterranean fortress was deep below the underground parking garage. Above ground, the first three floors were all shopping centers. From the fourth floor to the ninth, there were high-end restaurants and various elite private clubs. Further up was all Dragon Group territory. The tenth floor was the dining hall, and from the 11th floor upwards were the apartments of Dragon Group members. They said that when you opened the curtains in your apartment, you could see a gorgeous view of the Huangpu River, then make a phone call to the canteen downstairs to send up a glass of red wine and enjoy a relaxing sunset.


    Now it was just about time for dinner. The people in the canteen all wore the black uniform of the Dragon Group. They¡¯d come up by the internal direct access elevator, and as soon as they stepped into the dining room they attracted countless eyes.


    They said it was a dining hall, but Zong Yan thought it would be no exaggeration to call it a high-end restaurant. When they walked in, waiters in tuxedos and waitresses in lace dresses came up to serve them.


    Zong Yan sat at the long table and looked at the fully automated touchscreen in front of him. It was densely packed with French.


    ¡°Strictly speaking, the Dragon Group isn¡¯t a special operations unit. Ordinarily only the training and response teams have a militarized structure. When we¡¯re not on duty, everyone¡¯s as free as can be.¡±


    He Yuan introduced everything to him very readily. ¡°Downstairs is a Michelin 3-star French restaurant. The Dragon Group¡¯s dining hall is outsourced to them. If you¡¯re lucky, you can enjoy the executive chef¡¯s own dishes.


    ¡°Below this floor is a shopping mall. There are also many fine restaurants nearby. It¡¯s all there on the tablet. If you want to eat something, just order it. When it¡¯s sent over from the kitchen, it will be plated and delivered together. Anyway, it¡¯s all reimbursed so feel free to eat whatever you like.¡±


    Just how rich was this Dragon Group?!


    Zong Yan was deeply shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They mainly do it because it¡¯s so profitable, and there are a lot of sponsors¡­


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I forgot you didn¡¯t activate a translation pattern.¡±


    After He Yuan skillfully ordered his own meal, he turned back and saw Zong Yan sitting there in a daze, so he leaned over. ¡°What do you want to eat? Let me help you.¡±


    Zong Yan gave him a disdainful look and lowered his head again. He made a few quick taps on the tablet, then pushed it aside. ¡°I¡¯m done ordering. What¡¯s a pattern?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay then.¡± He Yuan didn¡¯t think about it much. After all, there were pictures on the menu. If Zong Yan couldn¡¯t read French, he could still see the pictures.


    ¡°Magic patterns are what ordinary people use to fight. A talented Awakened like you can just wave his hand.¡±


    Zong Yan thought to himself that really wasn¡¯t possible.


    After the long conversation they¡¯d had previously, Zong Yan now possessed a preliminary understanding of the Awakened. He knew the mistake he¡¯d made.


    The Awakened were ranked according to the types of elements they could manipulate. For example, Zong Yan was uniquely honored because as soon as he¡¯d awakened, he was Monarch level.


    But at the same time, Zong Yan had learned that a true Monarch level was a formidable existence that could manipulate nine elements at will. According to He Yuan, the ninth Monarch who¡¯d just ascended the throne, whose name was Si Yan, could create a wall of fire with a wave of his hand and pull a lightning bolt down from the sky.


    Counterfeit Monarch Zong Yan: ¡­


    With his E-rank abilities, when he waved his hand he¡¯d toss a glass of water at the enemy. Why was the gap so big?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you just woke up and haven¡¯t had Secondary Awakening yet. It¡¯s normal for the power to be unstable now.¡±


    Earlier, when they¡¯d done detailed testing of his abilities, He Yuan had consoled Zong Yan.


    ¡°When you¡¯re eighteen or nineteen, you¡¯ll experience Second Awakening. That¡¯s when you¡¯ll become a genuine Monarch level. Although you could announce it to the world right now and claim the throne of the tenth Monarch, the commander thinks it¡¯s better to keep a low profile before your Second Awakening.¡±


    ¡°Low profile? Does that mean there are different camps of Awakened based on country?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± He Yuan denied. ¡°Having a low profile is a kind of protection¡­ Sometimes it¡¯s not just humans who look human. There are also creatures cloaked in human skin.


    ¡°Alright, well, wait until you go to Miskatonic University. The senior investigators there will teach you everything, including the use of magic patterns and the types of beings we¡¯re fighting as Awakened.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m still a high school student, and you want to send me to college? It¡¯s summer vacation.¡±


    Zong Yan felt like he¡¯d been struck by lightning.


    It hadn¡¯t been easy for him to finally get to summer vacation, and he wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. But now they were telling him to go to some Miskatonic University or something. After he filled out the Awakened paperwork for the Dragon Group, the fax machine automatically spat out an admission letter for Miskatonic University. Zong Yan¡¯s name was neatly handwritten on it, just like a notice from Hogwarts¡¯ owl.


    ¡°Miskatonic University is open year-round. Senior investigators are always on the front line of fighting against otherworldly beings.¡±


    He Yuan chuckled a little. Zong Yan, who heard it, felt this laughter was full of schadenfreude. ¡°It¡¯s the cradle of all Awakened. Every member of the Dragon Group graduated from there, but it¡¯s not just the Dragon Group. Awakened from all over the world basically have to go there.


    ¡°The courses taught at Miskatonic University aren¡¯t quite the same as those at ordinary universities. As for college¡­ who made you so gifted? You woke up at the age of seventeen. You¡¯re probably the youngest student in the history of MU.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart was filled with sorrow. ¡°How many years does it take?¡±


    ¡°Graduation isn¡¯t based on a yearly system. Aside from required courses, you can graduate whenever your advisor agrees.¡±


    Zong Yan was still putting up a desperate struggle: ¡°But I can¡¯t afford to pay the tuition.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. The Dragon Group will cover the expenses.¡±


    Well, since that had now been said, Zong Yan knew the matter was set in stone.


    He knew it¡ªfree room and board and such a high standard of living, how could there be no conditions? And just like he thought, here they were.


    ¡°¡­ My dream is to go to Tsinghua.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand. Who didn¡¯t want to study at Tsinghua when they were younger.¡± He Yuan patted him on the shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no conflict between studying at MU and going to Tsinghua University. You can even prepare for your college entrance exams while studying happily at MU. You can also apply to the leadership to see if you can get bonus points on the exam as an Awakened. For an Awakened to take the college entrance exam is unprecedented. I think the probability of passing is quite high.


    ¡°But you really don¡¯t have to be so obsessed with going to Tsinghua right now. After you graduate from MU, with that diploma, any university in the world will welcome you to study with them for a master¡¯s degree. It won¡¯t be too late to go there when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zong Yan was speechless.


    What did this guy who went to MU for his master¡¯s know about anything? Studying at Tsinghua is the religion of all science students, okay? How can you understand this faith!


    A chicken talking to a duck, tsk tsk.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t live far from Qingyang High School, but it was a long way from the Dragon Group base.


    The Dragon Group paid extra attention to this promising Monarch-level seedling and sent a special car to take him home.


    ¡°Make sure to tidy up tonight. A car from the Dragon Group will pick you up at 10 AM tomorrow.¡±


    He Yuan nodded to the young man in the school uniform and watched him disappear inside the narrow staircase.


    He waited for a moment, then made a gesture to the driver and quietly got out of the car.


    For the future tenth Monarch, the Dragon Group had already established a special discussion group. It could be assumed that Zong Yan¡¯s life had been distilled down to a sheet of black and white paper on the desks of some very important people. He Yuan, as his guide, was under high expectations. He¡¯d accepted a permanent assignment that bordered on surveillance.


    This was a rather dilapidated tube-shaped apartment building. The stairwell at the corner was filled with black coal piled up all over.


    He Yuan stood at the corner of the first floor, listening to the footsteps of the boy walking up.


    Tube-shaped apartment buildings weren¡¯t uncommon in Jiangzhou.


    Large cities always had places recognized as rich areas and poor areas. And there were deeper recesses known as urban villages or slums.


    Such was the case around this tube-shaped apartment building. Many elderly poor people lived there. They survived on the low income allowance they received each month. They had no extra money to buy appliances or pay high heating bills. In winter they still preferred to burn coal for heat. Fortunately, it was summer and life must be a lot easier than winter, but he didn¡¯t know how much.


    The way of life for people at the bottom was far, far away from He Yuan.


    He Yuan was the only child in his family, and he¡¯d lived a good life from birth. When he grew up he became Awakened and smoothly joined the Dragon Group. He ate in the canteen overseen by the executive chef and slept in an apartment with a breathtaking river view. If he wanted to talk about hardship, when fighting alien creatures, things sometimes got sticky, but it wasn¡¯t really that bad.


    The Awakened received the best treatment in every country in the world. After fighting with extraterrestrial monsters, he would either lie down in a coffin or return to the presidential suite of the local five-star hotel to sleep.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why, but He Yuan suddenly remembered the moment Zong Yan had fallen silent that afternoon.


    High school was a confusing time. Young people shed the ignorance of primary and middle school and gradually prepared to enter society.


    A high school student overflowing with useless passion faced mountains of books and test papers every day, sitting in the last row of the classroom, looking up at the sky.


    Young people at that stage of life were the most powerless but had the strongest drive for self-esteem. They didn¡¯t seem to be needed by anyone. They just studied day after day, pinning all their hopes and dreams and fate on a pale sheet of test paper, three years in the future.


    While sitting inside they dreamed so many times about soaring into the sky, becoming a hero who commanded the wind and rain.


    Compared with a dream about becoming a hero who was needed by the world, money was indeed an unpleasant, vulgar thing, difficult to talk about.


    For a teenager who didn¡¯t have any family and relied only on himself for all aspects of life, it was an embarrassing thing to discuss.


    He Yuan thought of his own high school years, competing with other students over who had better sneakers. Looking back on it now, those scenes seemed to be covered with a layer of translucent film. Compared with the dilapidated tube building in front of him, it all seemed so juvenile and na?ve, and for no real reason he suddenly felt unwell.


    ¡°Little Yan? You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m back, Grandpa Zeng. Hold on, don¡¯t bail any water, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    This was followed by a series of stomping footsteps.


    After a long while, the door squeaked open. ¡°Oh, Little Yan is out of school. Come to Grandma¡¯s place for dinner. You¡¯re just in time for a meal.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Wu, please go ahead and eat. I ate near the school today.¡±


    ¡°You ate already?¡± The old voice carried a clear note of reproach. ¡°You¡¯re still growing. Eat less junk food at those street stalls by the school gate¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, grandma, I¡¯ll pay attention.¡±


    ""


    From afar came the young man¡¯s clear response, mingled with the old voice on the first floor, echoing in the cramped stairwell.


    The member of the Dragon Group tightened his fingers. For a long time he stood there, silently in the dark.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan was carrying two buckets. After helping several grandparents fetch water, he ran down again from the top floor.


    Grandma Liu, who lived opposite Zong Yan, was very old. She was now over eighty. Every day she liked to drag a stool over and sit at the entrance of the stairs. She occasionally chit-chatted with people who came and went, talking about their worries. When she saw Zong Yan descending, she quickly took out a parcel made of old newspaper and handed it over. There was some dough inside.


    ¡°Little Yan, grandma made steamed buns at home. Here you go, I saved two for you. You can heat them up and eat them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandma Liu.¡±


    Zong Yan dutifully said thanks and took the parcel. While pulling out the key from his pocket he came to his own room at the end of the corridor.


    Most of the people living in this apartment building were poor families or elderly. There was only one young person like Zong Yan.


    When Zong Yan¡¯s grandmother was alive she was recognized as an intellectual in the tube building. Any elderly person who wanted to send a letter had to call on her. Later, after she left, everyone more or less took care of Zong Yan, often giving him some of their homemade pasta or rice.


    Zong Yan had taken these favors to heart. Although he couldn¡¯t help them much, some of the elderly had difficulty with their legs. He would help bring back their groceries when they went out to buy vegetables.


    When he turned the key in his hand, the rusty iron door creaked open, and there seemed to be some choking dust that fell along with the noise.


    Zong Yan was used to it. He ducked down and squeezed inside the askew door frame without any hesitation.


    The room was tiny. There was no bathroom, only an empty bed and a dirty table. The small kitchen was full of clutter, cramped and messy.


    Zong Yan dragged the door shut and put the newspaper-wrapped bundle on the table. Boom. He threw himself onto the narrow wooden bed and stared straight up at the gray curtains.


    The bed wasn¡¯t very big. He was in high school now, the age when boys shoot up the fastest, and Zong Yan had to curl up half of his legs to lie down.


    Too many things had happened in one day. The amount of information he¡¯d received today was greater than everything he¡¯d managed to gather on the topic in the past ten years.


    He didn¡¯t really want to go back to the Dragon Group base that much.


    The Dragon Group¡¯s treatment was very good, and it was nice to be able to eat and live well, and everyone regarded him as a treasure. But in Zong Yan¡¯s heart, ¡°home¡± was still this small and shabby room.


    Home is a very emotional word. It¡¯s not like any other word. Only when a person subjectively believes a place is their home, does it really become their home. Zong Yan had lived here for more than ten years. He and his elderly neighbors here were like family to each other, inextricably linked.


    And yet¡ª


    ¡°After all, you¡¯re now Awakened. When a person awakens, their insight ability is enhanced, which means it¡¯s easier to attract monsters. If you don¡¯t want to put everyone around you in danger, it¡¯s better to move to the Dragon Group.¡±


    He Yuan¡¯s words echoed in Zong Yan¡¯s ears like an alarm bell.


    How much of a choice did that leave? None at all!


    The young man on the bed rolled around restlessly in annoyance, raised his hand and scratched his hair, and then casually reached his hand into the void.


    He was still too weak.


    If he had enough strength, he wouldn¡¯t have to be so passive.


    But whether he could become stronger wasn¡¯t really up to Zong Yan. His luck determined everything.


    Zong Yan paid close attention to the Awakened matters that He Yuan explained to him today.


    Awakened were able to control the elements and use magic patterns and ancient spells, but there was nothing in the rules that said Awakened could also extract cards from the void and, by the way, use them as alternate identities to play with.


    It seemed his memory hadn¡¯t deceived him. He really was the only superpower in the world.


    He just didn¡¯t know where all these Awakened people came from.


    Zong Yan pondered it deeply and casually drew a card from the void.


    The luminous fissure in space closed under his fingertips, and the card he drew had a mysterious streamer of light, glowing brightly in the dark room.


    He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.


    It was a new A-rank daily disposable persona card.


    ""


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: My luck just changed!!!


    ¡­


    Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!


    TL Notes:


    counterfeit ¨C Î÷±´»õ ¨C counterfeit goods, fake goods. Online slang based on a homophone for ¡°fake¡± (Î÷±´ -> ¼Ö -> ¼Ù). Sometimes used in online novels to describe a young woman who pretends to be a man, or a character with a different soul after transmigrating


    Ͳ×ÓÂ¥ ¨C tube-shaped apartment ¨C dormitories off a long corridor. Example.


    Little Yan ¨C ÑÜÍÞ¶ù ¨C Y¨£n w¨¢ er ¨C Yan child


    Grandma / Grandpa ¨C It¡¯s very common in Chinese to refer to people of your grandparents¡¯ generation as grandma/grandmother etc.


    alternate identities ¨C from Âí¼× ¨C vest, horse armor. Slang which refers to alternate user accounts owned by one person at the same time (Wikipedia)


    My luck just changed! ¨C from ºöÈ»±äÅ·


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    magic pattern ¨C ħÎÆ ¨C Alternatively: magic lines, marks, mage weave


    insight ¨C Áé¸Ð ¨C inspiration, Promethean fire


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    MU ¨C ÃÜ´ó ¨C Abbreviation for Miskatonic University

 CH 7

    This was too much of a coincidence. One second, he wanted to be stronger. The next second, he actually pulled an A-rank daily disposable persona card?


    Zong Yan was stunned.


    This was the first time he¡¯d directly drawn an A-rank card.


    Needless to say, Zong Yan was excruciatingly aware of how low the odds of drawing this card were.


    His superpower was closely bound to the San value. For example, every time he drew a card, it would consume a certain amount of San points.


    Using a daily disposable persona card also consumed San. The difference was that drawing a persona card deducted San only once, while activating a persona card deducted San once per use.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know exactly what San value was. He interpreted it a bit crudely as spiritual power.


    His San value wasn¡¯t that high, only 40 points.


    In the past, when the world around Zong Yan was peaceful, he liked to draw cards every day. Every time he left only a little San value, strolling along the edge of danger.


    As for why he left a little, it was because intuition told him he shouldn¡¯t let the San value hit zero, otherwise there was a good chance something bad would happen.


    The recovery speed of San value wasn¡¯t that fast either. Up to now, Zong Yan could recover no more than a dozen points a day, which was equivalent to drawing one card per day if there were no other urgent needs.


    Zong Yan had synthesized his only A-rank Child of the Wind card. Just think about it¡ªafter drawing cards for so many years, only this one time did he actually get an A-rank card. Even if a blind cat was hunting a dead mouse, it wouldn¡¯t be this bad.


    To sum up, it was all because the probability of getting a high-level card was so low.


    If there was an actual card drawing game with the same odds, the designer would be beaten to death.


    So¡ªwhat was this card?


    Zong Yan suppressed his inner excitement as he slowly turned over the card.


    Just like the Child of the Wind, the edges of the card shimmered with streamers of light, casting bright colors around the dimly lit room.


    The person on the card had long, lifeless gray hair and a high-brimmed hat of the same color. His excess long hair was tied up with a dark green ribbon and draped over his chest.


    On his feet were heavy Martin boots. Pale knuckles grasped a black umbrella, and the dark hem of his trench coat seemed to obliterate every source of light, like he walked the border between light and darkness, the embodiment of shadow.


    But the most compelling thing wasn¡¯t the solid gold pocket watch drawn on the card or the unpredictable smile on the figure¡¯s face. What attracted Zong Yan the most was the black crow that rested on his shoulder.


    The whole body of the crow was connected to the darkness. Its eyes were scarlet, the same as the man on the card, and a bizarrely pointed mask was attached to the bird¡¯s face. It was clearly wearing the famous plague doctor beaked mask used in medieval times.


    ¡°A messenger of death¡­¡± Zong Yan muttered to himself.


    Crows had long been a symbol of uncertainty and doom. They were said to carry death tidings to the unwary.


    The card gave off a depressing, morbid feeling. Zong Yan looked at the smile on his own face depicted on the card and felt an inexplicable sense of caution.


    The smile looked like it belonged to a villain. He wondered if his personality would become strange when he used this card.


    He turned the card over and saw a line of fine print at the bottom.


    ¡¾The San consumption value is halved when the persona card is used at night and doubled during the day¡¿


    It was the first time he¡¯d seen a card with additional instructions.


    After turning the card around over and over and studying it closely, Zong Yan put it back into the space gap. He threw back the quilt, jumped out of bed, opened his school bag, and began to pack his things.


    After he explained about the black leather manuscript to the Dragon Group, an agent went to retrieve his school bag.


    Of course, the manuscript inside was handed in on the grounds that it was ¡°very dangerous and not recommended for a high school student¡±.


    What was wrong with a high school student? An ordinary high school student could become a Monarch-level as soon as he woke up.


    Zong Yan opened the nearly empty wardrobe, folded a few T-shirts and school uniforms, and tucked them into his school bag.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t have many things. Apart from those old borrowed books, everything he owned could probably fit into this one bag.


    ¡­ Unless he included his summer homework.


    Those god-awful agents of the Dragon Group made a trip to Qingyang High School and brought back the summer homework that was on his desk.


    He had to go to college and do his summer homework for high school too¡ªthere really was no justice under heaven.


    When he finished straightening up, he ran back to the bed, knelt on the floor, pulled out a small iron box from under the bed, and stuffed it into his bag.


    ¡°Meow¡ª¡±


    As Zong Yan was absorbed in packing, he suddenly heard the quiet sound of a cat outside the window.


    A cat?


    The neighborhood was basically a slum. People could hardly feed themselves, so cats and dogs were rare. If you turned over the garbage cans you wouldn¡¯t find many scraps. Stray cats and dogs eventually ran away. They rarely ventured into the area.


    Zong Yan stood up and walked over to the window, pulling back the black window screen to look out.


    Outside, the moonlight was very cold, gleaming down from the depths of the clouds, draping a veil of pale light over the dilapidated eaves.


    On the concrete surface of the opposite roof, a dark shadow crouched quietly on the ground.


    It was a black cat.


    Zong Yan was a bit surprised. Turning away, he grabbed the old newspaper on the table. He wanted to break off a little piece of the steamed bun and throw it over.


    But by the time he returned to the windowsill, the roof across the way was empty. The black cat was already gone.


    ¡°Strange, it¡¯s the middle of the night¡­¡±


    Zong Yan stood by the window for a while, but he never saw another sign of the black cat.


    The hour hand slowly crept toward twelve.


    The summer night¡¯s wind brought some coolness. Zong Yan hesitated for a moment, then threw a small piece of steamed bread through the air. Only then did he pull the window closed and lie back in bed.


    It was a night without dreams.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan got up early the next morning. Before dawn, he grabbed his school bag and took a bus to a cemetery on the outskirts of Jiangzhou.


    The cemetery he traveled to was a long way from the city center. He had to change buses several times. It took hours to get there and back.


    Rich people might be able to find their rest within a bustling city after death, but for people without money, it was good just to occupy a piece of land.


    Before he left, Zong Yan looked out the window.


    The torn piece of steamed bun was still lying quietly on the concrete floor opposite, surrounded by dark traces of rain.


    It must have rained late last night. He didn¡¯t know if the cat got wet.


    He pulled out his keys, locked the door, and crept down the stairs without disturbing anyone who was still sleeping.


    By the time Zong Yan returned, it was a bit after ten o¡¯clock.


    ¡°Sorry, there was a little weekend traffic. I made you wait.¡±


    The Dragon Group¡¯s car arrived as promised, parked in front of the building.


    The black body presented an extremely eye-catching, streamlined shape. The trident logo on the front shone proudly, completely incompatible with the street around it, where garbage was piled up on the corners. People passing by couldn¡¯t help but stare.


    ¡°Get in.¡±


    The glass of the car window lowered, revealing half a man¡¯s face wearing black sunglasses. Even with just this fraction of a face, there was a strong aura of impatience.


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    Zong Yan thought He Yuan would come to pick him up. He didn¡¯t expect to find the captain of the Dragon Group waiting for him.


    But it was indeed true that he was late, so Zong Yan responded very properly, pulled open one of the rear doors and got in.


    When he sat down, the car didn¡¯t start immediately.


    The man¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in the car.


    ¡°Not saying goodbye?¡±


    Si Yan had actually arrived a long time ago.


    Originally, none of this had anything to do with him. But He Yuan and the logistics team were going to prepare the new Monarch¡¯s file and conduct a systematic evaluation today. So in the end, the honor of this glorious task fell on the captain of Team 7, who happened to be free on vacation.


    Yesterday Si Yan had planned to stay inside all day and play video games in his apartment. But as it turned out, he was awoken by a phone call first thing in the morning. He was so annoyed he almost punched through the door of his father¡¯s command room with a slap of his hand.


    Waking people up at seven in the morning, hell of a vacation!


    With a dark face Si Yan whooshed the car along the navigation route to get here. After waiting half an hour, he suddenly received a text message from He Yuan who¡¯d just woken up, saying the appointment actually wasn¡¯t until ten o¡¯clock.


    Si Yan¡¯s heart filled with murder.


    What annoyed him even more was that after he parked the car there was an endless stream of gawkers. An old grandfather came forward and questioned him.


    Si Yan had a bad temper, but he would slightly restrain himself in the face of his elders. Please note that his father Si Xun wasn¡¯t included in this category.


    And when the old man heard he was looking for Zong Yan, he hooted and hollered, and a group of grandparents who¡¯d been playing mahjong outside gathered around Si Yan. They all said enthusiastically, ¡°Oh, you must be the class teacher. Teacher, please take good care of our Little Yan at summer camp. Little Yan is a good child.¡±


    Si Yan: ¡­?


    This scene was more difficult to deal with than a fight with an otherworldly beast.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zong Yan thought it was because he wasn¡¯t wearing his seat belt. ¡°I said goodbye to them yesterday.¡±


    Zong Yan mentioned his news last night when went from house to house carrying water. He gave himself the perfect excuse¡ªattending summer camp.


    As one of the most famous and prestigious high schools in Jiangzhou, Qingyang High School had a tradition of summer trips.


    The year before last, the school¡¯s teachers led a summer exchange program with Liwei high school in Singapore. Last year, they went to the western Gold Coast of the United States to do a marine biology survey. This year, it was said they were joining the top students of the orchestra department of Jiangzhou College of Music next door to go to Vienna to experience the local customs and traditions of world music.


    Of course, summer camp wasn¡¯t free. You had to pay a significant fee to participate in each program.


    Every year after the head teacher handed out summer camp flyers, it would become the center of conversation for the next few days.


    Although Qingyang High School was a rigorous school, it was also part of human society, and status seeking was a constant.


    When class ended, students huddled together to chat. Zong Yan was sitting in the last row and faintly heard the conversation at the front of the classroom.


    ¡°Ye Ge¡¯s new sneakers are too much!¡±


    ¡°You have a good eye. My uncle brought them back from the United States a few days ago. James even signed them. Here, let me show you.¡±


    From a distance, through the gaps in the crowd, Ye JingMing could be seen putting his feet on the desk. Onlookers crowded around, exclaiming one after another with an outpouring of awe.


    What high school boys didn¡¯t like to play basketball? James, Kobe, Magic Johnson¡­ They were all familiar names when the boys sneaked out of class to watch NBA Live on their phones. Along with shoes and jerseys, they were a focus of attention.


    But it was like Zong Yan had never heard of any of these things. His pen crossed over to a math question and easily solved a complex equation.


    ¡°Ye Ge, did you sign up for summer camp this year?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been to Vienna before and it¡¯s not that great. This year I¡¯m going skiing in the Alps. All the tickets have been booked. First class on Austrian Airlines!¡±


    The other student paused and suddenly whispered in a low voice, ¡°But¡­ I heard Xia KeYan signed up this year.¡±


    After that, Zong Yan stopped paying attention. He¡¯d reached the most complicated part of the equation, mentally calculating several series of numbers simultaneously. He didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to a world that was a stone¡¯s throw away but completely separate from him.


    Things like summer camp had nothing to do with his life.


    Zong Yan had no friends in his class and no acquaintances at school. No one asked if he was going to summer camp. They tacitly acknowledged that he wasn¡¯t sociable, thinking he was mysterious and silent. In fact, Zong Yan just didn¡¯t want to get involved with people who belonged to a totally different world.


    Although he¡¯d roamed around the entire world in books, in reality he¡¯d never set foot outside Jiangzhou.


    Sometimes, when he got back from summer break and listened to his classmates talk about their holidays¡ªgoing to London for afternoon tea, viewing cherry blossoms in Hokkaido, going to the Kremlin to watch the parade¡ªhe sat quietly in solitude in the back of the classroom and solved equations no one else could understand.


    Maybe there was a moment of envy, but it was buried deep inside his heart.


    ¡°Your room.¡±


    With a stern face, Si Yan drove the car over to the Dragon Group building. After he unlocked the special elevator, he took Zong Yan directly to the apartment upstairs.


    ¡°The door lock has facial recognition. You can set it up yourself by inputting your fingerprint.¡±


    With these words, the captain of Team 7 walked to the opposite door. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he took out a card from his pocket and tossed it over.


    ¡°Take this. The Dragon Group gives an allowance to minors.¡±


    An allowance for minors? Why didn¡¯t he remember He Yuan mention that?


    Zong Yan hurriedly caught the card and asked, ¡°When will I go to Miskatonic University¡­?¡±


    Si Yan impatiently took off his sunglasses and hung them by the door. ¡°That¡¯s none of my business. Wait for that He Yuan guy to notify you.¡±


    A moment later there was the sound of a door slamming in the corridor.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    In this story, San value = mental power. If the value goes to zero or negative, bad things can happen


    This doesn¡¯t match the usual campaign setting ha


    TL Notes:


    excruciatingly aware ¨C ÁîÈËÍ´ÐÄ ¨C cut to the heart, hurt to think about it, distressed

 CH 8

    He Yuan was the adjutant of Team 7. He really should be the person in charge of such things.


    Specifically¡­ Zong Yan clearly remembered He Yuan saying the benefits provided by the Dragon Group only included free tuition and room and board. Why hadn¡¯t he heard of a monthly allowance for minors?


    Zong Yan paused in the corridor but still put the card in his pocket. He set up the facial recognition lock according to the system prompts, then opened the door with a feeling of nervousness.


    Yesterday it had only been a joke, but today, the Dragon Group really did put Zong Yan¡¯s name on the door. He actually felt a little embarrassed about it.


    It was still morning and it was a beautiful day in Jiangzhou. The golden sun peeked out from a few clouds.


    The moment Zong Yan opened the door, sunlight poured in through the white curtains and projected across the light brown floor, like it was spreading a warm layer of beeswax on the ground.


    The apartment was quite large and completely furnished. The scene was full of brown, white, and black, three cold colors. A thick white lambswool carpet overlaid a linear pattern of black marble, which was typical of Scandinavian interior design.


    Perhaps earlier in the day, a housekeeping aunt had come for a final check and turned on the mock fireplace in the corner, dissipating the chill of the summer morning, then turned on the central air conditioning. The room was just the right temperature.


    The cross section of the apartment was all glass. If he opened the curtains, he could have a panoramic view of the slow-moving Huangpu River below. Sunlight glittered on the river like flowing gold.


    The bathroom was semi-open, and the sunken tub was built into a platform. If he had the inclination, he could take a bath while enjoying a night view of Jiangzhou.


    Although the design was minimalist and cold, there were pillows scattered on the sofa and carpet, which gave a natural, comfortable feeling to everything.


    Was he going to live here from now on?


    Zong Yan hesitated, then bent down to take off his shoes and arranged them neatly in the rack. He stepped barefoot onto the thick woolen carpet, shut the door, and unzipped his school bag to begin to tidy up his things.


    He owned a few items of clothes which he wore over and over. At school he only ever wore his school uniform. He¡¯d washed several sets of uniforms so many times they were faded white.


    Zong Yan pulled open the closet to put his clothes inside, but then he froze in place.


    The closet was full of clothes. And they were obviously new¡ªthey were still covered in dust bags. The brand-new clothes looked like they¡¯d been shipped up from the shopping mall downstairs. The price tags had been carefully cut off.


    Although Zong Yan wasn¡¯t interested in brands, he¡¯d encountered them in class and guessed the price wasn¡¯t low.


    Like the Off-White Marilyn sweatshirt. Ye JingMing had previously worn one inside his school uniform and set off a trend in class. Everyone imitated him, unzipping their school uniform half-way, revealing the Off-White speed bump logo. The boys in gym class took off their school clothes and played basketball in those T-shirts, as if they couldn¡¯t play small group basketball unless they wore this shirt.


    Zong Yan had looked at the basketball court from a distance when he was cleaning the blackboard, then silently opened the book placed on the desk, ¡¶The Stranger¡·.


    A packed closet, a spacious and bright first-class apartment. From straitened circumstances to a privileged life.


    He had a very surreal feeling.


    Zong Yan would occasionally drift into his own thoughts while sitting in class, but from the moment a helicopter actually picked him up from school, saying the world needs you and we need you, he felt like everything was magical beyond belief.


    For so many years he¡¯d been hunkered down in his own little world. The craziest thing about it was that he was going to college but still had to do his high school summer homework.


    Zong Yan stood in the same place for a long while. He didn¡¯t touch the clothes in the closet. After he finally put away his things, he scratched his hair and dutifully took out the test worksheets from his school bag.


    The amount of homework assigned for summer vacation of senior two really moved the soul. It wasn¡¯t called senior three prep for nothing. The teachers had gone all out to assign homework. Every subject had a thick stack of test papers.


    He still had no idea what Miskatonic University was all about, but Zong Yan figured he wouldn¡¯t have much free time this summer.


    Starting now, he would fight on the front line, battling these test problems.


    ¡ª


    ¡°How about it? Was everything ready?¡±


    He Yuan didn¡¯t have a single moment¡¯s rest until nightfall. He turned back to wave to his colleagues before he went outside the room, then turned on his cell phone and dialed the number.


    Of course, it was impossible for him to call the boss, who¡¯d been woken up early in the morning during his break. He Yuan was afraid the captain¡¯s anger tank was already overflowing. How dare he beard the crown prince in his den.


    ¡°You can rest assured, everything was taken care of this morning. We called the mall downstairs and had them send up some clothes and daily necessities. Everything¡¯s been sorted.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good job.¡±


    He Yuan hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. He thought for a while but didn¡¯t go up.


    He was too busy with things down here. Barely half of the information had been integrated. A huge amount of survey data hadn¡¯t been summarized yet.


    This was the data that ¡°Zong Yan¡±, the person, had generated from birth to the present.


    As for why the workload was so heavy, it was because¡ª


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Any results?¡±


    He Yuan rubbed his temples and turned to look at the stereoscopic projection screen suspended in mid-air, where a complex series of data streams were flickering.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    The leader of the profiling team, who was wearing a white coat, looked up at him with a tightly-knit frown. ¡°So far, the search still hasn¡¯t turned up any similarities in the DNA library.¡±


    The profiling team was supposed to produce a detailed file for the new tenth Monarch. They hadn¡¯t expected to get stuck here.


    That was why the whole team¡¯s workload had increased several times. Now the moon was hanging high and they were still working overtime. He didn¡¯t know when the comparison results would be available.


    He Yuan sighed. ¡°Do you think he knows about this himself?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee.¡± The team leader placed the file on the table, sat down wearily and crossed his arms. ¡°Dragon Group agents were out canvassing all day. According to the summary, sixteen years ago some witnesses confirmed seeing the gray cloth bag that was abandoned at 12 Jianshe Street. During the same time period, Zong YanLan moved from Jianshe Street to that old building, and that¡¯s where the child first appeared on the record. Before that, we know nothing.


    ¡°Zong YanLan passed away in early spring of last year. When the funeral home collected the remains, they didn¡¯t see anything that could prove his identity. Either those things were left behind, or they never existed.¡±


    The half-completed profile was neatly placed in front of He Yuan. The printed text was square and unmistakable in black and white.


    Name: Zong Yan


    Age: 17


    File Number: S10


    Next of Kin: Unknown


    Ability: Monarch level, 10 elements


    Assessment Factor: Priority observation


    In the otherwise blank section at the bottom, there was a dragon with teeth and claws. This seal belonged exclusively to the representative of the commander in chief of the Dragon Group.


    ¡°Priority observation ah¡­¡±


    Once the assessment factor was set to ¡°priority¡±, it meant this person would be under the strict monitoring of the Dragon Group¡¯s special agents at all times.


    From the very beginning, when the top brass instructed Zong Yan to move to the base, He Yuan had a vague premonition. But he didn¡¯t really expect the system evaluation and various circumstances to produce this result.


    Agents had gone to Qingyang High School to do a survey. Aside from a few teachers, Zong Yan was basically labeled a ¡°misfit¡±, ¡°withdrawn¡±, ¡°silent¡±, ¡°mysterious¡±, and so on.


    There was a quote that received extra attention from the system assessment, which came from the head teacher of year two, Class 3.


    He Yuan casually activated the recording pen labeled with the number seven. A muffled female voice began to speak.


    ¡°Zong Yan? Well, he¡¯s a very withdrawn student. He barely interacts with his classmates. In the first year of senior high he received exceptional admission after winning a prize in the junior high school league. He also enjoyed the school¡¯s preferential tuition policy. He handed in the application form to me.¡±


    The better schools had what were known as competition classes, and Qingyang High School was no exception.


    The students in these classes were quite special. They wouldn¡¯t switch to the International Department of Qingyang High School in the future, and they basically didn¡¯t participate in the ordinary college entrance examination coursework. The difficulty of the class was much higher than for regular high school students.


    Especially when it came to mathematics, physics, chemistry, information science, and biology.


    These five subjects had Olympiad competition events at the national and world levels. Let alone internationally, if a student was ranked at the national level, they could directly enjoy benefits such as reducing the required score on the college entrance exams, and guaranteed admission to one of the top two elite universities.


    ¡°In junior high school Zong Yan took first prize in the mathematics league. I heard that he signed up without any guidance or training from an Olympiad class. When he first enrolled in Qingyang, the teachers had high expectations. We all hoped he¡¯d be a credit to our country in the IMO.


    ¡°But then I don¡¯t know what happened. At the end of his last semester in senior one, he suddenly submitted an application to withdraw from the Olympiad class. The math Olympiad teacher even went to ask him about it, but he just said that something happened at home and he couldn¡¯t participate in the Olympiad training on weekends anymore. Next semester, Zong Yan was transferred to the ordinary class, and his academic performance began to decline significantly. Because he was recruited for the mathematics competition at the start, he has a serious learning bias for certain subjects.¡±


    The second semester of senior high school coincided with the time on the file.


    The agent asked another question. ¡°Anything unusual?¡±


    The head teacher seemed a bit confused, then appeared to think of something and spoke hesitantly. ¡°If¡­ if I had to say something unusual, that child rarely looks at people. But once I¡­ I accidentally looked him straight in the eyes.


    ¡°Those eyes¡ª


    ¡°Those eyes frightened me. I don¡¯t know why, but the moment I looked at him¡­ I felt terror, like something was strangling my neck. It was almost suffocating.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot myself for a moment.¡±


    It took a little while for the head teacher to gather herself. She seemed surprised to say such a thing to a stranger. Maybe it was because of the search warrant in his hand, or because the agent was affiliated with a state institution.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t pay too much attention to what I just said. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s a little unfair to him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Zong Yan is a bit withdrawn, but he really is a good child.¡±


    The recording stopped abruptly, and He Yuan put the recording pen back on the desk.


    It was this recording that had raised Zong Yan¡¯s final assessment score by an entire grade.


    As investigators, the Dragon Group had extensive experience with fighting otherworldly creatures and were well aware of the powerful, unnamable terrors that existed beyond the universe¡¯s boundaries. This statement was treated as an important reference and entered into the file.


    The boy in the faded school uniform had no idea how closely he would be watched in the future.


    He might not know his own life history, what kind of place Miskatonic University was, or what a new Monarch would face in a world turned upside down.


    He Yuan thought of the voices echoing in the stairwell of the dilapidated tube building and was silent for a long time.


    ¡°But he¡¯s a good kid,¡± the adjutant of Team 7 muttered to himself.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    IMO: The International Mathematical Olympiad competition for pre-university students


    TL Notes:


    Off-White is an Italian luxury fashion label founded by American designer Virgil Abloh in Milan in 2012 (Wikipedia)


    Off-White Marilyn sweatshirt ¨C Circa 2013-2017 or so. USD 620


    Off-White short-sleeved T-shirt ¨C Current price USD 280-425


    The Stranger ¨C A 1942 novella by French author Albert Camus. Its theme and outlook are often cited as examples of Camus¡¯ philosophy, absurdism coupled with existentialism (Wikipedia). Source of the classic quote: ¡°I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe¡±.


    test worksheets ¨C ÊÔ¾í ¨C examination papers, test papers


    beard the crown prince in his den ¨C Í·É϶¯ÍÁ ¨C from Ì«ËêÍ·É϶¯ÍÁ, ¡°breaking ground on Tai Sui¡¯s head¡± ¨C provoke sb. far superior in power or strength; beard the lion in his den; challenge the marshal; provoke the almighty; scratch the Buddha¡¯s head


    top two elite universities ¨C from Çå±±¸´½» ¨C I believe this refers to Tsinghua University and Peking University


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Zong YanLan ¨C ×ÚÑàÀ¼

 CH 9

    Zong Yan didn¡¯t see He Yuan again until three days later.


    No one scheduled Zong Yan¡¯s time. He was happy on his own. He worked on his summer homework in the apartment from morning until night and went downstairs to eat when it was time. But since he was concentrating so much on homework problems, he frequently missed meals. By the time he looked up, it was deep into the night. Zong Yan could only scratch his head, take out a few crumpled bank notes from his bag and go downstairs to find food.


    By eleven PM, the restaurants in the shopping mall downstairs were basically closed. Only the bars were still open this late. The only thing Zong Yan could do was find a convenience store in the dark and buy a big bag of instant noodles and snacks. That way he was prepared for a long-term war of attrition against his summer homework.


    This proved to be the right decision.


    Zong Yan missed the noon meal again the next day. He was drawing a graph with a ruler, trying to evaluate the range of values for function F(x) at value a.


    While he was mulling about the interval of decrease, the phone by bed the suddenly rang.


    This phone was provided by the Dragon Group. Naturally, Zong Yan himself didn¡¯t have any spare money to buy a cell phone. When he needed to look up information or do online assignments, he usually went to the second-hand bookstore to borrow Grandpa Zeng¡¯s old computer.


    Zong Yan hadn¡¯t fiddled much with his new phone. He¡¯d only connected to the WiFi and downloaded some software updates. There was just one contact in the address book, He Yuan. But now the phone was suddenly ringing. Zong Yan reached for the phone and tucked it into his shoulder while continuing to work on the graph.


    ¡°Oh, okay. Well, all right. That¡¯s fine. Thank you.¡±


    Zong Yan was focused on the math exercise, so he answered somewhat perfunctorily. It was only after he hung up, threw the phone back on the bed, and finished the last question on the current worksheet that he remembered it as an afterthought.


    Ah, it seemed that the dining hall downstairs had just called.


    So the question was, how did the downstairs dining hall get his phone number?


    Ding dong¡ª


    While he was contemplating this, the doorbell suddenly rang.


    Zong Yan jumped up from the low table on the carpet and stepped into his slippers to answer the door.


    A waiter in a tuxedo was already standing at the door, pushing a gleaming silver dining cart in front of him. When Zong Yan opened the door, the waiter bowed slightly. ¡°Mr. Zong, your lunch is here.¡±


    ¡°The appetizer is Brittany blue lobster just airlifted from France and Burgundy red wine poached eggs. The main course is a medium-rare Australian M4 sirloin with sea bass fillet. The dessert is chocolate ganache topped with sliced mango. The table wine today is white wine from Astrolabe Wines in New Zealand.¡±


    Zong Yan felt dizzy when he heard this string of fancy dish names.


    It was like the scene of a butler in an English manor saying, Young master, it¡¯s time for your dinner, but the young master was confused and forced to say, You¡¯re right, I was just about to put the water on and make some instant noodles.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t remember ordering a meal.¡±


    ¡°This lunch was delivered to your room by name, courtesy of Captain Si.¡± The smile on the waiter¡¯s face remained unchanged. ¡°Pardon me for saying so, but you¡¯re still a minor. Boys at your age need to supplement their nutrition the most. Please make sure to eat on time, or you might develop one of those little stomach problems like many members of the Dragon Team.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay, thank you.¡±


    Zong Yan hunched his shoulders, took a few steps back, and watched the waiter push the dining cart into his apartment. The waiter skillfully laid the tablecloth and set the wine on the table.


    Such a ceremonial way of eating lunch, it was oddly nerve-wracking.


    Zong Yan really didn¡¯t expect the savage-looking captain to be concerned about his diet.


    He touched his nose, gave himself a bit of a mental pep talk, and knocked on the opposite door.


    Knock knock knock.


    He rapped three times politely. After waiting a while, he didn¡¯t hear a response. As he was about to turn around, the door behind him suddenly went ¡°Bang¡ª¡± and opened.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    There was a foul expression on Si Yan¡¯s face and his hair was like a chicken nest.


    The man was a full one meter eight in height and he had bulging muscles. Compared to him, Zong Yan, who was still growing and didn¡¯t have any meat at all on his frame, looked like a primary school chicken.


    As luck would have it, just then Zong Yan heard a game voice announce, ¡°You have been killed by the enemy¡± from behind the captain.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. I interrupted his game, heaven strike me down with lightning ah.


    ¡°Um, thank you.¡±


    He turned sideways with some nervousness to reveal his room. The dining cart was still parked at the door in the corridor.


    ¡°Humph.¡±


    Zong Yan thought Si Yan was going to punch him because he¡¯d ruined his game. He didn¡¯t expect the other person to just give him a condescending look and produce a short grunt. ¡°Thud¡ª¡± The door slammed shut.


    Captain Si looked ferocious. Zong Yan didn¡¯t think he¡¯d turn out to be such a kind person.


    Zong Yan sighed to himself and reflected on his misunderstanding of Si Yan. When he turned around to go back to his meal, the elevator door at the end of the corridor opened.


    The adjutant of Team 7 walked out of the elevator, looking down at his phone. As it turned out, before he took two steps, he found the person he needed right in the middle of the corridor.


    ¡°Little Monarch, what are you doing at the captain¡¯s door?¡±


    He Yuan had been running ragged. The reason he wasn¡¯t released by the Logistics Department until this afternoon was very simple. It was because tomorrow night was the entrance ceremony for Miskatonic University. As the guide for the new tenth Monarch, He Yuan had to deliver him to the plane.


    ¡°I forgot to eat. Captain Si ordered lunch for me. I was just thanking him.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡ª¡±


    He Yuan didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°That¡¯s just like the captain, hard-spoken but soft-hearted. He looks so ferocious most of the time, but in private he¡¯s actually pretty¡ª¡±


    ¡°He Yuan.¡±


    The door that was just closed had opened again. Si Yan walked out from inside with a black face and a golden arc of electricity jumping between his fingers. ¡°You just got on break, but you¡¯re still so jumpy. You must be panicking because you have too much free time. Let¡¯s go do some moves in the training room.¡±


    ""


    ¡°No thank you, captain!!!¡± He Yuan showed a frightened look. ¡°I just got back from the Psychology and Logistics Department. My whole body¡¯s drained. I¡¯m not in condition, captain!¡±


    ¡°I think you have enough energy to talk nonsense.¡±


    Si Yan sneered a bit. With his attitude he couldn¡¯t be refused.


    He Yuan was originally playing games, but now he was kneeling inside. He¡¯d really shot himself in the foot.


    He Yuan was well aware of the captain¡¯s temper, so all he could do was make an expression like a man about to go to his grave. Before he left, he suddenly turned to Zong Yan. ¡°Little Monarch, when you¡¯re done eating, make sure to pack your bags and go downstairs to buy some essentials you want to bring to school. Your flight¡¯s at three AM tonight, so I¡¯ll pick you up at about nine. Remember to have supper.


    ¡°By the way, because you¡¯re still a minor and in special circumstances, the Logistics Department arranged some living expenses for you. This card¡¯s been activated. You can swipe it when you¡¯re abroad.¡±


    He Yuan took out a Visa debit card from his pocket and handed it over to Zong Yan. ¡°MU¡¯s Gate of Truth opens in London this year. The cost of living is higher than at home, and you can only go out on weekends. If you want to buy anything, you¡¯d better buy it all here.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Zong Yan froze. ¡°Captain Si already gave me a card. By the way, those clothes in my bedroom closet¡­¡±


    Huh?!


    He Yuan was also surprised for a moment. He automatically looked back at Si Yan. ¡°The clothes are a little token from the sisters in the Dragon Group¡¯s Logistics Department. You can just wear them. You should take this card too.¡±


    He Yuan really wasn¡¯t lying about this. The profiling team had sorted out Zong Yan¡¯s dossier a few days ago. After the Logistics Department found out there was an Awakened minor in the Dragon Group Reserves, they took it on themselves in the spirit of caregiving to buy him some things. This included the home furnishings of his apartment, which the senior designers of the team set up overnight. He Yuan was at most a supervisor.


    As for the other card, well¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t fcking give me that crap. Get on with it!¡±


    Si Yan gave him a savage glare, turned his head, and left. He Yuan immediately understood. After squinting at Zong Yan, he followed suit, leaving Zong Yan standing where he was, holding two bank cards in his hand and feeling a bit of warmth inside.


    ¡ª


    At nine PM, He Yuan arrived as promised to drive the car directly to the terminal in front of the Jiangzhou International Airport, checking in through the priority lane.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your passport, ID card, and tickets. After you enter, you have to go through customs. When you¡¯re done, go to the gate listed on your boarding pass. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand along the way, just ask the airport staff. British Airways has a VIP channel for first class, so you¡¯ll get priority boarding. Just ask when you get through customs.


    ¡°This is the last flight before school begins. A lot of students enrolled at MU this year are your senior brothers and sisters. If you have any questions, you can ask them. After all, they¡¯re your fellow classmates and countrymen, so everyone will be very friendly.¡±


    He Yuan recited, ¡°It takes more than ten hours to fly from Jiangzhou to London. There¡¯s a bed in first class, so you can just about get a good night¡¯s sleep. Once you arrive in London, there will be investigators who come to pick up the new students. After your land, the local time will be noon. Remember to order food and eat before you get off the plane, otherwise you¡¯ll have to wait until after the opening ceremony in the evening to have dinner.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, why did MU open the Gate of Truth in London this year? It¡¯s more than ten freaking hours by plane. People have to sit around so long they go insane.¡±


    Zong Yan was a little wobbly after this barrage of mother-like nagging. ¡°What¡¯s the Gate of Truth?¡±


    ¡°An alchemical spatial portal.¡±


    He Yuan tugged at his hair. ¡°You can understand it as a node between one location and another. When you pass through the Gate of Truth, it¡¯s only then that you really arrive at MU.¡±


    Zong Yan heard the implication. ¡°Can the door be moved to different places?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in a different location every year. It was in Bern two years ago, Toronto last year, and it moved to London this year. In September, I heard it might move to Jiangzhou. You¡¯re in your senior year of high school, right? When the time comes, school won¡¯t be such a hassle.¡±


    Zong Yan: dumbfounded.jpg


    ¡°Okay, well, this is nothing. After you enter MU there are far more amazing things waiting for you. After all, it¡¯s a magical school with a survival rate at graduation of only seventy percent¡­¡±


    He Yuan met the little Monarch¡¯s puzzled eyes and in the end, still didn¡¯t tell him the cruel facts. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. You¡¯re the youngest Monarch-level. Someday the future of the occult world will depend on you. Keep a low profile along the way and remember not to expose your talent. The Dragon Group notified the Spire Council about your specific situation, and some of the top leaders at MU will know. Just be aware they may pay extra attention to you.¡±


    He Yuan didn¡¯t even know what kind of facial expression to use to express his mood right now. The kid would receive extra attention from the senior investigators at MU, which could be regarded as¡­ a good thing. At least the little Monarch¡¯s personal safety would be guaranteed in the practical investigation class.


    Because MU¡¯s practical investigation class required all students to sign a death waiver. But over the years, thanks to continuous productivity improvements, the point of this agreement was more to scare the new investigators. But it was also enough to scare those fledgling investigators out of their wits.


    As he thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but pat the little Monarch on the shoulder with compassion.


    ¡°Right, make sure to pin this to your chest.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zong Yan took it.


    A little black dragon badge lay quietly in the palm of his hand.


    ¡°This is the symbol of Awakened in China. Although Awakened aren¡¯t divided into factions, if you wear this badge you won¡¯t have as much of a generation gap when you communicate with your fellow countrymen.¡±


    Then He Yuan added one more sentence: ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. Time to go. I¡¯ll come pick you up in two months.¡±


    ¡°One last thing, make sure you keep your head down. There¡¯s an old Chinese saying¡ªthe more beautiful the tree, the sooner the wind will cut it down. Always keep a low profile.¡±


    Zong Yan nodded and picked up his schoolbag. He Yuan watched him pass the customs gate. He took out his lighter, smoked a cigarette in the night air, then got into the driver¡¯s seat and left.


    He Yuan had warned him many times, so it was a pity that some of Zong Yan¡¯s information had already leaked out from other channels.


    ¡°Hi, are you a freshman in MU this year, too?¡±


    Zong Yan followed the flight attendant onto the plane and came to his own first class cabin. Just after he put down his school bag, the door to the next cabin suddenly opened, revealing a chubby face.


    This face really was fat. Zong Yan mentally compared Ye JingMing¡¯s little follower and the face in front of him, and eventually decided the person before him was better.


    ¡°En.¡±


    He¡¯d already pinned on the dragon badge. Even if a discerning eye didn¡¯t know whether he was a freshman, he could definitely tell Zong Yan was headed to MU.


    ¡°What a coincidence, me too. We¡¯re all in first class. Let¡¯s get to know each other. My name is Wang KeMing.¡±


    The little chubby man was very familiar and extended his hand. After realizing Zong Yan had no intention of shaking it, he retracted his hand.


    ¡°Zong Yan.¡± The black-haired teenager nodded.


    Apparently Zong Yan¡¯s indifference didn¡¯t deter him, but only made Wang KeMing even more enthusiastic.


    ""


    ¡°Did you hear, we seem to have a big shot in our class.¡±


    ¡°What big shot?¡±


    Zong Yan had a sudden intuition. Sure enough, Wang KeMing glanced around, winked at him, and revealed a gossipy expression. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s an amazing freshman this year.


    ¡°The cousin of my aunt¡¯s aunt¡¯s brother-in-law¡¯s brother knows the diplomatic advisor of the Spire Council and said that new student is from our country. As soon as he woke up, he shocked the top brass. If you can shock the commander as soon as you wake up, how terrible is that? Is it really possible to start at Level 6?


    ¡°How awesome, Level 6 means you can manipulate six elements.¡± The little chubby man smacked his lips. ¡°I guess the school representative will have to change.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    ¡ª


    ×÷ÕßÓл°ÒªËµ£º


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m afraid the person you¡¯re talking about is me.jpg


    The name of the dishes are borrowed from the menu of Maison Lameloise in Shanghai. I found that I really liked this restaurant, so I carried the protagonist of this story over to have a meal.


    So why didn¡¯t the author get to have any? It¡¯s all because there¡¯s no money!! Shedding tears of poverty.gif


    TL Notes:


    school representative ¨C ѧУÊ×ϯ ¨C Alternatively: school chief


    Maison Lameloise is a French fine dining restaurant located on the 68th floor of the Shanghai Tower. It opened in 2018. One Michelin Star. (per Google). I¡¯m a little surprised the author served white wine with sirloin, but I suppose it¡¯s because of all the seafood. At any rate, an Australian wagyu M4 steak is quite a meal. ?(???? ???)???


    his own first class cabin ¨C from ×Ô¼ºµÄÍ·µÈ²Õ ¨C Right, so, I¡¯ve never heard of individual cabins with doors in British Airways First Class, and I can¡¯t find any pictures of that online, so either the author is confused, or the author just upgraded British Airways to be almost as good as Emirates. Anyway Zong Yan, please enjoy your flight¡­. (??©n?)?* ??*?


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Spire Council ¨C ¼â¶¥Òé»á ¨C Alternatively: Apex Council, Summit Parliament


    Gate of Truth ¨C ÕæÀíÖ®ÃÅ ¨C Alternatively: door of truth


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Mr. Zong ¨C ×ÚÏÈÉú ¨C Z¨­ng xi¨¡nsh¨¥ng


    Wang KeMing ¨C Íõ¿ÉÃù


    Captain Si ¨C ˾¶Ó³¤ ¨C S¨© du¨¬zh¨£ng ¨C Si Yan (˾Ñå) is captain of Dragon Team 7

 CH 10

    Classmate Wang, your information¡¯s too unreliable. Is that remarkable freshman merely Level 6? Dare to think boldly! Why not start out as a Monarch ah?


    Although Zong Yan was spluttering inside, on the surface he remained unmoved. His face didn¡¯t even flicker.


    And it was this high-minded demeanor that fooled Wang KeMing at a stroke.


    Wang KeMing¡¯s family was involved in real estate. He was a certified member of the nouveau riche in Jiangzhou, and there was quite a gap between his family and those wealthy, well-established clans with firm backgrounds. His father was a smooth social operator who¡¯d trained his son to read facial expressions and body language since childhood, seeking to cultivate a worthy successor. He¡¯d been knocking on the door of Princeton with a great deal of money. But, as it turned out, Wang KeMing had suddenly awakened.


    So Wang KeMing¡¯s father could only hold his nose and sign the Dragon Group¡¯s nondisclosure agreement. Anyway, the building had already been donated, and the offers had been tendered. Princeton wasn¡¯t going to give them back.


    His only consolation was that a diploma from Miskatonic University was extremely prestigious and would confer many benefits around the world. After inquiring around, he learned that a high-ranking British royal, directly in line for the throne, was enrolled in the school this year, so he slapped his thigh and sent his son without hesitation.


    Wang KeMing attached great importance to the same things. However, he¡¯d stepped foot into international waters at a younger age than his father, and he planned to use his social skills along the way to ensure a good relationship with the freshmen from his native land.


    This kind of socializing began in the first class cabin.


    Aside from anything else, tickets for a first class direct flight from Jiangzhou to London started at nearly 100,000 RMB. It was only the children of the rich and famous who could afford to sit in this section of the Boeing 777.


    Wang KeMing had been in the circle since childhood, and his vision was precise.


    The handsome boy with raven hair in front of him had a cold face and wore a simple T-shirt with capris. Wang KeMing swept him a sharp glance with eyes that had been immersed in major brands for years. He was stunned that he couldn¡¯t tell which brand his outfit came from, which confirmed his prior thoughts even more.


    Looking at the aura of the entire person, he must come from a major family. When Wang KeMing went to Yanjing to spend time with his father, he saw such people from a distance. Children who came from truly elite backgrounds had strict discipline. They maintained quite a low profile outside, wore niche and elegant brands, and were pleasant and good-mannered. They were worlds apart from an upstart family like his.


    ¡°I never sleep very well in first class on BA. The bed is too hard. The bed¡¯s more comfortable on Emirates, it¡¯s soft and big. And in the evening you can take a shower, go to the air bar to have a drink and pick up flight attendants.¡±


    The little fat man talked and talked, all while secretly watching Zong Yan¡¯s expression, hoping to find a common topic. ¡°British Airways¡¯ Ferragamo pajamas have a better texture than Emirates¡¯. Whenever I smell that Bulgari perfume it makes me dizzy¡­¡±


    Zong Yan felt dizzy just listening to this endless spiel. The flight attendant brought over the toiletries bag and bent down to help him change his slippers.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it. Thank you.¡±


    Zong Yan really wasn¡¯t used to being treated like this by someone else, and he didn¡¯t like being so close to anyone, so he quickly refused. He squatted down to change his shoes and stuffed them into the dust bag, then he waved to Wang KeMing. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else going on, I¡¯ll get some rest. Sorry.¡±


    Fck, so personable and cultured, I have to make sure we have a good relationship in the future.


    Amazed, Wang KeMing watched the door close.


    In fact, Zong Yan wasn¡¯t as calm as he appeared. When he changed into his pajamas, sat down on the bed made up for him by the flight attendant, and latched the door behind him, his ADHD suddenly activated.


    Touching here and touching there, turning on and off the lights in the cabin, opening the concealed compartment next to the door, taking out the menu inside and turning it over, and rolling around on the bed.


    This was the first time he¡¯d ever been on a plane!! It was first class, too. It had to be commemorated!


    Zong Yan clumsily pulled out his phone camera, connected to the first class WiFi, and took a very cheesy selfie for the first time in his life.


    It was night time. The airport was the only thing that still sparkled with lights outside. The plane moved slowly down the runway. He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything else while they waited for takeoff.


    Zong Yan leaned on the small table, quietly watching the lights outside, his black eyes staring at the stars.


    It was like a dream. He didn¡¯t expect that the first time he stepped out of Jiangzhou he¡¯d actually go abroad. Along the way, he¡¯d cross the whole of Asia and fly over the English Channel.


    Everything ahead was unknown. Unknown school, unknown summer life, unknown world¡­


    Even if Zong Yan had a lot of nerve, he still felt a bit insecure.


    The black-haired young man stared out of the dark window, stretched his fingers into a gap in space, and drew a card.


    Sure enough¡ªaccording to the law of conservation of personality, his luck really hadn¡¯t changed.


    He let go of the blank waste card he¡¯d drawn with his fingers, and it immediately transformed into flakes of shining stardust and dissolved into the air.


    The plane would be in flight for more than ten hours and wouldn¡¯t arrive until the next afternoon.


    Zong Yan leaned against the table and watched the entire time as the plane took off. Then he folded the table away, set an alarm for himself, closed his eyes and began to sleep.


    It was late at night, and his work and rest schedule had always been very regular. Before, he¡¯d relied on his excitement to keep himself awake. Now he closed his eyes and directly sank into a fathomless dream.


    Zong Yan slept soundly that night. When he woke up and fumbled to turn on his mobile phone, it was already nine in the morning.


    When he opened the window panel, dazzling sunlight jumped in from outside and joyfully scattered on the white quilt.


    Zong Yan rubbed his eyes, turned off the light, jumped out of bed and opened the door.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Zong.¡±


    The flight attendant who was pushing the food cart saw him get up and said hello with a smile. ¡°There was some bumpy air last night. Many guests weren¡¯t able to sleep very well. How was your rest?¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Zong Yan scratched his head.


    Maybe he was too sleepy last night. He¡¯d slept especially well and didn¡¯t wake up at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. Please wait a moment. Breakfast will be delivered to your seat later.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zong Yan picked up his toiletries bag and went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Then he came back to taste the breakfast enjoyed by the people of the corrupt country.


    Although the UK was famous for its dark cuisine, breakfast was reasonably normal. English blood sausage with scrambled egg, baked cod, triangle potato cakes coated with a layer of ketchup, a spoonful of half-cooked mushrooms served with the customary cream soup. It was a little tiresome and didn¡¯t compare with the lean vegetable porridge of his own country.


    He remembered He Yuan¡¯s advice. After breakfast he set another alarm, took out his homework and worked on it quickly, and ate another meal before getting off the plane.


    In the afternoon, the Boeing 777 landed safe and sound at London Heathrow International Airport. Zong Yan, who changed his clothes, was the first to step off the plane. He followed the instructions to pass through the VIP lane, then stood in front of the baggage carousel and waited.


    ¡°Yan Ge, wait for me!¡±


    Wang KeMing followed the same procedure he did. Now he stumbled over. ¡°Let¡¯s go together. There¡¯s more company that way. I¡¯m familiar with everything here. In junior high I came over all the time to hang out.¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯m used to being alone.¡±


    Zong Yan lowered his head and unlocked the phone screen. As soon as the plane landed, a text message was silently sent to his inbox.


    It was from an unknown number.


    Hello, freshmen of Miskatonic University.


    I¡¯m the head of the Chinese Dragon Group¡¯s new students here in London. Due to some changes in the itinerary, the final meeting time has been delayed two hours. You can choose to wait at Exit 3 of Heathrow Airport or head to the Gate of Truth on your own. Thank you for your cooperation.


    A Google Maps location was attached below.


    ¡­ That¡¯s so unreliable. If Zong Yan weren¡¯t proficient in other languages, like a poor student who¡¯d never seen the world, he might have to wait here for two hours.


    Zong Yan said a few words under his breath, took the leaflet someone handed him from the side, pulled his suitcase and went to the subway to buy a ticket.


    Good thing he was fluent in other languages.


    ¡°Piccadilly line¡­ Let¡¯s see. Where does this go?¡±


    He zoomed in on the map. The location peg was firmly planted in the middle of a giant, dark building.


    Zong Yan glanced down at the leaflet in his hand.


    ¡°A new play is coming to Her Majesty¡¯s Theatre in the West End of London,¡¶The King in Yellow¡·¡­¡±


    As a straightforward person whose only talents were in science, Zong Yan didn¡¯t know anything about art, so he scanned the flyer, stuffed it into his bag, and concentrated on finding his way.


    When he arrived at the crowded church entrance and confirmed the location was correct, Zong Yan was stupefied.


    Westminster Abbey, the place where the British monarch was crowned and the royal family held their weddings, integrated magnificent architecture with a blend of Norman and Renaissance styles. It was one of the pre-eminent landmarks of London.


    The problem was that churches in Western countries were generally combined with cemeteries, and Westminster Abbey was no exception. This wasn¡¯t only a royal tomb, but the resting place of many scientists and artists who¡¯d made outstanding contributions to humanity, such as Newton, Dickens, and Churchill.


    No way, big brother, did MU make a mistake? You really opened the door to your school on someone else¡¯s tomb like you¡¯re jumping up and down on their grave? So outrageous ah!!


    Zong Yan dragged his suitcase around the floor in a circle, and a crowd of people came and went. At most, some of them thought the boy was particularly handsome and glanced at him more than once.


    Given the lukewarm character of the corrupt people, this was already the limit.


    ¡°Are you a freshman?¡±


    While Zong Yan was making his third lap, a bishop who¡¯d just led a priest in evening prayer came out of the chapel in the side hall. ¡°I¡¯m the investigator who will guide you. Come this way.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy to finally meet up with this organization. MU really was powerful. Even the bishop was a part-time investigator¡ªtwo salaries, double happiness.


    Zong Yan was in awe.


    ¡°The Gate of Truth is ahead. Just go straight.¡±


    The bishop led him into the depths of the abbey, pointed out the location, and quickly left.


    Zong Yan looked at the black wooden door in front of him and froze for a moment.


    The name ¡°Gate of Truth¡± sounded cool. Then there was He Yuan, who¡¯d called it an alchemical spatial portal.


    The whole way, Zong Yan had wondered what the door would look like. If it was magical like Hogwarts, or mysterious and dark like the wardrobe in the Chronicles of Narnia, or ultra-futuristic technology like in a Hollywood blockbuster.


    No, it was just an ordinary door.


    Zong Yan was a little disappointed. Reaching out, he opened the door and stepped inside.


    The next second, the carpeted floor disappeared and he took a step onto nothing. The person and his suitcase began to tumble, free-falling in midair.


    ? ? ?


    Zong Yan had a vague impression of everything under his feet.


    A cluster of medieval palaces with spires, numerous steamships moving through the sky in the distance, majestic towering mountains, huge gears rising from the ground, and a turquoise blue ocean that wrapped around a shoreline.


    Looking up into the distance, he could even see the cratered surface of the moon. The steamships traveled back and forth between the moon and the surface, wind sails billowing, suspended in the air.


    It was a different realm, a world completely separate from the Earth.


    He was falling toward the continent from high above, thousands of meters in the air.


    This was too exciting!!!


    As it turned out, things got even more exciting.


    Moments later, black bat wings leaped up from the rugged mountaintop. Sharp curved talons hooked onto the suitcase and supported it in the sky while demonic goat horns glittered in the sunlight. An unknown creature bared its sharp fangs at him, like it was going to catch and bite him the next second.


    Zong Yan¡¯s reaction was equally dramatic.


    He immediately activated the Child of the Wind persona card. His long, platinum blond hair scattered in an instant. The wind blade in his hand lifted without mercy.


    Fifteen minutes later, this became one of Zong Yan¡¯s biggest regrets of the year, bar none.


    ¡°Stop it! What the hell are you doing? Those are the nightgaunts the school sent to pick up the new freshmen!! They just like to play pranks, they¡¯re not malicious!¡±


    A group of investigators guarding the door watched as a freshman punched a nightgaunt, grabbing its horns with one hand and stepping on its back, gliding down like a heroic figure, while the dumbstruck observers stared.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Sorry, it looks like I can¡¯t keep a low profile after all.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: I reject my humanity!!!


    TL Notes:


    Happy Chapter 1-0!!! ???©d¨v(?????)¨u???


    I have a small piece of news: The next batch of chapters are the longest in this entire novel! For example, Chapter 15 is a double chapter, more than twice the usual length. It¡¯s a little grueling for me. I¡¯ll do my best, but that¡¯s why I skipped updating yesterday to give myself a bit of lead time. After that, the chapters settle down a lot and I might even be able to do double updates sometimes. ?(???)? Anyway, thank you for your patience and understanding. I really love this story and some of the upcoming arcs are just¡­ so cool¡­ <3


    Corrupt country, corrupt people ¨C This is an idiomatic way the Chinese refer to the UK / Brits / etc.


    The King in Yellow is a book of short stories by the American writer Robert W. Chambers, first published in 1895. The book is named after a play with the same title which recurs as a motif through some of the stories. (Wikipedia)


    I reject my humanity! ¨C ÎÒ²»×öÈËÀ²£¡- This is a quote from Dio Brando in JoJo¡¯s Bizarre Adventure (¡°¤ª¤ì¤ÏÈËég¤ò¤ä¤á¤ë¤¾£¡¡¡¥¸¥ç¥¸¥ç©¤©¤¥Ã£¡£¡¡°). I¡¯ll include the full quote because it¡¯s amazing. ¡°JoJo, being a human means having limits. I¡¯ve learned something¡­ The more carefully you scheme, the more unexpected events come along. As long as you¡¯re human¡­ I REJECT MY HUMANITY, JOJO!!¡°


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    nightgaunt ¨C Ò¹÷Ê


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Yan Ge ¨C ÑÜ¸ç ¨C ¡°Ge¡±, meaning ¡°(older) brother¡±, is a common way to refer to an older male of the same generation as you.

 CH 11

    Today the entrance of Miskatonic University was crowded with people. All the new students would arrive at school that evening. Every investigator who wasn¡¯t busy with a mission had gathered to chat and shoot the breeze.


    Normally, these senior investigators were hard at work foiling the schemes of evil cultists around the world, so they didn¡¯t get to spend much time together. The start of MU¡¯s school year was when they arranged to meet courtesy of magic patterns, checking what kind of fresh blood Awakened had arrived, and watching the freshmen undergo the mandatory ritual.


    That¡¯s right, ¡°mandatory ritual¡± referred to the Gate of Truth floating in midair.


    This surprise was specially reserved for freshmen. Each new student got to feel the excitement of free falling from a height of ten thousand meters, and then in the interval between hopelessness and cardiac arrest, be caught by a nightgaunt and experience a tense and rapid bungee ricochet through the air.


    Miskatonic University was located on the outskirts of the Dreamlands. To be more precise, it wasn¡¯t located deep within the continent, but a narrow space between the real world and the realm of dreams.


    The Dreamlands was constructed by biological subconsciousness and imagination. The political and financial systems were very well-developed, but the historical era mostly resembled the Middle Ages.


    Given the circumstances in the Dreamlands, if a person had a powerful obsession, he could get everything he wanted there. It was a place where one¡¯s imagination could become reality.


    The narrow space where MU was located wasn¡¯t governed by this law. MU had even pulled network cables to cover the entire campus with WiFi.


    Countless races like the nightgaunts lived within the Dreamlands. They each had their own way of life, and they were quite dangerous to human beings.


    The nightgaunt clan served Nodens, the Lord of the Great Abyss in the realm of dreams. After negotiations the Spire Council reached an agreement with this ancient god, who was relatively friendly to humans. At the end of the previous century, the Spire Council moved the school to the border of the Dreamlands and established a good relationship with the nightgaunts as their neighbors.


    The nightgaunts were always up to mischief, so the investigators and the nightgaunts hit it off. The creatures had been contracted with the task of welcoming new students as they arrived.


    Therefore, at this time of year, the senior investigators would get together and sit leisurely at the entrance of the school with a cup of afternoon tea, enjoying the exciting aerial program presented by the freshmen.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, the battle in the air was getting white-hot.


    He didn¡¯t know where this unidentified creature came from, but if it wanted a fight, it was going to get one. Even if he was in the air. Zong Yan didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of backing down.


    As he fell through the sky, Zong Yan made ready to activate the Child of the Wind. His hand reached into the gap in space. In an instant he switched to his alternate persona and summoned the wind blade to launch his attack.


    Just try to hurt me! How dare you grab my luggage! I¡¯ll give you a fight!


    Left hook! Uppercut! Spinning kick! Right in the chest!


    Zong Yan as the Child of the Wind was full of fearless courage. He tumbled somersaults in the air, soaring fast and diving like it was nothing at all. He was far more aggressive than the nightgaunt.


    Unfortunately, the poor nightgaunt wasn¡¯t only grabbed by its horns, but also caught by the tail. Before it could react at all its face was punched into a swollen mess by the tiny human. It let out a miserable howl in the air.


    It wasn¡¯t a joke. A nightgaunt was an inferior species just like a star vampire. The only difference was that one served a master and one didn¡¯t.


    Two lesser species, and neither was more powerful than the other. When Zong Yan switched to his Child of the Wind layout he could tear up a star vampire hand-to-hand. Naturally he didn¡¯t have a problem dealing with a nightgaunt.


    During a flurry of violent blows, the buildings on the ground got closer and closer, until the bout finally ended in complete victory for the Child of the Wind.


    With one foot pressed on the head of the nightgaunt, Zong Yan released the Child of the Wind effect. His face wore the easy smile of a victor, just like he was standing on some kind of levitating skateboard.


    When an investigator saw this scene, the Pocky biscuit stick fell out of his mouth and he stared blankly at the sky.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hoshino-kun?¡±


    The lady who was shuffling cards beside him turned her head to look. ¡°Didn¡¯t Togashi-sensei just say on Twitter that he¡¯s going back to work? Here¡¯s my new cold joke¡ªit looks like some cultists just summoned their lord to find out the ending of Hunter x Hunter.¡±


    ¡°No, Ms. Anastasia, this has nothing to do with¡¶Shounen Jump¡·.¡±


    The investigator named Hoshino quickly stood up from his chair and frantically waved his hands in the air.


    ¡°Stop it! What the hell are you doing? Those are the nightgaunts the school sent to pick up the new freshmen!! They just like to play pranks, they¡¯re not malicious!¡±


    When he yelled, the investigators who were sitting around chatting all looked up.


    Everyone saw the teenager ride the nightgaunt through the air with reckless abandon.


    There was dead silence.


    ¡°That kid¡¯s a freshman, right? Not bad, I like it.¡±


    A few investigators couldn¡¯t help but whistle.


    Thanks to the mandatory ritual, all the newly-arrived freshmen had been scared to death. After being caught in the mouth of a nightgaunt their faces looked like ash. Nobody thought one of the kids this year would straight up clobber a nightgaunt.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say there was a young Monarch with unbelievable talent who just enrolled? I guess he¡¯s the one who didn¡¯t try to run.¡±


    Anastasia fanned out her cards. ¡°I wonder which of us will be his advisor. Ah, he looks young. So cute.¡±


    When Zong Yan got close to the school, he sensed something wasn¡¯t right.


    There was a row of people standing below, wearing all different kinds of clothes. They didn¡¯t look like students. They were staring directly at him.


    If they weren¡¯t students, they must be teachers.


    Zong Yan had a very bad feeling.


    ¡°Pretty good. In all these years it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a freshman pummel a nightgaunt.¡±


    After he landed, a professor with a pipe in his mouth smiled and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I think I can safely say that none of the nightgaunts will be willing to transport you anywhere in the future. Remember to apply to the vice chancellor for a teleportation pattern later.¡±


    Passing over the cluster of instructors whose eyes sparkled with interest, on the opposite side the freshmen were sitting down, drinking hot tea while wrapped in blankets, staring with eyes as big as saucers.


    These freshmen were the ones who¡¯d endured the full onslaught of nightgaunt entertainment. They¡¯d just had their first experience with spacewalking at high altitude, and it had gone on for a long time. Now they were huddled together, shivering with bloodless lips, and they weren¡¯t able to calm down for quite a while.


    They stared at Zong Yan like they were seeing an alien.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He recalled He Yuan¡¯s instructions before he got on the plane and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorrowful.


    It was over. This was bad news.


    Exposed right after he got to school. What was he supposed to do now?


    ¡ª


    After all the freshmen arrived, they were led inside the school.


    Now that everyone was present, there were only about two dozen freshmen in the class. Zong Yan estimated there might be only a few hundred students in the school in total.


    A truly elite education.


    Miskatonic University¡¯s campus was an example of neoclassical architecture, elegantly combining elements of ancient Greek and Roman styles.


    The paths were paved with light brown tiles, and the grass in the distance was neatly trimmed and bordered by flower beds. The walls of the school buildings were built from dark red brick, solemn and dignified.


    They walked through the Promenade of Honor, which was a gallery designed to honor distinguished alumni. It featured outstanding senior investigators from previous generations¡­ and how they met their end.


    Zong Yan, who could read everything with ease, stopped to look at the portraits.


    The painting of the legendary investigator hanging in the first position belonged to Randolph Carter. It was recorded that his current whereabouts were unknown.


    Next came Investigator Thornton, who spent the latter portion of his life in a mental hospital.


    There was another memorial that recorded a person who witnessed some unspeakable existence, then went mad and died while wandering at sea.


    Among the large number of tragic endings, one investigator was a relative purist. He was lucky enough to preserve his sanity. Unfortunately, the state of medical knowledge at the time wasn¡¯t very good, and he was treated as if he were crazy. It was noted on the wall that he was rehabilitated here after many years.


    Compared with the previous examples, suicide by shooting might be a happier way to go.


    It seemed like investigators had a high-risk occupation. Zong Yan was properly respectful.


    ¡°The border region isn¡¯t as convenient as the Dreamlands, after all. Let¡¯s solve the language problem first.¡±


    The investigator took them to the building in the center of campus, then turned back to admonish them: ¡°Once you¡¯re inside, keep absolutely quiet.¡±


    When he finished speaking the investigator realized that many of the new students couldn¡¯t understand him, so he gestured for silence.


    ¡°Mr. Flamel, your Excellency, the new class of freshmen is here.¡±


    They were taken to a cramped room filled with chemical apparatus. There was a crucible rack on the workbench. A mysterious purple gas slowly emerged from the mouth of the crucible, smelling like baked sweet potatoes.


    It was very quiet here. All he could hear was the bubbling sound coming from the crucible. The investigator rapped on the door panel, and the sound reverberated in the deep, dark room.


    A white haired old man looked up from the crucible, took off his thick eyeglasses, and sized them up for a moment. ¡°Oh, another year has passed. Freshmen, please go and stand over there.¡±


    They were lined up on a raised platform.


    ""


    The platform was covered with obscure magic symbols. After a flash of light, everyone was surprised to find that what were previously different languages had now become mutually intelligible.


    After this was done, the investigator respectfully saluted the elderly man and led them out again.


    ¡°That was Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the honorary chancellor of Miskatonic University. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard of him.¡±


    Now that the language problem was solved it was much more convenient to communicate, and the investigator could explain everything clearly. ¡°In MU, you¡¯ll only need to follow the instructions of your advisor and compulsory course professors. As for the chancellor, I¡¯m afraid that just now was the only time you¡¯ll see him in your entire college career.¡±


    Nicholas Flamel, the legendary alchemist who refined the philosopher¡¯s stone, was indeed a thunderous name.


    Up until the present, he¡¯d lived for more than seven hundred years.


    Zong Yan stared back at the door in shock.


    ¡°Welcome to Miskatonic University. Before the entrance ceremony begins, please sign the confidentiality agreement.¡±


    When everyone was seated in the small auditorium, the lead investigator began to pass around the paperwork and explain various other things about MU.


    ¡°All MU classes are held on a walk-in basis. There are only three required courses¡ªalchemy, biology, and magic patterns. Elective courses are only offered when the professors are available. In other words, they may issue a notice of class cancellation or suspension at any time.


    ¡°When there¡¯s no class you can freely arrange your schedule. MU¡¯s library has a rich collection of books, and there¡¯s a recommended reading list specifically for freshmen. The magic pattern you received a moment ago is limited to oral communication. It doesn¡¯t include reading or writing, so a large part of your elective courses will focus on ancient scripts.


    ¡°The requirements for graduation are quite simple. To receive your diploma you need to get your advisor¡¯s consent, take the three required classes, get a good grade in three practical investigation courses, and survive successfully. But don¡¯t get too excited. Even with such a low threshold, it sometimes takes people many years to graduate.¡±


    The investigator smiled. ¡°Fortunately, since we moved the school to the border of the Dreamlands, the graduation survival rate has improved by nearly thirty percent. If you¡¯re interested in reading about the history of the school in the previous century, you¡¯ll find that our former site in the United States was periodically invaded by unidentified organisms. The school maintenance department had a lot of experience repairing the buildings.


    ¡°Awakened all over the world are as close as family because we have only one goal, and that is to use our abilities to protect this beautiful blue planet from otherworldly creatures. It¡¯s exactly for this reason that we advocate equality for all. Racial discrimination and political prejudice are absolutely not allowed on campus. If it occurs, the most serious cases will be dismissed from the program. Now that we share a common language, let¡¯s hope we can live in peace.


    ¡°Finally, we¡¯re located in a border region, which strictly speaking isn¡¯t considered part of the Dreamlands. Except for weekends, the school gate is closed. We advocate exploration, but please don¡¯t try to enter the Dreamlands. Every year some students ignore advice and end up stranded. Either they never return or they experience brain death. Even senior investigators can perish there. It isn¡¯t a realm that belongs to humans.¡±


    As he listened, Zong Yan flipped open the confidentiality agreement. The rules were very simple. In addition to not being able to reveal the existence and location of Miskatonic University, it also strictly limited the use of Awakened abilities and magic patterns.


    The official Awakened organization of each country also required all newly Awakened people to sign a confidentiality agreement, and that agreement had a magic pattern on it, so this was just a formality.


    Zong Yan quickly signed his name, pressed a fingerprint, and handed it in.


    Sure enough, the main event was yet to come.


    When all the new students had signed, the investigators took them to the auditorium.


    ¡°This is the usual place for social gatherings and important meetings. The cafeteria is on the other side.


    ¡°Because of the way our system works, we don¡¯t have a concept of academic years. Even for freshmen, there can be thirty-year-old students who haven¡¯t graduated.¡±


    The investigator shrugged. ¡°Every year when new students enter the school, we select an honorary chief to represent the students. It doesn¡¯t mean much to freshmen. You can just watch the process. Wait until your insight ability improves with practice and magic pattern classes. Then you can compete for the position of chief. The chief enjoys a lot of privileges at MU. The prizes are also quite good too. For example, this year¡¯s prize¡­ Ooh! A dream crystallizer, nice!¡±


    Zong Yan saw a glowing egg resting on a stuffed pillow in the center of the auditorium. He didn¡¯t know what it was for, but it didn¡¯t prevent his heart from leaping after hearing the investigator¡¯s explanation.


    Chief selection?!


    That sounded a lot like having a tournament on your first day at school.


    Zong Yan was still under a psychological shadow from having revealed himself as soon as he arrived. When he looked around, sure enough, the freshmen around him were staring at him with considerable awe. Only Wang KeMing, who¡¯d arrived at school after him, stood in place with an air of calm.


    Guess he didn¡¯t have a problem with fighting!


    However, he still needed to keep a low profile as much as possible and avoid attracting too much attention. If they really selected the chief through some sort of battle, Zong Yan decided to lose.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a fight. It¡¯s an easy process. Just go to the table and select one of the cards. Whoever gets the Joker will be the next chief.¡±


    The investigator pointed to a table placed at the center of the auditorium, which was covered with a layer of playing cards.


    Okay, if it was just drawing the Joker, that wasn¡¯t too bad.


    Zong Yan heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he appreciated how magical this school was.


    Their method for choosing the school representative was just a test of luck! Wasn¡¯t it a bit too casual?


    With a glance the investigator read the disbelief on their faces.


    ¡°Insight has always been regarded as one of an investigator¡¯s most important abilities. Generally speaking, people with higher insight observe more things than ordinary people, and your compulsory magic pattern study in the future is also based on insight. Don¡¯t think that drawing the Joker is child¡¯s play. In fact, it¡¯s incredibly difficult to accurately pick a single card from among thousands. In previous years, we had to draw several rounds to determine the chief.¡±


    Meanwhile, MU students who¡¯d just left class were filing into the auditorium one by one, carrying heavy notebooks.


    A man stepped inside and nearly eclipsed all the light in the room.


    This student wore a black robe. His long hair was a rare shade of gray, and his eyes were like flowing red gold. His face was profound and beautiful under the scattered light and shadow, full of an eerie and almost suffocating mystery.


    He had an inexplicable aura about him, and people couldn¡¯t help but feel something close to awe or fear. They didn¡¯t stand too close to him, nor did they dare to look directly at his face, but reflexively lowered their eyes.


    If anyone¡¯s insight were high enough to reach a critical value, a threshold beyond what normal human beings could attain, they might perceive a shimmering veil of low light filling the shadow behind him, revealing the void of the unknown, or even a chaos of colors beyond the spectrum known to man.


    Unfortunately, no one did.


    No one even realized how strange and abnormal it was to ¡°not look directly¡± at a person. They automatically followed this unspoken, unacknowledged rule, standing respectfully apart from him, so that everything seemed eminently reasonable and ordinary.


    ¡°Hello, chief.¡±


    ¡°Chief Tawil.¡±


    The previous chief was here?


    Zong Yan also wanted to have a look. He happened to be in line for a card at the time, so he went up and casually took one.


    It was during this gap that the man in the robe finally lifted his gaze.


    ""


    The moment he raised his eyes, it seemed that a greater spirit had descended, and the previous hollowness of his body was replaced by something else unknown.


    A dimensional void seemed to resound with an indescribable hymn.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t feel that anything was wrong, yet he reflexively shivered and glanced down at the card in his hand.


    A clown in a red and yellow hat grinned at him.


    The Joker.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: How did this card get into my hand???


    Insight ability with the chief system came from my Harry Potter colleagues in Jinjiang.


    When I think back to being a chuunibyou, who hasn¡¯t read a few fics about the competition for prefect in House Slytherin? lights cigarette.jpg


    TL Notes:


    ML is now online. (?? ? ?)?*:??? ?


    cold joke ¨C ÀäЦ»° ¨C a bad joke, a lame joke. I took some liberties with the actual joke. Hopefully not too much of a stretch


    school chief, school representative ¨C ѧУÊ×ϯ ¨C Previously mentioned by Wang KeMing in Chapter 9. There¡¯s only one, so it¡¯s similar to the ¡°head boy¡± or ¡°head girl¡± position in Harry Potter. I may change the translation in the future if I think of something better, but it¡¯s used in dialogue all the time, so it needs to be snappy. Note the teaser had ¡°ÈÙÓþÊ×ϯ¡±, honorary chief/prefect/whatever. There it was translated as ¡°honors scholar¡± so it wouldn¡¯t sound super weird or derivative.


    outskirts, narrow space, border, border region ¨C from ÏÁ¼ä ¨C narrow room, narrow space


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Dreamlands, Dream Realm ¨C »ÃÃξ³


    philosopher¡¯s stone ¨C ÏÍÕß֮ʯ ¨C xi¨¢n zh¨§ zh¨© sh¨ª


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Hoshino-kun ¨C ÐÇÒ°¾ý ¨C X¨©ng Y¨§ j¨±n


    Togashi-sensei ¨C ¸»¼áÀÏʦ ¨C F¨´ Ji¨¡n l¨£osh¨© ¨C Manga artist Togashi Yoshihiro (ƒå˜Ù Áx²© / ¸»¼áÒ岩) best known for Hunter x Hunter, which is infamous for going on hiatus for long periods of time


    Ms. Anastasia ¨C °¢ÄÉ˹ËþÎ÷æ«Å®Ê¿ ¨C ¨¡N¨¤S¨©T¨£X¨©Y¨¤ n¨·sh¨¬ ¨C Alternatively: Mrs, Miss, Madam, Lady


    Mr. Flamel, your Excellency ¨C ¸¥À­Ã·¶û¸óÏ ¨C F¨²L¨¡M¨¦i¨§r g¨¦xi¨¤ ¨C Alternatively: Lord Flamel, Your Excellency, Your Lordship, The Honorable ¨C The school chancellor doesn¡¯t seem to have an actual title of nobility and he¡¯s called ¡°xiansheng¡± later.


    Mr. Nicholas Flamel ¨C Äá¹ÅÀ­Ë¹¡¤¸¥À­Ã·¶ûÏÈÉú ¨C N¨ªG¨³L¨¡S¨©¡¤F¨²L¨¡M¨¦i¨§r xi¨¡nsh¨¥ng

 CH 12

    In accordance with MU practice, the entrance ceremony and the coronation of the honorary chief were combined into one night, which also saved money on an event.


    ¡°Hoshino-kun, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen such a grand occasion.¡± The Russian woman closed her lace folding fan. ¡°It¡¯s certainly worthy of being Monarch-level on awakening. His insight talent is unfathomable. I don¡¯t know who he¡¯ll choose as an advisor. I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid nothing good will come of it.¡± Hoshino Kota shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s too big a gap between what the Chinese Dragon Group announced and what just happened. The atmosphere today is too uncertain¡ªit¡¯s dangerous for a Monarch-level who hasn¡¯t experienced Second Awakening to make so much noise.¡±


    Every investigator at Miskatonic University had signed a confidentiality agreement encrypted by a magic pattern. Even so, this was the first thing in their minds.


    The danger never went away.


    Throughout the occult world, Miskatonic University was like a bellwether. Whenever there was any kind of confrontation with otherworldly creatures, it was the primary target. The scientific research teams sent by MU were frequently attacked by unidentified species for no reason. By now investigators were almost used to it. In addition to such beings, various cults had emerged one after another all over the world. While preventing foreign invasion, they also had to defeat threats from within. Investigators didn¡¯t get public holidays. They were running ragged.


    ¡°Will the vice chancellor come tonight?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think so.¡± A magic pattern professor who had begun to play billiards shrugged. ¡°His Excellency Paracelsus has recently been thick as thieves with Professor Newton, and they even pulled in Revered Daoist Xu Fu of the East. They want to try their hand at making Klein bottles in three-dimensional space with alchemy. To help with this, His Excellency Paracelsus contributed his own philosopher¡¯s stone in an attempt to awaken the soul of Albert Einstein in the Dreamlands.¡±


    As Hoshino Kota listened he almost broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°I never thought that old joke would come true. If Mr. Einstein comes to our school, I¡¯m afraid the dean of the Physics Department will have to make way.¡±


    ¡°The Physics Department is understandably excited about the news.¡±


    While they were discussing, an archaeology professor named Afit joined the conversation. ¡°All the professors in their department are die-hard fans of Mr. Einstein.¡±


    It was widely known that the number of students who chose to take physics classes at MU every year wasn¡¯t enough to form a football team. It might be time for a turnaround.


    ¡°Well, since the vice chancellor isn¡¯t here, I suppose it¡¯s time to preside over the big event.¡± After some laughter, Anastasia picked up a champagne glass, walked to the high platform and took the lead in raising her glass. ¡°Welcome new students to Miskatonic University. This night belongs to you.


    ¡°As the representative of this year¡¯s advisors, I only have these words for you. Don¡¯t ever forget MU¡¯s school motto.


    ¡°Out of ignorance into wisdom, out of light into darkness.¡±


    At that point, she paused. ¡°And¡ªtrust no one.¡±


    ¡ª


    It was destined to be a sleepless night.


    Zong Yan was honored as one of the highlights of the evening.


    Many students, both new and old, came over to talk to him with champagne glasses in their hands. After he managed to get rid of one, another would appear, which was very annoying.


    In MU, the school chief had a lot of different roles. He was basically a representative of outstanding students as well as the student body president. He also enjoyed some privileges.


    In any case, excellence would always be recognized by others, and many people wanted to come up and make friends.


    Zong Yan never expected that one day he¡¯d stand side by side with a son of an Arab sheikh, the daughter of a wealthy American businessman, the heir of an Italian mafia family, and the heir of a Russian oligarch, and calmly accept their gestures of goodwill.


    He had no idea why, but ever since drawing the Joker, Zong Yan felt a sense of restlessness throughout his entire body. But as he held his juice and looked around unobtrusively, he didn¡¯t observe anything unusual.


    ""


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not an adult in my country and can¡¯t drink alcohol.¡±


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t count how many times he repeated this excuse. Whenever he turned around and tried to bolt, he fell once more into social hell.


    The dinner ceremony was drawing to a close.


    This time, he got caught up in the professors¡¯ discussion circle. Students were leaving the auditorium one after another. Even the professors standing nearby were heading for the door.


    ¡°Little chief, have you decided on your advisor yet?¡± Anastasia threw him a wink. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a spot available this year. Next year remember to consider me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    It was clear that Zong Yan¡¯s somewhat formal manner pleased her. As she laughed her green eyes curved in a smile.


    Next year she might even coo.


    Zong Yan was sweating inwardly. He really wasn¡¯t good at getting along with women, especially the charming ones.


    If he had to choose an advisor¡­ he was more inclined to look for a mature and stable person, the type who was severe and didn¡¯t talk much, which was more in line with Zong Yan¡¯s expectations for a mentor.


    ¡°What do you think about this year¡¯s elective courses?¡± A linguistics professor came up to chat. ¡°This year the Linguistics Department is offering a new course in hieroglyphics. Our Black Pharaoh project made a major discovery in the Valley of the Kings last year. Please do consider it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, sir.¡± Zong Yan politely dodged while thinking: Actually, when it came to hieroglyphics, he didn¡¯t have any difficulties at all. ¡°Does MU really have no requirements for electives?¡±


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t figure it out. He¡¯d previously heard the investigator describe the graduation requirements, but he still had doubts.


    If they were only required to pass three compulsory classes and three investigation practice courses, didn¡¯t that mean no one would enroll in electives? Who would choose a lot of extra courses when there were no credit requirements?


    ¡°It¡¯s true there¡¯s no requirement, but whenever elective courses are offered, generally the entire school will participate. Few students are absent.¡±


    Anastasia smiled. ¡°Becoming an investigator is a dangerous thing, not to mention that there are only three mandatory courses. If you don¡¯t work hard and study on your own, it¡¯s not unusual to die in the investigation classes. Two years ago during the emergency in Bern, every investigator and student who participated was sent to the mental hospital. So don¡¯t be lazy. Work hard, jiayou.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    He watched as the professors and investigators walked away, and sensed once more how mysterious this school was.


    According to the rules, the process of freshman enrollment was now concluded. Zong Yan was a special case, a freshman who won the first prize championship in one fell swoop, so he was told to go to the vice chancellor¡¯s office the next day. His main task now was to find a bed and prepare for class in the morning.


    MU¡¯s dormitories were all single rooms. Since bidding farewell to high land prices and moving to the Dreamlands, the school works department had completed several construction projects on the unoccupied land in the border region. They¡¯d built a large number of high-spec houses, ranging from Baroque to Japanese-style villas with all the amenities, and all had ocean view rooms.


    As the school chief, Zong Yan could even treat himself to his very own villa.


    But after a long day of running around, he was tired. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to yell and make a fuss while looking at houses like Wang KeMing. He chose a building at random and checked in. Then he collapsed into bed and had a dreamless night.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the second day would bring even more surprises than the first.


    In the morning, there was an introductory alchemy course. Because no books had been issued, Zong Yan went empty handed.


    He got up early. After breakfast, he found his way there with a map. As he walked along some students greeted him warmly.


    Since childhood, Zong Yan had been a marginal and almost invisible figure in groups. He¡¯d never enjoyed such special treatment and found it a bit unsettling.


    Everyone attached a high priority to the first class. The classroom was full to capacity early on.


    A few chimes of Bach resounded through the room. Moments later, a middle-aged man in a long robe pushed open the door of the classroom.


    His first words scared all the students silly.


    ¡°Good morning, freshmen. I¡¯m Isaac Newton, your introductory alchemy lecturer.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same name and surname. I am indeed the Newton you¡¯ve heard of before.¡±


    The blond teacher revealed an impatient expression. ¡°Every year, students ask me the stupidest questions about this.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve read a little about me, you¡¯ll understand how much I loved alchemy during my lifetime. Please don¡¯t ask me why I chose to teach alchemy instead of physics or math. I do it because I like it.¡±


    The students were dumbfounded, but Newton didn¡¯t give them any buffer time.


    ¡°Since this is your first class in our school, let me emphasize that MU is different from all other universities. Everything you learn here, you will use against otherworldly creatures to protect yourself.


    ¡°From the moment of awakening, you¡¯ve been set apart from ordinary people. If you¡¯d like to draw an analogy, you¡¯re like a light bulb in the dark, conspicuous to those creatures. Even if you do not look for danger, danger will come looking for you in an unending stream. So never take unnecessary risks. Take all the elective courses you can, do you hear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    The students nodded their heads like they were mashing garlic.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    This freshmen class seemed eager to agree.


    Isaac Newton gazed down at them with satisfaction. ¡°The chief of this term is said to be a freshman? Raise your hand so I can see.¡±


    Zong Yan raised his hand, apparently tranquil. In fact, his palms were soaked with sweat.


    ¡°You were able to become the chief as soon as you entered school. This shows your insight ability is very good. In the world of investigators, high insight is a double-edged sword. It may bring you unlimited opportunities, or it may lead to disaster. This is because you will notice more than others.¡±


    Newton smiled. ¡°Much like magic patterns, alchemy requires insight. Since you have a gift, do not waste it. You¡¯re the honorary chief, and this is all the more reason for you to set an example. In this class my requirements for you will be many times higher than for other students. You¡¯ll need to put in your utmost effort to get a pass from me.¡±


    ¡­


    Zong Yan wanted to die.


    Heaven knew, drawing the Joker card was really only random chance.


    Generally speaking, surprises never come in pairs, but scares do.


    After alchemy class in the morning, Zong Yan ran to the door of the vice chancellor¡¯s office holding the book he was just issued.


    Knock knock knock.


    He knocked warily on the door. After receiving an answer, he cautiously walked inside.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the new chief of this term?¡± A red-haired young alchemist had just lifted a glass dropper. ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ve mixed up the ratio of this condensate¡­ damn!¡±


    The room was almost identical to the chancellor¡¯s office. There were glassware bottles and jars everywhere as well as mysterious alchemical equipment on the shelves.


    Zong Yan even saw a huge alchemical stove at one end of the room. Yes, it was a genuine pill furnace, exactly like DaoDe TianZun¡¯s alchemical stove in ¡¶The Journey to the West¡·, which he¡¯d watched as a child in the tube-shaped apartment building.


    ¡°That¡¯s the alchemical stove of Revered Daoist Xu Fu. Eastern alchemy is rich and sophisticated. It¡¯s given me a lot of new ideas.¡±


    While Zong Yan was quietly observing, the young alchemist finished what he was doing and walked over from the workbench.


    ¡°To introduce myself, my name is Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, but you can call me Paracelsus. You¡¯ve probably heard that name before.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Heard of it, heard of it, the great European alchemist on par with Nicholas Flamel, also a holder of the philosopher¡¯s stone.


    How surprising, both the chancellor and vice chancellor of MU were great alchemists, and they were practically immortals who¡¯d lived an unknown number of years, it was almost disrespectful not to realize.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve heard of me, that¡¯s fine. I just don¡¯t like introducing myself that much.¡±


    Paracelsus smiled at him. ¡°Well, since Nicholas doesn¡¯t care, it¡¯s up to me to coach the new chief every session.


    ¡°I think you know what kind of beings we¡¯re fighting, right?¡± At this point, the alchemist put away his smile. ¡°Those things are always around us, creeping ever closer.


    ¡°It may be an otherworldly creature, it may be a cultist, or it may be an even more terrifying existence.


    ¡°And, unfortunately, I know they¡¯re here at school. Sadly our eyes are obscured. We lack the necessary information.¡±


    Paracelsus patted him on the shoulder. ¡°But we absolutely trust you, so once you discover anything that isn¡¯t right, please contact me without delay.


    ¡°Maybe you haven¡¯t noticed yet. It¡¯s not that you drew the Joker card, little chief, but the Joker card chose you.


    ¡°Be safe and remember the school motto.


    ¡°Out of ignorance into wisdom, out of light into darkness, and trust no one.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: What is this¡­ Mission Impossible?!

 CH 13

    Paracelsus¡¯ words caused the equivalent of a magnitude ten earthquake in Zong Yan¡¯s heart.


    Although what the alchemical giant said was a bit indirect, as an educated Chinese, Zong Yan could easily extract the necessary information from these vague words, as this was an essential skill for every Chinese high school student who¡¯d endured the torture of reading comprehension in literature class.


    The meaning was quite simple. There were dangerous elements in this school. If they were human double agents or alien beings, he should set an example as the school chief and pull them out by the roots. Of course, if he found any abnormality because of his unique talent, with his limited individual strength he should be sure to report it to the top at once. Make good use of the power of snitching, little chief. Jiayou, we¡¯re optimistic about you oh!


    What, are you MU people playing spy games like it¡¯s Mission Impossible?


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it.


    He felt like a sacrificial goat. This wasn¡¯t a university but a tiger¡¯s den. At any moment an enemy might upend the situation.


    But no matter how much he complained to himself he couldn¡¯t escape the facts. The new student chief was an elephant on a tightrope.


    Zong Yan, who¡¯d just found out this important secret, trembled like he was on thin ice for the next three days. Everyone he saw looked like a spy.


    ¡°Yan Ge, what electives are you taking?¡± At noon Wang KeMing came up to him carrying his lunch plate, speaking very cordially.


    Wang KeMing had been enthusiastic ever since Zong Yan became the new school chief. People who didn¡¯t know better would think he was Zong Yan¡¯s number one henchman.


    ¡°Basically everything.¡±


    Wang KeMing was a little too excited about him, but at least his attitude was friendly. He never made himself a pest or crossed the line. Zong Yan couldn¡¯t bring himself to give him the cold shoulder.


    Because of the vice chancellor¡¯s advice, Zong Yan even had a friendly conversation with him.


    Wang KeMing announced somewhat pompously that he wanted to take Zong Yan to London¡¯s red light district that weekend to have some fun. Zong Yan thought that this person and Ye JingMing were carved from the same mold. Both had a typical show-off personality.


    Anyway, strike one from the list. There was no way he was a spy.


    Zong Yan looked through the course list and pinched his nose. He checked off every subject except for physics.


    Like Sir Isaac Newton said, life is important. It was better to learn as much as he could.


    On the afternoon of the fifth day, Zong Yan once again experienced the uniqueness of elective courses.


    The name of this class was Eastern alchemy. It was one of the most popular elective courses every year, and the instructor was said to be very knowledgeable.


    An elegant man in Taoist robes smiled, lifted his fingers and stroked the fly whisk in his hand.


    He didn¡¯t look much older than Zong Yan. His long black hair was tied up with a jade hair crown, like an ancient costume drama actor who¡¯d just stepped out of Hengdian. His image somewhat clashed with the school, which was full of Western classicism.


    But his words made the students¡¯ jaws drop.


    ¡°My surname is Xu. My single-character name is Fu, and my courtesy name is JunFang. This year I am about two thousand years old. You may have heard my name in the Records of the Grand Historian. I¡¯m ashamed to say I have no virtue and no talent. I only held a minor post in the state of Qin.


    ¡°If I were to comment on what I¡¯m most proud of in my life, it would probably be the success of His Majesty Shi Huang. Yes, after such a long time I still feel a sense of achievement when I look back on it.¡±


    This group of freshmen had already weathered a series of great storms. After discovering their professor of alchemy was Sir Isaac Newton, the professor of biology was Charles Robert Darwin, the chancellor was Nicholas Flamel, and the vice chancellor was Paracelsus, everyone was easily able to accept a Taoist master who¡¯d lived two thousand years.


    Revered Daoist Xu Fu had a strong personality. After introducing himself, he put away his fly whisk and rolled up his Taoist robe, which revealed the dazzling sight of a T-shirt underneath. ¡°Now that we¡¯re in the twenty-first century, we no longer promote feudal superstitions. In the West there is Western alchemy, and in the East there is Eastern alchemy.


    ¡°You have chosen my alchemy class. In Buddhist terms this is known as fate. There¡¯s no upper limit for this class. If you are especially gifted, I can even teach you how to refine the elixir of immortality. Yes, the very thing that Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han searched for all their lives.¡±


    Facing all the bright eyes in the classroom, the Revered Daoist smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Well, each of you now stands before your own pill furnace. The first thing we must learn is to identify the orientation of the furnace.¡±


    In the afternoon, the professor of the history class gave them a rundown of various professors at MU.


    The lecturer was a Chinese Awakened with a witty and incisive way of speaking.


    ¡°The chancellor and vice chancellor are both known to history as holders of the philosopher¡¯s stone. The most important effect of the philosopher¡¯s stone is its ability to make people immortal. The same goes for Revered Daoist Xu Fu. They all achieved immortality through external objects.


    ¡°Before their deaths, Sir Isaac and Mr. Darwin entered the Dreamlands with strong obsessions. Their souls didn¡¯t enter the afterlife but stayed here forever.


    ¡°Most Chinese Awakened either continue their studies or graduate and join the Dragon Group. As for me, after I thought about the housing prices in Yanjing, I decided I didn¡¯t want to give up my ocean view room at MU, so I stayed on to teach.¡±


    All of MU¡¯s teachers were talented people. They were good communicators and utterly ruthless when it came to assigning homework.


    After history class, Zong Yan sighed with emotion and headed to the library with a pile of books in his arms.


    The vice chancellor had given him a school chief handbook. The first item said that the chief should lead by example and become a role model in every class; he should also unite the students and teachers, be passionate about school life, and be active in extracurricular activities.


    In addition, there was a certain crucial provision in this little manual, which was how to replace the chief.


    Being school chief wasn¡¯t like sitting on a throne. He could also resign. Every year the chief was decided at the annual opening ceremony in June by drawing the Joker card, but he could also voluntarily give up.


    The abdication system was introduced by the dean of the Academic Affairs Office a few years ago. In that year, the dean followed a research team to China to study the Xia Dynasty. After learning about the abdication system in that era, she was so amazed she wrote it into the school rules.


    So much to complain about, so little time.


    It might have been thanks to this abdication system that Zong Yan experienced the first campus bullying incident of his life.


    ¡°Hey kid, are you the new school chief?¡±


    On the third day, Zong Yan got up early and went for a morning run around the dormitory area. As it turned out, he was stopped before he got halfway by someone calling for him.


    Several vigorous young men in black suits and ties swaggered over. The one in the lead had his hand in his trouser pocket and a cigar in his mouth.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t react immediately.


    Miskatonic University was full of people who wore all kinds of clothes, which gave the atmosphere a strong flavor of nonsense. You could meet surprises on the road practically every day. For example, a group of girls liked to rush to class in court ball gowns, and there was a fraternity that banded together to cosplay as the Avengers.


    ¡°Good morning. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m headed to the library to do some homework.¡±


    He nodded and was about to go around them. At the very next moment, the muzzles of several black handguns were aimed directly at his head.


    Zong Yan: ¡­?


    After living in MU for a few days he¡¯d learned a lot about alchemy from Professor Newton, and in the great Darwin¡¯s classroom, he learned practical tips from investigators, like the fact that otherworldly beings couldn¡¯t be attacked by conventional physical means. For a half a second, Zong Yan even forgot that a gun was the most effective weapon against a human being.


    ¡°Our young master doesn¡¯t like to see blood. I think you get smart and give up the chief position before it¡¯s too late.¡± The young buck with a gun in his hand spoke viciously.


    These men hadn¡¯t acted on a random impulse. They¡¯d been secretly observing Zong Yan for several days. When they couldn¡¯t find anything outstanding about this new chief, they decided to take a risk.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re here to pick a fight.¡±


    Zong Yan nodded indifferently, spread out his fingers and repeated the scene from the helicopter.


    Five elements floated quietly at his fingertips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out what¡¯s faster¡ªyour bullets, or my elements plugging your gun and making the chamber explode.¡±


    First of all, the right attitude was crucial. The abilities he¡¯d activated were just E-rank, but at the critical moment they absolutely couldn¡¯t splutter out.


    The gunmen on the other side began to tremble. ¡°Boss¡­ Boss, this, uh¡­¡±


    They were freshmen who¡¯d just arrived at school. All of them put together couldn¡¯t control as many elements as they saw on this person¡¯s hand.


    This time they¡¯d messed with the wrong guy.


    The young master with a cigar in his mouth was silent for a long time. Finally he turned around and slapped his own man, and after nodding with excessive politeness he walked away.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, it was all a misunderstanding. Sorry for the interruption, chief. We¡¯ll get out of your way.¡±


    Was it that simple?


    Zong Yan was speechless. He lowered his hand and inconspicuously wiped the sweat from his palms.


    Lucky, lucky.


    If those men really did shoot just now, Zong Yan might not have had time to transform into the Child of the Wind.


    Such a tender amount of intelligence and guts could basically rule them out as spies.


    ¡°That was the young master of the number one mafia family in the United States. If you mess with them, your life will probably become quite interesting.¡±


    As he was about to turn around and leave, someone suddenly spoke in a cool tone.


    Zong Yan looked up.


    A teenager with short blond hair was sitting on the branch of a tree. His blue-green eyes surveyed Zong Yan with interest, and his eyebrows lifted openly.


    ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± He nodded, took out his notebook from under his shoulder, and turned to go.


    ¡°Hey, why are you leaving?¡± Zong Yan¡¯s attitude left the blond a little shocked. ¡°What kind of attitude is that?¡±


    Zong Yan was even more baffled. ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    When he said this, he made a point of sizing up the blond boy before him.


    The Golden Lion emblem symbolizing Britain was pinned on his chest, and his face had the usual foreign features. Half a month ago, Zong Yan could have counted the number of foreigners he¡¯d met on two hands, but absolutely none of them acted like this.


    However, after giving him a couple of glances, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel his face looked a bit familiar, though he couldn¡¯t think of where he¡¯d seen it before.


    The other party showed an even more shocked expression, and he tried to find the slightest flaw in the black-haired boy¡¯s face¡­ Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t any.


    Edward was twenty years old, and this was the first time he¡¯d encountered such a pure, calm, and unpretentious attitude.


    Not only don¡¯t you want to make friends, you don¡¯t even recognize me?!


    ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re really one of a kind.¡±


    Zong Yan was planning to go around this strange student and leave when the person suddenly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Edward. From now on, you¡¯re my only friend.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    He stood there as the baffling young man suddenly left, trying to decide whether to call the MU medical office.


    MU¡¯s medical facilities had world-leading technology, especially when it came to the field of psychiatry. That was, after all, an occupational disease of investigators.


    Professor Darwin, who taught biology, told them on the first day of class that if you were on a mission, the most dependable way to survive a life and death situation was to close your eyes. As long as you weren¡¯t too crazy, if you were sent to the electroshock chair in the medical department of MU, you could basically wake up.


    The person just now was very suspicious. He needed to be considered for observation as a possible spy. So Zong Yan added Edward¡¯s name to the top of his list of suspects.


    When he was doing homework later and trolling through the library, Zong Yan opened his phone and glanced at the news. Only then did he realize why Edward looked familiar.


    ¡¾Today¡¯s headlines: Prince Edward, third in line to the British throne, is blasted for enrolling in a diploma mill¡¿


    So it turned out he was a prince of the British royal family. No wonder he was so egotistical.


    Zong Yan shook his head with amazement and reached for a book on the shelf.


    To test the quality of a university, the first place to start is its library.


    As everyone knows, books are knowledge, and knowledge is a beacon. Especially in places like the occult world where tradition was taken very seriously, it was one thing for a teacher to give a lecture, but a lot more relied on a person¡¯s talent and motivation to self-study.


    The library of Miskatonic University had an unparalleled collection of books, and those books were divided into two categories: safe and dangerous.


    Safe titles were all translated into English, while dangerous titles were basically an assortment of ancient languages.


    Dangerous books could only be borrowed after a student proved they were fluent in the language and received the approval from their teacher. The chief had to follow the same rules. There were no exceptions.


    In the world of investigators, knowledge was often the beginning of disaster. Those words were written on the entrance to the library.


    The book Zong Yan wanted was the first in the freshman recommendation list¡ª¡¶My Understanding of the Great Booke¡·.


    It was the first book that every new student had to read. Mr. Darwin strongly recommended they read a translation of the ¡¶Sussex Manuscript¡· as well. If they had the language skills, they could eventually borrow the original ¡¶Necronomicon¡·, which was classified as ¡°dangerous¡±.


    ¡°This book will give you the most intuitive exposure to the mysteries. There aren¡¯t many incantations in it. The dangerous spells have been reviewed and removed by MU professors. What you will find is a completely harmless textbook version. It will give you insight into the real history of our world and the existence of terrors far beyond the stars. All your questions will be addressed in this book.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to read the English translation. If you immediately attempt the original, you may end up visiting the university hospital.¡±


    Those were the words of Mr. Darwin. ¡°The ¡¶Necronomicon¡· will run through your entire college life. The translation you read will be different every year. Finally, you will come into contact with the original manuscript.¡±


    After he heard the original was in Arabic, Zong Yan was eager to try it, but when he remembered his teacher¡¯s words he reconsidered, deciding it was better to follow the rules.


    He stood on tiptoe and was about to take down the book when suddenly a pale hand reached over from the side and took the book beside it.


    Zong Yan reflexively glanced over.


    A man with long gray hair stood quietly behind him. Maybe it was a coincidence, but when Zong Yan turned around, their eyes happened to meet.


    The submerged gold in those eyes almost seemed to flow, a slowly drifting movement like the solar magma observed on Earth by human beings. Brilliant dots of sunspots gleamed brilliantly then disappeared beneath the drifting lava. And it seemed to pass through all things in the flux of time, arriving with the deepest, most ancient starlight in the universe, which one couldn¡¯t directly observe.


    Not gold! It was a color beyond all known colors, a color that couldn¡¯t be distinguished by the eye. Zong Yan swore he¡¯d never seen such a gorgeous and unpredictable glow within the scope of his existing memory, and was even less able to find words to describe it, for it was incompatible with the whole of three-dimensional space.


    ""


    Dexterous weaving began again, like a switch had just been thrown. A novel series of concepts were generated out of nothing within his hippocampus. Zong Yan suddenly remembered everything.


    The man in front of him was the school chief of the previous term. They shared the same advisor and were both considered students of the demon hunter Van Helsing. Zong Yan had a brief exchange with him at the entrance ceremony. The other party was an exceedingly elegant and easy-going senior who commented on Zong Yan¡¯s course list. They had a pleasant chat and discovered they even shared some of the same life aspirations.


    It turns out I know this person ah!


    But, uh? Am I the kind of person who casually talks about my life goals with other people?


    Zong Yan¡¯s mind raised this question automatically, but all too soon it was washed away by a flood of consciousness, disappearing without a trace.


    When it came to higher-dimensional creatures, no matter how powerful a lower-dimensional creature was, it couldn¡¯t transcend the limitations of its dimensionality. Just like a human being in the three-dimensional world who faced a two-dimensional world of paper, it only took a whim to rip it to shreds with one hand.


    What Zong Yan didn¡¯t know was that in this moment of hesitation, the gray-haired man in front of him had ticked the corners of his mouth as if he were amused.


    ¡°Hello, Senior Tawil.¡± He greeted the man straightforwardly.


    Since they were under the same advisor, he should call this person ¡°senior brother¡± or ¡°senior¡±. Zong Yan hesitated. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly why, but he chose the more distant title of ¡°senior¡±.


    Obviously they had a good relationship. They were friends or at least neighbors.


    Zong Yan suddenly thought he was behaving a little too coldly. He pursed his lips.


    ¡°Hello, Junior Brother Zong.¡±


    Tawil narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice. The sound had a bit of a rasp, like a bow scraping softly across the lowest notes of a violin, while they stood between the narrow bookshelves.


    They looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    After a long, long time¡ª


    Zong Yan: When I met an Outer God we even talked and smiled, lights cigarette.jpg


    Part of this story mentions the British royal family, which is completely made up. Don¡¯t connect it with reality. In the real world, the third in line to the British throne is less than seven years old.


    Also, the real British royal family is a constitutional monarchy with no political power, but I changed it slightly in the story. Here it¡¯s a bit like the Thai royal family with a certain amount of power in hand.


    TL Notes:


    elephant on a tightrope ¨C ¸ÏѼ×ÓÉÏ¼Ü ¨C drive a duck onto a perch; force a donkey to dance; make sb. do sth. entirely beyond him


    Hengdian ¨C The name of a film studio where costume dramas are frequently made


    Eastern alchemy ¨C Á¶µ¤ ¨C li¨¤nd¨¡n ¨C Alternatively: ¡°elixir alchemy¡± or ¡°pill alchemy¡±.  Previously mentioned in Chapter 12. The word used for Western alchemy, Á¶½ð (li¨¤nj¨©n), includes the character for ¡°gold¡±, like Western alchemists who were historically obsessed with transmuting lead into gold


    Records of the Grand Historian ¨C Ê·¼Ç ¨C Scribal Records, Historical Records. A historical work by Sima Qian


    fate ¨C Ôµ·Ö ¨C lot or luck by which people are brought together, destiny


    So much to complain about, so little time ¨C from ²Û¶àÎÞ¿Ú ¨C There are too many slots and not enough mouth ¨C There are so many things to complain about, I don¡¯t know where to start


    diploma mill ¨C Ò°¼¦´óѧ ¨C lit. pheasant university


    My Understanding of the Great Booke ¨C ¶Ô¡°Î°´óÖ®Ê顱µÄ˽È˽â¶Á ¨C Referenced in The Keeper¡¯s Companion, Vol. 1: Blasphemous Knowledge, Forbidden Secrets (Chaosium)


    Image of the Sun¡¯s surface (Wikipedia) ¨C GIF version


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Outer God ¨C ÍâÉñ ¨C Vastly powerful beings that function on a cosmic scale. The Outer Gods are ¡°mindless blasphemies¡± from outside the capacity of humanity to understand. Most of the time they are asleep and/or insane, and would like to see humanity dead, devoured, or made slaves. Ref. Cthulhu Mythos deities (Wikipedia)


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Sir Newton ¨C Å£¶Ù¾ôÊ¿ ¨C Ni¨²d¨´n ju¨¦sh¨¬


    JunFang ¨C ¾ý·¿ ¨C J¨±nF¨¢ng


    Qin Shi Huang ¨C ÇØʼ»Ê ¨C Q¨ªn Sh¨« Hu¨¢ng ¨C ¡°First Emperor of Qin¡±


    Emperor Wu of Han ¨C ººÎäµÛ ¨C H¨¤n W¨³ d¨¬


    Professor Newton ¨C Å£¶Ù½ÌÊÚ ¨C Ni¨²d¨´n ji¨¤osh¨°u


    The great Darwin ¨C ´ï¶ûÎÄ´óÀÐ ¨C D¨¢¡¯¨§rw¨¦n d¨¤ l¨£o


    boss ¨C ÀÏ´ó ¨C l¨£od¨¤


    Edward ¨C °®µÂ»ª ¨C ¨¤iD¨¦Hu¨¢


    Van Helsing ¨C ·¶º£ÐÁ ¨C F¨¤n H¨£iX¨©n


    senior brother ¨C ʦÐÖ ¨C sh¨©xi¨­ng ¨C senior martial brother ¨C for a senior or older male under the same master/teacher


    senior ¨C ѧ³¤ ¨C xu¨¦zh¨£ng


    Senior Tawil ¨C Ëþά¶ûѧ³¤ ¨C T¨£W¨¦i¡¯¨§r xu¨¦zh¨£ng


    Junior Brother Zong ¨C ×ÚѧµÜ ¨C Z¨­ng xu¨¦d¨¬ ¨C for a junior or younger male classmate

 CH 14

    If you really wanted to update your worldview, alchemy and magic pattern classes were nothing. Biology, now¡ªthat was the real deal.


    When it came to educating new students, MU¡¯s curriculum started with their understanding of the world. For the first two weeks, almost every class on the schedule was for introductory biology. This ensured that every freshman was fully aware of the cruelty and horror of the world they¡¯d now entered.


    ¡°At the outset of this class, the first thing I should like to say to you is¡ªthe gods are real. But the gods are not what men think they are, ever luminous and grand.¡±


    In his first lesson, Professor Darwin used this as his opening statement. ¡°The gods that evolved from human myths are known as Elder Gods. Bastet, the cat goddess in Egyptian mythology; Hypnos, the god of sleep for the ancient Greeks; Nodens, the god of the sea in Celtic myths; and even the goddess N¨¹wa of Chinese mythology, are all quite real.


    ¡°The attitude of the Elder Gods towards man is generally benign. Many Elder Gods were the guardians of ancient cities. They were essentially born out of the worship system of men on Earth. The cat goddess Baphomet was once the god of faith of ancient Egyptians and Romans. Men built temples to Elder Gods, forming a mutually beneficial relationship. Miskatonic University was able to move from Arkham in the United States to the border of the Dreamlands with the permission of Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss.


    ¡°By the way, as a token of our gratitude, we erected a statue of Nodens in the garden at the center of school. It¡¯s the one of the old man in underpants holding a trident.¡±


    The suddenly enlightened crowd bowed their heads as they took notes.


    ¡°Aside from the Elder Gods, there is an even more powerful kind of God. They are known as the Great Old Ones. The Great Old Ones rule the universe. They are not bound by any laws or treaties known to mankind. They exist beyond the three-dimensional space we know, belonging to a higher-dimensional form of existence.¡±


    Darwin expanded on this subject: ¡°The biggest difference between the Elder Gods and the Great Old Ones is that the Elder Gods possess a degree of humanity, while the Great Old Ones do not. This is why we usually refer to the Great Old Ones as evil. But in fact they cannot be classified as good or evil in simple terms, for the values of human beings are completely alien to them, just as ants are unable to understand the minds of men. In the eyes of the Great Old Ones, we are as insignificant as ants.


    ¡°Lastly, among the Great Old Ones there are even more formidable entities. These gods are more akin to the embodiment of the laws of the universe than individual beings. And they are completely beyond our conception. They exist outside the universe, above the dimensions. They are called the Outer Gods. None of your studies in elementary biology will involve the Outer Gods. Not unless you receive honors in the advanced biology examination and pursue a master¡¯s degree in the MU Biology Department will you be involved in research on the Outer Gods. Because for us as human beings, the Outer Gods are the most distant and unknowable entities in existence.


    ¡°Men have no relationship at all with the Outer Gods. How powerful are these beings? Let us say, if the Outer Gods really had the idea of destroying mankind, even if it were just a single thought, the entire solar system would vanish in an instant.¡±


    Facing the stunned eyes of the students, Darwin slowly added, ¡°As for these Outer Gods, which are so powerful and beyond the reach of human cognition, we will not discuss them much. Put away the alarmed expressions on your faces. The Outer Gods have better things to do. If they really cared, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed human history to develop for three million years.


    ¡°This introductory biology class will only discuss the current enemies of mankind.


    ¡°Our enemies include extraterrestrials as well as cult believers.


    ¡°In fact, compared with alien species, cultists are the biggest problem we face. There are countless religions in the world, big and small. Some of them secretly venerate this or that Great Old One or Outer God and try to gain power from their worship.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this power. Even if these cultists are not Awakened, from their faith they can gain abilities on par with Awakened. Unfortunately, there are also a number of cult believers who¡¯ve tried to reveal the existence of Awakened to the public.¡± Darwin thought for a moment. ¡°You might compare them to Lex Luthor, the villain in Superman. After all, many men are born with a fear of the unknown and assume the worst about it.¡±


    Zong Yan never thought Mr. Darwin had seen Superman.


    His hand twitched and he almost wrote this sentence down in his notebook.


    ¡°Cultists do not only invoke the gods they themselves believe in. Sometimes they also summon otherworldly creatures. As investigators, our task is to prevent this¡ªbecause the awakening of the gods means the end of mankind, especially certain of the Great Old Ones who were sealed by the Elder Gods within the universe or here on Earth. If ever they were to waken, it would be the advent of the end of the world. In an instant we would cease to exist, because their strength is far beyond human imagination.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry too much about this.¡±


    Darwin looked around at the heavy atmosphere in the classroom, shrugged his shoulders indifferently and decided to make a cold joke. ¡°Cultists lack the excellent learning environment we have at MU. Even if they wished to summon the lord of their faith, they lack the necessary knowledge of ancient languages. A cultist might not even be able to read the summoning spell. It¡¯s possible they would only anger the evil god they tried to invoke. In fact, when faced with a half-baked ritual, an investigator might not need to deal with it. The god might clean house on his own.¡±


    As he spoke, Professor Darwin took off his glasses and gazed at them like they were a bunch of innocent lambs:


    ¡°Every year there are graduates who go astray. When our own MU students become cultists, they tend to become senior leaders. So don¡¯t worry whether you¡¯ll manage to keep in touch after graduation. When something abnormal occurs you may get to meet up with an old classmate¡ªand collect a corpse from the other side.¡±


    ¡­


    No wonder the human skeleton model in biology class had a sign that said ignorance was bliss.


    MU¡¯s homework wasn¡¯t half-hearted either. With a wave of his hand Professor Darwin assigned everyone a short paper on the Elder Gods.


    Zong Yan worked on the paper while flipping through ¡¶My Understanding of the Great Booke¡·. After wrangling with it for a couple of hours he didn¡¯t manage to finish, so he pushed it off and began to work on his summer homework.


    Summer homework wasn¡¯t easy either. Zong Yan had saved the worst for last, having already worked on mathematics, biology, chemistry, Chinese, and English, leaving only physics. What¡¯s more, he¡¯d failed his physics final, and so, according to the rules, his physics homework had been increased by fifty percent.


    There was already a lot of physics homework. Increasing it by half was enough to kill.


    Physics was really a mysterious subject. Why did people bother about the force of objects on an inclined plane, the internal resistance of a current, whether a light bulb could light up or not, or what kind of motion charged particles would make in a composite field, hello? What¡¯s going on? Why did all of these things have to decide his test results?


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t understand it. He painstakingly drew diagrams in his notebook to analyze the forces, while looking for the appropriate formula in the exercise book.


    ¡°Try a variation of the acceleration formula.¡±


    Just as Zong Yan was scratching his head, looking at his left hand to determine the direction of force and judging the vectors of moving electrons in a magnetic field, Tawil sat down next to him in a very friendly manner. He took up a piece of paper, gripping a pen in his pale and slender fingers, and smoothly wrote down the formula, which gave Zong Yan a sudden moment of clarity.


    Fck! With this version all he had to do was plug in the values and he was done. Any fool could find the result.


    Zong Yan was astounded. ¡°Thank you, senior.¡±


    ¡°No need to be so formal.¡±


    Tawil smiled.


    That smile was impeccable. The radian of the corners of his mouth was just the right angle to be pleasant, without causing any wariness or disgust.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know why, but for a moment he sensed that Tawil was deliberately communicating the emotion of ¡°happiness¡±. Meanwhile, the real spirit of this man was high above, expressionless, watching everything below without the slightest ripple of emotion.


    Just as Zong Yan fell into a trance, Tawil, who¡¯d been writing with his head down, lifted his eyes.


    When Zong Yan met those golden eyes, the doubts that had just bubbled up inside his mind silently dissolved.


    Senior Tawil had always been courteous and friendly. He wrote with a fair hand and had an excellent reputation at school.


    His handwriting resembled medieval print. Just like the man himself, it was rigorous and cold.


    So why did he get such a strange idea?


    Zong Yan was about to continue working on the physics problem when Tawil gave a soft ¡°huh?¡± sound.


    ¡°Vorvadoss?¡±


    Zong Yan turned his head in time to see a wisp of gray hair fall on the biology paper he¡¯d pushed aside.


    He returned to his senses. ¡°Ah, right, he¡¯s known as the Lord of Universal Space.¡±


    ¡°The Lord of Universal Space?¡±


    The senior repeated this sentence with great emphasis. Zong Yan thought the other party hadn¡¯t heard of this before, so he explained, ¡°Vorvadoss is an Elder God who guards the darkest outer reaches of the Earth. His title is the Lord of the Universal Spaces.¡±


    The next moment, Zong Yan felt his hair stand on end.


    This premonition of danger was very acute, just like the sixth sense people often talked about. It wasn¡¯t a literal forewarning. It was more like palpitations, a sensation of imminent fear that strangled his heart directly through his chest, almost making him feel like his heart had stopped. In less than a second Zong Yan¡¯s back was soaked with cold sweat.


    He automatically glanced over at Tawil. The other man still wore a pleasant smile. Even the radian of his lips hadn¡¯t changed.


    What Zong Yan didn¡¯t know was that in the shadows cast on the floor by the flickering candlelight, an immense and evil force was circling. Billions of light-years away, galaxies collapsed and died without a sound. For their master, their omnipotent master, was utterly unpredictable and careless.


    For the next hour, nothing happened. Everything was calm. All that could be heard was the scratch of the pen across blank sheets of paper.


    Before he left, the gray-haired senior suddenly got up, took out a thin book from a nearby shelf and placed it before Zong Yan.


    ¡°I think you should be happy to read the third volume of this book¡­ Knowledge is a most desirable thing, is it not?¡±


    In the dying candlelight of the library he had the most bewitching smile. Zong Yan nodded his head unthinkingly, and his black eyes were disoriented for a moment. ¡°Of course, Senior Tawil.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Tawil revealed a satisfied expression. This time his smile had a much more realistic feeling, but the implication was a little off.


    ""


    It was a superior, patronizing smile.


    ¡ª


    That evening after washing up, Zong Yan lay in bed and couldn¡¯t help but open the book.


    It was originally just an empty promise, like when someone said they¡¯d invite you to dinner or let¡¯s meet up again next time.


    For some reason he couldn¡¯t put his finger on, that book had stayed on his mind. He¡¯d even thought about it in the shower. It was almost like it had been placed at the top of his mental to-do list.


    He really couldn¡¯t help it. Zong Yan pinched his nose and pulled out the book.


    The moment he glanced at it he was acutely aware something was wrong.


    On the cover, written in classical Arabic, were the words ¡¶Kitab al Azif¡·, written by Abdul Alhazred.


    Obviously this book was centuries old. The yellowing, blackened parchment and the ancient smell of the binding made that clear. As for why it hadn¡¯t vanished in the vast river of history, maybe it was preserved by the same methods ancient Egyptians used for papyrus, like the famous ancient grimoire, ¡¶The Book of the Dead¡·.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Wasn¡¯t this the original text of the ¡¶Necronomicon¡·?! In class today, his professor of ancient linguistics had mentioned the mad poet Abdul Alhazred, the author of the Necronomicon. It was said that after the book was completed, he¡¯d died in the streets of Damascus, devoured in broad daylight by an invisible monster. It was very sad.


    So here¡¯s the problem. This book was definitely classified as ¡°dangerous¡± by Miskatonic University. If a student wanted to borrow it, they needed not only excellent Arabic, but the signature of a professor of ancient linguistics.


    So how did Senior Tawil get this book?


    Zong Yan still didn¡¯t have any suspicions.


    He clearly remembered the vice chancellor¡¯s words, ¡°Trust no one¡±, and maintained a detailed list of possible double agents in his head.


    But Tawil¡¯s name wasn¡¯t on this list.


    It was like there was some kind of unfathomable force weaving silken threads within the mind of the black-haired boy, manipulating him like a puppet on a string, so that he reflexively shied away from certain thoughts.


    He didn¡¯t know if reading this book would be like Professor Darwin said and directly send him to the medical ward of Miskatonic University. After all, this was the original uncensored version. The higher a person¡¯s insight, the more dangerous it was to read.


    Even as these miserable thoughts crawled through Zong Yan¡¯s mind, his fingers, as if they¡¯d been urged, quietly turned the first page.


    ¡ª


    The original book of the ¡¶Necronomicon¡· was divided into multiple codices. Written in 700 AD, it recorded the true history of the Earth and the unnamable gods.


    For example, in the volume opened by Zong Yan, there was a detailed account of a supreme and mighty Outer God.


    He was called the lord of time and space; ¡°All-in-One, and One-in-All¡±; the trinity of the key, the gate, and the guardian of the gate; the knower of the past and master of the future; the all-knowing, all-seeing God.


    In the entire hierarchy of Outer Gods, he was one of the supreme three pillars of the original Gods, an existence second only to the Cosmic Progenitor.


    ""


    He had countless followers throughout the universe. If someone was able to please him, he would grant knowledge in return.


    Of course, the knowledge he gave could far exceed what a human brain was capable of holding. The humans who received his grace lost themselves in this vast knowledge and succumbed to madness.


    The name of an Outer God couldn¡¯t be expressed by human vocal cords, but he¡¯d condescended to teach his believers the approximate pronunciation of his name.


    His name was¡ªYog-Sothoth.


    The Lord of Time and Space.


    After he read this.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­ That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: How dare someone claim to be the Lord of Universal Space in front of me?! Hmph!


    Zong Yan: Damn it! When I find out something¡¯s wrong, you¡¯re finished!


    A lot of cuties asked about this, so let¡¯s explain it now.


    Bubbles is a nickname for Yog-Sothoth. As for who Yog-Sothoth is, he is¡­ read the copywriting


    TL Notes:


    underpants ¨C ¿ãñà ¨C Alternatively: undershorts, briefs, shorts


    Written in 700 AD ¨C ÓÚ¹«ÔªÇ°Æß°Ù¶àÄêд³É ¨C The raw states ¡°It was written in more than 700 BC¡± (¹«ÔªÇ° = BC, BCE). My research shows this is incorrect so I changed it in the tl. For one thing, the Arabic language didn¡¯t exist in 700 BC.


    Baphomet ¨C °Í·ÆÌØ ¨C B¨¡f¨¥it¨¨ ¨C Not sure why but the author states this is a cat goddess/goddess of cats (¡°Ã¨Ö®Å®Éñ°Í·ÆÌØÔø¾­ÊǹŰ£¼°È˺͹ÅÂÞÂíÈ˵ÄÐÅÑöÉñ¡±)


    hello ¨C This word was in English in the raw text


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Elder God ¨C ¹ÅÀÏÉñÃ÷ ¨C Alternatively: ¡°ancient god¡¯ was used in the teaser


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Vorvadoss ¨C ÎÖÍßµÀ˹ ¨C The Flaming One, Lord of the Universal Spaces, The Troubler of the Sands, He Who Waiteth in the Outer Dark (Wikipedia)


    Yog-Sothoth ¨C Ó̸ñ¡¤Ë÷ÍÐ˹ ¨C Y¨®uG¨¦¡¤Su¨¯Tu¨­S¨© ¨C Our ML, an Outer God conterminous with all time and space


    Bubbles ¨C ÅÝÅÝ ¨C P¨¤oP¨¤o ¨C

 CH 15

    Zong Yan apprehensively read the third volume of the original ¡¶Necronomicon¡· from cover to cover.


    Volume III didn¡¯t have much content, which was reflected in its page count. Compared to books with thousands of pages in the Miskatonic library, it was a little more than thirty pages. He could feel the lightness in his hand.


    It was only after Zong Yan finished reading that he realized the volume only discussed a single God. Yog-Sothoth, the great Lord of the Gate.


    At just over thirty pages, the unabridged version was incredibly detailed. Not only did it record the method of summoning the Outer God, it talked up the Lord of the Gate from beginning to end. It was a shining example of academic bias.


    Compared to the other Outer Gods, Yog-Sothoth was a lot more approachable. Maybe it was because this omniscient and omnipotent Lord never tried to descend on the world in his true form. He must be aware of the consequences of this, which would inadvertently crush his followers along with the planet itself into slag.


    To be honest, the true body of any Outer God was an absolute disaster. They were located outside the universe and beyond the dimensions. If one really wasn¡¯t paying attention and appeared in his real form, then sadly the entire galaxy would collapse into a giant black hole and everything would be destroyed from the immense mass. However, there were a lot of cultists who didn¡¯t come from a scientific background and still hoped their Lord could come to the Earth and rule over humanity, which created an endless amount of work for investigators.


    To invite the arrival of Yog-Sothoth, believers didn¡¯t even need to prepare that many offerings. All they needed was to build a charming stone tower for their lord and recite a mantra on a clear and cloudless day. After the summoning, the believers would casually point at random, and the Lord of the Gate would happily go to nearby villages to find his own sacrifices, without any Outer God primadonna baggage whatsoever.


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    Such a casual and warm-hearted god was really hard to find, especially when such a large number of evil gods were extraordinarily picky about the materials used for summoning. It was like a breath of fresh air.


    With an emotional sigh, he lowered the book with a history of more than one thousand years to the bed and turned his head, gazing at the bright moon hanging high in the sky.


    Tonight¡¯s moon was particularly round and full. The cold moonlight was suspended in the air like a curtain of gauze, as pale as the descending Milky Way.


    Zong Yan remembered that according to the lunar calendar, today was probably the fifteenth of the month.


    The moon should always be full on the fifteenth. He unlocked his phone screen and checked the lunar calendar.


    ¡­ Oh, July 15.


    That was the date of China¡¯s famous Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as the Ghost Festival.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t afraid. He was in a foreign country now, and ghost festivals were divided into regions. Foreign ghosts only celebrated Halloween.


    Maybe it was because he¡¯d tried Irish coffee for dinner today. It was midnight and he didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all.


    It was the first time Zong Yan had insomnia since he came to MU.


    The black-haired young man was lying on the white sheets in his pajamas, rubbing his hair in annoyance until it resembled a chicken¡¯s nest.


    Tomorrow was the start of his first weekend at MU. Zong Yan refused Wang KeMing¡¯s offer to go to London to have fun, deciding to spend the weekend with his vast pile of physics homework.


    Zong Yan really didn¡¯t have many requirements for material things. He was satisfied if he could eat until he was full. If the food was delicious, so much the better. For him, entertainment and hobbies came down to reading books and amusing himself on his own, occasionally brushing up on his favorite math problems.


    After so many years of poverty, even if his standard of living had suddenly improved, Zong Yan hadn¡¯t come up with any extra hobbies. Even if he had some money now, he felt ashamed to use it. All he did was save it. Anyway, no matter what, Zong Yan was incapable of going shopping at Harrods with Wang KeMing, or running off to a fancy club in London to strut around.


    ¡°But tomorrow is a weekend¡­ You can legally stay in bed.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t stay up late tonight, wasn¡¯t it a waste of an opportunity to sleep in?


    The more Zong Yan thought about it, the more he was convinced. He reached out his hand and drew a card from the void.


    Countless brilliant lines appeared inside the gap in space, gradually transforming into the shape of a card.


    Ghoul language ability card.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Ever since he¡¯d entered school, the cards he pulled were strange. Last time he got a nightgaunt language card, which really stunned him for a while.


    Even if he learned to speak these creatures¡¯ languages, he wondered what he was supposed to do when he met one face-to-face. Should his first reaction be to rush over and beat them up like usual? Or was he going to stop and ask a friendly question in their language first. ¡°Hey, little brother, are you about to start a fight?¡±


    Look at the famous heroes in martial arts dramas. Whenever people were at the same level, what mattered was who was faster with their sword.


    In the world of martial arts, speed makes you invincible. Zong Yan understood this very well.


    Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered he hadn¡¯t used the new A-rank daily disposable persona card he pulled last time.


    The main reason was that he just had too many things going on lately. The new school had given Zong Yan a serious sense of insecurity, so he hadn¡¯t dared to draw many cards during the first week. He kept his San value high just in case.


    Now that he thought about it, if that persona card consumed half the San value at night, it would be a lot more effective than the Child of the Wind for him at this stage. He needed to hurry up and figure out more about the card to give himself a bit more security.


    As he lay on the bed Zong Yan pulled out the persona card and crushed it in his hand.


    ""


    The persona card wasn¡¯t easy to break. When it finally snapped, it shattered neatly into countless little ice crystals. Zong Yan used to play with tactile fidget toys as a child. His OCD was in love.


    ¡¾A-rank daily disposable persona card: first time activation. Please assign a name.¡¿


    Zong Yan thought about it. ¡°Let¡¯s call it the Night Watchman.¡±


    ¡¾Daily disposable persona card ¡°Night Watchman¡± requires SAN value = 35. Current SAN value = 40. Activation successful.¡¿


    ¡¾Attention. This persona can be maintained for approximately 8 hours at night¡¿


    ¡¾According to the rules, night is the time between sunset and sunrise. At sunrise, the SAN value consumed by the persona card will double.¡¿


    This wasn¡¯t a voice that was talking to Zong Yan. After he used the persona card, these messages automatically appeared as a stream of thoughts in his mind.


    The next second, the fragments of stardust scattered in the air and disappeared beneath his skin. The dazzling light vanished in a flash.


    In addition to the time limit for using daily disposable persona cards, the physical transformation itself was a big dramatic thing. It was basically a magic girl transformation sequence in an anime, including the background music.


    That was why Zong Yan generally wouldn¡¯t activate a persona unless he was in a critical situation. Last time, when he mistakenly beat up a nightgaunt in midair, he fortunately had enough San value to deactivate the persona at a high altitude. Otherwise he would have had to explain to a crowd of senior investigators why he had the ability to transform himself.


    In an instant Zong Yan, whose hair had been messy as a haystack a moment ago, became a Night Watchman in a black trenchcoat with his hair neatly tied back in a ribbon.


    His temperament had also updated, changing from a sloppy male college student lying in bed with nothing to do, straight into a smartly-dressed metropolitan gentleman of the foggy streets, ready to attend a ball anytime, anywhere.


    Thud¡ª


    Because he was reclining in bed, the top hat on his head smoothly rolled aside and tumbled to the floor.


    But that was nothing. The most important thing was that Zong Yan felt a heavy weight on his left shoulder.


    As he turned his head, it so happened that the beak-masked bird of death looked over too. Two pairs of scarlet eyes locked on each other. The latter party could see that the former¡¯s eyes were dull. It didn¡¯t seem too smart.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    This card actually included a portable pet, not bad.


    ¡°This bird really needs to lose some weight.¡±


    The bird hadn¡¯t looked that fat on the card.


    Unexpectedly, the bird of death understood what he said. At first it gathered its wings together to settle on his shoulder, but now it gave a twitch. The creature turned its butt to his face and lifted its wings, knocked open the window and flew away.


    Ohhh, quite a temper.


    Zong Yan paused for a moment. Then he gracefully rose with an elegant posture. He slowly and carefully drew on a pair of black gloves, freed the gold chain dangling from his pocket, and smoothed out the folds of the long black coat and the dark gray dress shirt beneath.


    When he¡¯d finished all this and was standing on the carpet, only then did he reflect on what he¡¯d just done.


    According to Zong Yan¡¯s usual personality, he never would have been so meticulous. It was probably a result of the personality attached to the Night Watchman card.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it.


    Anyway, the next step was to test this card¡¯s abilities.


    The black umbrella in the Night Watchman¡¯s hand gently tapped against the ground. His figure elegantly dissolved into the shadows.


    The next second, the top hat-wearing Night Watchman reappeared outside the window.


    Oh¡­ This card was able to blend itself into the shadows, but there were a lot of restrictions on the range of movement.


    The feeling of passing through the shadows was wonderful, just like rising through a smooth, warm layer of water.


    Zong Yan stared at the reflection of the eaves in the window glass and melted down into a shadow again. This time he appeared on the roof of a nearby villa.


    Clothed in moonlight, he gazed down at the night from a high vantage.


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart seemed to be filled with an unparalleled sense of conceit, like the night was naturally his territory. At the moment of integrating into the shadows, he felt an overwhelming sense of composure and even¡­ desire for domination.


    For as long as the night endured, he was its master.


    The Night Watchman paused on the roof of the building, suddenly opened his black umbrella and jumped down from a height of three stories.


    ""


    The moonlight flowed with pure, clear light. The shadow of the black umbrella and a human-shaped figure were faithfully projected on the ground. But at the moment he jumped, the human shadow quietly melded into the umbrella.


    If someone happened to look over, they would only see a black umbrella, as though supported by an invisible person, falling straight down to the ground, a top-heavy object completely ignoring Newton¡¯s laws.


    The Child of the Wind¡¯s trait was wind manipulation, and its special ability was flight. The Night Watchman¡¯s currently known special ability was blending into shadows, but he didn¡¯t know what its trait was.


    Zong Yan thought this card might be able to manipulate darkness or shadows, but no matter what he tried, he couldn¡¯t make his shadow disappear.


    He tried to call his harbinger bird again, but there was no response. It was probably still angry.


    Strange.


    Generally speaking, traits should be easier to find than special abilities. When Zong Yan first used the Child of the Wind card, he discovered its special abilities after noticing the traits. But the Night Watchman seemed the other way around.


    He thought about the keywords on the card over and over, and suddenly, in the next second, he heard a strange voice.


    The voice was particularly strange, ethereal but very clear.


    Zong Yan sensed he was the only one with the ability to hear it.


    ¡°Prince Edward¡¯s at it again. It¡¯s the middle of the night and he won¡¯t let the ghosts sleep!¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­?


    Damn, ghosts?!


    He reflexively wanted to gulp, but this card clearly insisted on carrying out British elegance to the end and didn¡¯t allow him to do so. Zong Yan could only stare in the dark. His gloved fingers unthinkingly toyed with the gold pocket watch dangling from his pocket, as though its cold surface could cool his head.


    Zong Yan had always been a materialist. He himself was a classic example of ¡°you have to see it to believe it¡±.


    He didn¡¯t believe in ghosts or gods.


    Unfortunately, this little assertion was smashed to bits after he came to Miskatonic University.


    Darwin had ceased to be religious in his later years, but the great man had stood at the podium and said ¡°gods really exist¡±, so Zong Yan had to change his disbelief in ghosts and gods to disbelief in ghosts.


    But as it turned out, today, July 15, the day of the famous Ghost Festival, his only remaining creed was broken.


    Zong Yan¡¯s mind reviewed some ghost movies he¡¯d seen when he was younger. He thought of all those disheveled older sisters and immediately wanted to turn around and leave.


    He thought he understood the traits of this card now.


    The Night Watchman. Its trait was¡­ bridging life and death.


    The sound of a violin abruptly resonated through the night.


    The violinist was obviously in a good mood. He could pull out a section of Rachmaninov¡¯s Vocalise with the agitation of Paganini. With the moonlight it was really a bit romantic.


    ¡°Damn it! Disturbing ghosts in the middle of the night, there¡¯s no end to it!!¡±


    As Zong Yan stood in the corner he found the ethereal voice that called itself a ¡°ghost¡± came from the villa next to him.


    The villa actually had very good sound insulation. If he weren¡¯t standing nearby, he really wouldn¡¯t have heard it. There was no impact on neighbors like Zong Yan who lived in another building, but for ghosts it really was a little loud.


    Moments later, Zong Yan heard countless different voices, one after another.


    ¡°The prince has only been enrolled in school for five days, and every night he has to make that racket until midnight.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I didn¡¯t think MU¡¯s art department was so famous when I was alive. Why did this prince even report to MU? Hell, the Royal Conservatory of Music should have welcomed him!¡±


    The wispy voice of one of the ghosts came much closer: ¡°You ghosts who only come to visit don¡¯t know. I¡¯m the resident ghost of this villa. There¡¯s a lot of gossip about the little prince.¡±


    ¡°What, there¡¯s gossip? What gossip, tell me!¡±


    All of a sudden the ghosts were boiling over with fascination, chattering noisily.


    You couldn¡¯t blame them for being interested when their own lives were so boring.


    These ghosts were basically professors or students of Miskatonic University who¡¯d lost their lives in attacks by various bizarre creatures. Many of them were from the time when MU was still in the town of Arkham.


    After the school moved to the border of the Dreamlands, many of these remnants of consciousness had transmuted, producing an existence similar to a ghost.


    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t be seen by others, and they could only communicate ghost-to-ghost. As the days stretched on, they had nothing to do but chinwag and idle about.


    Zong Yan listened to their conversation and overheard a few vaguely familiar names. For example, a certain ghost was the unlucky investigator whose heart was ripped out by an otherworldly horror in a laboratory, and another ghost was the leader of MU¡¯s Antarctic research team one year. Later he died heroically fighting cultists. Because he was so worried about MU, he eventually drifted over from the Antarctic.


    Zong Yan: Antarctica and the US are so far apart¡ªthis ghost really worked hard.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about that, do you?¡± The ghost who¡¯d first said the word ¡°gossip¡± was smug. ¡°I died later than all of you. I know a lot more about the private affairs of the British royal family than you.¡±


    One of the ghosts was impatient. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Out with it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. Did you ever hear those rumors about the previous queen of the British royal family, the one who died so strangely?¡±


    Perhaps the British constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system weren¡¯t fully developed back then. From the signing of the Autumn Act by the legendary King Lanchester I until the present day, the British royal family continued to wield some power, and could even influence the decisions of the cabinet and prime minister.


    Unfortunately, as time passed, and because of the mess left by the late kings George VI and Edward VIII, the common people came to resent the royal family. In modern times, an endless stream of voices in the Commonwealth spoke against the royal family. The royal family was walking on thin ice.


    The current ruler of England was King Lanchester II. He¡¯d turned sixty a few years ago and had three children: two sons and a daughter.


    ¡°Prince Edward is the youngest son of Lanchester II. Because he¡¯s the child of the king¡¯s old age, he¡¯s always been highly favored. Unfortunately, when Prince Edward was seven, his mother Queen Isabella died under mysterious circumstances.¡±


    This event caused a sensation in the last century.


    Isabella, the queen of Lanchester II, was a gentle and beautiful person. She became his consort when Lanchester II was still a prince. Unexpectedly, a year after the king succeeded to the throne, the queen died in a freak incident in Buckingham Palace.


    What was even more shocking was that Lanchester II remarried before Queen Isabella¡¯s bones were cold, just half a year after the funeral.


    The ghost tsked and lamented, ¡°At first MU sent investigators to Buckingham Palace to investigate Queen Isabella¡¯s death. Unfortunately, the British royal family obstructed everything to save face. In the end nothing was confirmed.


    ¡°The only certainty is that Queen Isabella¡¯s death was linked to a cult that¡¯s entrenched in London. They¡¯re most likely followers of some Great Old One.


    ¡°The night before last, I¡¯m afraid the little prince had a nightmare and called out his mother¡¯s name in the middle of the night. He¡¯s a prince but he didn¡¯t even bring a bodyguard or servant. It took quite some courage to choose to enroll at MU.¡±


    The ghosts fell silent.


    At this point Zong Yan was embarrassed to continue eavesdropping.


    For a while he stood in the shadows, listening to the dulcet sound of the violin.


    Although it was a sentimental piece of music, Zong Yan felt a sense of liberation in it, like the notes had broken free from bondage and were jumping happily on the strings.


    Since their first meeting, Prince Edward lived up to his words. He was very self-effacing and treated Zong Yan like a friend.


    The Irish coffee Zong Yan drank that night was recommended by the young prince.


    As his thoughts drifted, the Night Watchman saw a nebulous cluster of shadows floating in the air.


    He shivered automatically, turned around and walked away.


    Compared to the gods that Professor Darwin talked about in class, Zong Yan thought the existence of ghosts made an even more terrible impact on his mind.


    The Night Watchman put away his black umbrella and slowly merged into the shadows beneath his feet.


    In the distance, the harbinger bird swept past the dead branches of the trees. Perfect silence reigned over the night. The shadows bent their heads in silence and bowed to their new master.


    What Zong Yan didn¡¯t know was that behind the curtains of another house, a gray-haired man closed the book in his hand and quietly tore a hole in space.


    ¡ª


    His first beautiful weekend at Miskatonic University passed uneventfully in countless physics assignments.


    On Sunday night Zong Yan had nothing to do, so he took a shower and lay in bed playing Rubik¡¯s cube.


    The phone beside him suddenly vibrated. Zong Yan picked it up and looked at it. The latest text message said the engineering professor had temporarily received an emergency assignment, and all magic pattern classes for the next two weeks were canceled.


    Magic patterns had always been MU¡¯s ace in the hole. It was one of the mandatory courses. The discipline required a diverse array of knowledge, covering both arts and sciences, memorization, calculation, and even drawing. All in all, if investigators wanted to learn to recite incantations and protect themselves in battles with extraterrestrial creatures, magic patterns were a no-brainer.


    Some elective courses in MU were intriguing. For example, there was a class that studied friendly exotic species. In their first lesson, the students were sent to the hidden gate of MU to find a nightgaunt and have a friendly conversation.


    The moment the head nightgaunt saw Zong Yan, he was terrified, let out a sharp howl, and led the other nightgaunts away in a crowd.


    The teacher leading the class: ? ? ?


    The teacher was silent for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve worked at MU for more than ten years. And this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a nightgaunt so afraid of a student.¡±


    The nightgaunt clan loved to play pranks. They liked to carry people high in the air and tease them, appreciating the human emotions of anxiety and fear.


    In previous years, the students in the first class were the worst off because they¡¯d suffer the harassment and torment of the nightgaunts¡¯ unusual sense of fun.


    At these times the professors usually sat on the sidelines watching the show.


    The nightgaunts were very familiar with the Dreamlands. If these students could develop a good relationship with the nightgaunts, they¡¯d be able to explore the Dreamlands in the future. Every year, Miskatonic University professors led students who¡¯d received high marks in certain advanced courses to carry out various scouting and research activities.


    The xenobiology teacher patted Zong Yan on the shoulder. ¡°In the future, I advise you not to go into the Dreamlands. I¡¯m willing to bet the nightgaunts have passed on stories about you to many other races.¡±


    Thinking of this, Zong Yan scratched his head and remembered the nightgaunt language he¡¯d learned a few days ago.


    Guess it¡¯s useless.


    He offhandedly turned the cube and spun it around, reached into the void again, and was about to draw a card.


    But as soon as Zong Yan poked his fingers into the void, a chilly card slid down his fingertips into the palm of his hand.


    The black-haired teenager froze.


    He was in a very casual position right now. His fingertips were reaching up, stretching into the void. According to the law of gravity, it was correct for the card to slide from a high place to a low place. It was correct but¡­ Zong Yan had been drawing cards for years and observed a long time ago that cards didn¡¯t obey the laws of physics. Even if Zong Yan were to let go right now, the card wouldn¡¯t fall to the ground but remain floating in the air, just like in Cardcaptor Sakura.


    ""


    ¡°Not only is the Joker card a fraud, now the persona cards are faking too?!¡±


    Zong Yan was gloomy.


    He helplessly flipped the card in his hand and wrinkled his brow in suspicion.


    The card had no rank. Even the surface was blank.


    A blank card meant a waste card. Zong Yan had drawn a lot of waste cards before, but they automatically dissolved after a second. They didn¡¯t hang around like this card that was delivered to him, dead set on staying in his hand.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems to have writing.¡±


    Puzzled, Zong Yan leaned over.


    On the glowing front of the card were twisted, distorted letters that belonged to no existing human language.


    They were more obscure than cuneiform, more imaginative than Phoenician script, more evil and unknowable than any character or ideogram.


    As he looked at it, Zong Yan seemed to feel millions of needles stimulating his nerves, producing an inexplicable roiling heat around his temples. His head spun near to vertigo.


    He¡¯d never read this kind of writing before, nor seen any similar style of script.


    The black-haired boy couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth involuntarily, but no matter how he tried, he was unable to speak the forbidden, supreme, and overwhelmingly terrifying name.


    His hand shook. Suddenly everything was clear.


    Why did this daily disposable persona card have no rank? Because the being that possessed this name couldn¡¯t be defined in such simplistic terms.


    Even if it was just a persona card with a mere one-billionth the power of its primary body.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Arkham is the name of a town in the original Cthulhu mythology. It seems that DC also used this name to pay tribute to H. P. Lovecraft.


    Also, the secrets of the British royal family in this chapter are basically made up. Don¡¯t confuse them with reality ha


    Guess which persona card it is


    TL Notes:


    This is the longest chapter in the novel! (?? ? ?)?*:??? ?  Tomorrow¡¯s chapter is a bit shorter, fortunately for me.


    Lord of the Gate ¨C ÃÅÖ®Ö÷ ¨C Alternatively: Master of the Door, Gate Master


    more than one thousand years ¨C Á½Ç§Æß°Ù¶àÄê ¨C more than 2700 years ¨C The author doubles down and insists the Necronomicon was written in 700 BC. So I guess this is a canon where that happened and ancient Arabic was a language that existed back then? Whatever, I¡¯m just going to keep it consistent with Chapter 14 and the rest of the Lovecraftian mythos. If it matters I¡¯ll go back and change it later.


    Outer God primadonna baggage ¨C ÍâÉñ°ü¸¤ ¨C Outer God burden ¨C from ¡°idol burden¡±, the amount of work idols have to do to maintain their image and appearance


    amusing himself on his own ¨C ×ÔÓé×ÔÀÖ ¨C self-entertainment, amusing oneself, play on one¡¯s own


    little brother ¨C СÀ쵆 ¨C xi¨£o l¨£od¨¬ ¨C little/young fellow, a junior of equal standing


    In the world of martial arts, speed makes you invincible ¨C ÌìÏÂÎ书Ψ¿ì²»ÆÆ


    bird of death, harbinger bird ¨C ¸æËÀÄñ ¨C messenger bird of death


    older sisters ¨C ½ã½ãÃÇ ¨C ji¨§ji¨§men


    prince ¨C Íõ´¢ ¨C crown prince ¨C It was stated earlier that Edward is third in line to the throne


    unusual sense of fun ¨C originally said ¾«ÉñÎÛȾ ¨C ideological pollution, mental pollution, cultural contaminatio

 CH 16

    After he drew the unknown persona card, Zong Yan didn¡¯t sleep well for the rest of the night.


    This caused him to feel sluggish in the morning. The dark circles under his eyes were especially conspicuous.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Zong Yan put some French fries on his plate and squeezed some ketchup. Suddenly he heard a clear voice.


    He looked up and saw Edward standing next to him with a glass of milk in his hand.


    When other people saw this, their faces were surprised.


    His Highness the Prince was usually the center of attention and rather arrogant. He might have come to Miskatonic University alone, but the British royal family behind him hadn¡¯t been shy about giving certain benefits to the Spire Council, encouraging them to take good care of the golden prince.


    It was well-known that Edward was the favored youngest son of the present king, Lanchester II. In prior years, several newspapers had sworn the king was preparing to skip the first and second heirs and pass the throne directly to his youngest son. Edward had grown up loved by his father and mother. Although the king remarried later, his son¡¯s status in the British royal family hadn¡¯t lowered at all. He was only criticized occasionally for his slightly harsh personality.


    It wasn¡¯t unusual for students at MU to come from a distinguished background.


    The university was like a forum for free mingling. A lot of people wanted to use this opportunity to develop a relationship with the almost-official crown prince. Unfortunately, the prince was too proud to give them any face.


    When people saw Edward personally greet the school chief, nobody was too surprised.


    Worthy of the chief ah.


    The crowd sighed with emotion.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t aware of all this. Although Edward had named him ¡°my only friend¡± that day, which was quite a moving title, he didn¡¯t take it seriously. He ate and slept as usual and his life went on without a ripple. Occasionally when they ran into each other on campus he¡¯d say hello to the prince, but most of the time Zong Yan pretended he hadn¡¯t seen him.


    It puzzled Zong Yan that the more indifferent he acted, the more pleased Edward had become. He even condescended to do certain things sometimes, like taking the initiative to come over and say hello this morning.


    Was the crown prince of the British royal family really such a masochist?!


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    Zong Yan nodded and noticed the milk in Edward¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It was my mother¡¯s habit.¡± Edward immediately noticed his glance, gave a glib explanation, and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Make sure you get enough rest. The dark circles under your eyes are about reach your cheeks.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When Zong Yan returned to his seat for breakfast, he suddenly remembered the whispers he heard the previous night.


    Wherever wealth and power gathered, there were always unseen beings. He didn¡¯t have any intention of prying into other people¡¯s private affairs, but Zong Yan still thought Edward was suspicious. He¡¯d been secretly observing him.


    Thinking of this, Zong Yan once again concentrated on the white porridge in his bowl.


    Here it becomes necessary to discuss the most tangible benefit Zong Yan received as school chief.


    ""


    Which was¡ªhe could enjoy the private, custom menu of the MU cafeteria for free.


    Food was the god of the people, and MU was in the Dreamlands most days of the week. He could only leave on weekends, so he had to rely on the canteen for all his meals.


    Zong Yan decisively chose the entire Chinese food package.


    Every time he ate, people would look over at him overtly or covertly, watching him accurately clip rice into his mouth with ¡°two small sticks like Harry Potter wands¡±, which always made him feel nervous.


    ¡ª


    At the end of the day¡¯s classes, Zong Yan walked to the library with his books in his arms.


    He needed to look up the relevant information for the daily disposable persona card from last night.


    Consequently, Zong Yan ran into Tawil on the way to the library.


    ¡°Hello senior,¡± he said meekly.


    Maybe he was just imagining it, but Zong Yan thought Tawil was in a good mood today. The most immediate indication was that his gaze didn¡¯t make Zong Yan feel so uncomfortable.


    ¡°Have you finished the book?¡±


    ¡°I finished it.¡±


    It was strange, but every time Zong Yan faced this senior he had a very weird feeling, like he was standing in front of the teaching director.


    ¡°En.¡± Tawil nodded without much expression, and his golden eyes fell lightly on Zong Yan. ¡°How was it?¡±


    This question succeeded in making Zong Yan flashback to his memories of doing something bad and being hauled to the office for criticism and education and being forced to make a verbal confession.


    ¡°He¡¯s a very powerful being,¡± Zong Yan said cautiously.


    Suddenly he felt the same sense of danger he had in the library that day. His hair stood on end. His skin went cold and a heart-throbbing feeling crawled down his spine out of the base of his brain.


    At this point, even a fool had to notice there was a problem with this ¡°Senior Tawil¡±.


    But even though Zong Yan was able to realize this person might be the source of everything, he was still unable to produce any feeling of vigilance against him.


    What was human consciousness? How does it exist?


    After so many years of human progress, this remained an unsolved mystery.


    Obviously, more powerful beings were able to tamper with memory as well as consciousness. They could even cause people to lack any feelings of resistance or alarm.


    If fear came from the unknown, the greatest fear of all must be that human beings wouldn¡¯t even realize they were in the presence of the unknown, but mistakenly believe that everything was well.


    Zong Yan felt like he should say something more, because cold sweat began pouring down his back.


    ¡°Yog-Sothoth seems like a really excellent god.¡± Zong Yan reached for the political papers he had to write in his first year of high school, saying in all seriousness, ¡°He¡¯s quite generous and unpretentious.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Obviously, the senior hadn¡¯t expected the conversation to develop in this way. He was stunned.


    ¡°As long as someone¡¯s able to please him, he¡¯s very generous. He gives endless knowledge in return.¡± Finally detecting a more authentic expression on the senior student¡¯s face, Zong Yan¡¯s heart filled with a sense of accomplishment. ¡°In China it¡¯s called ¡®reciprocating grace¡¯, ah, no¡­ being kind and charitable!


    ¡°And he¡¯s so considerate of his followers. As long as they prepare a high tower for him, they don¡¯t even need to provide the sacrifices. He¡¯s merciful toward his believers and accepts their worship.¡±


    The more Zong Yan said, the more he felt he had a point. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find such a good God these days, right?


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you, if my physics grade doesn¡¯t improve before the college entrance exam, I might start worshipping him myself.¡±


    Tawil: ¡­?


    ¡°Professor Darwin said we should firmly walk the path of atheism as investigators, but he also said it¡¯s better to believe in God rather than an evil god.¡± The black-haired boy suddenly lowered his voice to a near whisper, ¡°So here¡¯s my foolproof plan. After Yog-Sothoth grants me physics knowledge, I¡¯m going to defect.¡±


    After he said this, he didn¡¯t know why, but the feeling of danger not only didn¡¯t decrease, it became more and more urgent.


    Zong Yan nodded rather complacently. ¡°Senior, don¡¯t you think this is a genius idea? Make sure not to tell anyone else.¡±


    Senior Tawil gave him an eerie look.


    Zong Yan felt as if he¡¯d been scanned up and down by an X-ray, and the feeling was both frightening and thrilling.


    Zong Yan even thought he might have been transformed into the miserable white human skeleton at the door of the biology classroom. Something inexplicable had brushed across him, like he was meat on the barbecue evaluated by an emotionless diner.


    At the critical moment, when the air was scorching and something was about to happen, the man with gray hair and golden eyes suddenly smiled.


    In an instant, all the pressure disappeared into thin air, as if it had never existed.


    ¡°You surprise me at every turn.¡± His voice was low. ¡°A genius idea indeed. Maybe you can prepare to practice it.¡±


    Zong Yan hunched his shoulders and felt a chill.


    ¡ª


    After saying goodbye to the other student, Zong Yan continued to the library.


    Now that this burst of excitement was past, he felt like he¡¯d come back from the edge of death.


    Fortunately, at the moment of extreme danger just now, Zong Yan had finally rescued a scrap of his own sanity.


    He realized something was wrong with him.


    This was an incredible thing. For example, an ant would always follow the rules of behavior for an ant. If an ant was trampled to death one day, even if it somehow managed to survive, it would never realize that an existence called a ¡°human¡± had stepped on it. This was the unbridgeable gap between different levels of consciousness.


    Zong Yan, however, had broken free from this supposedly insurmountable law.


    But he still found it impossible to raise his guard. Whenever he saw Tawil, he took it for granted that the other person was an intimate friend.


    ¡­ Or he wouldn¡¯t have said what he said just now.


    God knew after saying those words, Zong Yan was sweating all over.


    Based on what Professor Darwin said, he was pretty much certain he was under some kind of mental suggestion, and this suggestion was so impenetrable that he was afraid it was from an evil god himself.


    He hurried to the library, took down ¡¶My Understanding of the Great Booke¡· from the shelf, opened it in a hurry, and noisily rifled through the pages.


    Zong Yan was looking for a name.


    The name written on the persona card he pulled out yesterday.


    The next second, the pupils of the black-haired boy shrank.


    He found it.


    ¡¾He is the foremost of the Outer Gods¡ªthe Blind Idiot God¡ªthe Primordial Nucleus.¡¿


    ¡¾He is the originator of the universe, the source of all rules, the master of all things, and all-powerful.¡¿


    ¡¾He dwells at the center of boundless infinity, above the dimensions.¡¿


    ¡¾Although he is supreme and mighty, he is also blind and foolish. He exists in a deep state of slumber. All that exists, material and spiritual, emanates from his thoughts.¡¿


    ¡¾The universe is a dream created by his slumber. If one day he were to awaken, the universe will exist no longer and everything will return to him.¡¿


    ¡¾He is the true Lord of the universe, above the three pillars of the original gods, the King-of-All whom they worship.¡¿


    ¡¾His name is¡ªAzathoth¡£¡¿


    Just last night, Zong Yan had drawn a daily disposable persona card with an unknown level.


    The above text had been projected into his mind and told him plainly: This card is called ¡°Azathoth¡±.


    If it really was what the Necronomicon described¡­


    Zong Yan gulped down his nervousness. He involuntarily took out the card, hesitated, then suddenly crushed it.


    When a card was destroyed, there was a confirmation dialog.


    Zong Yan would discover the San value to be paid for this persona card, and then decide whether he wanted to keep it.


    But this card, which shouted ¡°I¡¯m different!¡± from beginning to end, clearly had no such protection.


    ¡¾Daily disposable persona card ¡°Azathoth (incarnation)¡± requires SAN value =? ? ? Current SAN value = 40¡¿


    ¡¾Warning. Your SAN value is insufficient¡¿


    ¡¾Warning. Your SAN value is insufficient¡¿


    ¡¾Warning. Your SAN value is insufficient¡¿


    ¡¾¡­ Your SAN value has been reset to zero¡¿


    Brother, you didn¡¯t even give me a chance to cancel.


    That was his last thought before he fainted.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: I¡¯m going to join him and become a heretic (whisper)


    Bubbles: Uh¡ª?


    ¡ª


    For the guesses about Bubbles, the protagonist¡¯s superpower has nothing to do with Bubbles, and he¡¯s not behind it, either


    The plot hasn¡¯t unfolded yet. Right now, as far as Bubbles is concerned, the MC is probably just a slightly special ant


    Outer Gods cannot communicate with human consciousness. He doesn¡¯t understand the concepts of like and love


    I said at the beginning that the romantic subplot probably isn¡¯t an ordinary people type of love (because the gods of this system experiencing sweet love is very ooc when I think about it, personal opinion only, maybe the original Lovecraft gave me too much of a shadow)


    But when the romance subplot arrives, everything that should be there will be there!


    TL Notes:


    reciprocating grace ¨C ÕâÖª ¨C kindness map


    being kind and charitable ¨C ÀÖÉƺÃÊ© ¨C be happy in doing good; always glad to give to charities; be always ready to help in a worthy cause; be prodigal of benefactions


    incarnation ¨C ·Ö/Éí ¨C ·ÖÉí ¨C split / body, clone, bilocation, split, doppelganger, alter ego. The Japanese equivalent is ¡°bunshin¡± if you¡¯re familiar with Naruto¡­.


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    His Highness the Prince ¨C Íõ×ÓµîÏ ¨C w¨¢ngz¨« di¨¤nxi¨¤


    Brother ¨C ´ó¸ç ¨C d¨¤g¨¥ ¨C Not sure whether to translate these or not. But for a term that only gets used once or twice, I think suddenly seeing ¡°Dage¡± in the text would be more confusing for most people.

 CH 17

    Zong Yan felt like he was being torn from his body.


    According to the materialist worldview that prevailed in modern times, human beings consisted of the outward skin of their bodies and a mind.


    The other daily disposable persona cards owned by Zong Yan, to put it in simple terms, were nothing more than a brute-force change of skin. But this persona card was unique. It ripped out Zong Yan¡¯s soul directly. And he had no idea where it was thrown.


    Thousands of fragments poured in like a rising tide, frantically bombarding Zong Yan¡¯s mind.


    Human beings existed in three-dimensional space. According to the universal laws of space-time, organisms in lower dimensions were incapable of contacting higher-dimensional beings.


    Just like a paper cutout person had no way of knowing about three-dimensional space without human intervention, a two-dimensional world couldn¡¯t surpass two dimensions.


    Albert Einstein once said: Time does not exist.


    The reason human beings in three dimensions believed that time existed was a trick of memory. Memory was what gave them the concept of ¡°time¡±.


    Similarly, time in four-dimensional space could be plotted on an axis.


    When creatures in four-dimensional space looked at humans, they could follow the timeline and freely view specific nodes along the axis of time.


    According to this logic, creatures in four-dimensional space were also time travelers.


    ¡­


    It was impossible for human thinking to conceive of higher-dimensional objects.


    But now, this exact type of variable existed in three-dimensional space.


    Through some uncontrollable and unknowable path, he¡¯d transcended the three-dimensional world.


    ¡ªZong Yan¡¯s journey wasn¡¯t as simple as leaping across a dimension.


    His destination was the end, the ultimate end, of the universe.


    In the vast sea of stars, a mass of consciousness catapulted forward at an unknown velocity exceeding the speed of light by billions of trillions of times, hurtling forward for an instant far less than a second in duration, but it also could have been as many, many years as the evolution of the world.


    Time had no meaning when crossing dimensions.


    Finally, he arrived.


    This was another realm outside the universe, the heart of time and space, the original place where everything was born.


    There was a vast and majestic palace with unimaginable, dimly-lit halls. With the sky as its roof and the stars as the seats, the temple woven with light had no end as far as the eye could see.


    Innumerable Outer Gods, exactly as Darwin had said in class, thunderous beings that were powerful beyond human imagination, had gathered here like the center of gravity, surrounding the most central temple in countless ranks.


    In this place, their unnamable appendages grasped musical instruments and played them, day after day and year after year, to express their absolute allegiance to the Lord of the Universe.


    And Zong Yan¡ª


    He was in agony.


    Experiencing the dual suffering of simultaneous divinity and humanity.


    Compared to the immeasurable comprehension of ¡°Azathoth¡±, Zong Yan¡¯s mind was a drop in the ocean, insignificant.


    San value was the embodiment of Zong Yan¡¯s mental power. The deduction for using a persona card was nothing less than the cost that must be paid for the presumption of transcending a human body.


    And that was why, when he used this ¡°Azathoth¡± persona card, his San value plunged to zero.


    For the San value to hit zero was an appalling thing.


    Even if it were successful, Zong Yan¡¯s consciousness would be crushed to powder at the very moment when divine consciousness descended, leaving nothing behind.


    How tiny were human beings before the gods? Like ants trying to shake a tree, there was no chance of success.


    But this persona card was indeed successful. It was a split incarnation card, and it drew the attention of the Lord himself.


    From beyond the universe, from above the dimensions, the sleeping Azathoth gazes back at you.


    Zong Yan felt a million needles slowly, inexorably pierce his soul. The pain, the horrifying pain, couldn¡¯t be compared to any physical sensation. Instead it was like someone took a small knife and piece by piece ripped him apart from within. It hurt so much he wanted to scream, but in this spiritual state he had no vocal organs, no means of vocalization, so he could only endure the monstrous coercion. In the final moment of extremity, he almost touched the threshold of collapse.


    ""


    Just as Zong Yan¡¯s consciousness was about to be crushed by the foremost of the Outer Gods, everything went still.


    In an instant, all the pain at the spiritual level subsided.


    From some unseen, supreme dimension, the psychic tentacles of a probe unfurled within his consciousness.


    Clearly it wasn¡¯t malicious, or Zong Yan¡¯s soul would have been mercilessly strangled at the same moment.


    In a daze, Zong Yan even gave rise to an extremely absurd idea.


    He had a sense of something close to a return.


    The huge green granite slab found in the tomb of Pharaoh Hermes in ancient Egypt was said to record thirteen aphorisms that granted insight into all of existence.


    It was called the ¡¶Emerald Tablet¡·, a text handed down to humanity from the gods of ancient Egypt. Later, it was translated by Newton who sought to refine the ultimate artefact of alchemy, the philosopher¡¯s stone, one of the sources of all of Western mysticism.


    Two of the aphorisms were as follows: As above, so below, and as below, so above; thus are the miracles of the One fulfilled.


    All things were and arose from the One, and were birthed from the One through divergence.


    And this in turn accorded perfectly with the ¡¶I Ching¡· of ancient China.


    Although China and the West had different histories and cultures, they pursued the same goal by different paths.


    Zong Yan had come to better understand these two statements made by Professor Newton in class after he went over all the records on Azathoth in the Necronomicon.


    All that existed originated from Azathoth¡¯s dream, an extension of a thought that emanated from Azathoth.


    And now he was¡­ he was gradually returning to this ocean of consciousness, just as everything returned to its origin, children returned to their parents, doves returned to their nests, and millions of torrents swept through his soul.


    Everything came to an abrupt halt.


    In the sea of stars, the Outer Gods were impelled one after another to stop their wild, endless dancing.


    Even without the intention of looking at them, Zong Yan knew their proper names.


    Tulzscha, Tru¡¯nembra, Yomagn¡¯tho, Aiueb Gnshal, Noth Yidick¡­


    In addition to the Outer Gods who surrounded the palace of Azathoth, there were also servants created by the Outer Gods. Now they sensed the alteration of the God and bowed silently to demonstrate their submission.


    All of this had existed for an unknown number of years. The Outer Gods could not be shackled by time, but this was the first occasion when they clearly felt the advent of the consciousness of their Lord, the Blind Idiot God.


    He opened His eyes.


    Perhaps at this moment it was appropriate to refer to Zong Yan as ¡°He¡±.


    For a moment the stars and starfire all seemed to be annihilated. Everything collapsed.


    Zong Yan¡¯s consciousness was violently yanked out of the immense palace, descending from eleven-dimensional space, followed by ten dimensions¡­ seven dimensions¡­ four dimensions¡­ Finally, he returned to three dimensions, back to a London full of rain and fog, back to the outskirts of the Dreamlands, and back to the library of Miskatonic University.


    No one would ever know that just now, in a flickering of time which human beings were unable to perceive, a soul from the three-dimensional world had experienced a miraculous journey.


    In the ancient palace, everything returned to normal.


    At the center of time and space, the thin monotonous whine of a sickening flute was heard again.


    That sound was enough to drive any intelligent dimensional creature to insanity in an instant.


    Everything was calm again, as if the accident had never occurred.


    But even a moment was enough to attract a great deal of attention.


    In the distant land of America, at a sumptuous cocktail party, a blond-haired, blue-eyed man halted in his tracks.


    ¡°What is it, Mr. Nicholas?¡± The female companion beside him stared raptly at the blond man¡¯s perfect face. In a teasing voice she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you enjoying tonight¡¯s party? Should I ask the musicians to play something else?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t the only one.


    In fact, all the people present, both men and women, stared at Mr. Nicholas as if they were possessed. The black part of their pupils gradually spread out, dying the whole of their eyes black.


    If anyone else witnessed this eerie scene, they could only scream in horror.


    ""


    Unfortunately, no one present had this consciousness. Everyone¡¯s brain was preoccupied with the thought of trying to please this Nicholas.


    His was a face that surpassed human imagination. It wasn¡¯t like the face of a mortal man, but more like a legendary ¡°god¡±, the accretion of everything that was beautiful, the cause that gave rise to all praise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Get lost.¡±


    The blonde man smiled, but the smile didn¡¯t even slightly touch his eyes.


    Even if she was spoken to so rudely, the top celebrity in New York didn¡¯t look unhappy. Instead she dropped to her knees in a panic. Her face went gray.


    Even so, Mr. Nicholas didn¡¯t give her another look.


    He immediately left the opulent private ballroom.


    Elsewhere, a dark-skinned doctor who was reviewing files in an office full of sophisticated instruments in Geneva suddenly put away the bright smile at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Professor Dexter?¡± The assistant to his side noticed the doctor¡¯s unnatural expression and asked with a sideways glance.


    Dr. Dexter was known as the ¡°sage of medicine¡±. At that moment, his facial expression was odd beyond compare.


    It was like the crazy smile of a fanatic.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally emerged from Your eternal stupor¡­¡±


    His voice was hoarse, like the whisper of a fiend.


    At the next moment, as much as possible of this entire region of space was dragged into the consciousness of the gods.


    The pale walls transformed into a m¨¦lange of flesh and bloody mucus, and the chandelier was wrapped around a severed large intestine, dripping and mingling with the mixture as it fell.


    In the distance came the faint hissing of unknown beasts, as far away as outer space.


    The assistant screamed and immediately fainted.


    ¡°Bah, human fear.¡±


    The doctor narrowed his eyes indifferently, crossed through a gap in space and stepped directly into the universe beyond.


    In a classroom somewhere at Miskatonic University, the Lord of Time and Space was turning the page of a book. He also frowned.


    Again, again.


    He was all-knowing and all-powerful. He knew all that could be known, and he never retracted the tendrils of his mind.


    By definition, everything in this world should be under his control.


    A variable. Twice in a row.


    Once it was a tiny human being. The mighty Lord of Time and Space couldn¡¯t detect within the body of that three-dimensional creature any trace of having mastered space-time.


    This should not be. It certainly should not be. The gods, and only the gods, were not controlled by time or space.


    Now, the great heavenly Progenitor had produced a tiny stream of consciousness within his palace at the far end of the cosmos.


    Nothing, not even the slightest thing¡ªfor he, Yog-Sothoth, was near the presence of the Father God¡ªshould ever escape the grasp of his omniscience and omnipotence.


    Nyarlathotep was fond of humans. He was more familiar with this insignificant species than Yog-Sothoth, but Yog-Sothoth was all-knowing and all-powerful. He was absolutely superior, like a king watching a play and manipulating every actor like a puppet.


    It was inevitable that a god who knew everything was also born with an emotion similar to ¡°impatience¡±.


    The man with gray hair and golden eyes closed his book, and the shadow behind him suddenly widened and swallowed him up.


    He returned to the universe and went to the door between.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan¡¯s soul was flung back.


    After a brief but unforgettable interstellar journey, he returned to Earth.


    When he woke again, his eyes saw nothing but white.


    The black-haired boy stared blankly at the ceiling and suddenly rolled over. He got out of bed.


    ¡°Wait a minute, wait a minute, what happened? How come you¡¯re awake?!¡±


    The doctors in the university medical clinic gathered around in amazement. ¡°How are you feeling? We haven¡¯t even started first aid.¡±


    Just now someone had called the school medical office, saying the chief had fainted in the library. The school nurses had rolled the person on a stretcher directly to the emergency clinic.


    They initially determined that the dizziness was caused by poor nutrition. They hadn¡¯t expected the person to wake up just as they were about to hang glucose.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t answer them. Now his mind was roaring, like a million echoing murmurs, and his consciousness was enveloped by the monotonous and nauseating sound of a flute.


    His fingers trembled as he tied his shoelaces. Ignoring the doctors¡¯ obstruction, he stumbled out of the school clinic.


    The short-lived synchronization with the Lord of the Universe had left Zong Yan in a hazy, trance-like state.


    Now he understood everything.


    Human memory was fascinating. It was filtered and classified by the hippocampus. Short-term memories were forgotten, while long-term memories were permanently engraved in the temporal lobe of the brain.


    With the current level of science on Earth, the concept of ¡°memory¡± continued to be a matter of debate. Humans didn¡¯t really have a grasp of the mechanics.


    Just like the human understanding of time and space, their knowledge was limited to three dimensions.


    For higher-dimensional beings, forging false memories and installing mental cues were laughably easy to do.


    The black-haired boy ran wildly across the campus, swift as the wind, and rushed to the vice chancellor¡¯s office.


    ¡°Is that the chief?¡±


    Night had begun to fall and his face was a little blurry in the dark. A number of people saw someone rush over, then turned to look at each other in surprise.


    Zong Yan had no time to worry about such things. He had a splitting headache and only one thought in his mind.


    He¡¯d found the spy at Miskatonic.


    Their opponent couldn¡¯t be a simple, ordinary extra-dimensional being. It had to be at minimum what Professor Darwin referred to as a ¡°God¡± level existence.


    Thud¡ª


    He didn¡¯t even have time to knock but directly pushed open the door of the vice chancellor¡¯s office.


    ¡°?¡±


    A man in a nightgown and slippers stood in front of an alchemical stove.


    Revered Daoist Xu Fu, draped in flowing black hair, also looked over.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The two school leaders saw at a glance his mental state was wrong.


    Paracelsus took some smelling salts from inside the table and waved them under Zong Yan¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Sir, I figured it out.¡± The black-haired boy¡¯s clothes were messy and his shoelaces were twisted into knots, but his eyes were as bright as ever. ¡°I found the agent lurking in the school.¡±


    Xu Fu and Paracelsus looked at each other. Their faces were grim as could be.


    The red-haired alchemist turned away for a second, then shoved a seal into Zong Yan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°No need to tell us that person¡¯s name. We all know such a being can manipulate the mind. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve experienced it too.¡± Paracelsus patted Zong Yan on the shoulder and spoke earnestly, ¡°This is my private seal. Go to the Academic Affairs Department and tell them directly. They¡¯ll know what to do.¡±


    This was another advantage of establishing the school in the Dreamlands. They could easily eliminate enemies.


    If MU denied them entry, a student couldn¡¯t pass through the Gate of Truth.


    ¡°As for us¡ª¡±


    The alchemist and Xu Fu looked at each other. The latter nodded and wove a hand seal in the air.


    A fiery golden lotus bloomed from the fingertips of the Revered Daoist and slowly expanded. It absorbed the elixir fire under the alchemical stove and rushed out of the office in a blaze.


    ¡°The entire campus is now under martial law.¡±


    He nodded at Zong Yan, stuffed a pill bottle in his hands, and motioned for Zong Yan to calm his unstable mental state. ¡°The rest is up to you.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Protagonist: I found the spy!!!


    Bubbles: (The great me is about to be dismissed)


    TL Notes:


    And that¡¯s the end of the first arc! ???©d¨v(?????)¨u???


    This is also the first VIP chapter, so please remember to support the author on JJWXC! Even if all you do is comment on the latest chapter they¡¯ve posted and add their current novel to your collection, it¡¯s really helpful to them. Check out the main project page / Chapter 0 for more details.


    Regarding the Emerald Tablet / I Ching, one of the things I really like about this novel is the way it places Zong Yan and the Awakened in an international context. It feels refreshing compared to all those hypernationalist stories I¡¯ve read. But I guess if the Earth is threatened by tentacle creatures from the 13th dimension, it¡¯s less of a stretch for humans of all races and nationalities to band together.


    Time does not exist ¨C I couldn¡¯t find a source for this quote. There¡¯s a source for Einstein saying the following: ¡°the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion¡± (Wikiquote)


    Memory gives them the concept of time ¨C I¡¯m not a big philosophy person or anything but this strikes me as a very Cartesian statement. ¡°Cause and effect¡± also gives rise to the concept of time, and that exists and can be observed independently of what our memory says. But memory is necessary for basic cognition, so whatever.


    the evolution of the world ¨C ²×º£É£Ìï ¨C Seas change into mulberry fields and mulberry fields into seas ¡ª time brings great changes to the world; evanescence of worldly affairs; The sea has changed into a mulberry orchard; the deep, blue sea and mulberry fields ¡ª many changes in human affairs


    the sleeping Azathoth gazes back at you ¨C ³Á˯µÄ°¢ÈöÍÐ˹עÊÓ×ÅÄã ¨C Alternatively: the sleeping Azathoth gazed back at you


    as above, so below ¨C The lines from the Emerald Tablet are a loose/poetic translation. I referred to Wikipedia and Newton¡¯s version but kept some Chinese flavor (¡°the One¡± comes from ¡°Ì«Ò»¡±. In English it usually ends up as something like ¡°to accomplish the miracle of one thing¡±)


    appropriate to refer to Zong Yan as ¡°He¡± ¨C µk ¨C third person pronoun for a divine being. This pronoun was also used in this and previous chapters for the other Outer Gods, but I¡¯m currently only using caps for Azathoth (mostly in dialog). This pronoun is used pretty much all the time for all the Outer Gods, so it loses impact and could get annoying after a while. But it¡¯s possible I¡¯ll go back and re-edit.


    the thin monotonous whine of a sickening flute was heard again ¨C This is from HPL (although HPL used ¡°accursed¡± instead of ¡°sickening¡±). The original, which is pretty darn close, is Ôٶȴ©³öÁ˵¥µ÷¡¢ÁîÈË×÷Å»µÄ³¤µÑÉù.


    The great me ¨C ΰ´óµÄÎÒ ¨C W¨§id¨¤ de w¨¯


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Azathoth ¨C °¢ÈöÍÐ˹ ¨C ¨¡S¨¡Tu¨­S¨© ¨C An Outer God sometimes called the ¡°Daemon Sultan¡±. The ¡°blind idiot god¡± who created the universe without knowledge or caring.


    Tulzscha ¨C ͼ¶û×È²é ¨C T¨²¨§rz¨©ch¨¢ ¨C The Green Flame. An Outer God.


    Tru¡¯nembra ¨C ÌسÄþ²¼À­ ¨C T¨¨l¨³n¨ªngb¨´l¨¡ ¨C The Angel of Music. An Outer God.


    Yomagn¡¯tho ¨C ÓÈÂê¶÷ÍÐ ¨C Y¨®um¨£¨¥ntu¨­ ¨C The Feaster from the Stars, That Which Relentlessly Waits Outside. An Outer God.


    Aiueb Gnshal ¨C °¬²¼¡¤¸ñÈø¶û ¨C ¨¤ib¨´¡¤G¨¦s¨¤¨§r ¨C The Eyes Between Worlds, The Child-Minded God. An Outer God.


    Noth Yidick ¨C ŵ˹¡¤ÒâµÏ¿Ë ¨C Nu¨°s¨©¡¤Y¨¬d¨ªk¨¨ ¨C Father of the Hounds of Tindalos. An Outer God.


    Mr. Nicholas ¨C Äá¹ÅÀ­Ë¹ÏÈÉú ¨C N¨ªg¨³l¨¡s¨© xi¨¡nsh¨¥ng


    Professor Dexter ¨C µÂ¿Ë˹ÌؽÌÊÚ ¨C D¨¦k¨¨s¨©t¨¨ ji¨¤osh¨°u ¨C Alternatively: Dr. Dexter


    Nyarlathotep ¨C ÄÎÑÇÀ­ÍÐÌáÆÕ ¨C N¨¤iY¨¤L¨¡Tu¨­T¨ªP¨³ ¨C The Crawling Chaos. An Outer God.

 CH 18

    London was once again shrouded in clouds.


    By the time evening rolled around, the hazy drizzle had finally stopped.


    The borough of Westminster was brightly lit.


    The West End of London was a theatrical hub as famous as Broadway in New York. There were more than forty theaters which performed ¡¶The Phantom of the Opera¡·, ¡¶Les Miserables¡·, ¡¶Matilda¡· and other classic musicals daily.


    It was precisely because of this world-class stage that Londoners had retained the tradition of going to the theater.


    Today, for example, numerous drama lovers arrived on time to attend a stage play at His Majesty¡¯s Theatre in London.


    The play had been advertised in London for a long time. The billboard at the entrance of the theater was updated with a new poster early on.


    ¡ªA king clad in ragged yellow opened his arms as he hung suspended in the air. His face was hidden beneath the hood of his yellow robe, producing an image of strange and sacred beauty.


    The play was titled ¡¶The King in Yellow¡·. Tonight was the London premiere.


    A man in a traditional British three-piece suit got out of a limousine and handed his black umbrella to the attendant at the side. He pulled open one of the rear doors and with a gentlemanly gesture took the slender hand which emerged.


    British-style suits were demanding when it came to a man¡¯s figure. They weren¡¯t as loose as American suits and lacked the forgiving shoulder pads of Italian suits. If a man with a beer belly, sloping shoulders, or other bodily defects wore a British suit, their shortcomings would be magnified.


    Although Westin had reached middle age, he still maintained a good figure aside from the baldness that was common in Britain.


    On the other side, the young lady slowly straightened her gloves. Under her black-veiled hat her eyes were hidden, revealing only her  charming, fire-red lips.


    She was undoubtedly a beauty. In her presence a man would stare at no one else.


    ¡°I wonder if I might escort you inside the temple of art, lovely Miss Ada.¡±


    ¡°Of course, with pleasure.¡±


    She tossed a teasing glance and lightly put her hand on his arm.


    The two entered together and took their seats in a private box on the second floor.


    It was almost time for the show to begin. Attendees arrived one after another and found their seats. Seen from the second floor, the house was packed.


    The view from the private box was very wide. Westin casually glanced around and saw a group of people in black robes and pale yellow masks filing behind the stage.


    In the twenty-first century it was rare to see someone wear such a heavy black robe.


    And there was strange writing on those robes. Because of the distance, Westin couldn¡¯t clearly make it out.


    Even so, when his eyes brushed across the unknown words, he felt dizzy in an instant, like he¡¯d been struck with a hammer.


    Westin hissed, pressed his forehead and hastily averted his eyes.


    ¡°Who are those people? It¡¯s not a terrorist organization, is it?¡±


    After he was finally able to suppress the feeling of nausea, he looked up and found that the strange group had disappeared.


    Westin was a little flustered.  Recently, there¡¯d been some trouble with Middle Eastern cells in Europe. The world wasn¡¯t at peace.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably the cast.¡±


    Ada unfolded the lace feather fan in her hand and smiled.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Westin muttered.


    When the flirting in the private room was beginning to heat up, the lights suddenly dimmed.


    The heavy curtain was pulled back on both sides, and lights went out one after another.


    A strange and mysterious symbol was projected on the backdrop of the stage, accompanied by a melodious Tuvan dirge.


    The actors were already at their places.


    Queen Cassilda¡¯s character was standing on the stage wearing a crown.


    The chorus began. The ethereal singing echoed under the dome of the theater, and the audience closed their eyes and listened as if mesmerized.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much of our precious evening this play will take, babe.¡±


    Westin however withdrew his gaze without interest and stretched out his hand to the side.


    Although he wore a British suit, he wasn¡¯t a proper Englishman, but a wealthy businessman from the United States.


    As an outgoing American, Westin wasn¡¯t too interested in anything as elegant as opera.


    The relationship between Britain and the United States was curious. The predecessor of the United States was the place where Britain had exiled war criminals. After the decline of Britain and the rise of the United States, the two countries loathed each other.


    But in the end, the two countries still shared the same lineage. Although Americans might say they disliked the British, in fact, when they got married, they still preferred British blood.


    Meanwhile the British truly despised Americans.


    Another spotlight shone down and the chorus stood stage right in their black robes.


    For a moment, Westin seemed to see a person with no facial features in the chorus, like their face was a blank sheet of paper. It was at this moment that some kind of unspeakable fear hit him. He immediately began to tremble.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t take long.¡± Just then Ada giggled. Her fingers were long and rough, but her eyes didn¡¯t reflect a single glimmer of light. ¡°Art is always aspirational. Wait until it¡¯s over, and the rest of the night will be yours.


    ¡°But not until we see the second act.¡±


    She suddenly put away the folding fan, and her smile looked eerie in the dim light.


    What no one saw was the symbol on the handle of the fan.


    Just like the one projected on the stage.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Is there an underground sect gathering in London?¡±


    In the professors¡¯ lounge of Miskatonic University, someone saw the notice that was just posted on the message board.


    The occult world had its own circle of contacts. To keep out prying eyes, the Spire Council had even developed an app with advanced encryption methods. It was convenient to use, just like a normal social networking app.


    Information was frequently posted on this app, for example if an unknown creature appeared in a city and there was an urgent need for investigators around the world to take care of it. After completing the task, they were paid directly on the platform, which created a bit of a mercenary market.


    Just now, a professor noticed a red dot representing ¡°London¡± when he was swiping through the news.


    ¡°London has always had underground sects. Could it be the Illuminati?¡±


    ¡°The Illuminati is just a creation of those dirty politicians. It has nothing to do with our community,¡± someone immediately retorted.


    The Illuminati was a mysterious organization that originated in Britain and eventually flourished in the United States. The internal membership of this organization included dignitaries of numerous countries. They were powerful enough to print the symbol of their organization, the Eye of God, on U.S. banknotes.


    ¡°There are unidentified cults operating in London, but because their numbers are sparse and they almost never hold summoning ceremonies, we have little information.¡±


    The professor specializing in history interjected, ¡°What rank is the posting? It just so happens that I don¡¯t have any classes for a few days.¡±


    Several other professors also jumped at the chance.


    Aside from a few elders, all professors of Miskatonic University were also part-time investigators. Similarly, MU¡¯s investigators and advisors were likely to be professors as well.


    Aside from their official salary, if investigators wanted to make a bit of extra money, they could either join an official national organization like the Dragon Group or do some private work.


    Because there were so few eligible people, this kind of private work, even when it wasn¡¯t very dangerous, paid fairly well. As for the more senior investigators, they could make a lot of money by forming a casual team and occasionally handling events with a high risk level outside their official jurisdiction.


    ¡°The message said there were no casualties¡­ just a suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s no good.¡±


    The history professor spread his hands. ¡°Grade E, that means it will probably be chosen for the students¡¯ investigation practice course this year.¡±


    By default, E-rated tasks were reserved for new MU students.


    MU had an unbroken tradition over the years, which was its investigation practice course.


    Long ago, when MU¡¯s faculty wasn¡¯t as strong, this was almost the only way to train new investigators. So even now, the tradition hadn¡¯t changed.


    The investigation practice course was held in the middle of the semester. The school assigned tasks and the advisors managed them. Generally, an E- or D-level task would be selected, and the advisor would lead the students to complete it, which could also be regarded as a way of exposing these greenhouse flowers to the daily life of investigators.


    As a rule, before graduation, students were expected to complete four tasks with the help of a mentor, of which three were allowed direct assistance and one must be completed independently.


    Compared to the other graduation tasks with very loose requirements, the investigation practice course was the factor which controlled the graduation rate.


    Of course, it not only controlled the graduation rate, but also the mortality rate.


    Zong Yan was sitting at his desk in the classroom. A paper was neatly laid out in front of him with the words ¡°Death Waiver¡± at the top.


    The death waiver was quite user friendly. It said that if a student was accidentally killed in an investigation practice course, MU would hold a grand funeral for him in the school auditorium. All students and professors would be invited to attend, clap hands, and sing hymns together, and the chancellor or vice chancellor would be invited to summon an alchemical catalyzed flame to give the deceased a non-polluting cremation ceremony, guaranteeing the satisfaction of their family.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    It might be a bit frightening to think about, but in recent years the occult world had paid more and more attention to cultivating new talents, which was why the mortality rate had decreased over time. There hadn¡¯t been a coffin in the auditorium for a few years.


    He lifted his pen and signed his full name.


    Some students in the classroom were still reading the agreement. Bored, the black-haired boy turned his eyes to the window.


    Outside the sky was sunny, spreading sunlight over the neat and tidy green grass. It was a cheerful sight.


    A month had passed since Zong Yan arrived at MU.


    Just as his summer vacation was about to end, MU¡¯s investigation practice class had come along.


    When the school year started, Zong Yan would be a third year high school student. By tradition, senior three students usually started school a few days early.


    Zong Yan had already spoken to his mentor Van Helsing. If there weren¡¯t any sudden changes, his investigation practice course would be held nearby in London.


    Since the incident last month, Zong Yan¡¯s days at MU had returned to normal.


    A month ago, he used the persona card called ¡°Azathoth incarnation¡±, and fell into a mysterious and mystical realm. But at the same time, he was unexpectedly released from mind control and uncovered the spy hidden in the school.


    That¡¯s right, the mole had the exact same advisor as him and was his senior brother¡ªSenior Tawil.


    After discovering this, Zong Yan didn¡¯t hesitate. He ran straight to the vice chancellor¡¯s office to snitch.


    The vice chancellor trusted him completely and gave his personal seal directly to Zong Yan. So Zong Yan rushed over to the Academic Affairs Department.


    The person in charge of the Academic Affairs Department saw the private seal in his hand and handed over the school roster without saying a word. The roster was infused with the power of Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss. If someone put a ¡°reject¡± notice on it, the Dreamlands would ban the target forever.


    Zong Yan took a pen to the roster and scratched out Tawil¡¯s name¡ª


    ¡°Just cross out the name¡­ Hmm¡­ If the student happens to be in the Dreamlands right now, he¡¯ll be kicked out by the repulsion.¡± The head of the Academic Affairs Department said euphemistically, ¡°Right now they¡¯re either sleeping or taking a bath. Either way, it¡¯s a relief.¡±


    It was indeed a relief.


    Zong Yan, who¡¯d been a sacrificial goat for weeks and had treated the other party like a confidant, deeply agreed.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Tawil, who looked like a human, wasn¡¯t human at all!


    As soon as he remembered that he¡¯d been under the other person¡¯s mental suggestion before, he felt an uncontrollable surge of anger.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a blessing in disguise, but because of the mental trauma, his San value, which had never increased before, had suddenly soared from 40 points to 60 points.


    But the experience was so terrible that Zong Yan vowed never to do it again in his lifetime.


    He¡¯d mentally locked the Lord of the Universe¡¯s incarnation card in the cold palace.


    ¡°Students who¡¯ve filled in the form can turn it in. Next, you should contact your advisor for the follow-up practice class.¡±


    Zong Yan was the first to hand in the death waiver. After nodding to the classmates beside him, he turned back and walked to Van Helsing¡¯s astrological observatory.


    Yes, the veteran investigator ¡°demon hunter¡± Van Helsing was also a part-time professor at the school. Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t intend to teach his students how to kill vampires, but had started a metaphysical side business.


    ¡°Caw, caw¡ª¡±


    He was halfway down the tree-lined path when a black bird swooped down from the sky.


    People all around looked over.


    ¡°Hey, hey, what the hell? You¡¯re fat again!!¡±


    Zong Yan was almost crushed by this force that suddenly fell from the sky. All he could do was hastily extend his other hand to catch the fat bird.


    It was indeed the messenger bird attached to the Night Watchman persona card.


    Zong Yan had clearly released Night Watchman mode, but the harbinger bird didn¡¯t disappear back into the persona card. It remained out in the world.


    Zong Yan hadn¡¯t found any way to use this guy. All he could do was hold his nose and accept the fact he had a new pet.


    Harry Potter had Hedwig, Zong Yan had a death bird. It wasn¡¯t too bad if you rounded up, and it didn¡¯t cost anything.


    As soon as the dead bird heard Zong Yan call him fat again, he flew up into the air. Two wings kept fanning towards the black-haired boy to express his anger as a bird.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t swayed. As a student proficient in various languages of the Dreamlands, the last time he couldn¡¯t resist using the Night Watchman card to patrol campus, he¡¯d heard a lot of ghosts chattering about this bird.


    ¡°Lately it seems like one of the students is keeping a bird. And that bird¡¯s quite arrogant, too. It ran over to the nightgaunts¡¯ territory to snatch food from the tiger¡¯s mouth. It¡¯s a surprisingly powerful fighter. It fought nightgaunts with no disadvantage at all. What a scene¡­ Tsk tsk, the ghouls were squatting next to each other in a circle watching the show.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    This harbinger bird was pretty good. Just like its owner, it had mastered the skill of persecuting nightgaunts.


    The bird must be tired of playing around so he¡¯d come back to visit.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t able to drive it away, so he let it squat lazily on his shoulder as he continued to the astrological observatory.


    The students nearby looked at the bizarre mask on the bird¡¯s beak and lamented that the school chief¡¯s fashion sense was beyond ordinary people.


    Zong Yan ran to the observatory and began to climb the spiral staircase.


    The astrological observatory was very tall, with numerous mysterious instruments on top and a giant alchemical telescope.


    Every time he came here, he had to climb hundreds of stairs. Zong Yan just regarded it as exercise.


    ¡°Huff, huff, Mr. Van Helsing, good afternoon.¡± After climbing to the top in one go, Zong Yan squeezed through the door to the roof and stood there gasping for breath. ¡°Mr. Van Helsing?¡±


    A gray-haired man in a white robe stood at the other end of the astrological platform. There was a broad smile on his face, but his words were creepy. ¡°Perhaps¡­ you should call me by a different name, hmm?¡±


    What was that saying? What should come will always come.


    Sometimes it wasn¡¯t a matter of not retaliating. Sometimes it was simply that the timing wasn¡¯t right.


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes were as round as saucers. He was too frightened to breathe.


    He took a few steps back only to be pushed forward again by an invisible force.


    On the roof of the astrological observatory where the nameplate was posted, Van Helsing¡¯s name had disappeared, replaced by¡ª


    Tawil at-U¡¯mr.


    ""


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He didn¡¯t know if he was brave enough to complain that the other party hadn¡¯t even changed his name. He was just glad the mental suggestions that were apparently aimed at the entire school hadn¡¯t affected him again.


    Maybe if he didn¡¯t have a splitting headache like last time, he¡¯d consider coming more often.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: Feeling surprised? Caught off-guard?


    Zong Yan: ¡­ Gah!!


    From a senior to an advisor, my life is over!!


    YaYa got an artist to draw Azathoth, Bubbles, Nyarla, and Shub¡¯s human forms. Interested cuties can go to Ya¡¯s Weibo [ÍýÑ»Alter] to have a look

 CH 19

    Zong Yan felt an overwhelming sense of evil intent.


    He hurried to the Academic Affairs Department, but the person in charge looked at him in surprise. ¡°Van Helsing? Isn¡¯t the demon hunter doing research in Romania? I haven¡¯t heard any rumors that he¡¯s coming to MU as a professor.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your advisor Professor Tawil? The Monarch? He accepted MU¡¯s invitation to teach astrology just a few days ago.¡± At this point the dean of the Academic Affairs Department sighed with emotion. ¡°A Monarch-level advisor, you can¡¯t find one of those every day.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    What the hell, he¡¯s a Monarch now?


    He walked around for a while and after some unobtrusive snooping discovered that the entire school was aware of Monarch Tawil.


    Once again human memory had been tampered with. The memory of ¡°former Chief Tawil¡± had silently disappeared and no longer existed. In its place was ¡°the seventh Monarch¡±, astrology professor Tawil, who¡¯d just agreed to teach at MU.


    What kind of being was capable of tampering so effortlessly with reality?


    Zong Yan wanted to run to the vice chancellor¡¯s office again to reenact the previous scene, but¡ª


    ¡°Put away those little thoughts of yours.¡± Tawil narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t annoy me, or else¡ª¡±


    Or else what?


    Zong Yan was ready to declare that neither riches nor honors would persuade him, that neither poverty nor destitution would corrupt him, that neither threats nor coercion would subdue him.


    A mighty proletarian people who were born under the glorious Five-Star Red Flag would never yield to the power of an evil god. The flowers of socialism would stand firm!


    The black-haired boy straightened his back to show his determination to die rather than surrender.


    The professor of astrology said coolly, ¡°Or I can keep you from graduating.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils quaked.


    Despicable, shameless, villainous behavior!!!


    He went back and asked Professor Newton for an authorization slip to borrow a book. He buried himself in the library stacks, determined to find some clues.


    After a few days of searching, Zong Yan finally located the name in a certain version of a translation of the ¡¶Necronomicon¡·.


    ¡¾Tawil At-U¡¯mr, also known as the Most Ancient and Prolonged of Life, a powerful Great Old One¡¿


    There really wasn¡¯t much information recorded about the name. A prayer of invocation was provided, but the rest was unknown.


    Hiss¡ª


    Although it was pretty much what he¡¯d expected, now that it was confirmed he couldn¡¯t help but sharply inhale a breath.


    A Great Old One¡­ Such a being could turn the galaxy upside down.


    Professor Darwin had said in class that there were Great Old Ones sealed up on Earth, including one sleeping beneath the Pacific Ocean.


    Take the one under the Pacific Ocean, for example. Once the stars reverted to their rightful positions, he¡¯d awaken from his slumber and all of humanity would perish.


    That, more than anything, underlined exactly how dangerous Tawil was.


    The Great Old Ones had basically been sealed away by the ancient gods. Only a small number were able to move freely, and most were in outer space. Unless called by their believers, they generally wouldn¡¯t come to Earth.


    Sadly, it seemed¡­ that wasn¡¯t his real body but a side account.


    The gears of Zong Yan¡¯s brain were turning rapidly.


    It really was too arrogant. The same name and surname. He didn¡¯t bother to change them at all.


    There were a lot of investigators at MU who specialized in the study of evil gods and otherworldly beings. In the advanced biology graduation exam, students were asked to silently write out the names of all known evil gods. There were a lot of Great Old Ones, but they really should have been able to detect the signs.


    It was the kind of mind control that sent shivers down his spine.


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but recall when he¡¯d used the Azathoth card, feeling like helpless prey trapped in a maze. His intuition had told him there was something wrong with Senior Tawil, but he simply lacked the ability to put himself on guard. He was as helpless and confused as a puppet dancing in someone else¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to imagine how powerful the gods are.¡± In biology class, Darwin downplayed it, saying lightly, ¡°They transcend the dimensions. No matter what you try to imagine, you will always be weaker than they are.¡±


    It was just cheating.


    Which meant Tawil also was more powerful than he was capable of imagining.


    The black-haired boy put down the book and let out a long sigh.


    The other side hadn¡¯t done anything substantive so far, like, as described by his professors, if his arrival were accompanied by anti-human behavior like the mindless destruction of the world. Given that hadn¡¯t happened yet, Zong Yan made a difficult decision.


    If the enemy doesn¡¯t move, I won¡¯t move.


    Exactly as he said: Don¡¯t try to annoy the gods.


    Evil gods treated human beings like ants. They just weren¡¯t on the same level.


    The most important thing was Zong Yan¡¯s sorrowful discovery.


    If the other party really wanted to destroy the world, even if all the Monarchs and Awakened on Earth banded together, he was afraid it wouldn¡¯t change a thing.


    The only thing he could do right now was nothing.


    ¡ª


    The next day was the deadline for finalizing the investigation practice assignment. The inside of the auditorium had been rearranged. At a long table sat the professors of the Political Science Department. The students lined up one by one to receive their tasks for the assignment.


    ¡°You¡¯re applying to complete the first investigation practice class on your own?¡± Obviously, the professor of the Political Science Department was shocked when he saw Zong Yan¡¯s application form. ¡°You should consider carefully. This is an E-rank investigation mission. It has a mortality rate of five percent.¡±


    Zong Yan had a wooden face. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    As soon as the words left his mouth, numerous students cast admiring glances at the school chief.


    In fact, Zong Yan didn¡¯t have a choice.


    If he didn¡¯t apply to complete the investigation practice class by himself, he would have to complete it with his advisor.


    Putting aside whether Tawil would even be willing to perform his mentor duties, right now Zong Yan wanted to be ten meters away from him at all times. It would be better if he never saw the person again. How could he possibly take the initiative to go to his door?


    That was a Great Old One! A living and breathing Great Old One!


    ¡°Who are the members of your investigation team?¡±


    It was impossible for an investigator to complete the mission alone, otherwise they were delivering tasty meals one by one to the cultists, and the same went for MU¡¯s investigation practice students.


    Students who wanted to complete a mission without their advisor could establish a temporary investigation team to participate in the assignment with their teammates, with a capacity of four people.


    Zong Yan touched his nose. ¡°It¡¯s just me.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± The professor frowned. ¡°You should form a temporary team. We don¡¯t joke with the safety of students.¡±


    Although people liked to ridicule MU¡¯s fatality rate, if a student really were to die in the investigation practice class, it would be a major event for the entire school to mourn.


    The number of Awakened in the world was already small. Once a person became Awakened, there was an insurmountable gap between themselves and ordinary people.


    It was for this reason that many Awakened were forced to distance themselves from their relatives after awakening. It was why Miskatonic University was open year-round, because from the moment of awakening, there were endless dangers and troubles that would come to find the Awakened. Only when they acquired more knowledge and became stronger could they protect themselves and the people they cared about.


    A look of hesitation appeared on Zong Yan¡¯s face.


    He¡¯d always been asocial and didn¡¯t really have any friends. This tendency hadn¡¯t improved after he became school chief.


    At Miskatonic University, Zong Yan didn¡¯t think he¡¯d formed a good enough relationship with any student to the extent of setting up a temporary investigation team.


    ¡°The deadline is eight o¡¯clock this evening. You can find your teammates first, then reapply in the auditorium.¡± Because today was the deadline, many students had come to line up. The professor looked at the students waiting behind Zong Yan and made a pertinent suggestion.


    Zong Yan sighed. He was about to take back his application when a hand suddenly interposed from the side.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have the people, let¡¯s form a team right here.¡± The man spoke lazily, ¡°We need two more.¡±


    It was Edward.


    The little prince was standing beside him. He put his application form next to Zong Yan¡¯s.


    Zong Yan keenly noticed a bunch of still-wet scratch marks on the paper.


    Obviously he¡¯d filled it out in a hurry.


    ¡°Me, me, me, me, me¡ª!¡± someone immediately cut in.


    Wang KeMing pushed his way out of the queue behind them. ¡°Yan Ge, if you need me, I, Wang KeMing, will be the first to answer the call.¡±


    Although he said so, Wang KeMing¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t stop glancing at Edward. His pudgy face was plastered with a flattering smile.


    Wang KeMing wanted to form a good relationship with Zong Yan, the school chief, but now there was a crown prince of the British royal family in the group, too. If he could successfully edge his way in, there would be a hundred benefits with zero harm.


    Edward didn¡¯t approve: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Edward had seen this kind of face and attitude a lot since he was a child. They were countless people with ulterior motives. The little prince crossed his arms over his chest. The look in his eyes was full of undisguised disgust.


    ¡°I¡­¡± In the face of such open hostility, Wang KeMing¡¯s expression became a bit contrite.


    However, Zong Yan had finally recovered from his surprise. He relaxed his frown and reached out to take the application form from Wang KeMing. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the incident with Tawil, Zong Yan saw an enemy lurking under every bush and tree. Everyone looked like a spy who sneaked into the school.


    Compared to people he didn¡¯t know at all, Wang KeMing was more familiar. The little fat man was a bit vain, but he wasn¡¯t bad.


    Edward glanced at him, snorted coldly, but in the end he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ""


    The school chief was recruiting members of his investigation team in public! And there was room for one more!


    After a bunch of murmuring, the MU students in line figured out the situation. One by one, they crowded around the long table with their applications.


    As school chief, Zong Yan¡¯s strength was apparent to everyone. First, high insight was the minimum requirement. Second, according to campus gossip, it was said that the new chief was at least a Level 5 Awakened.


    A newly-enrolled Level 5 Awakened!


    It would definitely be good to join the chief¡¯s investigation team. At least they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their safety. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to hold a powerful thigh.


    Many people crowded around with the same thought in mind.


    ¡°Chief, I don¡¯t know if I have the honor¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d also like to join your team. Please give me a chance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a classmate of yours. What do you say?¡±


    Edward fully exercised his superior ability to evaluate people¡­ and his rapid-fire mouth.


    ¡°Sorry, our team doesn¡¯t accept trash.¡±


    ¡°No straw bags and no vases.¡±


    A lot of people were offended by the little prince¡¯s hostile attitude. However, he had the backing of the British royal family, so all they could do was hold their tongues and leave with disappointment.


    Zong Yan listened to it somewhat shame-faced. He was about to speak up when suddenly an application form was handed directly to him.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡­ May I have the honor?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure just when, but Zong Yan stood before a delicate black-haired girl with eyes like clear water. She gazed at him with a smile on her face.


    The girl was dressed in a gorgeous, intricate cheongsam. She was tall, and her black high heels made her even more graceful. The high side slit in her skirt revealed a pair of long white legs. Combined with her beautiful face and exotic deep eyes, she was as beautiful as a vintage celebrity who¡¯d walked out of the Shanghai Bund.


    Many students hadn¡¯t noticed her before. Now when they looked over, they were reluctant to look away.


    Edward¡¯s eyes wandered around her cheongsam for a moment and withdrew his gaze without interest. ¡°Your advantages?¡±


    The girl with black hair gently smiled, slowly unfolded the fan in her hand, and covered her lower face.


    Her voice changed from a silver bell to a low, husky voice.


    ¡°Actually¡ªI¡¯m a man.¡±


    Edward, Zong Yan, and Wang KeMing: ¡°¡­¡±


    The students and professors gathered around: ¡°¡­¡±


    A living cross-dresser?!


    Everyone looked over with shocked eyes, and many heartbroken voices could be heard.


    ¡°Just kidding.¡± Seeing the crowd had fallen silent, she revealed a charming smile. ¡°I¡¯m proficient in disguise and voice changing. There¡¯s no appearance or sound I can¡¯t imitate.¡±


    That was indeed an advantage.


    There were only a few investigators who were familiar with disguise. Their investigation team already had enough combat power. What they really needed was a support member. Moreover, if she was proficient in disguise she could play a good game of Infernal Affairs, which could save a lot of work.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After weighing the pros and cons Zong Yan nodded, ignoring the strange feeling in his heart. ¡°It¡¯s yours.


    ¡°Our investigation team is full. Thank you.¡±


    He stacked the four applications together and handed them to the professor.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: I can keep you from graduating


    Zong Yan: Surrender surrender surrender


    TL Notes:


    can¡¯t find one of those every day ¨C ¿ÉÓö²»¿ÉÇó ¨C can be discovered but not sought, one can only come across such things serendipitously


    neither riches nor honors would persuade him ¨C ¸»¹ó²»ÄÜÒù ¨C Neither riches nor honours can lead one astray; be impervious to the temptation of wealth and high position; incorruptible by offers of money and power


    neither poverty nor destitution would corrupt him ¨C ƶ¼ú²»ÄÜÒÆ ¨C poor but ambitious; not to be shaken (said of one¡¯s determination, integrity, etc.)


    neither threats nor coercion could subdue him ¨C ÍþÎä²»ÄÜÇü ¨C not to be subdued by force; no force can bend us


    the Most Ancient and Prolonged of LIfe ¨C Ì«¹ÅÓÀÉúÕß ¨C Alternatively: primordial immortal one


    sharply inhale a breath ¨C µ¹³éÒ»¿ÚÀäÆø ¨C draw a cold breath, gasp with astonishment, shocked intake of breath


    side account ¨C СºÅ ¨C trumpet, small jail cell, small size ¨C An internet term which refers to a supplementary account that a player possesses in addition to their main account


    saw an enemy lurking under every bush and tree ¨C ²Ýľ½Ô±ø ¨C Every bush and tree looks like an enemy ¡ª state of extreme nervousness; The grass and trees were thought to be the soldiers of the enemy; apprehend danger in every sound; mistake every bush and tree for an enemy


    trash ¨C ·ÏÎï ¨C waste, good-for-nothing, rubbish


    straw bag ¨C ²Ý°ü ¨C A colloquial term for a straw woven bag that isn¡¯t strong or durable to describe a person¡¯s uselessness and inability


    vase ¨C »¨Æ¿ ¨C flower vase ¨C A term that means a person has no value aside from a good appearance, a pretty but useless person


    Shanghai Bund ¨C A protected historical district in central Shanghai. From the 1860s to the 1930s, it was the rich and powerful center of the foreign establishment in Shanghai, operating as a legally protected treaty port (Wikipedia)


    Infernal Affairs ¨C A famous 2002 action thriller about a pair of characters who work to infiltrate the Hong Kong police and a triad gang respectively. The U.S. remake is called The Departed and won several Oscars.


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Professor Tawil ¨C Ëþά¶û½ÌÊÚ ¨C T¨£ w¨¦i¡¯¨§r ji¨¤osh¨°u ¨C Alternatively: Dr. Tawil

 CH 20

    Now that the investigation team had been formed, the next steps were to receive the information about the mission tasks, come up with a plan, and complete the investigation.


    The next day Zong Yan got up early. He¡¯d packed his luggage the day before. After washing up, he brought his backpack and suitcase to the cafeteria for breakfast and waited for his team.


    ¡°Good morning, Yan Ge.¡±


    Not long after, Wang KeMing also came with his suitcase. Behind him was Edward, who was empty-handed. Ada, the black-haired girl who¡¯d changed into a purple cheongsam, also walked over gracefully.


    Zong Yan: ¡°Morning.¡±


    According to the rules, during the investigation practice course, students would live near the task site and the school would give them an allowance according to the number of people in their team.


    Miskatonic University and the Spire Council had united the activities of Awakened around the world. They had partnerships with official agencies all over the globe, not to mention the fact that Awakened were sponsored by a large number of corporations on the Forbes list. Generally speaking, as long as there were vacancies in a sponsor¡¯s hotel or flights were available, students could check in as soon as their team and assignment tasks were confirmed.


    Once the investigation practice week began, there would be no students on campus. A week later, MU would be the venue for this year¡¯s Spire Council, welcoming senior investigators from all over the world.


    After the four met up, they left through the Gate of Truth in the center of the auditorium. Because Qingyang High School¡¯s academic year was starting very soon, the Dragon Group had already booked a flight back to China for Zong Yan. When the investigation practice class was complete, he would fly directly from Heathrow Airport to Jiangzhou.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Just as they left school, Ada suddenly seemed to remember something. She smiled, opened the folding fan in her hand, and covered half her face. ¡°Something urgent just happened in my family. I might need to say goodbye for a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± As the head of this temporary investigation team, Zong Yan readily agreed to this small request. ¡°If you need to do something, you can contact us by phone, or meet us later at the front desk of the hotel.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ada smiled, threw a wink at him, and left.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the hotel.¡± Zong Yan looked down at the screen of his phone and pulled his suitcase as they left Westminster Abbey.


    After walking a few steps, he realized that Edward was still standing in the same place. Zong Yan gave him a puzzled look.


    Before leaving school, Edward put on a pair of sunglasses and a mask to cover himself up. When he walked, he dodged around and swept his eyes at the people on the street for fear of being recognized.


    That¡¯s right, the decision to attend MU was Edward¡¯s alone. He didn¡¯t get the approval of the royal family or mention it to his father the King.


    The British royal family hadn¡¯t wanted any reporting on the matter, but many of the crown prince¡¯s scheduled trips were canceled in a hurry, which attracted attention from all sides. London¡¯s major newspapers had all talked about it.


    The British royal family was the most famous royal family in the world. Each of its core members were frequently in front of the media. This was especially true of Edward, the reputed crown prince, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. From infancy through his teenage years, he¡¯d been under the camera. His face was recognizable worldwide.


    He¡¯d managed to slip out from under the royal family¡¯s eyes and deliberately changed his investigation practice mission at the last second. Naturally, he didn¡¯t want to be caught the moment he left school.


    ¡°How will we get there?¡±


    ¡°The Tube.¡± Surprised, Zong Yan looked at him and lifted the London Underground Oyster card in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s the Piccadilly line. The hotel is only three kilometers from Westminster Abbey.¡±


    The school had booked rooms at the five-star Maybourne Claridge hotel in London. The recent summer vacation was tourism season in the city. It was the only hotel that happened to have vacant rooms.


    Zong Yan googled the name and found that it was a very famous hotel known as the annex of Buckingham Palace. Many lesser lights of the royal family stayed there. Audrey Hepburn had also stayed there once.


    He suspected that the reason there were vacancies in the hotel was because the prices were so high. All the vacant rooms were premium suites, said to cost over a thousand pounds per night.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking the Tube?¡± The little prince looked like he had a hard time speaking. ¡°In all my life I¡¯ve never been on that kind of civilian transportation.¡±


    ¡°Well, today is your first time.¡± Zong Yan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s expensive to take cabs in London. I don¡¯t have enough money even if it¡¯s AA.


    ¡°And aren¡¯t you hiding from the eyes of the royal family right now? Nobody would guess that the dignified Prince Edward would choose to take the Tube.¡±


    Edward was silent for a long time. After thinking about it, he felt this was probably true, so he pressed down his hat to cover his brilliant golden curls.


    He thought they might get away with it, but he didn¡¯t expect that as soon as they arrived at the front desk of the hotel, a motorcade pulled up outside led by a black Rolls-Royce Phantom. Edward¡¯s face changed as soon as he saw it.


    As was well-known, the cars of the British royal family were all luxury brands, either a custom-order Bentley, or a bulletproof Land Rover, or a Rolls-Royce.


    In particular, the aging king doted on the crown prince. When Edward was seventeen, the king gave him a specially customized Phantom.


    The door of the lead car of the motorcade quietly opened, and a large number of bodyguards came out. All wore black suits and had an intimidating aura.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    A white-haired old butler stepped down from the passenger side of the Rolls-Royce. ¡°Please come back with us, Your Highness. His Majesty misses you very much.¡±


    Tourists in the hotel had already begun to exclaim, taking out their cell phones and cameras.


    This was what Edward feared most.


    There was an unwritten rule for the core members of the royal family. That is, the royal family must never be disgraced in public. This iron rule was the code of conduct for royal family members since childhood and was deeply engraved in their bones.


    And this time so many bodyguards had been deployed¡­ that person was determined to make him go back.


    The little prince with blond hair and blue eyes gave the butler a sullen look. Suddenly he turned around and walked back to Zong Yan.


    ¡°I see. These two are friends of Your Highness, right?¡± The old butler¡¯s hale and hearty eyes were hidden behind his thick glasses. He measured Zong Yan and the other teenager with hardly a flicker.


    Edward had been arrogant and domineering since childhood. The entire Commonwealth knew the crown prince¡¯s personality.


    The old butler had served the royal family for many years, but this was the first time he¡¯d seen the little prince treat a stranger with such close affection. He was a bit surprised.


    ¡°No,¡± Edward said coldly. He suddenly grabbed Zong Yan¡¯s wrist and pulled the black-haired boy towards the car. ¡°Just him.¡±


    ¡­ What was this?


    Wang KeMing was dumbfounded. The little fat man froze in place for a while but quickly followed.


    The bodyguards silently pulled their suitcases over one by one. Each had a stern face like they¡¯d come out of The Matrix.


    The elite luxury vehicle was almost silent when it started up. Edward skillfully raised the soundproof panel in the back seat as soon as he got into the car.


    With the soundproof panel raised, people in the driver¡¯s seat couldn¡¯t hear conversation in the back, which ensured their privacy.


    No one spoke.


    Even with Zong Yan¡¯s EQ, he felt the current situation was rather awkward. Since he didn¡¯t understand the other person¡¯s private affairs, he chose to be quiet.


    On the other side, Wang KeMing, whose family was in real estate, belonged to one of the most prosperous upstart families in Jiangzhou. Several cars of the same brand were parked in his garage. At the moment he didn¡¯t think anything was very strange.


    After a while, the little fat man couldn¡¯t help but speak up because of the stagnant atmosphere. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    No one in the car paid attention to him until Zong Yan turned his head doubtfully.


    Edward said reluctantly, ¡°Buckingham Palace.¡±


    Holy crap!


    Wang KeMing almost jumped up from his seat.


    What was Buckingham Palace? It was the residence and office of the British king. It was normally used to entertain heads of state.


    Ordinary people at most could buy tickets to visit the open sections, and in July and August they had to rush to sign up. Only the most important royal family members lived there.


    Dad, you never thought your son would be treated like a head of state.


    Wang KeMing shakily pulled up the camera app on his phone and began recording through the window.


    The Royal Guard guards at the palace gate saw the car. Without blinking an eye they let it through and stood aside to salute in unison.


    The black car glided toward the stately gray building like a ghost, passing the famous gilded Queen Victoria Memorial.


    Edward¡¯s face grew worse and worse after he saw the flag flying above Buckingham Palace.


    Over the years, Lanchester II¡¯s health had deteriorated somewhat, and he normally stayed in Windsor Castle. But obviously the old king was in Buckingham Palace today, because the flag was only raised when the king was personally in residence.


    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty is waiting for you inside.¡±


    When they all got out of the car, Edward had to follow the old butler to the king¡¯s office.


    However, it was obvious the prince hadn¡¯t forgotten about his only friend. Before leaving, he specifically instructed the head chamberlain to treat Zong Yan well.


    ¡°Yan Ge, when did you become so close to the crown prince?¡± Wang KeMing watched everything with amazement. ¡°This is Buckingham Palace!¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen, please follow me. I¡¯m very sorry, but photography is not permitted in Buckingham Palace.¡±


    The little fat man was ready to continue filming with his phone. He didn¡¯t expect to be stopped the next second, so he had to put it back in his pocket.


    The two young men followed the head chamberlain as he led them through the magnificent corridor.


    Wang KeMing couldn¡¯t calm down. He looked here and there. Suddenly he came over to Zong Yan, saying that a portrait on the wall was a real Van Gogh.


    Zong Yan glanced at it and finally gave him some attention. ¡°Isn¡¯t Van Gogh an impressionist? I think it looks more like Monet.¡±


    Wang KeMing was suddenly confused. ¡°Oh, really? Yan Ge has also studied art ah. Speaking of which, this purple color really is similar to Monet¡­ Anyway, the style seems like Monet.¡±


    The two straight science nerds began to discuss the portrait seriously, but the head chamberlain stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Gentlemen, this is your room. His Highness specifically requested that we put you in his bedchamber.¡±


    He pushed open the door. In front of him was a very elegant small living room, with various rooms connected on both sides.


    The bedroom of a major family was as good as a villa for anyone else. It might be called a bedchamber, but in fact, they had already passed through the corridor to a side hall in Buckingham Palace. The inner four internal floors all belonged to Edward.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, please ring the bell and the servants will assist you immediately.¡±


    The chamberlain smiled. ¡°By the way, the painting just now is the work of Master Picasso. He is His Highness Edward¡¯s favorite painter.¡±


    After the door closed, the two young men were left to stare at each other.


    Wang KeMing¡¯s first reaction was odd. ¡°Damn, he actually understands Chinese!¡±


    Zong Yan felt a little embarrassed.


    As the head chamberlain of Buckingham Palace, the other party must have received numerous high-ranking figures from all over the world, but he was willing to guess they were the first to confuse Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh.


    Forget it. Anyway, he wasn¡¯t famous. He didn¡¯t have any idol burden. It wasn¡¯t a big deal to be laughed at.


    He comforted himself and looked around the hall again.


    To avoid attracting a crowd, Zong Yan had released the harbinger bird after he left Miskatonic University and let it follow him.


    He went to the side, opened the window, and let the fat bird in.


    ¡°As expected of Yan Ge. Even your pet has so much personality.¡±


    Wang KeMing had learned about the existence of this black bird a long time ago from MU¡¯s social app.


    The bird of death had become popular after someone posted a video of it fighting with a nightgaunt. Since then, its status had changed and it became a cherished mascot of MU. Everywhere that bird went, people fed it. It led a very relaxing life.


    Next door, each college of Cambridge University had its own cat. As the number one university in the occult world, what was wrong with MU having a school bird?


    Every student at MU had been persecuted by the nightgaunts when they first arrived, so they were fellow sufferers. When they saw that short video they all applauded.


    ¡°En.¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but after entering this bedroom, Zong Yan instinctively felt cold.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d encountered that kind of feeling. Ever since he drew the Night Watchman card, Zong Yan had felt that his psychic ability had been upgraded. In China, it might be said that he had yin-yang eyes.


    ¡­ He hoped it wasn¡¯t what he thought.


    Zong Yan gazed pityingly at Wang KeMing, who hadn¡¯t noticed anything, and quietly made some plans.


    He had to use the Night Watchman tonight to find out what was going on.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    In response to some of the questions in the comments, here¡¯s an explanation


    Some of the characters in this story are evil gods in Cthulhu mythology. The evil gods in Cthulhu mythology can have many avatars, which means they don¡¯t show up in their original forms or use their real names.


    At this stage, it¡¯s normal that readers don¡¯t know which people correspond to which god. The protagonist doesn¡¯t know either ah. The reader reads the text from an omniscient point of view, but the plot advances from the perspective of the protagonist. Eventually the protagonist will solve these questions one by one.


    If you know something about Cthulhu myth, you can happily comment and enjoy it; if you don¡¯t know anything about Cthulhu, you can just read it as a mystery. Both ways have different reading experiences.


    When I wrote this story, my idea was to share the mythological system with everyone. So don¡¯t read with baggage or feel pressured to figure out on your own who a character really is.


    These questions in the story will be answered by the story, thank you all!


    TL Notes:


    Happy Chapter 2-0! ???©d¨v(?????)¨u??? It feels like I posted Chapter 10 just the other day. What a whirlwind! Next chapter has a bit more action. It¡¯s also the last chapter of what feels like an Olympic marathon of very long chapters! (But of course everything is relative¡­.) ©d(o???o)?


    AA ¨C The raw literally says ¡°AA¡±. There¡¯s a taxi company of that name in London so possibly that¡¯s what is intended.


    intimidating aura ¨C ÉùÊƺƴó ¨C great in strength and impetus; gigantic and vigorous; influential; large-scale; mammoth; powerful and dynamic


    EQ ¨C ÇéÉÌ ¨C emotional intelligence quotient


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Maybourne Claridge ¨C ÷±¦Äá¿ËÀ­ÀïÆæ ¨C M¨¦ib¨£on¨ª K¨¨l¨¡l¨«q¨ª ¨C Claridge¡¯s is a 5-star hotel in Mayfair, London, owned by the Maybourne Hotel Group


    Audrey Hepburn ¨C °Â÷ìÀö¡¤ºÕ±¾ ¨C ¨¤od¨¤il¨¬¡¤H¨¨b¨§n

 CH 21

    It wasn¡¯t until it was time to eat that Edward appeared in front of Zong Yan again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to dinner.¡± The little prince¡¯s face didn¡¯t look particularly good. He hesitated for a while, then with a touch of self-loathing finally said, ¡°My father wants to see you.¡±


    Edward¡¯s father?


    Wang KeMing went ¡°OMG¡± in his heart and asked cautiously, ¡°You mean King Lanchester?¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell.¡± Edward rolled his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s just a tottering old man.¡±


    Oh my God, that¡¯s not VIP treatment. It¡¯s state guest treatment.


    As he followed Edward, Wang KeMing anxiously said, ¡°Yan Ge, I¡¯m kind of nervous. What if I lose face for our nation¡­.¡±


    ¡°Stop thinking so much.¡± Zong Yan sympathetically patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Just watch your table manners and keep your mouth shut.¡±


    Sure enough, the little fat man didn¡¯t speak at all during the meal. Contrary to his usual chatty personality, he kept his head down and ate.


    It was an ordinary meal. Instead of Buckingham Palace¡¯s formal dining room, the food was served in a smaller space.


    The small dining room had a similar layout and decoration, but it was only used for the royal family¡¯s private meals. It was extremely elegant. Precious antique vases were placed around the room, proving that Buckingham Palace¡¯s collection was amazing. Of course, Zong Yan and Wang KeMing weren¡¯t able to tell the difference.


    Lanchester II was a man of many years. Although he was old, everything about him was dignified. His deep-set eyes concealed a sharp gaze.


    It seemed that while Edward and his fellow students were staying in Buckingham Palace, a delegation from Russia was also visiting. The old king had been dressed formally before, but he¡¯d changed into a casual outfit to avoid making his guests feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°You¡¯re the school chief of Miskatonic University? The younger generation is astonishing.¡±


    Lanchester didn¡¯t belittle Zong Yan and Wang KeMing because of their age. Instead he lifted the red wine in his hand and toasted them politely.


    The occult world wasn¡¯t a secret for the senior political officials of various countries. Cooperation was also commonplace. No one in the room thought anything was strange.


    ¡°Your Majesty is kind.¡±


    Zong Yan took a sip from the wine glass in front of him. When he tasted it, he found it was lychee juice and realized the other party had already looked into his preferences.


    Investigation might be one thing, but Lanchester II¡¯s attitude was still quite friendly.


    The food consisted of the usual British ¡°national dish¡± of dark ingredients, including fish and chips as well as some items that didn¡¯t do much to stimulate the appetite. When the meal was over, the old king asked the small kitchen of Buckingham Palace to make some desserts and send them over to Edward¡¯s bedchamber. This act of bribery immediately won Wang KeMing¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Good man!¡±


    Even with Wang KeMing¡¯s appetite, he hardly ate anything at dinner, which demonstrated the character of British national cuisine.


    Edward saw how easily he was bought off and felt irritated for a moment. He dragged Zong Yan by the arm and ran upstairs to the bedroom.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you somewhere.¡±


    The side hall was built behind Buckingham Palace, a short distance from the main hall.


    The little prince ran quickly. Pulling Zong Yan behind him, he hurried to the top of the building.


    There was a small penthouse tower on the roof. In order to maintain the roofline of Buckingham Palace, the tower was placed on the left-hand side. Hidden by dense trees, it didn¡¯t affect the overall symmetry of the building.


    Edward took a key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and led Zong Yan to the top of the penthouse tower.


    At the very top was a small platform. There were paints and brushes scattered around in a messy, casual way, as well as some unfinished paintings off to the side.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure why, but after he stepped into the tower he thought the cool sensation from before had grown more and more obvious. It was the exact same feeling he got when he saw the ghosts in MU.


    ¡°I used to come here when I was a child. It¡¯s my secret base.¡± When he got to the top, the little prince proudly displayed his territory. ¡°You¡¯re the first person allowed to step foot here.¡±


    Showing Zong Yan his secret base was probably his way to diffuse a tense situation, but Zong Yan felt a bit hesitant.


    He thought about it and since he didn¡¯t understand, he decided to ask directly. ¡°Why are you so stubborn about wanting to be friends with me?¡±


    Zong Yan really couldn¡¯t figure it out. His attitude had been lukewarm and unenthusiastic at all times, but Edward seemed determined to make friends anyway.


    After enough of these incidents, Zong Yan was too embarrassed not to treat him like a friend. It was just that he didn¡¯t know why.


    Edward was silent for a moment. Suddenly he lowered his voice, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s friends with Edward. As for the others¡ª


    ¡°They¡¯re friends with Prince Edward and the Duke of Edinburgh.¡±


    As the youngest son of the British king, Edward had inherited the title of Duke of Edinburgh and had a large fiefdom of his own, which produced a steady stream of income.


    Sometimes friendships between men were simple. Maybe it was just liking the same game or playing a round of basketball together. After that, they could happily hang out and call each other ¡°brother¡±.


    Edward belonged to this type. He liked Zong Yan a lot, so Zong Yan had become his only friend.


    ¡°Except for you, only my mother knew about this place.¡± The little prince suddenly squatted down and picked up a brush on the floor. ¡°She died when I was seven.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Even if Zong Yan had a low EQ, he was still able to sense that something was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Edward said. ¡°It was a long time ago¡­. When she was alive she loved this place. She very much liked to paint here and she often brought me with her.


    ¡°I loved to paint and play the violin too, but when I was seven my private classes changed to arithmetic and statesmanship. Later, I came here to practice in secret.¡±


    The little prince opened the highest window in the tower and nimbly climbed onto the ledge. He extended a hand and pulled Zong Yan up to the wall beside him.


    Outside, night had already fallen. The sky was endless and filled with glittering stars.


    Edward lay down on the wall without ceremony and looked up at the stars.


    Zong Yan copied him and lay down as well. Just at that moment, he shivered.


    The cold feeling enveloped him again, especially when his back was pressed against the ground.


    ¡°The palace is quite beautiful, isn¡¯t it? But its beauty can¡¯t conceal the fact that it¡¯s a cage.


    ¡°I like to lie here. This is the only time that belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°I like that too. Find somewhere up high, lie down, and look up at the sky.¡± Zong Yan paused.


    The sky was visible from the roof of the dilapidated tube-shaped apartment building. Zong Yan had spent many afternoons there by himself.


    Later, when he went to junior high school, a piece of land nearby was acquired and transformed into a skyscraper. After that, Zong Yan¡¯s view was interrupted by a concrete corner. Eventually, he stopped going there to look at the sky. To sum up, today was a revival of a long-lost habit.


    Who could have imagined that far away in England the little prince lounging on top of a palace had the same hobby as a poor student sitting on the roof of a dilapidated tube building in Jiangzhou?


    ¡°It¡¯s only when people look up at the stars that they can find spiritual peace. A lot of philosophers were the same as us, like Kant, Nietzsche, and Hegel.¡± As Edward spoke, his blond hair was obscured by the dark of the night. ¡°I don¡¯t like it here, and I don¡¯t want to be a prince, but every word I speak and every move I make are watched by the world. I can¡¯t do anything that would bring shame on the royal family, but I can¡¯t help but yearn for freedom all the time.


    ¡°Have you ever felt like that? That feeling.¡±


    Zong Yan thought for a moment. ¡°Yes.


    ¡°When I used to sit in class, I liked to look out of the window. All the windows in our classroom are barred outside¡­. They said that some students jumped from the windows because they were under too much pressure, so the school installed iron railings.¡±


    It was the first time he¡¯d talked to someone about this kind of thing, so he spoke a little slowly. The only member of his audience was attentive and didn¡¯t rush him. ¡°Those iron bars cut the sky into pieces. From the inside, it¡¯s like a prison.¡±


    At this point, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°And I kept thinking, I hope one day I¡¯ll grow wings and be able to fly out of the classroom.¡±


    Of course, later on he really could fly. It was just that he didn¡¯t dare fly out during the physics teacher¡¯s class, Zong Yan added inwardly.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Edward imagined the scene and thought his little friend had an amazing imagination. ¡°After your Second Awakening, you might really be able to fly. Very good. I also planned to escape from Buckingham Palace for almost a year.¡±


    The little prince seemed to be infected by Zong Yan. The corners of his mouth held a touch of happiness, like a child who stole some candy. ¡°As soon as I awakened, the royal family blocked the news. I secretly got the information later and ran straight to Westminster Abbey. I was able to get in touch with MU and enrolled in school through their internal channels. Act first, inform later.¡±


    His blue eyes were radiant. ¡°I hid it from everyone. Even the old butler didn¡¯t notice anything was wrong¡­. Oh, the old butler¡¯s the one who came to find me earlier. Although he¡¯s a butler, he¡¯s actually a senior agent of MI6, just like James Bond.


    ¡°Hahaha, when they locked down Westminster Abbey and couldn¡¯t even find me on satellite, I was lying in my dormitory in MU laughing my head off.¡±


    Zong Yan thought of the scene and also laughed out loud.


    ¡°However¡ª¡± At this point, Edward seemed to think of something, and his eyes dimmed again, like he was lost. ¡°This time it might not be so easy.


    ¡°Agents may sound cool, but in fact they¡¯re more about surveillance than protection.¡± He grimaced. ¡°Last time I was able to escape because I had a very good disguise and they were caught off guard. This time they¡¯ll be more vigilant.


    ¡°Look.¡±


    Edward rose nimbly from the ground and nodded at the scene below them.


    Zong Yan stood up too. He saw the lights surrounding the palace and the royal guards with tall red hats on their heads. Through the dense shadows of the trees, the iron fence was like a devil with teeth and claws. Just like his body temperature, it was getting colder and colder.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just in the places you can see. There are satellites monitoring Buckingham Palace from high above. The cameras are everywhere. The royal guards are specially trained.¡±


    The little prince leaned against the gray wall of the penthouse The pattern of light and darkness cut his face into distinct parts. He looked bright but also frustrated. ¡°Unless I go through Second Awakening and become Auxiliary level immediately, I won¡¯t be able to get out of here. I might not even be able to go to school with you next semester¡­.¡±


    The more he said, the more upset he felt. Even the golden hair on his head seemed to droop.


    Suddenly, Zong Yan did something out of character. He grabbed Edward¡¯s wrist and his face grew visibly stern.


    The little prince automatically started to throw him over his shoulder. Fortunately he held back his instinctive reaction. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing.¡±


    The black-haired boy stared at the treetops and flower beds below.


    Buckingham Palace had the largest private garden in London. The size of nearly thirty football fields, it not only contained an expanded golf course but numerous flower beds planted with different colors of the British national flower. The River Tyburn flowed underneath the palace, bringing a plentiful water supply to the gardens and nourishing the immense royal courtyard.


    In just a few minutes, at a rate visible to the naked eye, those fiery red roses were covered with a heavy frost. And it wasn¡¯t just the roses. The sky also filled with white flakes of snow. The light brown paving stones were blanketed with white, just like a layer of icing.


    From a distance they could see the commotion of the royal guards. The snow was already above their ankles. As the guards looked up, their iconic red hats were covered with snow.


    It was an unbelievable scene.


    Don¡¯t talk about whether snow could accumulate to this extent in just a few minutes¡ªit was August.


    In the UK in August, no matter how chilly it felt when the temperature got down into the teens, it never fell below zero.


    Unless it was the end of the world and the ice age had come again.


    From the moment he came to this tower, Zong Yan felt a bone-chilling cold. He never thought it would become visible to the eye.


    But there were two different kinds of cold. One chilled the bone marrow from inside, while the other was the cold of the outside world.


    ¡°No, there has to be something wrong. How can it snow at this time of year?¡±


    Edward¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Wait, there¡ª¡±


    He pointed to the distant sky.


    Zong Yan clearly remembered that just a moment ago the sky was covered with stars. Now they¡¯d all disappeared. In their place were dark clouds like swirls of fog.


    Because it was night time, the dark clouds weren¡¯t very conspicuous. The falling snow was getting heavier and heavier.


    They were standing high enough to see the twinkling stars above the line of a huge cloudbank, but they also beheld a face, pained and distorted to the point of deformity.


    This horrible and repulsive face swayed within the cloud bank. Eyes like black holes suddenly fixed on something, and the snow and wind swirled down from its loathsome mouth, producing the extreme cold.


    A creature!


    It was definitely an alien creature!


    Zong Yan had a hunch this thing had seen them.


    And its goal might be himself!


    Ding ding¡ª


    The next second, Zong Yan¡¯s and Edward¡¯s cell phones rang in the night air.


    They checked their messages and saw that MU¡¯s app had pushed a notification. Over a flood of thousands of updates, the new message had been bolded, enlarged, and framed on top of the main page.


    ¡¾S-class extraterrestrial Ithaqua has appeared in Westminster, London. Urgent call for investigators in the area to travel to the alien mission site. Note: Fire attribute Awakened have priority¡¿


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down. Buckingham Palace has the best royal guards, and there are air raid shelters below. Now that MU¡¯s sent an alert, the army will be dispatched soon. This is the safest place in London aside from Downing Street.¡±


    In the cold night air, Edward shivered and tugged Zong Yan to run beside him from the tower.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too late.¡±


    The black-haired boy stood at the top of the tower and gazed at the monster from a distance.


    The creature saw its prey and laughed cruelly and wildly in the gale. The snowflakes suddenly turned into hail, smashing down with the snowstorm, and all the roses in the flower beds were pummeled into the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid his goal is us¡­. Professor Darwin said that for S-class extraterrestrials, conventional physical attacks don¡¯t work at all. It will be hard to get enough investigators here in time.


    ¡°We have to lead it away. Otherwise it¡¯s very possible that everyone in this palace will be buried in the blizzard.


    ¡°Are you willing to trust me?¡±


    Zong Yan bit his lower lip. His fingers in his pocket grabbed a card.


    Edward smiled. ¡°Do I look like the kind of person who doesn¡¯t trust his friends?¡±


    The black-haired boy smiled too. He crushed the card in his hand.


    After a flash of light, the elegant Night Watchman stood beneath the night sky of London. His long gray hair was swept up by the wind and snow, and the messenger bird of death circled over his head.


    The curve of his smile hinted at the mystery of the night, and the earth below his feet was the boundary between life and death. The golden pocket watch in his hand ticked as if suspended in time.


    ¡°Wow, man, that¡¯s amazing!¡±


    Facing the scarlet eyes of the Night Watchman, the little prince was stunned for a moment. He suddenly slapped his thigh with excitement. ¡°Go, go, go! No one will catch me this time!¡±


    The Night Watchman grinned and tapped his black umbrella on the ground. The shadows leapt up in obedience, wrapped around them, and melted into the night.


    Before they left, Zong Yan looked back at the tower.


    He finally understood why he felt such bitter cold while standing there.


    Everywhere the Night Watchman could see, the tower was surrounded by a dense mass of remnant souls.


    This tower was a prison of death, piled up from the bones of the dead and the flesh and blood of the living.


    TL Notes:


    In my opinion the British ¡°national dish¡± is curry, and they¡¯re pretty good at it! Although admittedly they had to borrow it from someone else (¤Ã???)¤Ã ?  Actually, I just looked it up and Encyclopedia Britannica quotes somebody important saying the UK¡¯s national dish is chicken tikka masala, so there¡¯s proof, hehe.


    The younger generation is astonishing ¨C ºóÉú¿Éη ¨C A youth is to be regarded with respect ¡ª the younger generation will surpass the older; A ragged colt may make a good horse; An after-born should be feared; Every oak has been an acorn


    defuse a tense situation ¨C ½âΧ ¨C force an enemy to raise a siege; rescue sb. from a siege; come to the rescue of the besieged, help sb.out of a predicament; save sb.from embarrassment


    call each other ¡°brother¡± ¨C ¡°Ðֵܡ± ¨C xi¨­ngd¨¬


    act first, inform later ¨C ÏÈÕ¶ºó×à ¨C behead sb. first then make all known to the Emperor; act first and report afterwards; execute one on the spot without prior approval from the court; kill sb. first then to report


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    River Tyburn ¨C Ì©²®¶÷ºÓ ¨C T¨¤ib¨®¨¥n h¨¦


    Ithaqua ¨C ÒÁËþ¿âÑÇ ¨C Y¨© t¨£ k¨´ y¨¤ ¨C A Great Old One that controls snow, ice, and cold and can walk through the sky as easily as it walks on earth.

 CH 22

    The feeling of being swallowed by shadows was amazing as well as strange. Edward held his breath at the moment the darkness leapt up around him, expecting to be engulfed by cold. But when the shadows washed over him and melted away, he felt like he¡¯d passed through a layer of warm water, incredibly gentle and soft.


    ¡°That ability is incredible!¡± Edward turned his head and asked, ¡°Where are we going now?¡±


    His face glowed with excitement and elation. His previous depression had been swept away.


    ¡°First we¡¯ll go find Wang KeMing.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t leave their teammate behind. If Ithaqua¡¯s target was the three of them, they couldn¡¯t abandon Wang KeMing or he¡¯d be in serious trouble.


    At the same time, Wang KeMing had just finished washing up and was about to go to bed with his phone beside him.


    ¡°As expected of Buckingham Palace. What a bed, tut tut.¡±


    Before turning in, he couldn¡¯t resist temptation, so he edited the video he¡¯d made while entering Buckingham Palace and posted it to his circle of friends.


    Young Master Wang might not have done much to distinguish himself since childhood, but he had an extensive contact list filled with cronies. Not long after he posted his update, it already had a dozen red hearts.


    His little psychological desire to show off was instantly satisfied¡ªhehe, hehe¡ªso he tucked his phone under his pillow and was about to close his eyes, when suddenly, two elongated shadows fell across the bed curtain.


    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Wang KeMing let out a scream like a dying pig.


    ¡°Stop howling. It¡¯s us.¡± Zong Yan opened the bed curtain, but the next second his expression grew subtle. He swished it closed again. ¡°You like to sleep naked?¡±


    ¡°I, I, I¡­ You, you, you¡­¡± Wang KeMing was stunned by Zong Yan¡¯s new appearance. ¡°Hell, it¡¯s only been half an hour, Yan Ge. You already have a new look?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Hurry up and get dressed.¡±


    Zong Yan gingerly picked up some clothes that were off to the side and tossed them in. ¡°What a brave heart. The temperature¡¯s below zero but you still want to sleep. Didn¡¯t you see the emergency message on the app? What happened to your investigator¡¯s insight? Do you even want to graduate from MU?


    ¡°Are you going to go talk to your father?¡±


    When Wang KeMing was changing, Zong Yan looked over at Edward.


    The little prince lowered his eyes with surprising indifference. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    As he said this, Edward actually smiled, but this time his smile didn¡¯t contain any of its previous sincerity. Instead it was like a concealed grimace, with a trace of anger hidden in his eyes.


    As Zong Yan was about to speak, a violent gust of wind roared against the window.


    The wind brought snow mixed with hail, and it smashed through the glass. The heavy curtains were torn and danced wildly in the gale.


    ¡°Yan Ge, what¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Wang KeMing hurriedly put on some clothes and rolled out of bed in disarray. He was already shivering from the cold, but he remembered to pick up the school bag beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t have time to explain. He lifted the tip of the umbrella. The little fat man watched in horror as the flowing shadows engulfed them, but in the end, he trusted Zong Yan enough to choke back a cry of alarm.


    The three students glided through the shadows, appearing and disappearing within the vast palace, making their way northwest towards Hyde Park.


    Fortunately Zong Yan had some spare time before and looked at maps of various scenic spots in London. Otherwise he really would have been lost.


    Hyde Park was quiet at night. The park was closed, so basically no one else was there.


    Although the park was also affected by the frigid temperature, there wasn¡¯t much snow visible on the ground.


    ¡°What the devil is that creature doing??¡± When they reached relative safety, Edward was the first to speak. He didn¡¯t ask Zong Yan how he came to possess such an ability or how he was able to bring them out.


    Obviously Edward and Wang KeMing both respected Zong Yan¡¯s right to keep his own secrets. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a top priority right now.


    ¡°S-class extraterrestrial Ithaqua. You remember the paper Professor Darwin assigned last time, right?¡±


    Zong Yan looked up at the dark clouds in the distance and took a deep breath.


    Coincidentally, they¡¯d had a homework assignment in biology class to write a short paper about this S-class alien. Although it was just superficial information, it was better than not knowing anything at all.


    ¡°Ithaqua?¡±


    Edward frowned. ¡°No, it¡¯s unlikely to be Ithaqua.¡±


    Ithaqua was one of the Great Old Ones, a being who possessed the terrifying power to change heaven and earth at will. As an enemy of the ancient gods he generally haunted the Arctic, where his presence generated blizzards. He was a snow monster who had made appearances in many books about the world¡¯s unsolved mysteries.


    Miskatonic University was quite familiar with Ithaqua.


    In the power rankings of Great Old Ones, Ithaqua was a relative bottom-feeder. He couldn¡¯t be compared to the Great Old One sealed under the Pacific Ocean. When that one awoke, it would immediately drag the world into a dream and destroy the planet.


    The scientific research team which MU sent to the boreal forests of Canada, as well as the survey mission sent to the Arctic Ocean by the Spire Council, had been attacked by Ithaqua or his avatar. Because of these encounters, he was the Great Old One whom investigators had the most direct contact with.


    But if Ithaqua himself were to descend on the Earth, it wouldn¡¯t be just Buckingham Palace that was buried in snow, but all of Great Britain.


    ¡°Look at the latest information on the MU app.¡± Zong Yan lifted the phone in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not his main body. They corrected the notice. It¡¯s an incarnation of Ithaqua known as the Death-Walker, an A-rank creature.¡±


    As an avatar of Ithaqua, the Death-Walker was weaker than the main body by more than one grade.


    It was genuinely strange.


    Ithaqua had very few worshippers. The people who lived in the Arctic region were afraid of him, which was why they believed in him, but he had hardly any actual followers.


    If someone wanted to summon the avatar of Ithaqua, a highly gifted and devout group of believers would have to come to London and avoid detection for a long time to summon such a perfect Death-Walker.


    The three stood in silence on the grass in Hyde Park.


    Not far away, the wind was still entangled with the blizzard, and the twisted face in the clouds emitted a sharp burst of laughter. In just a few minutes, the snow on the ground already reached halfway up to the fence. The falling hail had broken a lot of glass. Buckingham Palace looked like a palace in a snowglobe, helpless to avoid the snow that came drifting down.


    Helicopters were rushing in from a distance, but because the center of the storm was so violent, headquarters was forced to change the mode of transportation. The army had also been informed and began to move towards Buckingham Palace.


    The Spire leadership received the news from the Ministry of Defense, and MU increased its alert level. Numerous investigators woke up from their sleep and began to rush over.


    It was clear the Death-Walker was headed for Buckingham Palace.


    They just couldn¡¯t be sure whether it was aimed at them, as Zong Yan suspected.


    ¡°It¡¯s targeting us?¡± Wang KeMing had a blank expression. ¡°We¡¯re just a few students from MU. What could that creature be thinking?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Zong Yan shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re safe for the time being, because he doesn¡¯t seem to¡ª¡±


    Just as he was about to say the other party hadn¡¯t found them, that contorted face suddenly turned and looked directly at them.


    ¡°Ahhhhh, no need to guess, he¡¯s targeting us!¡± Wang KeMing screamed and collapsed. The next second, piercing shards of ice fell from the sky.


    In an instant the Night Watchman¡¯s eyes narrowed and he raised his black umbrella in the air. The shadows followed the edge of the umbrella¡¯s canopy, jumped up from the ground, and intertwined into a curtain of night above their heads.


    The shadows dissolved the oncoming ice, blocking the violent onslaught.


    ¡°No way¡­ At this rate¡­¡±


    It was less than ten minutes after Zong Yan and Edward had first seen the Death-Walker from the tower, but the situation was already grim.


    In just ten minutes, even if there were enough investigators in London, it would be difficult for them to come to the rescue in time.


    MU wasn¡¯t really at fault. Generally, cultists would prepare for a summoning ritual with a lot of prep-time and chanting. From the beginning of a ceremony to the end, it would take a few hours, which meant investigators usually had plenty of time to deal with a summoning before it was successful.


    This time, without any warning at all, the Death-Walker had appeared in the skies over London.


    The blizzard attacks were getting colder and colder. As they stood below the cloudbank they felt like their blood was freezing in their veins.


    It was possible that if they couldn¡¯t find a way to save themselves, they wouldn¡¯t survive long enough to be rescued.


    Zong Yan suddenly asked, ¡°Do you have a mask?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    Wang KeMing put down his backpack and took out a pack of masks.


    ¡°Are you going?¡± After watching the gray-haired, trenchcoat-wearing Night Watchman put on the mask, Edward was keenly aware of what would happen next. His face turned grim. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be brave! The Death-Walker¡¯s an A-rank monster!¡±


    An A-rank monster was capable of killing an Auxiliary-level Awakened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t roll the dice with my own life. But please keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Yan Ge!¡± Wang KeMing looked at the damaged palace in the distance with a frightened expression on his face. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d be in serious trouble tonight. Don¡¯t worry, Ge. I know how to keep my mouth shut and I absolutely won¡¯t say more than I should.¡±


    ""


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Zong Yan took a deep breath and crushed the Child of the Wind card.


    Thanks to the Azathoth persona card, his San value had increased to 60. Otherwise he really wouldn¡¯t dare to be so bold.


    But Zong Yan wasn¡¯t too sure about anything. He¡¯d only fought against C-rank creatures so far. This was the first time he¡¯d encountered an A-rank being.


    ¡­ Better not drag things out.


    A young man with long, platinum blond hair jumped up lightly from the ground and soared into the air.


    The force of the wind in his hand gleamed like a star against the dark sky. Without hesitation he disappeared into the ominous clouds.


    As they gazed upwards, they saw the young man in Greek robes fighting against the terrifying face in a swirl of wind and snow. The increasingly violent gale mixed with the ice, falling heavily.


    Wang KeMing was astounded. ¡°What the fck¡­ How is Yan Ge so powerful, fighting an A-level creature head-on?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. We have to contact the other investigators.¡±


    Edward saw the figure of Zong Yan vanish in the blizzard, and he tightly clenched his fingers. Pulling Wang KeMing behind him, he ran for the other side of Hyde Park.


    TL Notes:


    ""


    cronies ¨C ºüÅó¹·ÓÑ ¨C evil associates; disreputable gang; rabble; bad friends; buddies


    roll the dice ¨C ¿ªÍæЦ ¨C crack a joke; joke; make fun of; play a trick


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Young Master Wang ¨C ÍõС¹«×Ó ¨C W¨¢ng xi¨£o g¨­ngz¨«


    Death-Walker ¨C ËÀÍöÐÐÕß ¨C God of the Angry Storm, an incarnation of Ithaqua.


    Spire leadership ¨C ¼â¶¥Ö®Ëþ ¨C Alternatively: Spire Tower, Spire top, Spire tall building. This exact phrase is never used again in the raw.

 CH 23

    ¡°There you are.¡±


    High up on the astrological platform, the gray-haired professor who¡¯d been closing his eyes suddenly opened them.


    His eyes shone with the brightest gold, but at that moment they glowed even brighter, as if a cluster of solar fire had ignited and burst into a new conflagration.


    It wasn¡¯t a color that human eyes should have.


    Suddenly a deep laugh echoed in the air, a sound that didn¡¯t belong to any type of being known on Earth.


    Or maybe it wasn¡¯t a sound at all. It was a transmission of information completed in the mind.


    The astrological platform remained empty.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever get bored with omniscience, my dear Gege?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me such a thing.¡± Tawil was obviously disgusted by this nickname, and there was a rare flicker of emotion on his face. ¡°Nyarlathotep, if not for me, you¡¯d be fighting Nodens in the Dreamlands right now.¡±


    As everyone knew, Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss, was the sworn enemy of Nyarlathotep.


    And Nyarlathotep, the representation of ¡°chaos¡±, was one of the three pillar gods along with Yog-Sothoth. They were of equal rank.


    He stood apart from the other gods. Nyarlathotep was skilled at deceiving and bewitching humans. He enjoyed watching them struggle in pain and despair. It was said that he¡¯d manipulated mankind into creating nuclear weapons and made great achievements in the two World Wars.


    He was also known as the ¡°Faceless God¡±, with thousands of different avatars.


    There was no way an ordinary person could tell which was the real Nyarlathotep. He could exist anywhere on Earth.


    ¡°How boring.¡± The voice stretched out the syllables. ¡°You know it already, don¡¯t you? The purpose of my visit.¡±


    The Outer Gods didn¡¯t feel kinship the way human beings did. Nyarlathotep and Yog-Sothoth were both offspring of Azathoth, but there was absolutely no brotherhood and still less any social relationship between them.


    ¡°You¡¯re destined to be disappointed,¡± Tawil said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s the second variable.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    For a moment, the shadows along the viewing platform suddenly revealed a thousand abhorrent and horrible appendages, each with the power to destroy the Earth. They crossed the realm of reality and almost covered the roof of the observatory.


    But those phantoms disappeared the next instant, as if they¡¯d never existed.


    It was indeed a rare surprise for Nyarla.


    According to human relationships, the other Outer God was his brother¡ªYog-Sothoth, omniscient and omnipotent, the All-in-One, the Lord of Time and Space¡ªand he was also the master of the fundamental laws of the universe.


    This meant there was nothing in the entire universe he didn¡¯t know. If he wanted to, he could view the eleventh dimension at any place or point in time, and he commanded all information. Whether it was a seed germinating on Earth or the silent collapse of a galaxy on the other end of the universe, nothing could escape the observation of this all-powerful, all-knowing Lord.


    ¡°Control your emotions. If Nodens targets you because your power leaked, I¡¯ll be quite amused.¡± Tawil narrowed his eyes. Suddenly the corners of his mouth curled up. ¡°Oh¡ªlet¡¯s see. Was it you who summoned the avatar of Ithaqua?¡±


    The eyes of the Lord of Time and Space paled, as if they were reflecting the changes in space-time through the ages. He chose a point on the time axis and began to silently observe.


    In London, a boy with long platinum hair had rushed into the air and was circling a blizzard, and his blue eyes flickered between heaven and earth.


    ¡°What?¡± Nyarla suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Sure enough, the next sentence revealed: ¡°The Death-Walker appeared in London. The Spire investigation team has taken over. It seems they¡¯re eager to summon Cthugha to deal with it.¡± Tawil¡¯s tone was meaningful. ¡°Instead of interrogating me, you should think about how to deal with your deadly enemies.¡±


    Cthugha was yet another sworn enemy of Nyarlathotep. Nyarla¡¯s avatars on Earth didn¡¯t possess the entirety of his power. If his enemies were summoned it was possible they could cause him a lot of trouble.


    As was widely known, Nyarlathotep was excessively fond of chaos. His enemies and rivals were spread out over countless races.


    ¡­ And sadly, this time he hadn¡¯t accounted for a certain variable that was out of control.


    Tawil smiled with pleasure, and a billion glowing shadows appeared behind him, faintly radiating.


    Anywhere he existed, the limitations of space-time didn¡¯t apply. He could sit right there and wait, and he¡¯d enjoy a good show put on by Nyarlathotep.


    ¡ª


    ¡°The gods cannot be defeated.¡±


    Most of MU¡¯s biology class could be summed up in this one sentence.


    Every time Professor Darwin talked about alien creatures and gods, he emphasized these words again and again in the same even tone.


    How insignificant were humans? A human Monarch-level Awakened was only able to stand up to a lower-level creature on even ground. When facing an upper-level monster, they¡¯d be in a desperate situation.


    If that was true of upper-level creatures, forget about Great Old Ones or ancient gods.


    At the beginning of class, a lot of students, Zong Yan included, didn¡¯t really comprehend the significance of this statement. Because they¡¯d never truly faced monsters or evil gods.


    But now Zong Yan understood.


    He dashed through the air only to find himself falling like a sculpture made of ice. Thousands of atmospheres of pressure buffeted his body. The wind that originally obeyed his commands became the power of the other side.


    The face of that abomination laughed wildly, and the wind and snow spiraling out of his mouth only needed a little more to swallow him whole.


    The Child of the Wind rushed into the sky against the storm, only to be pelted mercilessly by hail.


    His platinum blond hair iced over in the air, almost freezing solid, and the blood beneath his skin began to freeze and slow.


    Compared to the howling wind, both heaven and earth were silent. It was so dark that visibility was compressed to an unimaginable level.


    It wasn¡¯t just physical pressure but a psychological war.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he¡¯d joined with the mind of the Lord of the Universe that time, but he didn¡¯t feel pain from the mental attacks, only the physical ones.


    Thousands of lightning bolts fell from the sky. Zong Yan barely managed to drag his frigid body around the beams of electricity. Occasionally, raindrops were struck by electric sparks of lightning, and bursts of white-gold flashes followed his flight path.


    He accidentally intersected one and his fingers were burned and blackened by the current, leaving a numbing pain.


    One after another, investigators were arriving, and the magic patterns at their fingertips began to bloom. Red flames were born from the patterns suspended in the air, gathering into a fiery red river. Like a glorious crimson rainbow they rushed towards the creature in the sky.


    ¡°This is the incarnation of Ithaqua!! Request for urgent deployment of Monarchs! Please use transfer patterns!¡±


    Because of the severity of the storm, all the communication devices were out of order. The investigators could only coordinate with each other via communication magic patterns.


    ¡°The members of the Spire investigation team are about to arrive. Damn it, those lunatics just said they aren¡¯t coming. They want to summon the Living Flame from a distance, under a clear sky!¡±


    The investigator felt like he was going crazy. ¡°Are they out of their minds, invoking the Living Flame? If they summon Cthugha we¡¯ll have two Great Old Ones and Great Britain will sink into the Atlantic tonight!!!¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± An investigator who was wearing blue pajamas suddenly stared in alarm and pointed at the sky. ¡°Look there¡­. Is that a person?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way. That¡¯s the center of the storm,¡± another investigator answered automatically, but the next moment he swallowed the words back into his mouth.


    At the storm¡¯s center, in the least punishing place, there were updrafts everywhere, lifting everything on the ground.


    There really was a man up there, and the figure was dodging lightning bolts with a faint blue aura in his hands. He was battling against the storm without any sign of yielding, as if he was enacting some ferocious kind of dance.


    ¡°Look, over by the evil god. A person¡¯s really up there!¡±


    The crowd was stunned.


    ¡°Going head to head against the Death-Walker?! How¡¯s that possible? Not even a Monarch could survive this storm.¡±


    ¡°Could it be an alien in human form?¡±


    As people began to make guesses, this conjecture was shared by many investigators.


    Ancient gods versus ancient gods, ancient gods versus Great Old Ones, Great Old Ones versus Outer Gods, Outer Gods versus Outer Gods¡ªthe relationship between gods wasn¡¯t as friendly as human beings might think.


    Various types of otherworldly beings would attack each other on sight. The number of dimensions might increase, but the fighting between creatures would never stop.


    They gazed at the figure in awe and turned on their HD cameras.


    This new alien was very likely to be a god-level being, and humans needed more information.


    In fact, Zong Yan, who had no idea he was being watched by everyone, was suffering miserably.


    The Death-Walker couldn¡¯t be harmed by conventional physical means, so Zong Yan tried to use his ability to manipulate the wind against the cloudbank, hoping to disperse it.


    But he forgot the most fatal point. Rather, he didn¡¯t forget, there was just nothing he could do about it, because Zong Yan didn¡¯t have any other persona cards that could deal with this Great Old One.


    Ithaqua was known as the Wind-Walker, and his avatar the Death-Walker was called the ¡°God of the Angry Storm¡±.


    He literally ruled the weather and the wind and snow. Unfortunately, his power overlapped with Zong Yan¡¯s Child of the Wind persona.


    And while the other party was considered an A-rank monster, his main body was a genuine Great Old One. Ithaqua might be considered a junior brother among the Great Old Ones, but he could easily grind Zong Yan into the dust.


    The wind no longer heeded him. Zong Yan had to concentrate just to survive in the storm. As for counterattacking, that was an impossible dream.


    In just a few minutes, Zong Yan felt his limbs growing stiff. He was about to fall from the air. His sight began to blur and his hands and feet were as cold as the ice and snow in the far north.


    Just then¡ª


    All of a sudden the Death-Walker paused in the air, then retreated.


    The dark gray clouds dispersed like a tide rolling back, swallowed up by the sudden appearance of a hole in the night sky. They disappeared into thin air until no trace at all was left.


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    What¡¯s this? How can you fight then run away?


    TL Notes:


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Gege ¨C ¸ç¸ç ¨C g¨¥g¨¥ ¨C older brother. As mentioned previously, I tend to keep ¡°Gege/Didi¡± when it appears in dialogue or refers to a specific person


    ""


    Cthugha ¨C ¿Ëͼ¸ñÑÇ ¨C K¨¨t¨²g¨¦y¨¤ ¨C A Great Old One resembling a giant ball of fire


    junior brother ¨C µÜµÜ ¨C d¨¬d¨¬ ¨C Alternatively: younger brothe

 CH 24

    Moments after the black hole swallowed up the Death-Walker, the sky was calm again.


    It was still the middle of the night. Big Ben in the Palace of Westminster had just struck midnight. A flock of red-breasted birds flew by from a distance and came to rest here and there on withered branches.


    Both the Night Watchman and the Child of the Wind required 35 San points, but the former cost half as much at night. Now that Zong Yan had 60 San points in his pocket, he could switch between the two persona cards when it was dark.


    Anyway, the points were deducted when he activated each persona. No matter how quickly he canceled the status, the cost was the same.


    Zong Yan purposely flew a short distance away before turning back. Meanwhile the harbinger bird flapped its wings and flew above him.


    When he finally returned, he was a pathetic sight.


    The young man¡¯s dripping wet black hair was plastered to his cheeks. Cold streamlets of water trickled down his thin face and onto his white shirt, soaking the fabric and revealing the pale skin beneath.


    ¡°Yan Ge!¡± When Wang KeMing saw the other teen appear out of the night, he ran after him at a trot and took out a compressed towel from his bag.


    When the temporary investigation group was first organized, Wang KeMing had engineered a role for himself.


    First of all, his Awakening talent wasn¡¯t that impressive. He was just a Level 1 Awakened which didn¡¯t compare at all to Yan Ge, who was practically born to save the world.


    Second, he really wanted to form a good relationship with the little prince; and third, the final person in the team was a girl. Wang KeMing would have been embarrassed to make her handle everything, so he positioned himself as the logistics officer of the team.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Edward?¡± Zong Yan took the towel, draped it loosely on his hair, and wiped a few times as he asked casually.


    ¡°When he saw it was an emergency, he decided to go find the other investigators. I just contacted him and he said he¡¯d be back soon.¡±


    Wang KeMing held up his cell phone. Their temporary investigation team had set up a chat group on MU¡¯s app. Whenever something came up they could notify each other immediately.


    Zong Yan nodded. He took out his phone also and unlocked the screen.


    The latest notice in the chat group was a message from Ada. Her profile pic was a selfie of herself with a fan over her face.


    ¡¾Bloated Woman (Ada)¡¿ : I just saw the notice from MU. Is everyone okay?


    ¡¾Your handsome classmate Wang (Wang KeMing)¡¿ : We¡¯re all fine. Have you been impacted at all?


    ¡¾Bloated Woman (Ada)¡¿ : No (^-^)/ Stay safe everyone


    Zong Yan thought for a moment and replied.


    ¡¾I love Gauss (Zong Yan)¡¿ : We¡¯re okay. Don¡¯t worry


    After closing the chat group, he swiped back to the notification screen.


    To be honest, Zong Yan had gotten a bad feeling ever since he dropped his Child of the Wind status.


    His original plan was to delay the creature until the rest of the troops arrived.


    It was only after Zong Yan faced the Death-Walker in his Child of the Wind persona that he understood the majestic strength of the Great Old One¡¯s avatar. He couldn¡¯t protect himself, let alone retreat safely.


    Sure enough, Zong Yan¡¯s premonition was right on the money.


    MU¡¯s app was blowing up, and the first post left Zong Yan speechless.


    ¡¾A mysterious humanoid alien appeared in London¡¿


    ¡¾A new type of alien fought and successfully drove back the Death-Walker. Seems to be an unidentified evil god. Video inside¡¿


    ¡¾London¡¯s under attack. Monarchs are on their way to provide support¡¿


    Humanoid Alien / Unidentified Evil God / Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    It was a bit too much. Obviously his opponent had retreated for no reason during the fight. How did he get the credit?


    When he clicked inside, he didn¡¯t expect to find a video in full HD, directly tracking the figure in the center of the storm.


    The short Greek robe was unmistakably retro, and that long platinum white hair wasn¡¯t a color you¡¯d find on a normal person. Thank goodness he wore a mask or he¡¯d be a goner.


    ¡°Yan Ge, so great!¡±


    Wang KeMing was watching the same video. The little fat man marveled aloud as he followed the action, then suddenly whispered, ¡°Yan Ge, is it okay if you tell me your Awakening level? I¡¯m just curious¡­ I¡¯ll definitely keep it a secret!¡±


    ""


    Zong Yan gave him a chilly look.


    Finished, he was so finished. He was definitely famous this time.


    Just then another message came in. It was highlighted in red, bolded, and pinned to the top by the administrator.


    ¡¾London is now on S-level alert status. An unidentified evil god is in the area. The situation remains dangerous. Investigators, please take your stations¡¿


    Okay, he¡¯d officially become an evil god.


    Zong Yan wrinkled his brow and quickly skimmed the updates.


    Sure enough, the senior investigators were already sorting it out.


    First of all, Ithaqua couldn¡¯t have appeared out of thin air. He must have been summoned. Otherwise, since this thing stayed in the North Pole year round, how could it cross half of Europe and arrive in Great Britain? Besides, almost all human cities had alchemical magic arrays in operation. Lower-level creatures generally didn¡¯t appear in cities, and upper-level monsters were even less likely to show up on Earth. As for evil gods, most of the time their well water didn¡¯t mingle with the river water of humans.


    As it so happened, investigators in London had recently uncovered some clues and speculated that this matter might be related to the cult entrenched in London.


    Zong Yan¡¯s temporary investigation team had been given an E-rank mission to look into a mysterious underground organization in London called ¡°The Order of Feasters¡±.


    In a strange coincidence, tonight¡¯s incident had circled back to their investigation practice mission.


    ¡°The Order of Feasters¡± was quite a mysterious cult. It was said that this organization has been established in London for a long time. Its background was so powerful that it hadn¡¯t been eradicated yet.


    How strong were its supporters? There were rumors that senior members of the cult belonged to the British Parliament, including the prime minister¡¯s cabinet, and even the royal family.


    For many years, MU had tried to keep an eye on this organization. It was one of the political considerations that led to the opening of the Gate of Truth in London this year.


    The Spire Council had finally made up its mind to eradicate the cult. Unfortunately, they were caught off guard by the enemy.


    Of course, there was no way that kind of task would be given to the reserve investigators studying at MU. Zong Yan¡¯s E-rank mission was nowhere near that difficult.


    Especially after this latest incident, the senior leadership were concerned about the little flowers of MU, who after all were the future of the occult world. For that reason the tasks were changed and made a lot easier.


    MU sent over a lot of information about ¡°The Order of Feasters¡±, and the practice tasks were now so simple that if they managed to find any valid clues at all, they¡¯d be permitted to hand in the mission.


    Zong Yan casually forwarded this information to the group.


    He didn¡¯t know if these two things would turn out to be related.


    But it was certain that the Death-Walker had been targeting them.


    While Zong Yan was lost in thought, the little blond-haired, blue-eyed prince came running over from a distance.


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re okay.¡± When Edward got closer, he surveyed Zong Yan¡¯s body and felt relieved.


    ¡°How is Buckingham Palace?¡± Zong Yan asked.


    ¡°Fine. That old man won¡¯t die.¡± Edward sneered. ¡°The Spire Council¡¯s investigation team is on site. London is under martial law right now. We had better leave it to them.¡±


    Now that he¡¯d escaped, there was no way Edward would willingly return to that cage. Buckingham Palace was in a state of confusion, and it was the perfect time for them to leave.


    As he looked at Edward, Zong Yan was reminded of the incident before.


    It was a tower of suffering, filled with the dense remnants of souls, piled high with corpses. The bones of the dead had been crushed, and the bricks that formed the walls were mixed with a foam of blood and flesh, so much that the tower itself emitted an incomparable aura of cold even during the day.


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t put into words his psychological state when he saw so many dead souls under his feet. He only knew that the pressure from the Death-Walker was so terrible at the time that he really didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    Even now, as he remembered it, the fear gave him a chill.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He could honestly say he wasn¡¯t afraid of anything on Earth, and when it came to ancient gods he was bold enough to hold a grudge, but what scared him the most was ghosts.


    Heaven knew why there was such a spooky thing in Buckingham Palace, but in light of that report he¡¯d just read, maybe¡ª


    Maybe ¡°the Order of Feasters¡± included people in the royal family. It was probably impossible to construct something so sinister in any normal way.


    Since Zong Yan said he didn¡¯t want to spend more money, they all went back to the Maybourne Claridge Hotel booked for them by the school.


    The snowstorm kept half the city awake all night.


    The editors of the British media got out of bed began typing up their stories for the next day¡¯s newspapers. Twitter hashtags about London¡¯s bizarre drop in temperature made it to the trending list. Videos on Instagram exploded. This abnormal weather event attracted the attention of the world.


    And as one would expect, the forces of the occult world arrived on the scene to sweep up the mess, including all those piles of snow at Buckingham Palace.


    MU¡¯s investigators were losing their minds. Not only was there an incarnation of Ithaqua, but an unknown evil god had appeared too. Then there were the cultists watching from the shadows. It was a dramatic increase in workload.


    It was an evening when the forces of all sides were busy.


    After Zong Yan thought about it all night, he decided to come to the point and ask Edward directly.


    ¡°About that tower¡ª¡±


    Just as he lowered his voice and was about to ask, there was a brisk knock on the door.


    Wang KeMing jumped up from his chair and ran over to answer it.


    Outside, a black-haired girl in a cheongsam was holding a folding fan over her face. When the door opened, her eyes curved like a crescent moon as she smiled, but not a single bit of light was reflected in her eyes.


    The people in the room looked at each other in unison.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re all okay.¡± Ada smiled and pinched the handle of her fan with long, slender fingers. She suddenly folded up the fan and put it away, revealing her red lips. ¡°I already have some clues about the mission.¡±


    Edward was sitting to one side with a cup of tea in his hand. His eyes swept over carelessly, but paused when he saw the handle of her fan.


    In an instant, hot tea spilled down and scalded the cuff of his sleeve. But he didn¡¯t seem to notice. Instead his eyes gradually slackened.


    That symbol¡ªhe knew it all too well.


    At the last second before his reason was obliterated, Edward opened his mouth to warn his companions.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zong Yan, who was reading the mission task on his phone, lifted his head.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s fine.¡± The little prince gave a trance-like smile, and the inner depths of his eyes were silently stained ink-black.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    This E-level task won¡¯t take long. I really want to write about the protagonist starting senior year three, hahahaha


    TL Notes:


    points were deducted whenever he activated the persona card ¨C ·´ÕýËûÿʹÓÃÒ»´ÎÈËÉ迨, ±£µ×¾ÍÊÇ¿Û³ý35µã (etc.) ¨C I rephrased from the original and added some clarification to this section to make it less confusing


    compressed towel ¨C One of those little tablet towels that expand when they get wet


    Bloated Woman ¨C Ö×ÕÍ֮Ů ¨C Alternatively: The Bloated Woman


    he¡¯d be a goner ¨C from µôÂí ¨C fall off (a horse) ¨C Online slang that means to expose a disguised identity such as a side account. Recall that Âí¼× (vest, horse armor) is slang for a secondary or side account (Chapter 6 notes)


    their well water didn¡¯t mingle with the river water of humans ¨C ¾®Ë®²»·¸ºÓË® ¨C The well water does not intrude into the river water ¡ª each one minds his own business; each going his own way; keep as clear of sb. as well water and river water; None may encroach upon the precincts


    uncovered some clues ¨C ÖëË¿Âí¼£ ¨C spiderwebs and horse¡¯s footprints ¡ª traces; thread of a spider and trail of a horse ¡ª clues; the gossamer threads of a spider and the trail of a horse


    suffering ¨C Á¶Óü ¨C purgatory; hard circumstances; abyss of sufferings or misery; hardship and miserable conditions


    he wasn¡¯t afraid of anything on Earth ¨C ËûÌ첻ŵز»Å ¨C He wasn¡¯t afraid of anything on heaven or earth; He wasn¡¯t afraid of anything; a daredevil


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    The Order of Feasters ¨C »¶ÑçÕßÐÞµÀ»á ¨C Alternatively: Feast Monks, Society of Revellers


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Big Ben ¨C ´ó±¾ÖÓ


    Palace of Westminster ¨C Íþ˹Ãô˹Ìع¬ ¨C W¨¥is¨©m¨«ns¨©t¨¨ g¨­ng


    Gauss ¨C ¸ß˹ ¨C G¨¡os¨© ¨C Carl Friedrich Gauss was one of history¡¯s most influential mathematicians. Wikipedia contains a list of things named after him, including a unit of magnetic induction

 CH 25

    Zong Yan didn¡¯t notice anything. He lowered his head, but the moment his eyes touched the phone screen, he looked up again. With some uncertainty he glanced at Edward.


    Just now, because Zong Yan was focused on reading about their mission task, he was a little distracted.


    It was only when he glanced down that it struck him¡ª


    A moment ago Edward¡¯s eyes had looked a bit dark, as if some kind of shadow were brewing in them, slowly swallowing up the white part of his eyes.


    How could a living person¡¯s eyes be black?


    But when Zong Yan lifted his head and studied the other person¡¯s face, all he saw was a pair of perfectly normal blue eyes, as if that image of the entire eye dyed black was a flash of illusion.


    While Zong Yan was feeling confused, Wang KeMing, who¡¯d been assigned to organize the mission data, jumped up from his chair.


    He¡¯d gone over the documents sent by the school and searched through the app database. It was so difficult to consolidate the data that his eyes were about to turn into mosquito coils.


    But the most recent data wasn¡¯t sorted out by Wang KeMing himself. The MU app came to his rescue.


    ¡°Yan Ge! That¡¯s it!


    ¡°The school sent an additional Monarch to help out, and they¡¯ve already arrived in London. The mission task says that given the situation, a Monarch-level advisor will directly lead our team. If we can get a passing mark from our temporary advisor, it¡¯s the same as completing the investigation practice course.¡±


    Wang KeMing read aloud the notice sent by the Academic Affairs Office to MU students in London. His voice revealed his excitement. ¡°What a sweet deal.¡±


    In most circumstances, students who chose to do MU¡¯s investigation practice course independently wouldn¡¯t receive any guidance from a mentor during the process. Only a little bit of task information would be provided by the Academic Affairs Department. Everything else was up to students to figure out on their own.


    This time, because of the extraordinary situation in London, the difficulty of their investigation practice course had been greatly lowered, and a Monarch-level mentor would even guide them through the course to ensure their safety.


    Off to the side Wang KeMing was ecstatic, but Zong Yan had a very bad feeling.


    ¡°Which Monarch did the school send?¡± His voice trembled.


    Nowadays, even if you included the counterfeit Monarch Zong Yan, there were only ten Monarchs on the planet, and Zong Yan had already confirmed that one of them was an agent who¡¯d infiltrated the school.


    The school did indeed have a Monarch, but that Monarch¡ªwasn¡¯t a person!!


    Wang KeMing looked at the screen. ¡°It seems to be the seventh Monarch, our astrology professor.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Finished, we¡¯re so finished. Great Britain is definitely doomed.


    ¡ª


    Because Zong Yan, the team leader, was eager to avoid this new Monarch, he found an excuse to sneak out of the hotel and look for clues.


    Ada and Wang KeMing said that they¡¯d rather stay in the hotel and wait for the mentor to arrive. Before he left, Zong Yan hesitated, then asked them to notify him by phone when the mentor showed up.


    This time around, Tawil was a Monarch. Given his unpredictable mind control abilities and his stature in the occult world, Zong Yan had to be cautious about what he said and did. It was just like what he¡¯d said before¡ªdon¡¯t annoy a being you can¡¯t fight against¡ªso Zong Yan had second thoughts about warning the others. All he could do was give a faintly worried glance to Wang KeMing, who was lying on the sofa with a complete lack of concern. The other teen didn¡¯t seem to have noticed a thing. Instead he was happily chomping away on potato chips.


    Forget it, that kid¡¯s on his own.


    With one option gone, Zong Yan looked over at Ada.


    The cheongsam beauty was standing by the curtain. When Zong Yan cast his eyes over, she turned her face with interest and hooked the corner of her mouth at him.


    So perceptive. Her insight must be extremely high.


    Before Zong Yan had looked at her just now, Ada had clearly been turned away.


    Insight was a rare but important talent. Whether it was alchemy or magic patterns, the higher you wanted to climb, the more insight you needed. An Awakened person¡¯s insight was enhanced the moment they woke up.


    A highly insightful person could easily sense when others were looking at them. For example, if someone were looking at Zong Yan, he would get a vague premonition.


    Given that she was so highly gifted, it was strange that Zong Yan had never heard the name ¡°Ada¡± at school.


    Most importantly, she gave him an eerie feeling.


    No way, could this be the side account of a different evil god?


    As Zong Yan made guesses to himself, he silently put this option in a corner of his mind.


    Anyway, MU wasn¡¯t exactly a hot spot for divine activity. The presence of one Great Old One was incredible on its own. There shouldn¡¯t be another one. According to Professor Darwin, most evil gods were located in random corners of the universe. They had better things to do than come to Earth every day to destroy the world of ants.


    Nevertheless, when Zong Yan left the hotel, he tapped out a vague warning to Wang KeMing in a private chat.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Edward put his hands in his pockets. His blue eyes looked straight at Zong Yan.


    ¡°Sending a message to Wang KeMing.¡± Zong Yan didn¡¯t hide anything from his friend. ¡°I keep thinking there¡¯s something strange about Ada.¡±


    ¡°Strange?¡± The little prince¡¯s blue eyes darkened for a moment, as if another spirit had taken control, and the corners of his mouth had a stiff and weird angle.


    ¡°En¡­ I hope it¡¯s a mistake.¡±


    Zong Yan bowed his head. He sent the message, then tucked his phone back into his pocket and walked through the Tube gate.


    After what happened last night, almost half the investigators in Europe had arrived in London. With investigator badges on their chests, they were scattered throughout the city, searching for possible altars and gathering places of the ¡°Order of Feasters¡±.


    Zong Yan and Edward went to the British Museum, the temporary meeting place for those investigating the incident.


    By the time they reached the square across from New Oxford Street, there were already several people wearing badges standing around.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Hoshino.¡±


    Zong Yan stood at a distance and watched for a while. Suddenly, he realized the person in charge had spoken to him briefly at MU¡¯s opening ceremony, so he made his way through the crowd and politely went over to say hello.


    ""


    Of all the people in the crowd, Hoshino Kota was the one who looked the most down-to-earth. Everyone else was in black suits and ties. They looked like serious investigators. Only Hoshino Kota wore a T-shirt and shorts with flip-flops. He seemed out of place among this group of suited elites.


    But Zong Yan didn¡¯t underestimate him.


    Hoshino Kota was a senior-level investigator. Although his name wasn¡¯t in the Promenade of Honor where those who¡¯d made glorious sacrifices were recognized, his biography hung on the wall of MU¡¯s library.


    It was said that Hoshino Kota had once led a team to the small town of Innsmouth and solved a mystery that had plagued the occult world for many years; and he and another investigator had also gone deep into the Severn Valley, a forbidden area, and returned unharmed. He was a living legend.


    ¡°Hmm? The school chief?¡± Hoshino Kota, who was busily assigning tasks, was surprised. He turned around and shook hands with Zong Yan.


    This scene astonished a lot of onlookers.


    Hoshino Kota might look like a fat, unkempt uncle, but he was famous among investigators. Although he hadn¡¯t broken through to Monarch level yet, he¡¯d maintained respectable strength at Auxiliary level for years.


    Hoshino Kota was also famous for his magic patterns. He was so skilled with patterns that he could use them to fight toe-to-toe against Monarchs. That was how he¡¯d gained the nickname ¡°the Auxiliary Monarch¡±.


    Most of the investigators present admired this renowned investigator and spoke respectfully about him even in private. But they didn¡¯t expect a complete unknown to arrive who could make this legend condescend to shake hands.


    For a moment, everyone turned to stare at Zong Yan.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± Zong Yan ignored the onlookers and got to the point. ¡°My investigation practice team has a task to investigate the Order of Feasters. Because of the current situation, our mission has been updated. The new rules say we can borrow intelligence from the investigators in London.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it.¡± Hoshino Kota was startled for a moment. Then he saw the phone handed over by Zong Yan and smiled with understanding. ¡°We¡¯ve gathered quite a few leads. Since the school has granted permission, let¡¯s choose one.¡±


    It really was bad luck that an E-level task turned out to be so much trouble, but it just so happened to overlap with an emergency situation this time. Otherwise, the school wouldn¡¯t have provided any additional help.


    Hoshino Kota picked and chose from the available intelligence and deliberately found a very simple task. He took a document from a file folder and handed it to Zong Yan. ¡°This is information we obtained last night. The witness said he recently experienced strange hallucinations. You can visit him at his home address.¡±


    The task couldn¡¯t be any simpler. It stuck out like a sore thumb among a pile of missions that had a real possibility of death or dismemberment. A discerning eye could tell that Hoshino Kota had given these students a plum assignment.


    But the investigators didn¡¯t say anything. All of them had heard it¡ªthis handsome teen was MU¡¯s current chief.


    MU¡¯s position in the occult world was self-evident. Everyone here was Awakened, and even among the Awakened, this was a promising young man.


    After graduation, the school chiefs of every term did well. Even those who defected tended to become the leader of whatever evil cult they joined. Hoshino Kota himself had been chief when he was in school. It was normal for him to take care of his junior. Although some investigators might envy being given such an easy task, they weren¡¯t going to rob a student.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hoshino.¡±


    Zong Yan nodded, and the next moment he heard Hoshino Kota say, ¡°You learned the pattern that enhances spiritual perception in magic pattern class, right? That¡¯s a specialty of the Order of Feasters. Be safe and good luck.¡±


    The magic pattern to enhance spiritual perception, as its name implied, could heighten an investigator¡¯s insight for a short period of time. It allowed humans to see what was invisible to the naked eye. It was also a simple spell taught on the first day of elementary magic patterns class.


    The higher a person¡¯s insight, the stronger the effect, and the more things they¡¯d perceive. It might be said that Hoshino Kota had given such a task to Zong Yan in full consideration of the fledgling chief¡¯s abilities.


    When he saw the unusual subject listed in the report, Zong Yan immediately began to chant in a low voice.


    A complicated symbol popped up on his index finger. He tilted his head slightly and put the symbol against his temple, where it disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It was an incredible illusion, but I hadn¡¯t done anything strange. I¡¯d just come back from watching a play.¡±


    The middle-aged American businessman was sitting on a plush leather sofa. He muttered, ¡°Where¡¯s my personal doctor? Really, the police in Scotland Yard are so unreliable. I can¡¯t believe they sent over two little kids. If this was America¡­¡±


    The next moment, the scene in Zong Yan¡¯s retina was covered with a layer of darkness, which became the hue of an old-fashioned photo.


    He saw the middle-aged man in front of him with pure black eyes.


    Sure enough, shady as hell. But why did his eyes turn black?


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t say anything. Pretending to be calm, he grabbed his phone from his pocket, ready to end the spell.


    But when he took out his phone, in the reflection on the screen he suddenly saw¡ª


    Behind him, the little blond prince had the same dark eyes, like two bottomless black holes.


    The young man in the reflection gave a twisted smile.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    To clarify, the occult community of this world is completely unknown to ordinary people. This world¡¯s Baidu doesn¡¯t contain anything about ancient gods or Great Old Ones.


    MU people also don¡¯t know there¡¯s any problem with things like ¡°The Bloated Woman¡± or ¡°The King in Yellow¡±, so don¡¯t ask why the play could be released or why Nyarla is so arrogant. Also, the first act of The King in Yellow won¡¯t have any impact on ordinary people. Only the second act will.


    TL Notes:


    mosquito coil ¨C Incense meant to repel mosquitos which comes shaped like a spiral, allowing it to burn longer while taking up less space


    hot spot ¨C ÏãâÄâÄ ¨C sweet pastry ¨C a popular choice, the cream of the crop, etc.


    square (the place where MC speaks to Mr. Hoshino) ¨C ÒªËع㳡 ¨C elements square, essential square ¨C Not sure if this is intended to be a specific location. I don¡¯t see a ¡°square¡± with a similar name near New Oxford Street


    gave a plum assignment ¨C from ·ÅÁËË® ¨C released water ¨C Seems to mean the person slacked off or went easy on an opponent


    fledgling ¨C ³õ³öé® ¨C just come out of one¡¯s thatched cottage ¡ª a green hand; a green-horn; at the beginning of one¡¯s career; wet behind the ears


    shady as hell ¨C ÓÐ¹í ¨C there are ghosts ¨C something suspicious or fishy


    Baidu ¨C °Ù¶È ¨C A Chinese Internet and AI company, basically the equivalent of Wikipedia plus Google


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    New Oxford Street ¨C ÐÂÅ£½ò´ó½Ö


    Mr. Hoshino ¨C ÐÇÒ°ÀÏʦ ¨C X¨©ngy¨§ l¨£osh¨© ¨C Alternatively: Hoshino-sensei


    Innsmouth ¨C ӡ˹é˹ ¨C Y¨¬ns¨©m¨¢os¨©


    Severn Valley ¨C ÈüÎÄºÓ¹È ¨C S¨¤iw¨¦n h¨¦g¨³

 CH 26

    The moment he saw it, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but swear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Edward asked. In the reflection, Zong Yan¡¯s gaze collided with the flat black eyes of the little prince.


    ¡°Nothing, never mind.¡±


    Zong Yan snuffed out the spell pattern in his hand. He put the phone back in his pocket like nothing had happened.


    Zong Yan thought he¡¯d had his fill of bad luck. First there was the school advisor who was an evil god, and before that was the senior student who was also an evil god. Then there was the powerful but unusable evil god card in his pocket that somehow was forced on him. But even after all of that, he hadn¡¯t seen it coming. An evil god had taken control of the people around him, infiltrating his own team.


    Despite Zong Yan¡¯s reaction just now, Edward didn¡¯t seem to notice anything.


    After the incident with the Azathoth card, Zong Yan¡¯s insight had risen to an almost unimaginable level.


    ¡°All I did was go out to see a play. I didn¡¯t do anything else, and yet I had the strangest hallucinations. The private doctor couldn¡¯t find anything wrong,¡± Westin continued to talk at length.


    At first his words didn¡¯t sound especially relevant, but eventually they pointed to one place.


    ¡ªA theater in London¡¯s West End.


    Maybe¡­


    Zong Yan looked at Edward on one side, who was still completely vacant, then looked at Westin on the other side, who continued to mumble, and came up with a bold idea.


    It was clear that Edward and Westin had the same symptoms. Hoshino Kota specifically warned him to use the spiritual perception spell that detected mental influence, because that was a specialty of the Order of Feasters.


    But why was this evil god operating so openly? Even with a huge number of investigators in London, the enemy hadn¡¯t taken any countermeasures. And the investigators themselves hadn¡¯t found anything wrong.


    After thinking about it, Zong Yan decided there was only one remaining possibility.


    The god had absolute confidence in his plan.


    With arrogance befitting an evil deity, the enemy was confident his mind control wouldn¡¯t be discovered by anyone. That was why he dared to be so reckless.


    He probably didn¡¯t think that among a bunch of ordinary people at Miskatonic University, there was an actual superpowered person whose insight ability was straight up hacks.


    Edward: ¡°A theater in the West End? Which one?¡±


    According to this logic, the god didn¡¯t know Zong Yan had discovered something wrong. Which meant his pawns had mentioned the theater on purpose.


    Zong Yan steadied his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s go to that theater and take a look. I think the problem is likely to be there.¡±


    Heaven knew that as he spoke his palms were sweating.


    Edward followed him the entire time. He hadn¡¯t noticed a thing.


    But Zong Yan was certain that the night before yesterday, when they were lying on the top floor of the palace looking at the stars, Edward was absolutely not under mental control.


    ""


    When did it happen? Was it when he fought the Death-Walker, or maybe it was¡ª


    Ada.


    She was the only one who had access to Edward, and she was the most suspicious.


    Zong Yan gritted his teeth. When he thought of Wang KeMing, who was alone with Ada right now, he quietly clenched his fists.


    The message he¡¯d sent on his phone to Wang KeMing was like a stone sinking into the sea. There was no reply at all.


    He suddenly recalled what the vice chancellor told him. ¡°Remember the school motto. Especially the last sentence.¡±


    Trust no one.


    ¡ª


    London¡¯s West End was brightly lit tonight.


    Recently, a play with an excellent reputation had attracted visitors from all over Europe.


    The last show to be so successful was ¡¶Harry Potter and the Cursed Child¡·. Otherwise, the big shows on the West End were pretty much fixed. Most years didn¡¯t see much turnover.


    The name of the new play was ¡¶The King in Yellow¡·, and it told quite a strange story.


    The play depicted a magical, ancient city without any suffering or pain¡ªCarcosa.


    What was even more magical was that many people who¡¯d seen the play claimed they visited the ancient city in their dreams. They said Carcosa was a legendary utopia like the Garden of Eden, a biblical kingdom of heaven without any sin, as beautiful as the realm of the gods.


    The current production of ¡¶The King in Yellow¡· consisted of only one act. The second act had been postponed for a long time and hadn¡¯t been officially released.


    And it was because of the suspense that the audience of ¡¶The King in Yellow¡· eagerly looked forward to the release of the second act.


    Today the second act would be performed for the first time.


    The play had been running for a while, so a lot of people were waiting for the premiere. The opening was originally scheduled for eight PM. At six o¡¯clock, people were already sitting in cafes throughout the West End, waiting with newspapers.


    By the time Zong Yan arrived, Hoshino Kota was already at the door.


    When Zong Yan saw him at a distance, he made a random excuse about going to the bathroom and temporarily separated from Edward.


    ¡°Why are you here too?¡± After he saw the little chief, Hoshino Kota scowled. The cigarette in his hand flicked to one side.


    The intelligence brought back by the investigators pointed to a play that was being staged here.


    The investigators had found literally dozens of clues that all pointed to the same place. Any fool would know there was a problem there.


    So Hoshino Kota immediately led his team over.


    The senior investigator was keenly aware of the strangeness behind the recent incident.


    The main reason the Order of Feasters were able to stay in London for so long without being eradicated by MU was that they were cautious.


    MU kept a close eye on them, but the senior members of the Order were powerful in the UK, and the junior members were very tight-lipped. It was only at the end of last century that MU learned from a member that the sect liked to use mental suggestion to control the less devout adherents. Their high-level leaders were extremely pious and fanatically believed in the god they worshipped.


    Compared with all those cults made up of kids and riff-raff, the Order of Feasters was a breath of fresh air. But they were also harder to see inside than an iron bucket.


    So what caused this low-key cult to make such a big splash in London lately?


    Sadly, it seemed to be a case of that ancient Chinese idiom, inviting the victim into the funeral urn.


    But all these clues, without exception, pointed to His Majesty¡¯s Theatre in the West End. Hoshino Kota had no choice but to go.


    Before he left, he asked MU for support, and they agreed to send over a Monarch professor.


    And that was what happened. The mission he¡¯d given the little chief had led here just like everything else.


    It was too difficult to get tickets for the play this late, so the investigators planned to wait until the show opened and use a search warrant to get inside.


    Investigators from all over London were rushing to the West End. Professionals who specialized in magic patterns were distributed around the theater and had already begun to draw spatial isolation patterns to make sure tonight¡¯s event wouldn¡¯t end up in tomorrow¡¯s headlines around the world. Otherwise MU¡¯s public relations department might be willing to stab someone with a knife.


    ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± Zong Yan looked at the other party and lowered his voice. ¡°It seems like something really terrible is behind all of this. When we checked the information you gave us, I noticed the interview subject was under mental control.¡±


    Did he want to abandon the mission? Yes, if it weren¡¯t for Edward¡¯s situation, Zong Yan might really have decided to abandon the task then and there.


    But he couldn¡¯t act against both his heart and his brain. His friend was in trouble. How could Zong Yan pretend he didn¡¯t notice and run away from the fight?


    As Hoshino Kota listened he took another puff of the cigarette and exhaled the smoke from his lungs.


    ¡°I understand.¡± After he finished the cigarette, Hoshino Kota finally added, ¡°This mission is really too dangerous. You should seriously consider giving up.¡±


    Zong Yan gave a bitter smile. ¡°My friend¡¯s under control too. I have to save him.¡±


    The person who tied the bell should be the one to untie it. The only way he could solve the problem was from the root.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go far.¡± The scruffy uncle patted him on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s rare for someone your age to have that kind of understanding.


    ¡°But what happens next won¡¯t be a game.¡± Hoshino Kota stared directly at him.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why, but when he met the young man¡¯s eyes, Hoshino Kota fell into something of a trance.


    Those black eyes were too deep and still, without the faintest speck of light within. But there was a flickering spark of hope.


    ¡°Any being that¡¯s capable of mind control won¡¯t be a lower-level creature.¡± He blinked his eyes to dismiss the strange feeling. ¡°Even for an upper-level monster, it¡¯s rare for them to be able to tamper with reality.


    ¡°This time¡ª¡± Hoshino Kota took a deep breath. ¡°We might be facing a god.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t an exaggerated statement. After the appearance of the Death-Walker, avatar of Ithaqua, the professors of MU had been busy.


    They speculated that after so many years of preparation, it was likely that the Order of Feasters was finally ready to summon their god.


    This being was served by Ithaqua. That meant it was something even more terrifying.


    For investigators, finding out their opponent was a god didn¡¯t change anything. In the face of an even more powerful opponent, they still had to meet the challenge head on.


    If they didn¡¯t sacrifice themselves, millions of ordinary people would lose their lives.


    It was true that Awakened enjoyed the best treatment and privileges in the world. But when the occasion demanded it, they were the first to die.


    This wasn¡¯t a matter of kids playing games, and it never had been. It was a real organization whose members might have to lay down their lives at any time.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a student. Leave this kind of thing to us adults.¡± Hoshino Kota¡¯s attitude was firm. ¡°Thank you for the information, but I¡¯m not going to give you tickets to get in. Tell me your friend¡¯s name and I¡¯ll send an investigator to deal with it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s already late. You should hurry back to your hotel.¡±


    The ticketing gate for the theater had already opened, and the audience members began to file inside the building one after another.


    Hoshino Kota urged him repeatedly, then he took the search warrant and walked towards the entrance.


    Zong Yan stood in a corner, clenching his fists.


    When he left, he¡¯d already seen Mr. Westin and Edward walking into the theater together. It was clear the next performance was going to be a real headliner.


    He let out a deep breath, and the Night Watchman card appeared in his hand. After a flash of light he melted silently into the shadows.


    And at the very same moment, a gray-haired man sitting in the first row of the theater suddenly smiled.


    ¡°What are you grinning at?¡± Ada, who was sitting beside him, gave an amused laugh. ¡°It¡¯s so rare to see a human reaction on your face.¡±


    Tawil smiled but didn¡¯t utter a word.


    The lights in the theater dimmed, and a good show was about to begin.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    I¡¯ve heard that if you get three evil gods together, you can start playing Fight the Landlord immediately


    But no one wants to play against Bubbles, because that guy is all-knowing, all-powerful, and blatantly cheats


    TL Notes:


    straight up hacks ¨C from ¿ªÁË¹Ò ¨C opened and hung up ¨C cheating in a game by (illegally) using a plugin; getting amazing results


    inviting the victim into the funeral urn ¨C Çë¾ýÈëÎÍ ¨C Will you kindly step into the jar? ¡ª Try what you have devised against others.; make a person suffer from his own scheme; pay a man back in his own coin; Please get into the jar, sir!; treat sb. with his own ways


    the person who tied the bell¡­ ¨C ½âÁ廹ÐëϵÁåÈË ¨C In order to untie the bell, the person who tied it is required; It is better for the doer to undo what he has done; Let him who tied the bell on the tiger take it off; Let the mischief-maker undo the mischief


    Fight the Landlord ¨C ¶·µØÖ÷ ¨C One of the most popular card games in China

 CH 27

    Nyarlathotep got a very bad feeling from Tawil¡¯s smile.


    There had to be something behind it. Everyone knew Yog-Sothoth presided over time, which meant he could see into the past as well as the future, and also control events.


    While Nyarlathotep liked mixing it up with humans, Yog-Sothoth¡¯s true form existed eternally outside all planes of existence. He overlooked the boundless universe with complete indifference and detachment.


    Even Shub-Niggurath, who was another of the three pillars of the original gods, would visit the Earth every once in a while to enjoy the attention of the ants and his believers. Yog-Sothoth was the most Buddhist among them.


    ¡°I should get a new look.¡± The black-haired girl returned her eyes to the stage.


    This body wasn¡¯t Nyarlathotep¡¯s favorite, but when in female form he preferred to be a black-haired cheongsam beauty with a fan. Therefore, after doing away with the high priest of the Order of Feasters, he couldn¡¯t resist returning to his preferred image.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this show won¡¯t go the way you wish.¡± Only then did Tawil finally speak.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Nyarla drew another folding fan from the void. The patterns on this fan were even more intricate and gorgeous. If someone stared at it too long, they might get lost in the design.


    Tawil¡¯s words had multiple meanings.


    As a certified troublemaker, Nyarlathotep had made sure nothing would go wrong with tonight¡¯s events. At one point there was the possibility that something might happen, but when the little prince of the British royal family came to the door of his own accord, that variable was extinguished.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But if there¡¯s a variable even you can¡¯t observe, should I assume it¡¯s related to our Lord?¡± Although she giggled, her eyes didn¡¯t smile at all. Instead they gleamed with the dark light of the abyss.


    Azathoth was the King-of-All, the origin of the universe.


    From Azathoth were born Darkness, the Nameless Mist, and Chaos.


    Darkness had spawned Shub-Niggurath, one of the three pillars of the original gods. He was master of fertility and reproduction, and gave birth to almost the entire pantheon of gods. From the Nameless Mist was born Yog-Sothoth, also one of the three pillars, who was omniscient, omnipotent, and the master of time and space. The remaining Chaos had transformed into Nyarlathotep.


    Nyarlathotep was the spokesman and messenger of the Outer Gods. His duties were similar to those of Hermes in Greek mythology.


    He wasn¡¯t subservient to anyone but Azathoth, the Lord of the Universe, and carried out his will.


    Aside from the Outer Gods themselves, very few races were crazy enough to directly worship Azathoth. And while the Outer Gods were essentially subservient to Azathoth, the Supreme Lord and Creator of All Things, Nyarlathotep was the most fanatical of them all.


    Unfortunately, the cosmic Primordial Nucleus was also known as the Blind Idiot God. He remained in his palace day after day, listening to the mindless, decadent, almost sickening piping of a flute.


    However¡ªnot long ago, about a month past, all the Outer Gods had felt the summons of the Lord of Heaven.


    That was why Nyarlathotep had sent his avatar to London in such a hurry.


    He was charged with carrying out the will of Azathoth, so naturally he was closer to the Lord than any other Outer God.


    He¡¯d sensed that this consciousness, which faded before it fully awakened, was hidden on Earth.


    A presence that even Yog-Sothoth couldn¡¯t scrutinize¡­ such a thing was almost impossible, even for his Lord.


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Tawil answered briefly. No matter what was about to happen, he had no intention of continuing the conversation.


    Forget it, trying to pry information out of this guy was almost as difficult as waking the Lord of Heaven.


    Nyarla put away the other fan. ¡°Well, I still have to take care of the Yellow Sign, so I¡¯ll be on my way. Have fun watching the show, gege.¡±


    All the lights of the theater had dimmed, and a symbol was once again projected on the rear curtain of the stage, slowly rotating.


    The first row of seats was empty, but the back was full.


    Shadows covered almost the entire theater, so Zong Yan was able to emerge from the stairwell with ease. With a black umbrella in one hand he cautiously walked into the auditorium.


    The theater gave Zong Yan a very bad feeling, especially now that he¡¯d used the Night Watchman card.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see the dead right now, his ears were filled with the low-pitched howls of the fallen. It was as creepy as the tower above the side hall of Buckingham Palace.


    Zong Yan¡¯s hands were sweating but he couldn¡¯t run away, so he had to summon all his courage.


    After he activated the Night Watchman persona, his night vision was maxed out. But as he looked around, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of Edward or Wang KeMing in the audience.


    That wasn¡¯t right. Were they in a box on the second floor?


    Zong Yan felt more and more anxious. As he desperately scanned the seats for any sign of them, the gray-haired man in the first row suddenly turned around. His eyes directly met Zong Yan¡¯s.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Crap, MU really sent over that spy! London was doomed.


    Just as Zong Yan was about to look away like nothing happened, Tawil suddenly hooked his finger with a smile, beckoning Zong Yan to approach.


    That was really strange. Obviously he¡¯d changed his clothes. Even his hairstyle was different. How was he discovered so far away?! Was this the power of a Great Old One?


    And that¡¯s a threat, right?! That¡¯s a threat!! That¡¯s definitely a threat!!!


    If he didn¡¯t go over and the big guy¡¯s mood took a sudden turn for the worse, he might shapeshift into something else. Then London really would end tonight.


    In order to save the world, Zong Yan had to endure his humiliation and walk over. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Even though he knew there was an unfathomable higher-dimensional god in front of him, Zong Yan¡¯s tone was a bit impatient. The jar was already broken, so it might as well break again.


    The severed threads in his mind suddenly connected.


    Why would a Great Old One suddenly show up at school, and why did he appear at the scene of the crime at the exact right time? Could it be that the person behind the scenes was actually¡ª


    Zong Yan¡¯s expression changed. He stared warily at the gray-haired man.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not as bored as Nyarlathotep.¡± Tawil guessed what was going through this human¡¯s mind.


    But he was in a good mood today, so he decided to be a kindly evil god. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°Sit down for what?¡±


    ¡°The play is about to begin.¡± Tawil said patiently, ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t try to interrupt the performance right now¡­. Besides, destiny has already been decided. There¡¯s no time left to change it.¡±


    Tawil At-U¡¯mr was far more compassionate than his other avatar, Aforgomon.


    After all, there was something about this human that was of great interest to Tawil.


    For one thing, the Lord of Time and Space couldn¡¯t see this person¡¯s future or past. Even his present could only be glimpsed indirectly from the present timeline of others.


    Also, this tiny human was one of the few intelligent members of his species. He possessed great curiosity and thirst for knowledge.


    Yog-Sothoth was quite tolerant of inquisitive humans who pursued knowledge. He was generous in granting wisdom to those who pleased him and answering the call of his human believers.


    As he faced this human, he actually felt some interest.


    He decided this human would make a suitable follower.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Zong Yan asked with great suspicion. ¡°Aforgomon is the God of Time among the Great Old Ones. You have to at least lie to me a little. I¡¯m not a fool.¡±


    No, you are, Tawil thought indifferently.


    The faint appreciation he felt for the human in front of him immediately evaporated.


    ¡°Use your brain.¡± He glanced at Zong Yan with a slightly pitying look. ¡°You dare speak of the Lord of Time and Space in such a way. You¡¯ve really learned nothing from your biology class at MU.¡±


    Hey, hey, hey! How can you, an evil god, sit around complaining about the level of instruction at MU? Or is the reason you came to teach at MU because you couldn¡¯t stand it?


    Zong Yan wanted to throw the black umbrella in his hand and run away, but he knew there was nowhere to go. Besides, the etiquette of the Night Watchman refused to permit him to act so rudely, so he took off his top hat and sat down elegantly in the seat beside Tawil.


    But Tawil¡¯s next sentence almost made Zong Yan jump out of the chair.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t give me a better answer within one minute, not only will I ruin your graduation, but you may find yourself facing the displeasure of a god.¡±


    The gray-haired man hooked up the corners of his mouth, and a flash of darkness glittered in his golden eyes.


    On stage the play had just begun. The Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign, clad in black robes and wearing masks on their faces, began to sing.


    No, no, he wasn¡¯t joking at all.


    Although there was a ¡°human¡± smile on Tawil¡¯s face, there wasn¡¯t a trace of warmth in those golden eyes. It was like a bucketful of cold water that completely woke up Zong Yan.


    If he couldn¡¯t give a satisfactory reply to the god within a minute, it was very possible that¡ª


    The consequences would be unimaginable.


    Zong Yan was half furious inside, as well as half scared.


    You didn¡¯t give me many clues. Do I fcking have to guess your name out of thin air?!


    Wait a minute¡­. The Lord of Time and Space?


    Suddenly Zong Yan felt a flash of lightning in his mind. He remembered when the evil god in front of him was still called ¡°Senior Tawil¡± as well as the book he basically compelled him to read.


    ¡°You have twenty seconds left,¡± the evil god was kind enough to say.


    But that name¡ªthat was an Outer God¡ªone of the three original Outer Gods¡ª


    Even the weakest ancient god could easily destroy humanity, let alone an Outer God who stood above the entire divine system, let alone one of the three pillars of the original gods, who stood above all other Outer Gods.


    Zong Yan felt that his throat was incredibly dry. He slowly opened his mouth to speak the forbidden, supreme name: ¡°You are¡­ Yog-Sothoth.¡±


    The moment he revealed that name, Zong Yan seemed to feel that his vision had expanded in an instant.


    In the darkened theater, behind the gray-haired man, there seemed to be billions of iridescent globes slowly emerging from cracks in space, each of them bearing a stupendous light.


    Now that was a bit more like a future believer.


    The god, seeing he hadn¡¯t misjudged this human, felt a bit pleased again.


    The generous evil god narrowed his eyes and revealed a smile that most humans would interpret as ¡®pleased¡¯.


    ¡°Good. What do you want as a reward?¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan at the beginning of the next chapter: (Suddenly excited) How about letting me graduate?


    Although I said before that the romantic subplot of this story is unorthodox, I have a vague hunch that the gong will be the person with the strongest presence _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_


    I just love Bubbles (YaYa wags head.gif)


    TL Notes:


    The pronouns in this chapter were either directly specified by the author or based on what was previously used for the characters. Nyarla seems to use ¡°she¡± (Ëý, third person female) when acting out a human female disguise, but the rest of the time switches between ¡°he¡± (Ëû, third person male / unspecified / unimportant) and ¡°divine third person¡± (µk, usually translated ¡°He¡±). As mentioned in Chapter 17 notes, I¡¯m currently reserving ¡°He¡± for specific situations involving Azathoth.


    Many sources use ¡°she¡± for Shub-Niggurath. Here the author used both ¡°he¡± and ¡°divine third person¡±. Chinese is pretty relaxed about pronouns or leaves them out entirely, but English makes you choose, and to make things even more interesting, the author literally switches between ¡°he¡± and ¡°divine third person¡± in the same sentence for the same character. If I figure out there¡¯s some sort of system behind it later I¡¯ll go back and edit. Anyway, these are beings that transcend human existence and can reproduce by fission, everything¡¯s an approximation, and hopefully you can enjoy the story regardless.


    gege ¨C ¸ç¸ç ¨C g¨¥g¨¥ ¨C older brother


    summon all his courage ¨C Ó²×ÅͷƤ ¨C harden his scalp ¨C brace oneself to do sth; braving all rebuffs; put a bold face on it


    the jar was broken¡­ ¨C ÆƹÞ×ÓÆÆˤ ¨C An idiom which means that when something has gone wrong, to let it go without correcting it or deliberately allow things to worsen. For example, if you get a bad grade in English and stop studying because of it.


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Aforgomon ¨C ÑǸ¥¸êÃÉ ¨C Y¨¤f¨²g¨¥m¨¦ng


    Shub-Niggurath ¨C ɯ²¼¡¤Äá¹ÅÀ­Ë¹ ¨C Sh¨¡b¨´ N¨ªg¨³l¨¡s¨©, an Outer God

 CH 28

    ¡°Good. What do you want as a reward?¡±


    The words almost, but not quite, drove Zong Yan to exasperation.


    He¡¯d barely managed to mobilize every single brain cell in a very short period while dancing on the edge of death, and he had no idea why, but he was even forced to stare at the actual body of Yog-Sothoth, so that right now his back was soaking wet with sweat. But the other party just nonchalantly asked, What do you want as a reward?


    Zong Yan: ¡°Any reward? Then how about letting me graduate?¡±


    Tawil narrowed his eyes. ¡°As your advisor, I can¡¯t be so irresponsible. If I were to let you graduate now, there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯d be in danger from otherworldly creatures in the future.¡±


    Oh, come on. Now you¡¯re role-playing some kind of sense of responsibility? What a bare-faced con.


    Zong Yan chuckled. ¡°For an evil god you¡¯re really devoted to the future development of the human occult world.¡±


    But as he spoke, he suddenly got an idea. ¡°How about this, Your Holiness Yog-Sothoth? I could use some physics knowledge.


    ¡°Oh, I mean, all I need is physics for senior year three. I don¡¯t need too much, namely, the kind that would explode a human brain.¡±


    Seeing Tawil¡¯s smiling face, Zong Yan immediately added conditions.


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten that the evil god in front of him liked to cram his followers with knowledge so enthusiastically that their brain capacity burst and turned them into vegetables.


    ¡°Only my believers are eligible to receive my knowledge. I can give you a pile of ¡¶Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations¡· or the ¡¶Wang Hou Xiong¡· series.¡±


    The gray-haired, golden-eyed man gave a smile, and his pale, slender fingers slowly drifted across the edge of his white robe, with a subtle hint of freehand brushwork. ¡°Or¡ªdo you intend to become my follower?¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    It¡¯s not impossible. I can pretend to convert, then apostatize after I get what I want.


    But he was sitting in front of the god himself right now, and he¡¯d once said something similar to Senior Tawil. He didn¡¯t dare repeat it.


    So the Night Watchman ended the conversation and silently returned his eyes to the stage.


    Meanwhile, the performance proceeded. But the wailing and screaming of countless souls were almost unbearable for Zong Yan.


    What was even more terrifying was that as he listened carefully he realized those souls weren¡¯t screaming in pain, but crying with excitement. This was the pious worship of the faithful.


    ¡°Carcosa! The glorious, ancient kingdom of Carcosa! My lord, the King in Yellow, I present my soul to you. Open the gates of life and death and lead me to your kingdom.¡±


    There was no doubt about it. Although untold numbers of people had died here, they weren¡¯t the same as the souls in the tower. These people had died of their own free will, voluntarily giving their blood, building the foundation with their bones, constructing the stage with their flesh, singing and sacrificing their souls.


    The guard on the stage, Bremchas, sang in a loud voice, ¡°Behold! For the spire of Carcosa, which rises up beneath the moon, is our only home!¡±


    Although the dead couldn¡¯t be heard by ordinary people, they joined their voices joyously with the play, like a ghostly danse macabre.


    Zong Yan was horrified to hear it, and his worry for Wang KeMing and Edward grew more and more intense.


    The smell of blood was so strong here that he didn¡¯t know how many people had been murdered by the Order of Feasters, bewitched and then pushed into the fire.


    He forced himself to endure it until he finally got up from his seat.


    ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t choose to act just yet.¡± Tawil said lazily, ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that none of your investigators from MU have lifted a finger?¡±


    Shocked, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but look to the side.


    Investigators with badges on their chest lined the back of the theater, each one looking grim-faced. Hoshino Kota, the leader, looked even worse, pale and sweating. Either way, they were watching the play unfold without directly intervening.


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart sank.


    He¡¯d once seen a situation like this in the library in an investigator¡¯s notes.


    If a sacrifice to an evil god began and it was halted in the middle, it would cause the evil god¡¯s temper to erupt. There was once a cult that secretly sacrificed to the Black Goat of the Forest. After the ceremony was interrupted by investigators, it provoked the displeasure of the god. Neither the cultists nor the investigators returned alive. Later, someone repaired a camera found at the scene, which was how they deduced what happened.


    ¡°Hey you in the first row, sit down!¡±


    Zong Yan had suddenly stood up from his seat, and the audience members behind him vocally expressed their unhappiness. He could only hold the brim of his top hat and awkwardly sit down again.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not you, who¡¯s behind it?¡± Before the gray-haired man could speak again, Zong Yan quickly added, ¡°This is the reward I want.¡±


    Tawil¡¯s eyes shifted.


    He was a bit confused.


    When MU investigators faced an actual evil god¡ªexcluding, of course, the ones who were insane¡ªas a rule they were trembling and frightened out of their minds. Unless someone was a crazed, devout fanatic, it was almost impossible to maintain absolute sanity before the gods.


    In a word, shouldn¡¯t he be terrified? If other races in the universe, let alone humans, were to face a god directly, they wouldn¡¯t be half as bold as Zong Yan.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of me?¡± he asked suddenly.


    ¡°No¡­. I¡¯m afraid.¡± Zong Yan immediately corrected himself.


    With an equal mix of joy and anger he said, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of me. Why?¡±


    Tawil was interested, perhaps because his omniscience had so little effect on the tiny human before him, and so this interest grew and grew to a level that was incredible even for a god.


    Why ask why? How many reasons do you need?


    Zong Yan¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Just¡­ it¡¯s useless to be afraid.¡±


    In fact, Zong Yan had no idea himself. He was afraid that if he didn¡¯t say the right thing the other man would flip the table.


    If it was just a Great Old One, that would be one thing, but the being in front of him had suddenly turned out to be one of the three original gods. It wouldn¡¯t take him a second to destroy the Earth.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t want to stand condemned for all time, but now that he thought about it, he still had the Azathoth card.


    Even a rabbit would jump over a wall if it was in trouble. If Zong Yan really got worried, just watch, he could turn into your father Azathoth in a minute, believe it or not!


    ¡°Oh.¡± Tawil narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t say whether he believed it. ¡°The meddler behind the scenes is Nyarlathotep.¡±


    Nyarla, who was presiding over the altar backstage, hadn¡¯t expected Yog-Sothoth to sell him out the moment he left.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°Don¡¯t you Outer Gods have better things to do?¡±


    ¡°Do not confuse me with Nyarla. Among all the Outer Gods he¡¯s the biggest good-for-nothing,¡± Tawil said with displeasure. ¡°Few among the Outer Gods would sneak into the headquarters of another sect like this.¡±


    Yes, between one god and another, certain rules were implicitly maintained.


    Aside from evil gods who were sworn enemies, sects were generally independent and didn¡¯t interfere with each other. After all, the gods weren¡¯t bored enough for such things. They were higher-dimensional beings who¡¯d existed for countless years. If they fought, entire galaxies would collapse. And many were sealed in various corners of the universe. They had other priorities.


    That is, except for Nyarlathotep, that villain, who had nothing better to do all day than roll up one avatar after another, each one pushing along a different pile of schemes. He was the only one who¡¯d bother.


    He¡¯d infiltrated numerous cults and instigated them to do all sorts of things. At first those cultists were grateful, until they found they¡¯d unexpectedly angered their god. Later on, when some of the evil gods realized something was wrong, they discovered Nyarlathotep¡¯s handwriting all over it. Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss, had a feud with Nyarla for that very reason. Of course, there were other gods than that, but Nyarla did everything covertly. He loved nothing better than to stand off to the side watching others fight, then leave everything unsettled.


    Only the omniscient Yog knew how much this guy had done behind the scenes to secretly harm the universe. If everything was exposed, forget humans, maybe forty percent of the gods would unite to cause trouble for Nyarla.


    ¡­ And the worst thing of all was that Nyarlathotep was the envoy of the Lord of the Universe. He was one of the three pillar gods, and his power was unfathomable. Even if he was hated, almost no one was his match.


    ¡°Then what about these dead people¡ª?¡±


    ¡°¡®Evil god¡¯ is just a unilateral label given to us by you humans.¡±


    The higher-dimensional Yog-Sothoth took pity on him and simulated the human mind for a moment. ¡°If humans want something from the gods, they should naturally pay a price. For human beings, the most precious thing is life. Is there something wrong with giving your most precious possession to your god?¡±


    Just then, a figure with a black robe and a face as pale as paper appeared on the stage.


    Zong Yan vaguely remembered there were people in the choir known as the ¡°Brotherhood of the Yellow Seal¡±.


    ¡°We¡¯ve taken off our masks. It¡¯s time for you to take off yours as well.¡±


    The rest of the brothers removed their masks, leaving the figure standing alone at the front of the stage.


    The stranger smiled. ¡°I have no mask.


    ¡°I am real.¡±


    The first act ended. The heavy curtain fell from both sides of the stage and slowly swept across the floor.


    The soaring voices of the chorus came to a sudden halt, followed by a wave of applause from the audience.


    Most of the people here had previously seen the first act. They were here tonight, more than anything, for what was to come.


    The second act was about to begin.


    Zong Yan thought there¡¯d be an intermission before the second act, but as it turned out, even though the curtain had been dropped, the play continued on the stage.


    Dazzling light and shadow suddenly began to emerge from the center of the backdrop and gradually encompassed the stage.


    The guests widened their eyes. When they glimpsed the light and shadow, they were instantly dragged into the illusion.


    Zong Yan instinctively opened the black umbrella to block his vision.


    But it was to no avail. The illusion had already grown to envelop the entire theater, including the people inside.


    Now they were seated on a huge pedestal wrought of white bones and flesh. Below them was the impenetrable city with its ancient walls, and a tall, unearthly spire stretched high above it all.


    ¡ªThe city of Carcosa.


    Remembering the heavenly city the spirits had praised, Zong Yan was shocked.


    There was no doubt this was the territory of a Great Old One.


    The cult had finally succeeded in calling their god, and their god had answered.


    ¡ª


    ""


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: Why aren¡¯t you afraid of me?


    Zong Yan: Because I can become your daddy anywhere, anytime


    TL Notes:


    Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations ¨C ÎåÄê¸ß¿¼ÈýÄêÄ£Äâ ¨C A popular study prep guide


    Wang Hou Xiong Series ¨C ÍõºóÐÛϵÁÐ ¨C A popular series of math exercise books


    freehand brushwork ¨C дÒâ ¨C freehand brushwork used in traditional Chinese painting; lightly written


    The King in Yellow by Thom Ryng (1999) contains a guard character named Bremchas, but I wasn¡¯t able to confirm whether the passages quoted in this chapter are actually from that book. It¡¯s only available in paperback.


    ghostly danse macabre ¨C ȺħÂÒÎè ¨C Demons and monsters danced like mad; a host of demons dancing in riotous revelry; Evil spirits of all kinds danced in riotous revelry; Ghosts and demons danced in riotous revelry


    flip the table ¨C from ·­Á³²»ÈÏÈË ¨C deny a friend; break old friendship; pretend not to know old friends; turn one¡¯s back on old associates


    leave everything unsettled ¨C ²»ÁËÁËÖ® ¨C settle a matter by leaving it unsettled; smother up; by leaving it unsettled; conclude without a conclusion


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Bremchas ¨C ²¼À³Ä·²é˹ ¨C B¨´l¨¢im¨³ch¨¢s¨©

 CH 29

    Hoshino Kota harshly exhaled a mouthful of smoke.


    The spacious and gorgeously-decorated theater which surrounded them a moment ago had suddenly transformed into a bare stone platform.


    Below the stone platform was an overwhelming smell of blood. It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine how the platform had been built. The white bones and red blood of the dead, coupled with the voluntary sacrifice of souls, mingled together to form the most perfect of altars for those who believed in the cult.


    ¡°Welcome to the distant city of Carcosa.¡±


    One at a time, cultists dressed in black robes and masks came out from behind the stage curtain. Although their faces couldn¡¯t be seen directly, the unspeakable excitement in their voices was impossible to miss.


    The ritual hadn¡¯t yet been completed.


    Hoshino Kota slightly hooked his index finger, and a complicated magic pattern emerged from his fingertip. When the other investigators saw his action they also assumed a fighting stance.


    The ordinary people in the audience had been seized by the illusion. They were sprawled over on their seats with their eyes wide open, mesmerized smiles on their faces, staring blankly in a trance.


    The cold white moon slowly descended past the spire of the city of Carcosa. Below them was a wide and endless lake, and in the center of the lake there stood an ancient and magnificent city.


    Although the illusion covered the entire theater, Hoshino Kota knew this wasn¡¯t their ultimate destination.


    In the lake there was a reflection of the moon, but there wasn¡¯t a reflection of the stone platform. This meant that while the illusion was very realistic, they hadn¡¯t actually crossed the gap in time and space into the real Carcosa.


    They still had a chance.


    The investigators couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    The next stage of the ceremony would certainly cost more lives.


    Flames hurled towards the brothers of the Yellow Seal, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.


    ¡°It seems we have some uninvited guests who want to start trouble.¡± A black-haired girl slowly emerged from the darkness. Her face was hidden behind a fan painted with an intricate pattern, and her eyes narrowed with malevolence.


    Ada¡ªno, Nyarlathotep.


    Sure enough, it was her!


    ¡°High Priestess, Your Eminence, we¡¯ll take care of them. Our Lord has answered our prayers. At last¡ªthe city of Carcosa shall be opened!¡±


    The believers chanted these words over and over.


    As cultists, they had the power of true belief. Their faith gave them abilities on par with the Awakened, and that was how they were able to resist the investigators.


    ¡°The sacrifice is about to begin.¡± Nyarlathotep watched the scene with indifference. She beckoned with her finger and several cultists dragged people over to the side.


    When Zong Yan saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but stand up from his seat. His eyes filled with shock and anger.


    That was Edward.


    The prince¡¯s eyes were completely dyed pitch-black. Not a single glimmer of light could be seen in them, just like matte ink.


    The little blond-haired prince was completely in a trance. Step by step he walked towards the edge of the platform.


    The shadow of the Night Watchman¡¯s umbrella quickly swept over, trying to catch Edward¡¯s feet, but the shadow was torn apart by an invisible barrier and silently vanished.


    ¡°Edward!¡± Zong Yan ran over to pull him away, but he was knocked back by an unseen force.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. Since the very beginning he¡¯s been the chosen sacrifice of the Order of Feasters.¡± Nyarla watched with keen interest. ¡°How rare. It seems you noticed something strange about him long ago.¡±


    The black-haired girl giggled, and the fan in her hand began to sway.


    When the fan swept past, Zong Yan grew dizzy.


    He saw a vision behind the fan¡ª


    Huge and bloated tentacles in countless numbers capable of blocking out the sun, sharp fangs where the girl¡¯s delicate face ought to be, like a horrifying monster from the end times.


    ¡°Able to resist divine suggestion as well as glimpse the truth. No wonder Yog was so tempted. If you don¡¯t want to become one of his believers, little chief, you can also consider me,¡± Nyarla said with a smile.


    The next second he suddenly flashed away from the ground.


    In the spot where he¡¯d just been standing, there was a pool of black and unidentifiable slime. Although there was only a little, it corroded the stone platform in an instant.


    Among evil gods, luring someone else¡¯s believer to apostatize or switch sides to a different god was absolutely forbidden.


    It seemed that Yog really liked this human. How surprising, he already enjoyed the treatment of a high-ranking follower.


    Nyarla smiled and concealed half her face. There was a nasty gleam in her eyes, as if she¡¯d found something intriguing.


    But Zong Yan didn¡¯t notice. He couldn¡¯t catch Edward, and now as Edward neared the edge of the platform, he was burning with anxiety.


    ¡°Edward, wake up! It¡¯s an illusion!¡±


    In desperation he tried to activate his power to control shadows, even tried to call the harbinger bird over to stop Edward, but nothing worked.


    More and more people began to stand up. The audience members who were in a dream-state rose one after another. Just like Edward they walked towards the edge of the stone platform.


    As strange as it might sound, the stone platform was clearly just an illusion, but when the audience members jumped from the edge the effects were all too real. Zong Yan even saw one person¡¯s head hit the spire below, and his red and white brain matter splattered all over the ground. It was terrifying.


    No, this isn¡¯t right.


    Zong Yan searched through his memories. He remembered when Revered Daoist Xu Fu had mentioned illusions during class.


    ¡°If you are not under the spell, then the illusion is just an illusion. If you are under the spell, the illusion will become reality.¡±


    ""


    The illusion will¡ªbecome reality.


    Like a kite with a broken string, Edward fell from the stone platform.


    And at the last second, a shadow manipulated by Zong Yan managed to reach the little prince and absorbed the darkness from his eyes.


    Edward continued to fall, but he regained consciousness. His expression was incredulous and confused. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh¡ª¡±


    The Night Watchman opened his black umbrella and jumped after him without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    Behind them, countless mundane people jumped down one after another, praying for the coming of the god with their blood and souls.


    ¡°How¡¯s that for a good show?¡± Nyarla smiled and put away the fan.


    This time, without the concealment of the fan, those huge, swollen tentacles squeezed out into the air. Her body began to twist and deform, finally changing from a pretty girl into a dark-skinned doctor in a white coat. There was a cheerful and compelling smile on his face.


    Nyarlathotep loved to watch human beings struggle in despair. When those ordinary people fell, they had stupid hopeful expressions on their faces, which pleased the evil god very much.


    The investigators were still fighting against the brothers of the Yellow Seal. As the believers chanted, the sound of their hymns echoed around them.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to miss the mark.¡± The gray-haired, golden-eyed man rose from his seat. He gazed down at the distant land below them. ¡°A variable has been introduced. The future has been decided.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear.¡± The white-coated doctor pretended to grieve. ¡°Since even you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯m afraid these believers won¡¯t get to see their King in Yellow today.¡±


    ""


    Of course, it didn¡¯t matter at all to Nyarla.


    He wasn¡¯t concerned about the outcome. He only cared whether these human beings could entertain and amuse him for a while.


    ¡°Hah.¡± Tawil knew Nyarla¡¯s nature all too well. He gave a cold sneer and stared below the stone platform again.


    Tawil normally wouldn¡¯t have bothered to come here himself.


    This time was obviously different.


    A person whose future, past, and present he couldn¡¯t observe¡ªthat was a variable.


    The unknown, that¡¯s what created the greatest delight.


    In any case, the interest of the gods had been aroused.


    ¡°A believer who doesn¡¯t fear the gods is far more interesting, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡ª


    In midair, Zong Yan tightly gripped Edward¡¯s hand.


    But at the same instant, that little bit of shadow suddenly jumped from the air to his hand.


    No!


    Zong Yan barely had time to reveal a frightened expression to Edward before he was dragged into a second illusion.


    But it wasn¡¯t just him. If someone stood outside the theater, they¡¯d see a vision in the sky.


    A drunk who¡¯d just come out of a pub with a can of beer in his hand said dizzily, ¡°Why is there a city up there¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just drunk. What city?¡± His companion laughed and scolded him, but a moment later he himself was staring in disbelief.


    High above, in the night sky of London, the silhouette of a city had quietly appeared.


    ¡°What in God¡¯s name is that, a mirage?!¡±


    Various people exclaimed and took out their cell phones one after another, but when their cameras flashed, the photos didn¡¯t reveal any of the floating city, just a normal night sky.


    The city couldn¡¯t be captured by human photographic equipment. It could only be observed by human eyes.


    London, where Ithaqua¡¯s avatar, the Death-Walker, had appeared only a few days before, once again sounded the alarm.


    ¡°Report to headquarters, the satellites are unable to detect the city over London!¡±


    ¡°Report to headquarters! Infrared is also unable to capture an image!¡±


    ""


    ¡°Report, the helicopter that was just dispatched doesn¡¯t see the image in the air. Please notify command!¡±


    ¡­


    Countless messages poured like a tidal wave to the military command center in London.


    At the same time, more and more people had noticed that the shadow of the city was growing clearer and clearer. It was also descending closer to London.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve confirmed it isn¡¯t a military attack by U.S. or Russian forces. It¡¯s most likely related to the occult world.¡±


    The subordinate hurriedly sorted out the materials and entered the emergency wartime operations room.


    A general with medals on his chest melted down and tossed the information away. ¡°London hasn¡¯t seen this many major events in years! Last time we had a blizzard that almost buried Great Britain. What is it this time?!¡±


    ¡°First, calm down the populace and send out the fighter jets. Say it¡¯s part of our rehearsal for Michaelmas.¡±


    The public relations department started working overtime again and posted reassuring updates on their Twitter and Insta public accounts.


    With a wail, the general sat back in his chair and put his hand over his forehead. ¡°Dear God.¡±


    Fortunately, both incidents happened at night, and rather late. If it had happened during the day when more citizens were awake, the situation would have been even worse.


    ¡°Damn it, get this information to the Spire Council. And tell them to move the Gate of Truth out of London.


    ¡°They¡¯re not welcome in Great Britain anymore!!!¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Hastur, the King in Yellow, is coming out!


    Hastur: Believers just keep getting worse and worse these days


    TL Notes:


    Once again, Ada/Nyarla¡¯s flip-flopping pronouns are from the author. At one point I had to guess and tried to follow the same usage.


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Sir ¨C ¸óÏ ¨C g¨¦xi¨¤ ¨C Alternatively: My Lord, Lord, Your Excellency, etc.


    Hastur ¨C ¹þ˹Ëþ ¨C H¨¡S¨©T¨£ ¨C A Great Old One

 CH 30

    Incense burned lazily in a beautifully decorated bedroom.


    When Zong Yan woke up he saw a dark curtain before his eyes.


    A fringe of heavy tassels hung down from the bed canopy, casting long, intricate shadows on the curtain of the bed.


    The edges of the curtain were embroidered with gold, luxurious and beautiful.


    His eyes snapped open as his memory returned.


    A moment ago he¡¯d been holding his friend¡¯s hand as they fell through the air. Then, suddenly, he was in a bed. It was a little too fantastic to absorb.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time to get up.¡±


    While Zong Yan was thinking, the butler¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the room.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Without Zong Yan¡¯s conscious control his mouth opened and spoke.


    That wasn¡¯t his voice! It was the voice of a young child!


    Zong Yan was alarmed, but his body began to move on its own¡ªagain, without his willing it¡ªand lifted the curtain to get out of bed.


    He stood barefoot on the thick carpet. The butler opened the door and a row of maids in neat aprons filed inside. They held freshly warmed clothes in their hands and knelt down to help him change into them.


    The butler, meanwhile, prepared water for washing-up to the appropriate temperature and brought over a wash basin and mirror. Zong Yan¡¯s body began to move on its own, brushing his teeth and washing his face. He accepted a cup of strong breakfast tea.


    In the mirror was a face with blond hair and blue eyes. Although he seemed to be only six or seven years old, the face was awfully familiar.


    It was Edward, the face of a much younger Edward.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mother?¡±


    After a simple meal in the room, he heard his voice ask this question.


    ¡°Replying to Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen is in the west wing of the palace. She said that no one is allowed to disturb her today,¡± the butler of Buckingham Palace said respectfully.


    Little Edward frowned with displeasure. ¡°¡­ But yesterday Mother told me she would take me to play Legos.¡±


    A wave of unhappiness washed over him, the type of unhappiness a child felt when they discovered an adult had broken their promise.


    Zong Yan realized that he¡¯d been pulled into a memory, maybe because of the shadow he¡¯d drawn out from Edward¡¯s eyes.


    But a memory was a memory, after all. Zong Yan, an external actor, couldn¡¯t interfere with its progress. All he could do was watch the memory unfold with Edward¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry, Your Highness.¡± The butler didn¡¯t know what to say. He could only bow to the little prince and make a painless apology.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Little Edward¡¯s anger rose up at once. He pushed the butler away and rushed out of the room.


    Buckingham Palace was huge. Fortunately, little Edward knew his way. He turned left and right through the complicated and splendid corridors, past many authentic works of art, and stomped up to the fourth floor.


    The fourth floor was the king¡¯s chambers.


    Since his mother was ignoring him, little Edward instinctively wanted to find his father.


    He was the most favored young prince in the palace. King Lanchester treated all his children equally, but Edward stood out because of his mother¡¯s preference.


    Queen Isabella was also from a noble family. She was actually a close relative of Lanchester II, which couldn¡¯t be helped. In order to maintain their noble lineage, until modern times, the British royal family had engaged in consanguineous marriages. When Isabella became queen, the power of her family was surging. They¡¯d once established their own dynasty in Great Britain and were also the rulers of Scotland. The union of Lanchester and Isabella was unprecedented, putting an end to the centuries-old struggle between the two dynastic families, and truly brought the Commonwealth together.


    When little Edward reached the door of the king¡¯s bedroom, he stopped all of a sudden.


    He heard a very odd sound.


    The soft panting of a woman, a man¡¯s muffled roar, mixed with a slight slapping.


    He peeked through the crack in the door and was just able to make out the sordid scene.


    The most important thing was, the woman¡¯s face¡ªwasn¡¯t his mother¡¯s.


    Royal children were generally precocious, and little Edward had received the relevant education very early.


    The young boy trembled. Just as he was about to open the door and ask what was happening, another voice came from the hallway.


    ¡°Edward?¡± The female voice was incredibly soft and full of love.


    A brown-haired woman appeared in the hallway with a doting smile. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but today she wasn¡¯t wearing a jeweled gown. instead she wore an oddly-styled black dress. Her face was pale and worn.


    ¡°M-Mother, good morning.¡±


    Surprised, little Edward hurried to the entrance of the hallway. He instinctively didn¡¯t want his mother to see what was happening in the room.


    Isabella put her hand over his soft blond hair and didn¡¯t give the half-closed door a single glance.


    ¡°Come on, Mother will take you with her.¡±


    As the brown-haired queen bowed her head, little Edward realized his mother wasn¡¯t wearing her crown, the most prestigious symbol of the Queen of the British royal family.


    The corridor was empty. There wasn¡¯t a single servant on the fourth floor, including the butler.


    He had no idea where everyone had gone.


    The queen led the young blond-haired boy through the halls. They passed through countless corridors and rooms, until finally they arrived at the western side hall of the palace. They walked up to the platform on the roof and entered the tower.


    ¡°What are we doing here, Mum?¡±


    Little Edward watched Isabella lock the door of the tower from the inside. For some reason, he felt a sudden sense of panic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Edward.¡± The brown-haired queen¡¯s face looked ghostly beneath the intricate shadows, with a frighteningly morbid expression. ¡°Mum will take you to a place that¡¯s full of happiness, without any worries at all.¡±


    ¡°A happy place?¡± Edward asked, ¡°Is it the kingdom of heaven?¡±


    Because he was required to read the Bible, little Edward knew about the kingdom of heaven, so he asked with curiosity.


    Isabella smiled and casually put the long key in her pocket. ¡°Of course not.


    ¡°It¡¯s far more beautiful, far more wonderful, and far more painless than the kingdom of heaven.¡±


    She lit the candles, and their light cast long, intricate shadows on the dark walls of the tower, like the poisonous queen in Snow White who gazed into the magic mirror.


    Although Little Edward didn¡¯t know it, Zong Yan knew very well.


    This tower wasn¡¯t a good place. It had probably been used by the royal family to hold condemned prisoners.


    A multitude of wronged souls were trapped here. After their deaths, the bones and flesh of the victims were mixed into the cement, which together with the bricks had built this tower.


    The brown-haired queen led Edward step by step to the top of the tower. Her black skirt swayed on the stairs, like a black tulip blooming on its way to hell.


    ¡°Only you are Mother¡¯s child.¡±


    She murmured in a very low voice, like she was talking to herself, ¡°Your brother is the future king, and your sister is the flower of Great Britain. Neither of them belong to me. Only you, only you are Mother¡¯s child.¡±


    The altar was brightly lit, revealing the long, intricate lines of a blood-colored engraving. The queen knelt down reverently and took out an ancient fan from her pocket.


    The fan looked old, and a strange symbol was carved on the handle.


    The symbol on the handle was echoed in a series of grooves on the stone floor of the tower.


    Isabella picked up the blood from the altar and poured the shocking red into the lines of the engraving. As if controlled by the force of gravity, the blood converged in the engraving and became a golden seal.


    The mark of the King in Yellow was called the Yellow Seal.


    ¡°Mother, what are you doing?¡± Little seven-year-old Edward naturally knew what blood was. He watched in fear as Isabella took a knife from her pocket and cut her wrist without hesitating. The blood immediately sprayed out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Edward. Come here. Soon, soon, we can leave this place.¡±


    Isabella opened her arms and motioned to Edward. He hesitated for a moment but walked over to her anyway, accepting his mother¡¯s warm but chilling embrace.


    ¡°This world is too dirty.¡± The brown-haired queen gently stroked his head. ¡°Your mother has long been tired of such a life. Only my Lord can change it all.¡±


    The blood snaked across the floor, slowly mingling with the blood dripping from the queen¡¯s wrist, until it merged into a long, intricate pattern, which began to emit a pale, unsettling red light.


    Normally, Isabella could never open the door to Carcosa, but she had a hidden identity¡ªthe High Priestess of the Order of Feasters. The fan was the proof of her rank.


    The remnant souls and bones buried under the tower didn¡¯t have the power on their own to open the boundary between life and death and explore the shadow behind it. If she had opened the gate alone, she might have been safe, but Edward was with her.


    Two people, but only one person was bleeding. It wasn¡¯t enough for both of them to pass the bridge of death unharmed.


    The gateway between life and death demanded another victim. It naturally assumed the high priestess had brought a sacrifice for the god.


    Isabella opened her eyes wide. She could feel that something in the void had marked her son, a gift of flesh and blood.


    ¡°How did this happen¡­¡± Perhaps no one else would have understood, but as Priestess, she knew perfectly well that sacrificed souls could never enter Carcosa. They were doomed to wander between heaven and earth and become wandering ghosts. They couldn¡¯t even be reborn.


    The brown-haired queen didn¡¯t know where she got the strength, but at the last possible moment she managed to shove little Edward away. He tumbled down the tower steps.


    ¡°Go, Edward, go!¡±


    She¡¯d already made the decision to die with her son and leave this sordid world, even if she had to make herself a sacrifice to free him. That single thought consumed her mind.


    But at the last second, maternal love overturned everything.


    A strong wind suddenly gusted. The blood on the floor dried up drop by drop, and a figure emerged from the void.


    When the sacrifice was received, the god revealed his true visage.


    He was a faceless man in a ragged yellow robe, with a graceful and dignified bearing. His body possessed an inherent, wordless magnetism, which on its own demanded worship from anyone who saw him.


    For this was the Great Old One, the Lord of Interstellar Spaces, the Feaster from Afar¡ªHastur, the King in Yellow.


    His true face could not be seen directly, for the sight would cause an ordinary human to go insane.


    According to the contents of this memory, little Edward was unconscious at the bottom of the tower. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to see whether the summoning ritual was successful.


    But at that moment, Zong Yan separated from Edward. He suddenly appeared in the memory as the Night Watchman. Meanwhile, Edward began to walk to the top of the tower with empty eyes.


    He was the sacrifice chosen by the god more than ten years ago, and after more than ten years, he was meant to meet the fate that was ordained.


    Edward was awake, but he couldn¡¯t control his movements. He could only watch himself climb upward step by step, repeating his childhood nightmare over and over again.


    He would see his mother¡¯s tragic body, see the god, and see Carcosa, a place which he could never reach.


    Last time Isabella had given up her life to shove him away. This time¡ª


    A black umbrella was firmly planted before him. The Night Watchman in his long, black coat passed by him and blocked his way, then walked to the top of the tower in his place.


    When he saw the back of that figure, the little prince¡¯s blue eyes trembled violently. Tears slipped unwittingly down his cheeks.


    Edward wanted to speak, but his body was pinned in place by an unyielding shadow.


    The King in Yellow hovered above the ground. His actual body was huge, but because this place existed in a gap in memory, he deliberately only showed himself at the top of the tower.


    He had no face, and the area beneath his hood that should have revealed his face contained nothing but impenetrable darkness.


    Every movement of the god was elegant, but behind him was a shadowy image of numerous grasping, horrifying tentacles, as if made faintly visible by the light of distant stars.


    No matter how bright and holy he might at first appear, he was in fact an evil god.


    Under normal circumstances, to look directly at an evil god should have driven Zong Yan insane.


    But he¡¯d once been linked to the mind of Azathoth, and even caught a glimpse of the true face of Yog-Sothoth. The sight of a mere Great Old One wasn¡¯t enough to bother Zong Yan.


    But that just meant he hadn¡¯t automatically gone crazy. If the evil god was displeased, ten Zong Yans wouldn¡¯t be enough to beat him.


    The King in Yellow was a powerful Great Old One. Unlike the Death-Walker, who was at the bottom of the list of Great Old Ones, Hastur¡¯s body was sealed on a planet of the Pleiades star cluster. His human avatar on Earth could destroy a city with ease.


    ¡°Good day, Your Excellency.¡±


    The Night Watchman courteously took off his hat and respectfully bowed his head. His long gray hair tied with ribbons slipped past his shoulder and covered his clammy fingers.


    ¡°To gaze upon my true face without going mad¡ªfor a human being, you¡¯re very good.¡±


    A distant, rhythmic voice rang out, like the ultimate chorus of an assemblage of unearthly creatures, echoing between heaven and earth. No, it couldn¡¯t be said to be an actual, audible sound. It was more like a projection from the mind of a higher-dimensional being directly to the mind of a lower-dimensional being.


    ¡°However, since you don¡¯t want to give up the sacrifice, you naturally have to pay a price.¡±


    ""


    A huge but withered and unspeakably grotesque appendage emerged from the yellow robe and hovered in the air, and the voice of the evil god cast its final, irrefutable spell.


    ¡°Take hold.


    ¡°Obey my command.¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, the Night Watchman carefully removed his black gloves. Slowly but firmly he took hold of the tentacle.


    In an instant, screams and shudders poured from his divine consciousness along this section of his trunk, furiously crushing and sweeping through Zong Yan¡¯s soul, seeking to drag him into the bottomless abyss of madness.


    Zong Yan bowed his head. In the vast and evil atmosphere the sensation of slowly suffocating almost made him lose himself. His trenchcoat and long gray hair were lifted by the Hunter, and the next moment, inch by inch, he shattered like a mirror.


    The Night Watchman status was released. The aristocrat of the foggy night, previously standing in the tower with a black umbrella in his hand, transformed into an ordinary black-haired teen in a white shirt.


    But Zong Yan didn¡¯t release his hand. Even though his face was covered with beads of sweat and looked completely haggard, he still clutched the god¡¯s appendage tightly. In the pressure of the hurricane-strength force, he lifted his eyes and gazed directly into the hooded face of the evil god.


    Those eyes shone more brightly than the brightest stars in the universe. They were filled with the light of defiance and ignited a flame in the depths of the soul.


    Even the evil god in his yellow robe couldn¡¯t help but stare at such a light.


    For a moment, the heavens and the earth were pressed to a standstill.


    Zong Yan looked like he¡¯d just been fished from the water, shaking and about to collapse.


    ¡°My name is Hastur, and I grant you the power to know.¡±


    The evil god in the yellow robes seemed to smile faintly. ¡°You have pleased the god, and the god will grant you a reward.¡±


    In the void, a nameless, wordless object pressed into the center of Zong Yan¡¯s forehead.


    ¡ª


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood.¡± The black-skinned doctor in a white coat smiled, and his eyes were full of amusement.


    Tawil glanced at him coldly. A second later, Nyarlathotep was thrown into the deep sea waters of the Arctic Ocean.


    ¡°Ahhhhh, as expected of the Lord of Time and Space.


    ¡°All that for a believer¡­? How very interesting.¡±


    As Nyarlathotep muttered to himself his smile grew wider and wider.


    The evil god who¡¯d been thrown into the depths of the sea sighed deeply. A legion of twisted, distorted shadows broke out from behind him, gathered in the frigid currents of the Arctic Ocean, and wantonly stretched out into the dark and almost lightless waters, a terrible form that no human being could ever observe.


    If someone encountered this sight, they would have descended into a frenzy of madness.


    Fortunately, no one was around.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    The King in Yellow is Hastur. He¡¯s a famous Great Old One in the Cthulhu mythology.


    He¡¯s not derived from the King in Yellow character from Identity V. Don¡¯t get confused.


    TL Notes:


    long, intricate ¨C ÉîÉîdzdz ¨C deep and shallow ¨C deeper and lighter, various shades, deeply shallow, both deep and shallow mixed


    Identity V ¨C µÚÎåÈ˸ñ ¨C A multiplayer survival horror game. One of the Hunter characters is named Hastur, ¡°The King in Yellow¡±.


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Your Excellency ¨C ¸óÏ ¨C g¨¦xi¨¤ ¨C Alternatively: Sir, My Lord, etc.

 CH 31

    In the end, Zong Yan missed the last flight home before school started.


    After they broke free from the illusion, he took Edward back to Buckingham Palace.


    The main reason was that Edward was seriously ill. He fell into a deep coma and wouldn¡¯t wake up no matter how much they shouted. Beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, as if he were an animal trapped in a nightmare. His face was filled with pain.


    Buckingham Palace had the best doctors in Great Britain. If Zong Yan had tried to take Edward to any hospital in the U.K., they¡¯d make headlines the next day. And if something were to happen to Prince Edward, tomorrow Zong Yan would be on wanted posters all over the world.


    So he inwardly said, ¡°Sorry, brother¡±, and then took Edward back to the palace to be cared for by the royal physicians.


    But the other reason was that they¡¯d run off in a hurry and hadn¡¯t even taken their luggage. Wang KeMing didn¡¯t care. After all, his family was well-to-do; whatever he lost he could always get back. Edward would have been even more indifferent. If you decided to compare their assets, Edward, a landed lord with several titles, was by far the biggest tycoon among the three.


    As for Zong Yan, all he had were his passport and the two bank cards given to him by the Dragon Group. If he mislaid them, he¡¯d have to report it. The biggest thing was that he couldn¡¯t afford to lose the money.


    ¡°His Highness is merely in shock. There are no other complications. He just needs to rest for a period of time.¡±


    After the doctors gave the unconscious Edward a full-body examination with sophisticated instruments, that was their conclusion.


    Zong Yan breathed a sigh of relief.


    He closed the door of the room and exchanged glances with Wang KeMing.


    Wang KeMing had been much luckier than Edward. He¡¯d also been in the theater, but like the others, he was an Awakened. When the investigators began to fight the heretics, there was a strong backlash of awakening source which immediately roused the little fat man. So he dove under a chair and huddled there until the end.


    The followers of the Order of Feasters never managed to open the gate to Carcosa.


    They¡¯d lost the most important sacrifice, and the evil god wasn¡¯t interested anyway. Compared with his believers, a human who was able to gaze directly at his face was much more intriguing.


    ¡°Faith is not reciprocal. Faith has always been a unilateral wish from small human beings.¡± Maybe it was the light emanating from this human that made the evil god look at him. Hastur was benevolent enough to talk to him a bit. ¡°Most humans are unable to interact with my consciousness. You¡¯re the first lower-dimensional creature I¡¯ve encountered who can communicate with me.¡±


    Just as an ant was unable to understand a human being, humans couldn¡¯t comprehend the thoughts of a god, which was why Hastur was so surprised.


    ¡°The stars will soon return to their positions. I hope the next time we meet, you will be clothed in the robes of a priest of the Order of Feasters.¡± The voice of the King in Yellow grew distant: ¡°I will give you the honor of entering the city of Carcosa, a reward for pleasing the god.¡±


    Then Hastur let him go. The whole thing was unbelievable, but when Zong Yan thought about it, maybe the evil god was just in a good mood and didn¡¯t feel like crushing an ant.


    If he spared this ant, it might be a source of entertainment later. But to actually believe in an evil god¡­


    As the most promising student of MU and chief of the current term, Zong Yan thought: Forget it.


    ¡°Yan Ge, what should we do now?¡± Wang KeMing asked.


    If they followed the timetable, they were supposed to board a plane to China tonight. The day after tomorrow was the start of the school term for third year students of Qingyang Senior High.


    Yes, the senior class started a week earlier than all other grades. Last year someone had called the school board to complain. In all of Jiangzhou, only the senior class of Qingyang High School enjoyed this privilege. Most seniors started an entire month earlier.


    ¡°We¡¯re brothers and we can¡¯t be disloyal. Let¡¯s wait for Edward to wake up before we leave. Otherwise it won¡¯t feel right.¡± Zong Yan sighed.


    Since they¡¯d discovered that one of their team members, Ada, was an enemy agent, there were only three people left in the temporary investigation team.


    After everything that happened, the feelings of the three had strengthened immeasurably. They were brothers who¡¯d faced death together. It was only natural to want to look after each other.


    ¡°But, Yan Ge, what about¡ª¡± Wang KeMing was a little worried.


    Wang KeMing himself was fine. He¡¯d graduated from high school long ago and was now a glorious college student, but Zong Yan was still in his third year of high school, and MU¡¯s next block of classes would start up soon.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. MU is going to move the Gate of Truth from London to Jiangzhou in the next two days. We¡¯ll just make a trip back to MU and then go out again. It¡¯s like our plane tickets were upgraded.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s inner abacus rattled. He and Wang KeMing stood outside the Prince¡¯s bedchamber chatting. Suddenly, Buckingham Palace¡¯s butler entered from the other side.


    ¡°Mr. Zong.¡± The butler, wearing white gloves, bowed slightly. ¡°His Majesty wishes to speak to you alone. Is this a convenient time?¡±


    Here it comes.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised.


    After all, Edward was Lanchester II¡¯s favored youngest son. Now that his child was in a coma, it was natural for the King to call out the culprit for punishment.


    ¡°It¡¯s convenient.¡± He nodded to Wang KeMing and followed the butler to a meeting room in the west side hall.


    ¡°Please go in. His Majesty is waiting for you.¡± After taking Zong Yan to the room, the butler considerately held the door and motioned Zong Yan inside.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t think much about it. He walked into the room.


    ¡°Good day, Your Majesty.¡±


    Lanchester II was standing in front of the largest window in the room. He turned to look back.


    ¡°Good day,¡± the old voice said.


    Zong Yan realized the King was getting older. When they¡¯d dined together last time, Zong Yan had tried not to stare too much because of etiquette and the poor lighting. Only now did he see the deep furrows on the King¡¯s face and the wrinkles left by time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know.¡± Lanchester didn¡¯t play around but got straight to the point.


    Zong Yan remained silent and listened as the king continued, ¡°Edward is the child who has always made me feel the most regret.¡±


    Lanchester II wasn¡¯t a good husband, nor had he been a good father.


    He treated his children equally, but he was a bit partial to Edward. In the end, it was a matter of guilt.


    The royal family wasn¡¯t as beautiful as outsiders might imagine. The reality wasn¡¯t a fairy tale where the prince and princess lived happily ever after.


    The marriage of Lanchester II and Isabella was decided more by political considerations than anything else. After their marriage, they tacitly agreed to play their own games, but Isabella was a devout believer who strictly controlled her desires.


    When Isabella had married him, both families put everything on the table. Lanchester II had no intention of interfering with her faith.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected Isabella to have a death wish.


    Or perhaps it wasn¡¯t precisely a wish to die, but a conscious dedication to god, and a deluded desire to take Edward with her.


    Even in Great Britain which allowed free practice of faith, such a religion would still be called a ¡°cult¡±.


    Of course, the royal family couldn¡¯t let this scandal come to light, so they blocked the news.


    And perhaps because little Edward had been subjected to something so indescribable, his brain¡¯s self-protective mechanisms kicked in, and the memory was sealed within his mind.


    It was because of his guilt that Lanchester became more and more attached to the little prince after Isabella¡¯s death.


    ¡°He¡¯s never liked the palace.¡± The old king smiled. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t know? I personally put the MU invitation letter beside his bed.¡±


    Although the royal family wasn¡¯t as powerful as it was before the Autumn Act hundreds of years ago, it was still powerful enough.


    Zong Yan exhaled softly.


    He might have known. No matter how capable Edward was, he was just a prince. The real power in Buckingham Palace was the King.


    Edward probably hadn¡¯t thought his hard-earned, carefully-planned escape was an intentional slip of the fingers for the true power in the palace, but behind it was deep love.


    ¡°He¡¯s always preferred the outside, but he really is the most talented one.¡± Lanchester II sighed.


    ""


    According to the British laws of succession, the first in line to the throne should be the Crown Prince. But the eldest prince had made a national spectacle of his marriage a few years ago. Public support for him was very low, and even the second-born princess had been affected.


    ¡°He¡¯s always hated me. Even if he doesn¡¯t remember everything, I know it all.


    ¡°While I still have the ability for a few more years, I¡¯ll let him make his choice.¡±


    Lanchester II added, ¡°You¡¯re the only friend he recognizes. He probably won¡¯t want to see me when he wakes up. You should just take him and leave. Please take care of him. This is my request as a father.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to tell him I said any of this.¡±


    ¡ª


    Edward woke up three days later.


    Zong Yan and Wang KeMing had agreed to take turns looking after him. Just then Zong Yan was sleeping, and Wang KeMing was sitting at a small table staring at his phone.


    When Edward woke, Wang KeMing was playing a game. Halfway through the match, he ditched his teammates and ran over to the call bell. Doctors in white coats and maids rushed in to examine the royal patient.


    ¡°No major injuries. The Prince just needs a good rest.¡± The attending physician put the vial of medicine on the bed. Edward, who still had a tired look on his face, waved his hand and drove them all out of the room.


    ¡°So, are you okay?¡± Wang KeMing asked cautiously.


    The next second, the little blond-haired, blue-eyed prince jumped up from the bed with a ¡°whoosh¡ª¡±. He threw on his clothes with a familiar excited look in his eyes. ¡°Very good! Go, go, go! Where¡¯s Zong Yan? They¡¯ve finally let down their guard. If I miss this chance I won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    And so Zong Yan was woken up. In the middle of the night, the three young people met up and slipped out of Buckingham Palace.


    As he climbed over the wall, Zong Yan automatically looked back at the bedchamber on the fourth floor, where a vague shadow was standing, looking at them from a distance.


    There were times when letting go was the greatest gift of love a king could give.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Come on, don¡¯t you start school today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± the black-haired boy responded, jumped down lightly from the wall and left the silent, watchful palace.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    The plan couldn¡¯t keep up with the changes. There was one thing that wasn¡¯t explained, so the Night Watchman volume changed to 14 parts wu wu wu


    TL Notes:


    Thus concludes the Night Watchman arc! (?? ? ?)?*:??? ?


    Although there are ¡°arcs¡± (or ¡°volumes¡±) this isn¡¯t a quick transmigration story. There aren¡¯t necessarily big plot changes at the start and end. But if you¡¯re curious, arcs are 14-17 chapters long.


    My plan from now on is to take a 1 day break at the end of each arc, which means I won¡¯t post tomorrow. The next series of chapters is slightly longer and it will be helpful to have an additional day to work on them. Also, chapter 40 is a double chapter. I intend to take a 1 day break after it¡¯s posted.


    The next arc is one of my favorites, please look forward to it~ (o¨R?¨Q)o


    Transliterated names, titles, and places:


    ¡°Sorry, brother¡±, ¡°We¡¯re brothers¡±, etc. ¨C brother is ¡°Ðֵܡ±, xi¨­ngd¨¬

 CH 32

    Although he¡¯d sworn to Wang KeMing it didn¡¯t matter if he missed the start of school, by the time Zong Yan passed all the hurdles and actually returned to Jiangzhou, Qingyang High School had already been in session for four days.


    Zong Yan was a little worried.


    The parental contact number he¡¯d given the school belonged to a grandpa in the tube-shaped apartment building. If the school called to notify his guardian, Zong Yan would probably get a lecture when he went back.


    So he quietly opened his WeChat, where he only had a few contacts, and turned to He Yuan for help.


    ¡¾I Love Gauss¡¿: He Yuan Ge, help out your didi. I won¡¯t make it back in time


    ¡¾I Love Gauss¡¿: If I miss the start of school I¡¯ll be in trouble


    There turned out to be a bit of a misunderstanding here.


    He Yuan¡¯s previous profile pic was the badge of Dragon Team 7. After he went on leave, he changed his WeChat avatar to a picture of a sunset he took in Syria.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t used to sending messages to people. When he saw the Dragon Group pic in his friends list, he sent a message immediately.


    Unfortunately, that was also the avatar of Si Yan, the leader of Team 7. His WeChat avatar hadn¡¯t changed for ten years, unlike He Yuan who updated it whenever he went on vacation.


    This time, because of the incident in Syria, they¡¯d been on assignment for almost two years and received an ample amount of leave.


    Si Yan stayed in his dormitory endlessly playing games until his days and nights were switched around. Specifically, he was in the Top 50 of the PUBG international ranking list. A lot of overseas clubs sent him olive branches asking if he had plans to become a professional E-sports player.


    ""


    But these easy days were coming to an end. Recently there were more and more unusual events in the occult world, and a lot of them were concentrated around Jiangzhou.


    Based on the position of the celestial bodies, it was likely that when the stars returned, Jiangzhou would be the center of activity. Si Yan knew he might suddenly become busy in a few days, so he was playing games like crazy, trying to brush up on his skills.


    Ding¡ª


    He¡¯d just finished playing a game when the cell phone next to him produced a message beep.


    Si Yan casually reached for the phone.


    He didn¡¯t have many contacts. Most of them were work-related, and his WeChat was private. Generally, work would contact him by phone, and they were pretty ruthless about it.


    Then he saw the message from ¡¾I Love Gauss¡¿.


    Si Yan: ¡­


    Wanted him to handle something, and mistook him for He Yuan. Si Yan didn¡¯t want to get mixed up in it.


    At the other end, Zong Yan didn¡¯t wait for a reply. He didn¡¯t know much about online social etiquette and assumed He Yuan had received the message.


    That was mostly because Zong Yan was busy preparing, which left him a little frazzled.


    Since they were traveling back to China through the Gate of Truth, they had to go from Westminster Abbey to the outskirts of the Dreamlands.


    ""


    When they reached the gate, he heard investigators with spatial awakening ability chatting about something.


    ¡°Why did the Gate of Truth move so early? Don¡¯t they usually move it half a month before the start of school?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you didn¡¯t hear? Too much happened in London recently. Those British people said they were done. They told us if we didn¡¯t leave they¡¯d cancel our subsidies in the Commonwealth, so we had to move the gate in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Gate of Truth moving next?¡± the investigator asked.


    ¡°Headed to Jiangzhou, China. Its nickname is Modou, the Magic City, and apparently it has its own wards. But they say wherever MU opens the gate, the feng shui is always bad. I hope the mysterious ancient magic of the East can break the streak,¡± another investigator replied. ¡°The Chinese Dragon Group reported various alien activities in the city lately. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s attracting the otherworld to Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? If there wasn¡¯t a problem, MU wouldn¡¯t open the gate there. Of course, if there wasn¡¯t a problem before the gate opened, you can bet there¡¯ll be a problem after.¡±


    Zong Yan felt embarrassed.


    No matter where MU opened the Gate of Truth, the destination city got a reputation for bad feng shui. That meant no matter how glorious it was in the beginning, by the time they left, it was a shambles.


    After returning to the Dreamlands, he naturally had to submit the results of his E-level mission to the Academic Affairs Office.


    Zong Yan was surprised that he received a good external evaluation from Hoshino Kota.


    That meant as long as his advisor gave him a passing mark, he¡¯d successfully completed the investigation practice course unscathed.


    ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t bring a transcript signed by your advisor?¡± the Academic Affairs professor entering his grades suddenly looked up and asked.


    ¡°No¡­ Well, wait, I need a report card personally signed by my advisor?¡± Zong Yan froze as though facing a grave threat.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The professor was baffled. ¡°Your mentor is the final evaluator of your grades. All your grades have to be approved by your advisor. If he won¡¯t let you graduate, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°Good grief!¡±


    When he thought of who his advisor was, Zong Yan felt a wave of anguish.


    That was no ordinary teacher. He was a god, and not an ancient god or a Great Old One. He was an Outer God, at the very apex of the Outer Gods.


    Zong Yan wanted to avoid him like the plague, but there was no choice. He had to run over there and show his face. Were these people worried that Zong Yan hadn¡¯t died fast enough?


    What¡¯s more, Tawil seemed very interested in him lately and was committed to making him a believer in Yog-Sothoth.


    The whole thing was a mess. All Zong Yan could do was play dumb. He was worried that if he actually dared to refuse, he¡¯d face the fury of the Lord of Time and Space a second later.


    The most important thing was that last time, because the situation was so urgent, Zong Yan had appeared in front of him in his Night Watchman persona. He didn¡¯t have an easy way to explain where his superpower came from.


    However¡ª


    If he didn¡¯t get his advisor¡¯s signature, it was the same as not doing the investigation task at all.


    There was really no way out. Zong Yan held his nose and headed to the astrological tower of the school.


    As he climbed up the astrological tower with anxiety, the sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty tower.


    This time, the door at the top of the tower was already open. When Zong Yan cautiously poked his head out, he was instantly captured by a pair of golden eyes looking directly at him.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Okay, the omniscient and omnipotent god would certainly know who was coming to visit.


    The gray-haired, golden-eyed man was dressed in a simple white and gold robe, lounging lazily in the air. Ironically, in these clothes he looked immaculate and clean, and his profound and handsome face possessed a hint of otherworldly holiness.


    Zong Yan had just used the word ¡°holiness¡± to describe an evil god. He didn¡¯t know if he was insulting the evil god or the word holiness.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Tawil¡¯s face was expressionless. He seemed to be in a very bad mood.


    Zong Yan obediently walked over.


    The next second, an icy hand pressed on the precise center of his forehead.


    How did it feel to have an Outer God press your forehead?


    Zong Yan figured he¡¯d been touched by a Great Old One¡¯s tentacle a few days ago. Another touch didn¡¯t matter too much.


    But he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little freaked out.


    Tawil carefully scanned Zong Yan¡¯s body. After confirming there were no suggestions implanted by another evil god and that Zong Yan hadn¡¯t converted to the sect of the King in Yellow, Hastur, his face looked better.


    ¡°Do you want the knowledge granted by the gods?¡± he asked, in a good mood.


    Of course, his good mood was predicated on the continued obedience of his future believer.


    If he¡¯d found that Zong Yan had become a devotee of Hastur, sadly, the moment he touched Zong Yan¡¯s forehead his hand would have turned into a murder weapon and a thing that couldn¡¯t be described would have pierced his skull.


    ¡°No, no, thank you for your kindness.¡± Zong Yan smiled a bit, meanwhile his other hand relaxed a little from its tension.


    Seriously, every time he spent time with this advisor, Zong Yan felt like he was performing acrobatics on a tightrope. Who knew when he¡¯d fall off?


    ¡°Very well.¡± Tawil looked a bit regretful. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. When you become a believer, as long as you have enough faith, even in a human body you can obtain knowledge that is far beyond your species.¡±


    From his tone, he seemed to already regard Zong Yan as his follower.


    Zong Yan was a bit at a loss, but he didn¡¯t dare say anything.


    Because his advisor was in a good mood, Zong Yan was happy to receive a signed copy of his transcript.


    The grade was still excellent.


    What made this all the more surprising was that it was quite difficult to get an excellent grade in the practical investigation course, especially for someone who completed the mission alone, without the participation of an instructor.


    As a result, Zong Yan¡¯s popularity at MU exploded. He was designated to give a speech in the auditorium as the next outstanding student representative.


    His application to the Academic Affairs Office was also approved.


    For the next year, Zong Yan could focus on his third year of high school. All he had to do was register and he could continue his studies at MU during the holidays or in his free time.


    Sadly, the people in charge didn¡¯t understand what kind of mental and physical hell the Chinese college entrance examination represented, otherwise they never would have suggested he could come back to take MU classes in his spare time.


    Anyway, Zong Yan had made up his mind. He was determined to get into Tsinghua University as well as the math department of Beijing University. In the next year, no one better try to disturb his study!!!


    One year left. He had to improve his physics score.


    After all the formalities on the MU side were finally completed, Zong Yan got up early in the morning on the day when the Gate of Truth was successfully moved to Jiangzhou.


    ¡°Where are they putting the gate this time?¡±


    As he walked over with his school bag, he heard the investigators in front of him chatting.


    ¡°It sounds like the Yu Garden in Chenghuang Temple¡­.¡±


    What? Chenghuang Temple?


    Zong Yan thought he¡¯d misheard.


    ¡°Chenghuang Temple was built by the Chinese people for their gods. It has that classical mysterious Eastern appearance on the outside. You know how MU loves to open the Gate of Truth in this temple or that church, and I heard there are a lot of snacks in Chenghuang Temple. The MU investigator¡¯s committee voted unanimously¡­. Hey, hey, give me a hand. It¡¯s going to scatter, it¡¯s going to scatter¡ª.¡±


    A section of the phantasmal gate suddenly burst out. The colorful lines twisted and merged in the air, warping into a bizarre pattern.


    Seeing this, Zong Yan immediately activated his time stopping ability, and he was able to hold the lines together.


    ¡°Phew¡ªthat was close.¡± The investigator stood up from the ground. ¡°Thanks for your help. You¡¯re the chief of this term, right? I can¡¯t believe you already awakened a time-system ability. The younger generation is fearsome!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do much.¡± Zong Yan smiled and lifted the bag in his hand. ¡°If it¡¯s all right, can you let me go first? I¡¯m going to be late.¡±


    As it turned out, Zong Yan was really, truly late.


    He wasn¡¯t completely to blame. MU notified Chenghuang Temple in advance, but the temple was located a long way from Qingyang High School, thirty or forty kilometers.


    Zong Yan was desperate enough to call a taxi. By the time he got to school, the first class had already started.


    Once again, the jar was already broken. Since he was already late, he was too embarrassed to knock on the door and disturb the teacher. He¡¯d have to wait until this class was over and then sneak in.


    He found an empty classroom and sat down. Since there was nothing else to do he decided to draw some cards.


    The divine blessing granted to him by Hastur was a bit nebulous. Zong Yan¡¯s San value had increased from 60 to 70, but he also seemed to have greatly improved his artistic ability. For example, if there was a flute, violin, and saxophone in front of him, he could probably pick up any one of them and play a song.


    There were a lot of benefits to a higher San value. After going through the baptism of the E-level mission in London, Zong Yan had a new appreciation of his own insignificance.


    Although he had some unbelievable cards, he couldn¡¯t use them willy-nilly. As for the cards he could use casually, they might be best-in-tier among humans, but they were paltry in the face of evil gods. It was deeply worrying.


    When he reached in with his hand, Zong Yan thought absentmindedly¡ª


    He needed a card¡ªone that would change the awkward situation he was in.


    Incidentally, ¡®awkward situation¡¯ meant being surrounded by evil gods.


    The gap in space paused, and Zong Yan¡¯s fingers plucked out a card with perfect accuracy.


    A-rank cloud-system superpower card.


    A-rank, A-rank!


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils contracted. He immediately began to ponder.


    The good thing about this superpower card was that it only consumed San value once. After that, this cloud power would be mastered by Zong Yan and he could manifest it anywhere, anytime.


    An A-class superpower persona card, it was no exaggeration to say, was absolutely comparable to Monarch level or even better.


    But in the face of an evil god, whether it was an A-rank ability or Monarch level, a single word came to mind¡ª


    Puny.


    Instead of using it, it might be better to¡ª


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes began to wander. He took out the only three daily disposable persona cards he could use from the rift in space.


    The Child of the Wind, the Night Watchman, Azathoth.


    Obviously, neither the Night Watchman nor Azathoth had anything to do with cloud-type abilities, but the Child of the Wind¡­


    Zong Yan¡¯s card-drawing power had a special feature. That is, he could synthesize the cards he extracted.


    He¡¯d created the Child of the Wind from a B-rank wind-system superpower persona card and a D-rank speed-enhancement superpower persona card.


    The most amazing thing about synthesis was that low-level cards would sometimes become high-level after synthesis, but a high-level card could also become very low-level if he were unlucky.


    A long time ago, Zong Yan had a fire mage daily disposable persona card. Unfortunately, when he tried to synthesize it, his luck ran out and it accidentally shattered, resulting in nothing.


    He hoped the god of good luck would be kind to him this time.


    There was no such thing as an evil god of good luck.


    The black-haired boy in the school uniform held his breath and slowly slid the two cards into each other.


    Shua¡ª


    With a flash, light radiated through the classroom.


    A brand-new card was quietly suspended over his open palm. On the card was an image of a man with sword eyebrows and starry eyes, and a handsome face with a cold, clear expression. Clouds and fog rose up all around him, but he looked extraordinarily noble.


    He was wearing a wide-sleeved, dark blue robe with gold patterns. Although his ink-black hair was scattered around him, there was a circlet of strange ornaments in his hair. The long, intricate blue and gold pendants and white beads hung around his ears, swaying loosely in his long hair.


    What surprised Zong Yan was that the face painted on the card was completely different from his own, without any similarities.


    This was an S-rank daily disposable persona card.


    On the front of the card were three characters written in Chu seal script.


    Coincidentally, this esoteric script used in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods was within the scope of Zong Yan¡¯s knowledge, so he picked up the card and read it.


    It said¡ª


    Yun Zhong Jun.


    TL Notes:


    Chenghuang ¨C ³ÇÚò ¨C Ch¨¦ng Hu¨¢ng ¨C City God ¨C God of the moat and the walls, a tutelary deity/deities in Chinese folk religion believed to protect the people and affairs of a particular village, town, or city and the corresponding location in the afterlife (Wikipedia)


    the jar was already broken ¨C ÆƹÞ×ÓÆÆˤ ¨C The jar¡¯s already broken so it might as well be smashed ¨C Refer to Ch 27 for a longer note


    sword eyebrows ¨C ½£Ã¼ ¨C straight eyebrows slanting upwards and outwards


    Chu seal script ¨C An ancient style of writing Chinese characters used in the state of Chu, which existed in the latter half of the 1st millennium BC (Wikipedia)


    Yun Zhong Jun ¨C ÔÆÖоý ¨C Y¨²n Zh¨­ng J¨±n ¨C the Monarch of Clouds, the God of Clouds, the Lord in the Clouds ¨C Worshipped in the hope of rain and good weather for crops. Sometimes seen as male and sometimes as female, but usually portrayed as female in Chinese literature. Jiu Ge (¾Å¸è), dating to 241-223 B.C, includes a song addressed to Yun Zhong Jun (Wikipedia)


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    didi ¨C µÜµÜ ¨C d¨¬d¨¬ ¨C younger brother


    Magic City ¨C ħ¶¼ ¨C M¨® d¨­u ¨C Alternately: Devil¡¯s Capital


    Yu Garden ¨C Ô¥Ô° ¨C y¨´ yu¨¢n


    Chenghuang Temple ¨C ³ÇÚòÃí ¨C Ch¨¦nghu¨¢ng Mi¨¤o ¨C Town God Temple, City God¡¯s temple

 CH 33

    Zong Yan carefully put the card back into the spatial rift.


    He sensed the San value required for this card was 60.


    And the cost was for one hour, which meant that even if Zong Yan¡¯s San value was maxed out, he could only activate it once.


    He estimated that an A-rank daily disposable persona card was about the same level as an A-class creature, and an S-rank card might be comparable to an ancient god.


    As for Yun Zhong Jun¡ª


    Zong Yan opened his phone and searched for encyclopedia entries.


    Yun Zhong Jun, worshipped in the Chu kingdom during the Warring States period, was a god who controlled the clouds.


    In terms of deities, Chinese theology was a bit of a jumble. There was Buddhism which came from India and evolved; there was Taoism handed down locally; there were gods recorded in ancient texts like the ¡¶Classic of Mountains and Seas¡·; ancient pantheons worshipped by the Yan and Huang dynasties; and folk myths headed by the Jade Emperor. In addition, there were gods worshipped during the pre-Qin period or early times, like the Jiu Ge1 mythological system.


    According to the Jiu Ge, the supreme god was Taiyi, the Eastern Emperor. Belief in this supreme god was widespread in Chu during the Warring States period, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had also commanded civil and military officials to worship him. Yun Zhong Jun was a deity from the same pantheon. Unfortunately not much was known about it today.


    A god¡­ Zong Yan ventured to guess that an S-rank persona card would be equivalent to what Professor Darwin called an ¡°Elder God¡±.


    Elder Gods were different from the Great Old Ones and the Outer Gods. They were the original gods of Earth. They were created from the myths of human beings and accepted worship and offerings. Overall, they were benevolent toward humans.


    As he thought about it, Zong Yan continued to draw cards.


    Last time he¡¯d consumed too many San points, so he¡¯d taken some time off, waiting for his points to recover in case there was an emergency.


    Second draw, waste card.


    Third draw, waste card.


    Fourth draw¡­ another daily disposable persona card.


    He looked and saw that it was an E-rank daily disposable persona card. The person depicted on the card clearly had Zong Yan¡¯s face. Even his clothes were familiar, with the white shirt and uniform pants of Qingyang High School. The only difference was the person on the card had a transparent glass ball floating over his hand. Each use cost only 5 San points and lasted almost three hours. It was a bargain.


    Sure enough, the lower the level of the persona card, the more basic it was. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of transformation. Higher-level persona cards not only came with a one-click costume change, they also let you swap your face.


    Zong Yan thought his luck today was excellent. In the old days, he¡¯d only been lucky enough to get a few low-level daily disposable persona cards, forget about high-level ones.


    Could it be that being poked on the forehead by two evil gods granted an invisible luck bonus?


    He didn¡¯t have much time to think about it, because the class bell rang. Zong Yan picked up his school bag from the desk and left the empty classroom.


    And moments later, Zong Yan was subjected to the brutal stares of the crowd in the hallway as he walked from the empty classroom to senior Class 3.


    The high school curriculum was intense, but Qingyang High School discouraged students from staying at their desks to do problems after class. The hallways of their school were quite spacious, so when class ended, most people would go to fill up their water bottles, then run back to their desks or go to the teacher¡¯s office to ask questions.


    The teenager who walked down the corridor was tall and very attractive. His skin was so pale that the white shirt of his uniform almost blended into his skin.


    Everyone else carried their school bags the normal way, with both straps on their back. He was the only one who carelessly put his bag over one shoulder as he swaggered down the hallway. All the students in his path instinctively made room when they saw him.


    ¡°Senior Zong?¡±


    A girl wearing a double ponytail and a plaid school uniform skirt was whispering with her friends and finally summoned up her courage. After a second she stepped forward, surrounded by a chorus of giggles, and spoke with a bit of apprehension.


    ¡°?¡±


    Zong Yan stopped in his tracks. He glanced down lightly.


    In the past, the sound of this ¡°Senior Zong¡± might have given Zong Yan goosebumps. But that was then. After an entire summer vacation filled with ¡°Chief Zong¡±, he could now maintain his cool and lofty chief¡¯s expression without a flicker, as if he were too profound to be understood by others.


    He¡¯s looking over!!!


    The school girl didn¡¯t seem too nervous, but in fact her heart was about to burst into flames.


    However, she was a girl who¡¯d seen the world. She was the female principal of the Qingyang High School ballet ensemble. When she danced Swan Lake, her back and feet were usually taut and stretched tight. Right now, under the tension, she instinctively wanted to stand on tiptoe.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see that Senior Zong is all right. Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly, we were all scared by what happened at the end of last semester.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, there was such a big helicopter, and all those police and soldiers¡­¡±


    The school girl started the conversation, and the group of sisters behind her immediately echoed what she said, each one blinking their eyes and coming over to surround Zong Yan.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t good at dealing with strangers, so he just nodded. Without looking at them again he walked through the center of the students into the classroom.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a secret. At the end of last semester, Zong Yan of Class 3, Year 2, was taken out of the classroom by the police. Then a black and gold helicopter came down from the sky and destroyed the lawn of the playing field.


    The original event caused a sensation. Teachers and students ran to the hallway and witnessed it with their own eyes. Several helpful volunteers recorded the scene with their cell phones or cameras and uploaded it to Qingyang High School¡¯s online forum.


    The Dragon Group might be famous, but most information about it was limited to military enthusiasts. Unless a person was specifically interested in the topic they wouldn¡¯t even recognize the insignia. This meant there were a lot of rumors on the forum. One rumor said that Zong Yan was the crown prince of a local underworld triad in Jiangzhou, and what happened was the result of an internal power struggle, forcing the prince to make a high profile appearance in a hurry. Another rumor said that Zong Yan was the heir to a powerful family in Yanjing. He¡¯d studied in Jiangzhou for years to hide his identity, but now it seemed that something happened in his family, and the young master suddenly revealed himself.


    Even as the rumors got more and more outrageous, they didn¡¯t extinguish the students¡¯ sincere love of gossip. In fact, thanks to summer vacation, the rumors spread far and wide.


    Although the students of Qingyang High School came from prosperous families, to casually mobilize a helicopter and land on the playing field in such a brazen manner, while the principal and the teaching director scraped and bowed¡­ The guy was really full of himself.


    Originally, Zong Yan was only famous in a small part of the school. After this incident, his popularity completely exploded. Social media was so developed these days that a short clip was posted on Weibo and then reposted by a few big V bloggers. As a result, Yong Yan suddenly became hot on the Internet.


    After that, however, the video was deleted by Dragon Group agents, leaving only his legend in the wind. This had the contradictory effect of making the students even more convinced about the gossip.


    After Zong Yan entered the classroom, he felt the attention of the crowd.


    ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m back. I¡¯m sorry, I was delayed because of some things at home.¡±


    The head teacher was adjusting the equipment in the classroom. Zong Yan hesitated for a moment then went forward to report.


    ¡°Ah, okay. It¡¯s good you¡¯re back.¡± The head teacher looked up. ¡°I¡¯ll go back later and cancel your leave. It¡¯s your final year of high school. Study hard.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, teacher.¡±


    Zong Yan let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like He Yuan had taken care of things for him. He silently thanked the reliable adjutant of Team 7 and carried his school bag to his seat.


    Because he was absent almost an entire week, the semester had basically started. He was the only one who¡¯d missed class. There were several forms on the desk he needed to fill out.


    Zong Yan ignored the eyes of the other students and looked through the papers¡ª


    Qingyang High School Centennial Celebration activity application form.


    As a prestigious high school in Jiangzhou, Qingyang High School had always advocated the all-round development of morals, intellect, and physique. Its school clubs were massive. Every time there was a school festival or a celebration, all the clubs would receive funding and decorate the interior of the high school like a garden party a week in advance. Regular citizens of Jiangzhou even bought tickets to attend the events.


    Moreover, participation in clubs and school festivals was included in students¡¯ overall graduation score, which led one to be cautious.


    Zong Yan was usually a loyal member of the going home club. He got his credits by participating in the school festival with his class, or winning gold medals in the school sports meet, basically just scraping by.


    When Zong Yan was a freshman, he used his excellent mathematical skills to calculate: As long as he participated in the school festival and sports meet every year, by the time he graduated, his moral education credits would be just about completed.


    Generally speaking, the school festival, sports day, and spring trip were scheduled in the first semester. By the second semester of senior three, everyone would be isolated from the world. Therefore, while there was still a little bit of rest time, the seniors were particularly active. Moreover, the third year students were viewed as the big brothers and sisters of the entire school. Younger students had to give them a little face and call them ¡°senior¡±.


    Zong Yan casually ticked a few boxes on the application form for the sports meet and school festival, representing his willingness to put himself at the organization¡¯s mercy. Anyway, as long as he got credits he was fine with anything.


    The next class was English.


    Zong Yan began to brazenly zone out.


    In fact, the vast majority of students in the class had their tickets punched.


    Ye JingMing¡¯s father had already found him a place. Next semester he would transfer to the International Department of Qingyang High School to study in the preparatory course, then go directly abroad for gilding. As a result, Ye JingMing spent his remaining days enjoying the leisurely life of a young master.


    As for Xia KeYan, it was said that her grandfather was a professor of Chinese literature at Beijing University. She¡¯d already passed the criteria for independent admission, and the college entrance exam score she needed had been lowered by a lot. Anyway, according to Xia KeYan¡¯s usual grades, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to get in.


    Aside from these two, other students also revealed their magic powers one after another.


    There were several foreigners and students from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan in the class, who were recruited through their own channels; there were also art students who¡¯d already crossed the threshold of Beijing Film Academy; there were students who would go abroad immediately after the college entrance examination¡­. The competition class next door had their places guaranteed. Right now their classroom was filled with students who were said to be prepping for the International Olympiad competition.


    Very few students were like Zong Yan, pinning all their hopes on the college entrance exam.


    However, since awakening, Zong Yan himself was now considered to be a member of a well-connected household.


    Thanks to his late entrance, no one asked Zong Yan to hand in his summer homework. He felt happy and never mentioned it.


    But the old devil of physics wasn¡¯t so easy to fool. After class he specially asked the physics class rep to collect Zong Yan¡¯s homework, so Zong Yan had to hold his nose and say that he forgot to bring it and would definitely hand it in tomorrow.


    He casually doodled on his English textbook and listened to the lecture with his chin propped in his hand. If only in their textbooks, every student could become a master illustrator.


    Such an ordinary day in high school made Zong Yan feel like he was in a different world.


    He looked at the sky outside the window. Once he¡¯d wanted nothing more than to escape this classroom. Now, after facing countless dangerous and terrifying evil gods, he felt glad he still had such a peaceful life.


    Of course, his peaceful life only lasted three days.


    On the morning of the third day, a man in the handsome black combat uniform of the Dragon Group and a mask on his face knocked on the door of the classroom.


    He quickly apologized to the teacher who was in the middle of lecturing, ignored the admiring eyes of the students, and brought Zong Yan out of the room.


    ¡°Something happened.¡± The Dragon Group member pulled down his mask and revealed the face of He Yuan. His expression was gloomy. ¡°Little Monarch, we need you.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    You don¡¯t have to worry about smashing the overlord ticket. I know most of the people reading this story are students. When I was a student I was poor. I used to be frugal too. When everyone likes to read my text it gives me the greatest encouragement. Save the money left over to buy snacks. Love you all! Mua!


    Zong Yan: My daily life isn¡¯t peaceful at all!!!


    TL Notes:


    Jiu Ge ¨C ¾Å¸è ¨C Nine Songs ¨C Dating to 241-223 B.C, includes several songs to deities including one addressed to Yun Zhong Jun (Wikipedia)


    big V ¨C ¡°V¡± means a verified account


    his legend in the ¡°wind¡± ¨C from ½­ºþ ¨C Jianghu ¨C rivers and lakes, the underworld, all corners of the country


    smash the overlord ticket ¨C Refers to readers who donate to authors on JJWXC


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Senior Zong ¨C ×Úѧ³¤ ¨C Z¨­ng xu¨¦zh¨£ng


    Chief Zong ¨C ×ÚÊ×ϯ ¨C Z¨­ng sh¨¯ux¨ª


    Yanjing ¨C Ñྩ ¨C y¨¡nj¨©ng ¨C Yanjing is an ancient name for Beijing

 CH 34

    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He thought back to the classroom just now and the awe-struck eyes of the other students. Over the past few days he¡¯d overheard some gossip. He might not be able to wash away that rumor about being a young master from an underworld triad anymore.


    When people imagined gangsters from Hong Kong and Taiwan films, they were dressed all in black, wore dark sunglasses, and pulled down a quarter of a million per year.


    Just a few moments ago Zong Yan was leaning on his desk doing exercise problems, spinning his pen until his head went dizzy, struggling through the suffocating sea of Einstein¡¯s mass-energy equations.


    Even so, Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sorry about the absence of evil gods. It was great not having to match wits with Great Old Ones and Outer Gods to preserve world peace.


    He¡¯d rather face his physics homework than a certain evil god named Tawil, better known as Yog-Sothoth. No matter how terrible Zong Yan¡¯s homework was, he had confidence he¡¯d figure it out eventually, but he didn¡¯t have the first clue where to start with Tawil. He kept thinking there¡¯d come a day when he¡¯d make the big guy angry and meet a sudden, violent end.


    Compared with the helicopter last time, today the Dragon Group might be called low-key.


    It really was a sudden emergency, otherwise He Yuan wouldn¡¯t have rushed over in a car to retrieve Zong Yan in such a hurry. He didn¡¯t even have time to change clothes before he barged in with a search warrant.


    Zong Yan realized the situation must be serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He Yuan rubbed his brow. He put on his mask and sunglasses again. ¡°Talk as we go.¡±


    Qingyang High School was a long way from Chenghuang Temple. Even the Dragon Group base was a bit far.


    These days Zong Yan lived at the base. Going to and from school wasn¡¯t very convenient, so he was planning to go back to the tube building for a while.


    He didn¡¯t have any special requirements in terms of living standards. There might be a saying that once you¡¯d enjoyed luxury, you could never go back, but it didn¡¯t really apply.


    For every Chinese student, the significance of senior year three was self-evident. To summarize, senior year meant that one must guard against impatience and conceit, give up the luxuries of life, abstain from meat and pray to Buddha and do homework problems, and ignore the outside world.


    Zong Yan implemented these rules faithfully. In the past half a week, he¡¯d been living a life of three points and one line: going to school, getting off school, and going directly home. His cell phone was basically relegated to the cold palace, and he didn¡¯t even log in to the MU app.


    So he¡¯d missed a lot of crucial information.


    For example, when the new semester started, Miskatonic University had entered a state of comprehensive preparation, and all students¡¯ schedules were completely filled. The first priority was magic patterns with combat applications, followed by xenobiology. All the students were struggling in a double sea of magic patterns and biology.


    All this was because of urgent warnings given by the astrology tower and Revered Daoist Xu Fu.


    ¡°Have you heard about the time when the stars will return?¡±


    He Yuan slammed the car door shut, fastened his seat belt, and stepped on the gas pedal. The black Lamborghini shot forward like an arrow from a bow.


    It was an emergency, so he¡¯d borrowed Si Yan¡¯s car.


    ¡°When the stars return?¡± Zong Yan asked, confused.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d heard those words. Half a month ago in His Majesty¡¯s Theatre in London, the yellow-robed Great Old One had also said this phrase.


    Something a god talked about couldn¡¯t be ordinary. Zong Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal his ignorance.


    ¡°The time when the stars return refers to an Outer God named Ghroth.¡± As He Yuan steered he said, ¡°He¡¯s known as the herald of destruction, constantly drifting through the universe singing a siren song. If the song reaches a solar system where a Great Old One is sealed, the celestial bodies in that system will slowly recover their original positions. The evil god will wake up from its slumber, break free from the seal, and destroy the planet.¡±


    This had long been taught in biology class. Most of the Great Old Ones had been locked in various galaxies by the ancient gods. In normal times, the stars weren¡¯t in the right position, so all they could do was sleep.


    Once the stars returned to their original places, only then could those evil gods break free from their seals.


    ¡°The moment his song reaches our system, we¡¯ll undergo the greatest test in history. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis¡­ All the natural disasters you can imagine and some you can¡¯t will repeat in waves.¡± He Yuan¡¯s face was grave. ¡°I remember you took Earth history and Mayan mythology.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zong Yan nodded.


    As the school chief, he basically took all the courses he could.


    It might sound like a lot, but aside from those few courses that required in-depth study, most courses in MU could be tested out after one class.


    Earth history was such a course.


    ¡°Since the Cambrian period, there have been five mass extinctions on Earth. It¡¯s similar to the Five Suns of Mayan mythology.


    ¡°The first was the Ordovician extinction, when the global temperature became colder, commonly known as an ice age. This era lasted two hundred thousand years, and almost eighty-five percent of all species on Earth went extinct.


    ¡°The second was the Devonian extinction, which had the same cause as the Ordovician. Countless marine organisms died.


    ¡°The third was the Permian extinction. The drift of continental plates led to the loss of oxygen in the atmosphere. It was the worst extinction event in history, killing nearly ninety-six percent of all species.¡±


    ¡°The fourth was the Triassic mass extinction. The cause is unknown. Seventy-six percent of all organisms died out.


    ¡°The last one was the Cretaceous extinction. An asteroid collided with the Earth and released black dust into the atmosphere. Sunlight couldn¡¯t reach the ground, global temperature plummeted sharply, and photosynthetic algae and other microorganisms died. The dominant species on Earth, the dinosaurs, became history forever.


    ¡°In fact, these five mass extinctions were all directly or indirectly caused by evil gods. For example, the Devonian extinction of marine life was caused by the sinking of a magnificent ancient city into the Pacific Ocean. And the Triassic extinction was caused by the song of Ghroth!¡±


    Zong Yan guessed that He Yuan had reached the main event.


    ¡°And we may be about to encounter a sixth mass extinction. Many celestial bodies have already started to realign. There was an omen about ten years ago and it was confirmed just last year. But for unknown reasons, the date keeps getting pushed forward. We don¡¯t know exactly when the Outer God¡¯s song will arrive.¡±


    Zong Yan sucked in a breath.


    In fact, the matter had been confirmed at the beginning of Miskatonic University¡¯s current semester. The Dragon Group and the Spire Council had only found out a little while ago. He Yuan was just repeating it to Zong Yan.


    ¡°Human lives are short, including our history, which in the eyes of the gods isn¡¯t worth mentioning. According to the original prediction, Ghroth wasn¡¯t supposed to reach our solar system for a long, long time, maybe not until after the end of human civilization.


    ¡°But now the Earth already seems to be in flux. Various things have appeared, and Jiangzhou was the first place they showed up.¡±


    The black Lamborghini wove in and out of traffic. Whether it was the wild driving skills or the streamlined shape of the vehicle, it attracted a lot of stares from the roadside.


    The car drove straight to the underground lot of a bustling downtown shopping center, entered a dark tunnel and headed to the exclusive parking lot of the Dragon Group.


    ¡°Okay, get out of the car and we¡¯ll continue to talk.¡±


    He Yuan unbuckled his seat belt, locked the car, and entered the direct access elevator to the side.


    ¡°The situation in Jiangzhou isn¡¯t good. There are more and more signs of otherworld activity. In the last few days the Dragon Group has basically been recalled from all overseas missions. In any case, this is more important for our country.¡±


    The elevator glided quickly and silently, heading down rather than up.


    ¡°This time, the astrological tower predicted the first calamity would arrive within three hours. This is different from the previous skirmishes. If we allow the situation to unfold, tens of thousands of people could die.¡±


    He Yuan looked at the combat watch on his wrist. ¡°To be precise, only an hour and a half is left. And we still have no idea where the disaster will happen.¡±


    The seventh Monarch was the first to sound the alarm.


    Among the nine living Monarchs, the seventh was undoubtedly the most mysterious. His most renowned ability was prophecy.


    Since ancient times, there had never been any Awakened who claimed the ability to foretell the future. This made it even more valuable.


    Generally speaking, the numerical ordering of Monarchs was based on whoever died and left a position open. If a new Monarch appeared and there were no vacancies, a new number would be activated. For example, the tenth Monarch hadn¡¯t yet been crowned. Although the Spire Council hadn¡¯t made it public, the position was set aside for Zong Yan. When he had his Second Awakening, he¡¯d be granted the title of tenth Monarch.


    Aside from that, the Monarchs in the other numbered places changed all the time¡ªexcept for the seventh. Legend had it that in the high tower of the Spire Council¡¯s codex room, this position was recorded on a single piece of paper.


    That meant that the seventh Monarch might have lived an unknown number of years.


    However, information about Monarchs was absolutely SS-level confidential, so most of this was speculation and there wasn¡¯t any substantial evidence.


    ¡°We activated a psychic magic pattern, but if we want to accurately predict the location of the coming calamity, three Monarchs aren¡¯t enough.¡±


    When the search turned up fruitless, they thought of Zong Yan, the quasi-Monarch.


    Given the circumstances, it was better than nothing.


    The cold-forged alloy door silently slid open, revealing the situation of the battlefield operations center behind it.


    In the center of the room, a 3D holographic projection faithfully depicted a map of Jiangzhou. Si Yan and the commander-in-chief had placed their hands on the alchemical formation in the void. The soft lights overhead added a touch of warmth to the otherwise cold, metallic surroundings.


    The operations center was quite large. Behind the central table were countless high-precision computers. Awakened and other researchers were trying to identify the most likely location with big data.


    And there, in the center of the alchemical array, was a gray-haired man in white robes.


    What made it even worse was that after Zong Yan followed He Yuan through the door, Tawil gazed at him with great interest. Zong Yan was the only one who observed this. As far as He Yuan was concerned, the astrologer continued to sit there, meditating.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He had a feeling that if this astrologer said a calamity was coming, it wasn¡¯t an act of charity.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: This can¡¯t be good


    Bubbles: Don¡¯t confuse public with private ¡Ì


    TL Notes:


    guard against impatience and conceit ¨C ½ä½¾½äÔê ¨C be on guard against conceit and impetuosity; avoid conceit and impetuosity; guard against arrogance and impetuosity; shun complacency and impetuosity


    ignore the outside world ¨C Á½¶ú²»ÎÅ´°ÍâÊ ¨C not care what is going on outside one¡¯s window; be oblivious of the outside world; hold aloft from the affairs of the world reality; not bother about what¡¯s happening in the outside world


    three points and one line ¨C ÈýµãÒ»ÏßµÄ×÷Ï¢Éú»î ¨C An unchanging life of going to school/work, getting off school/work, and going home without any other activities


    Five Suns ¨C The doctrine of Aztec and other Nahua peoples in which the present world was preceded by four other cycles of creation and destruction (Wikipedia). The Mayan version is fragmentary, so less information exists


    Don¡¯t confuse public with private ¨C from ˽ʹ«°ì ¨C to do things in a strictly businesslike manner; personal affairs ¨C public affairs


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    junior ¨C from СµÜ ¨C xi¨£o d¨¬ ¨C Alternatively: little brother


    Ghroth ¨C ¸ñºÕÂÞ˹ ¨C G¨¦h¨¨lu¨®s¨© ¨C The Harbinger. An Outer God.

 CH 35

    Zong Yan didn¡¯t even try to conceal the distrust in his eyes.


    You¡¯re an all-knowing, all-powerful god, the Lord of Time and Space, but your alt account is the seventh Monarch in charge of astrology and prophecy?! How dare you! You even get a double salary from MU and the Spire Council¡ªshameless!!!


    Tawil was an evil god, and frankly speaking, even if the entire human race went extinct, all the evil gods would be just fine. This guy would continue living his happy life in outer space. There was no reason for him to care.


    He Yuan: ¡°Right, I forgot. It seems that Professor Tawil is also your academic advisor and astrology professor at MU?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes,¡± Zong Yan answered with reluctance. In accordance with his usual character settings, he added a greeting. ¡°Hello advisor, hello captain, hello commander.¡±


    As soon as Zong Yan spoke, Si Yan opened his eyes. In a bad tone of voice he said, ¡°Since they brought you here, don¡¯t give me any nonsense. Pipe down and concentrate on harmonizing your insight.¡±


    Si Yan had been the most opposed to calling in Zong Yan to participate in the mission.


    In his opinion, even if Zong Yan was a prospective Monarch, he was also a kid with no experience. He wouldn¡¯t even turn eighteen until December. He was too young. Although he had immense potential, it didn¡¯t erase the fact he hadn¡¯t even experienced Second Awakening.


    But right now everybody¡¯s eyebrows were on fire. The combined insight of three Monarchs hadn¡¯t managed to predict the disaster site, and He Yuan, newly promoted to Auxiliary level, couldn¡¯t endure the oppression of Monarch-level insight. Si Yan had only agreed with sending He Yuan to pick up Zong Yan out of desperation. His face wasn¡¯t pretty.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Zong Yan felt uncertain, but he began to coordinate his insight.


    Before him was an enormous composite alchemical array. Golden magic patterns around the table were slowly rotating, and both Si Yan and Commander-in-Chief Si Xun had passed their hands through the lines of separate patterns.


    In the center of these smaller golden magic patterns was a much larger spell array rotating through Tawil¡¯s fingertips. Clearly, the focus of this psychic alchemical formation was the seventh Monarch, that is, the renowned astrologer.


    Who was actually an evil god.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m still unable to see anything useful. And the data returned by the detection devices is far from sufficient.¡±


    Here in the operations center, everyone was on edge. The command room was arranged in several levels. On the highest level was the table where the commander-in-chief was standing. Other instruments and data analysts were on the lower level. Between them was a pair of staircases.


    Numerous members of the Dragon Group in white coats and combat uniforms were running calculations in front of sophisticated computers, seeking the answer in the big data returned by the detection devices.


    ¡°We lack the necessary prerequisites. One hour remains¡­ ¡°


    The countdown displayed in the center of the room was decreasing by the second.


    Zong Yan discarded every distracting thought and sank his hands into the alchemical array.


    In a flash, he felt his spirit linking up, ¡°Shhhw¡ª¡±, rushing forward into the heart of the alchemical formation.


    A second later, he felt an icy hand snake up behind his shoulders, and precisely and accurately pinch the back of his neck. A jolt of electrical current surged up from his tailbone, making him tremble uncontrollably.


    Zong Yan: ! ! !


    It was the exact opposite of a wonderful experience.


    For cats, the scruff of the neck was absolutely taboo territory. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a wonderful spot for humans either.


    Zong Yan instinctively wanted to grab the back of his neck. But the moment he looked up and saw the amusement in Tawil¡¯s eyes, he knew that nothing at all was actually touching him.


    It was only on the psychic level.


    What was even more terrifying was that the sensation of being seized at his most vital point continued drilling ever deeper into his mind. Obviously, the function of the alchemical formation was to converge the insight ability of the Monarchs, then use the seventh Monarch¡¯s prophetic powers to deduce more of the future. But before that could happen, Zong Yan had to completely open up his insight to Tawil without restriction.


    Zong Yan acted like a man who¡¯d touched a live wire. He jerked his hands away with shaking fingers.


    ¡°?¡±


    The other two Monarchs looked up at him. Si Yan pursed his lips even tighter.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t appear to be in a good state. His face went horribly pale. He was white as a sheet.


    ¡°Sorry, I need to use the bathroom.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for anyone to react. He stumbled to the nearby bathroom, locked the door behind him, and stood in front of the sink splashing cold water on his face.


    The psychic link had only lasted a few seconds, but it gave Zong Yan the illusion that his soul was in the other party¡¯s grasp.


    No matter what, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t open his mind to an evil god without reservation. Of that he had no doubt.


    Tawil could tamper with reality at will, distort perception, and forcibly insert himself into events without revealing any flaws for other people to notice. Zong Yan had only escaped by chance. There was no way he¡¯d willingly crawl back into the cage where he¡¯d been hoodwinked before. Otherwise the other party would meddle with his mind and make him think he was a loyal follower of Yog-Sothoth, like a total joke.


    He didn¡¯t believe Tawil would give information to humanity out of the kindness of his heart. If an evil god did something like that out of nowhere, it had to be part of a scheme. He was either planning something or enjoying a good show. Either way, there was something behind it.


    What the hell was going on? Could the return of the stars caused by Ghroth have some kind of effect on the evil gods?


    Zong Yan quickly rejected this explanation. After all, Yog-Sothoth¡¯s body was located outside the dimensions of time and space. The universe itself could collapse and it would have nothing to do with him.


    Everything from beginning to end was under Tawil¡¯s control. If he didn¡¯t want humans to know where the calamity would occur, they could get five Monarchs and it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.


    The countdown in the room outside had now reached forty minutes.


    Zong Yan had been in the bathroom for fifteen minutes, and the alchemical pattern on the table had vanished.


    The faces of Si Yan and Commander Si didn¡¯t look so good either. The extraction of insight power was exhausting for them.


    ¡°Connect to the teleconference and contact the Spire Council.¡±


    But the old man didn¡¯t sit down. He stood at the command room conference table with his deep-set eyes fixed on the 3D projection in front of him.


    When Zong Yan left, the leaders of the Dragon Group reached a consensus.


    The three Monarchs weren¡¯t able to determine the location, and just now Zong Yan¡¯s performance made them realize that as a quasi-Monarch, he couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure of insight convergence.


    To put it bluntly, it was more important to preserve Zong Yan as an asset for future use. By no means did they want Zong Yan to suffer a backlash and lose his sanity in the process. Anyone with clear eyes could see the youngest Monarch had a bright future ahead of him.


    With only forty minutes left they had to act immediately. Since this plan hadn¡¯t worked, it was time to fall back to the next one.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He Yuan gave the order, and the staff members on the lower level of the operations room immediately contacted the Spire Council through the intranet.


    The next moment, the upper level of the command room changed.


    A stream of data was projected from the equipment on the ceiling, and a dozen humanoid 3D figures appeared on both sides of the conference table.


    There was no doubt that from the moment the astrological tower issued the warning, the Spire Council had all its members standing by.


    The disturbance in Jiangzhou was just the start, but if they couldn¡¯t even resist the start, forget about the future.


    According to the astrological signs identified by the seventh Monarch, this was just the beginning of the trial.


    If human beings were able to cleanly avert this catastrophe, they might delay the return of the stars.


    But if they couldn¡¯t stop it¡­ this calamity would likely become the spark that lit the fuse. Things would get worse and worse in the future.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to use weapons of mass destruction in the city center. That includes alchemical weapons.¡±


    These were the first words spoken by the Dragon Group commander-in-chief. ¡°We will never harm civilians except as a last resort.¡±


    ""


    A few minutes earlier, Si Xun had communicated with the leader in Yanjing.


    For a Chinese citizen, for a senior leader of the country, the people would always come first.


    No ordinary person should sacrifice for the greater good. Compared to seven billion people, a few thousand might not seem like much, but unless the situation was at its very worst, every Chinese citizen would be protected by the state, no matter how high or low.


    There was no objection and the decision passed by a unanimous vote.


    ¡°Very well, there are thirty minutes left. What about the battle plan we discussed before?¡±


    ¡°The arrangements are in place.¡±


    A councilman in a suit said, ¡°Senior investigators affiliated with the Spire Council have gathered at Miskatonic University and dispersed through the Gate of Truth to all corners of Jiangzhou.¡±


    The Dragon Group naturally hadn¡¯t pinned everything on the chance of identifying the exact location.


    Two hours into the countdown, the Dragon Group sent a helicopter team to sound the air defense sirens throughout Jiangzhou.


    Fifty to sixty percent of the general public had never been exposed to these warning sirens before. Even if they¡¯d had drills in school, after years of working in society they¡¯d forgotten all about it.


    The commanders of the Dragon Group also issued emergency evacuation instructions on every major social platform. People at home were advised to immediately extinguish fires and evacuate to the nearest air raid shelter.


    After years of peacetime, it was impossible to house an entire city¡¯s population in wartime bomb shelters. The rest of the citizenry could only take refuge in nearby underground parking lots as instructed.


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t much, but it had to be better than nothing.


    The Dragon Group had made arrangements with the Spire Council in advance. Now, anyone who was an investigator was sent to Jiangzhou, except for the reserves who were still studying at MU.


    This was the reason investigators existed. Investigators, in the face of the unknown, would lay down their lives before ordinary citizens.


    This was the oath that all investigators had sworn.


    Investigators enjoyed better treatment than ordinary people, and in return, they shouldered greater responsibilities.


    In the command room just then, the atmosphere was heavy.


    The remaining time on the big screen was dwindling minute by minute. Everyone present was conscious of impending death.


    Below them, many members of the Dragon Group were making preparations, taking off their white coats to reveal their battle dress uniforms underneath. Quietly picking up their weapons and walking out of the conference room, they bravely went to battle.


    In the last ten minutes, everyone in the Dragon Group base except for civilian personnel would run to the battleground.


    No matter what the cost, they had to contain the situation before it got worse.


    Because¡­ once the stars returned, the human race would be destroyed.


    Investigators from all over the world and Awakened of every skin color rushed to Jiangzhou, China.


    This was the first large-scale battle against extraterrestrial creatures in history, and the dignity of all human investigators was at stake¡ª


    Only victory, never defeat!


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan still hadn¡¯t come out of the bathroom.


    As one might expect, the restrooms of the Dragon Group were high quality. There were even tranquilizers and medicines on the wall in case of emergencies.


    He rinsed his face with cold water for a long time until he finally recovered from the feeling of being controlled. Then Zong Yan picked up his phone and swiped through his social networking messages. That was when he saw his SMS inbox was full of information about the air raid sirens, urging people to evacuate and find shelter immediately. Even the three major communication networks had sent several updates in a row.


    Although He Yuan explained a lot to him earlier, because of the lack of time and Zong Yan¡¯s status, he didn¡¯t explain everything.


    After all, reserve investigators would never be sent to the field unless the senior investigators were dead. The mortality rate of reservists in field conditions was much higher. In such a scenario, the occult world could fall into a situation where the old crop had been harvested before the new one was ripe.


    When he saw the messages from Jiangzhou Air Defense, only then did Zong Yan realize the seriousness of the situation.


    ¡°Identify the specific location of the calamity¡­¡± he murmured.


    Obviously, if you wanted to predict something like that, you¡¯d need prophetic abilities as well as a high degree of insight.


    Even after Zong Yan had drawn so many E-rank superpowers, none of them had anything to do with prophecy.


    Wait¡ª!


    The black-haired teen suddenly widened his eyes. He took out a brilliantly-glowing card from a gap in space.


    The young man on the card wore the same blue and white school uniform Zong Yan was wearing now. The only difference was that the other party had an astrological crystal ball floating above his hand.


    It was the card Zong Yan had drawn two days ago.


    E-rank daily disposable persona card¡ªthe Astrologer.


    There were only twenty minutes left until the prophecy would occur.


    Could he change all this?


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: It¡¯s time for me to make my debut!!


    TL Notes:


    Only victory, never defeat! ¨C Ö»Ðíʤ£¬²»Ðí°Ü£¡


    the old crop had been harvested before the new one was ripe ¨C Çà»Æ²»½Ó ¨C Green and yellow have not joined¨Ca new crop has not yet come; but the new crop is not yet ripe; food shortage between two harvests; temporary shortage; a shortage of young and old


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Professor Tawil ¨C Ëþά¶û¸óÏ ¨C T¨£w¨¦i¡¯¨§r g¨¦xi¨¤ ¨C Alternatively: Sir, Lord, His Excellency. Newton was referred to with the same title in Ch 12

 CH 36

    The Astrologer on the card looked unremarkable. In his hand was a mysteriously glowing magic ball inscribed with a six-pointed star. If not for that, Zong Yan might have thought it was a waste card. After all, it was an E-rank daily disposable persona card that didn¡¯t come with a fancy transformation.


    This card only needed 5 San points and lasted up to three hours. He¡¯d have 65 points of San value left after using the card.


    Zong Yan crushed the card. A second later, a crystal ball glittering with a six-pointed star appeared above his palm.


    ¡¾I want to know¡­ the location of the disaster¡¿


    Zong Yan waited for a moment, focused his attention, and placed his fingers on the globe.


    His thoughts seemed to fissure into a thousand strands of silk. They uncoiled from his fingertips, rotating and twisting into a mysterious skein of spiritual power which was absorbed by the glass ball.


    In an instant, an enormous star map unfurled in Zong Yan¡¯s mind. He was suspended over a sea of stars, overlooking the vast territory beneath his feet.


    After receiving their master¡¯s command, the stars began to move. They floated in the void, twinkling, then one by one rearranged into the trajectory of the future. Finally they fed a vague image back to Zong Yan.


    After all, this was just an E-rank daily disposable persona card. The decisive factor that made it E-rank was the fact the card had no combat power whatsoever. And it was useless unless it was linked to high insight ability. Without that, it wouldn¡¯t reveal a thing.


    Zong Yan was only able to catch a fleeting image.


    But the image made his pupils dilate.


    That place was¡ª


    Dujiakou, the most prosperous financial center in Jiangzhou. It was just above the Huangpu River, not far from the Dragon Group base.


    Seventeen minutes left in the countdown. Zong Yan hurriedly grabbed the astrological ball, opened the bathroom door and got into the express elevator down the hall.


    Come on, come on, come on!


    He had to make it there in fifteen minutes. Otherwise¡­


    In the image, a heavy blue-black cloud of some opaque, unidentifiable substance seeped from the vault of the sky and spread out to envelop the world. Within the black fog that blotted out the sun, a mass of indistinct but wolf-shaped, angular creatures glittered with an unsettling light.


    These terrible beings didn¡¯t have tangible bodies or any actual form that could be put into words, but the moment they were glimpsed by human beings, they struck the deepest terror into whoever saw them. Impenetrable fear surged up from the depths of the mind, a dread without source, but all too real.


    Such sinister beings didn¡¯t belong to this plane. Under the guidance of their leader they¡¯d crossed dimensions, passing through the boundaries of time. In pursuit of a specific scent they¡¯d reached the present world.


    The moment Zong Yan saw the image, he realized the calamity was nothing like what Tawil said. It wasn¡¯t a matter of a few tens of thousands of lives.


    If he didn¡¯t stop it¡­ he was afraid every person in Jiangzhou would share a tomb!


    ¡ª


    Outside the door, the Dragon Group battle operations center had begun to evacuate its personnel. Under the flashing yellow lights, more and more people took off their white coats, assembled their alchemical weapons, and evacuated in an orderly manner towards the emergency corridor. Even in a crisis, their discipline as soldiers remained intact. The sound of their footsteps was steady and there was no hint of disorder.


    Si Yan had already changed into his combat uniform. When the countdown timer reached ten minutes, he took the elevator to the top of the building without hesitation. He Yuan, the long-time adjutant of Team 7, had already gone to direct the operations of the team. Si Yan didn¡¯t join them. As a precious Monarch, he headed to the roof to board a helicopter. The moment the countdown ended, wherever in Jiangzhou the calamity appeared, the aircraft Si Yan boarded would be the first to arrive.


    Although Commander-in-Chief Si Xun was the second Monarch, he was no longer in his prime. His ability to command the overall situation was more useful than his awakening talent. In recent years, aside from occasional bouts of destruction between father and son in the Dragon Group base, the second Monarch was seldom seen going into combat.


    As for the seventh Monarch, his situation was a bit unclear. Obviously he should have been considered a major asset in the battle, and he¡¯d even provided the warning, but for some reason no one in the command room remembered he existed. It was as if everyone had spontaneously forgotten about this helper.


    The gray-haired, white-robed man stood up from the conference table. In his expression neither anger nor joy could be distinguished.


    Given his nature, he could easily discern that the bathroom behind the operations room was empty.


    Everything was proceeding along the path laid down by the grand master of time. All that remained was to see whether a certain chess piece would jump off the chessboard again.


    If so¡ª


    The god¡¯s glowing, golden eyes suddenly darkened, and a billion points of light seemed to ignite within the blackest depths of his pupils, outlining the contours of countless terrifying and indescribable filaments.


    As soon as he turned around, he disappeared into thin air.


    ¡ª


    There were seven minutes left in the countdown.


    In the last three hours, the entire occult world made every effort to mobilize its forces from all corners of the globe.


    Although performed in haste, the preparations were clearly successful.


    In the history of the world, never before had humanity fought against an otherworldly species on this scale.


    It wasn¡¯t long ago that extraterrestrial beings rarely roamed urban areas where humans lived. They preferred to attack less-populated suburbs or isolated towns.


    That was why in the investigation archives of Miskatonic University almost all abnormal events occurred in small towns like Innsmouth, Arkham, and Dunwich in the United States, the Severn Valley in England, and so on, and generally didn¡¯t involve big cities.


    This also made the work of investigators more convenient. Of course, in the twenty-first century, technology was developing rapidly every day. The arrival of the information age made communication easier.


    Although the occult world wasn¡¯t a secret to high-ranking officials of various countries, it was still unknown to the general public. The secrecy wasn¡¯t just for the protection of ordinary people, but for the Awakened themselves. Cultists didn¡¯t share this understanding. In order to attract believers and develop their sects, they wanted to be as famous as possible.


    There once was a sect that arrogantly decided to livestream the ritual to summon their Lord. As a result, before their Lord could arrive, they were pinpointed with the help of American GPS satellites and scooped up by investigators.


    Five minutes.


    The electricity in Jiangzhou was temporarily switched off. The lights went out one by one.


    The entire city of neon and noise came to a halt in an instant, becoming empty, silent, and filled with oppressive fear.


    A team of investigators with badges on their chests and weapons in their hands picked an elevated spot in Dujiakou and settled in.


    Ordinary citizens had already been evacuated from high places, but these investigators had mastered floating magic patterns. When they fell through the air, they only needed to activate a floating pattern near the ground to immediately enjoy an exciting bungee sequence.


    The leader of the temporary investigation team had an assembled sniper rifle in one hand and a lit cigar in the other.


    ""


    The weapons used by investigators weren¡¯t ordinary. They were products of alchemical formations, including the magic pattern painted on the bullets. They weren¡¯t especially dangerous to ordinary people, but they were lethal to alien species.


    ¡°Four minutes left.¡±


    Rong Ge took out his pocket watch, narrowed his eyes, and put it back.


    The current operation could be called the biggest event to ever happen in the occult world. The higher-ups had gone so far as to issue an extraordinary order¡ªthe first group of aliens must not be allowed to set foot on Earth, even if this meant exposing the existence of the occult world.


    Compared to senior investigators and Monarchs, ordinary investigators were the mainstream of Awakened people. In normal times they enjoyed the high standard of living accorded to investigators. Occasionally, they formed investigation teams in twos and threes to solve all kinds of trivial extraterrestrial incidents.


    The pay was quite good. Unless there was a mine to inherit back home, most Awakened were inclined to make a living as an investigator after graduation.


    ¡°Three minutes.¡±


    A team member looked at his wristwatch and silently counted down.


    ¡°What are you nervous about? Jiangzhou¡¯s a big place. We¡¯d have to win the lottery for the calamity to land on our heads.¡±


    The second in command patted the team member on the shoulder. With his other hand he was swiping through the MU app on his phone.


    Because of the sudden emergency, the world¡¯s media was focused on Jiangzhou. As the only social networking app of the occult world, the MU forum was updating at the rate of several posts per second.


    The Awakened accounted for a tiny percentage of humanity. It was the first time the forum had been so lively.


    ¡°Sir, there are two minutes left.¡±


    At the moment, the Dragon Group¡¯s air combat troops were deployed in the sky of Jiangzhou in full force. They¡¯d even sent fighter jets swarming over the empty city like bats.


    ¡°En.¡°


    Wearing a special combat suit, Si Yan opened the cabin door of the helicopter.


    The rippling wind buffeted his face. Every stroke was like the scrape of a knife.


    He stood in the cabin with heavy windproof goggles on his face, squinting down at the city from above, looking at every corner, trying not to miss a single thing.


    The instant something happened, he¡¯d jump down without hesitation from high altitude.


    For a true Monarch who controlled multiple elements, it wasn¡¯t difficult to manipulate the wind enough to fly. The training of special operations forces included high altitude parachute jumping and all kinds of extreme conditions.


    Last minute.


    The investigators dropped what they were doing, looked into the sky, raised their weapons and stood ready.


    Those sixty seconds were as long as a century.


    Finally, as the last second slowly passed, silence reigned over the world.


    ¡°Report¡­ No abnormalities.¡±


    ¡°Report, ground monitoring hasn¡¯t detected any abnormal phenomena.¡±


    ¡°Report, the energy sensors aren¡¯t picking up any residual signatures.¡±


    ¡­


    A series of reports swarmed into the underground command center of the Dragon Group. Investigators on standby on the surface began to whisper.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s not an oops, is it?¡±


    The seventh Monarch had the power of prophecy as well as inexplicably high prestige, so much so that when he said there was a problem, the entire mystical world swung into action.


    But when people thought about it carefully, it seemed that after all these years, the seventh Monarch had never actually predicted any major events. This gave rise to a wide range of opinions.


    ¡°Continue standing by. Don¡¯t let down your guard.¡± The command room wasn¡¯t taking anything lightly.


    Just then, an analyst standing in front of a computer trembled and said, ¡°Report, commander!! Meteorology has a situation!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up! Sync it to the shared screen!¡± Si Xun waved his cane then knocked it hard against the floor.


    The next moment, an enlarged version of the weather monitoring map appeared on the big screen of the command room.


    In the center of the real-time atmospheric map, a shocking thing appeared¡ªa deep black spot in the sky above Jiangzhou. It expanded at an incredible speed, and as it grew its color got darker and darker, like a devil¡¯s eye opening within the clouds.


    The location wasn¡¯t far away. It was exactly in the middle of Dujiakou.


    ¡°All investigators, proceed to Dujiakou immediately!¡±


    Over the wartime wireless command channel only a single person could be heard, the old and determined voice of the commander. The investigators waiting on standby in the city put away their guns in unison, activated their acceleration magic patterns, and rushed to the position on the map.


    There weren¡¯t many people left in the command room. Everyone was busy transmitting satellite imagery, analyzing and assessing the situation on the scene.


    In Miskatonic University, Darwin, Newton, Paracelsus, and even Nicholas Flamel, who almost never made an appearance, had gathered in the professors¡¯ meeting room. In front of these elder scientists were the first images sent back from the front. They began to judge what kind of species had arrived and what measures should be taken.


    Incidentally, Xu Fu had already gone to the front line.


    While the battle plan was being carried out, the analyst who¡¯d found the black spot at the beginning was still staring at the screen. He said with some confusion:


    ¡°Wait, no¡­ There seems to be¡­ something else.¡±


    Next to the black spot, a nimbus of blue and gold had suddenly appeared, and with the same irresistible momentum firmly blocked its path.


    What the hell was that?!


    TL Notes:


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Rong Ge ¨C ÈÙ¸ñ ¨C Alternatively: Jung. This is the Chinese name for Carl Gustav Jung, the famous psychiatrist. This name never appears again in the raw and it doesn¡¯t seem to actually be him (despite the presence of characters like Newton). Maybe the author is a fan or namechecked Jung because he studied the psychological significance of alchemy (ref Wikipedia)

 CH 37

    Zong Yan sprinted frantically.


    He darted into the elevator but instead of hitting the button for ground level, he went directly to the roof.


    No matter how incredible this persona card was, it was only E-rank. The image he got from the card flickered and faded away, and Zong Yan couldn¡¯t guarantee the future he saw was correct.


    Lives were at stake, and he¡¯d never used this ability before.


    Astrology, alchemy, and magic were known as the three greatest sources of wisdom in the universe.


    And astrology meant studying the heavens. Even if the Astrologer was able to calculate a horoscope, Zong Yan really needed to see the stars. From deep inside an underground fortress he couldn¡¯t exactly see the sky.


    The elevator ascended quickly, rising silently from the lower floors to the top of the building.


    When Zong Yan reached the facial recognition system, he found to his surprise that he was able to open the door, so he hurriedly ran outside.


    There was a helicopter parked by the door. Inside were some investigators adjusting their equipment. The main rotor was already spinning. It looked ready to take off at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The situation was urgent and Zong Yan didn¡¯t have time to care about it. The black-haired teen in his school uniform hurried to the side of the skyscraper.


    Since the headquarters of the Dragon Group was located in the lower levels of the building, it wasn¡¯t surprising to find a helipad on the roof built with cold, hard technology.


    As far as the general public was aware, the building was owned by a famous entrepreneurial group. The shopping mall below had the same owner. Given the connection, it wasn¡¯t a big deal to add a helipad.


    But there was a consequence to this. If you wanted to build a helipad on top of a building, there couldn¡¯t be any obstacles around it. That meant there wasn¡¯t much in the way of fences or safety measures. If Zong Yan were afraid of heights, his legs would have gone weak.


    But Zong Yan frequently amused himself high above the sky, so he didn¡¯t give it a second thought. With the crystal ball in his hand he balanced nimbly on the edge and looked out onto the Huangpu River in the distance.


    This was a critical event, and his divination didn¡¯t match the results of the famous seventh Monarch. He had a feeling the Dragon Group wouldn¡¯t automatically trust a quasi-Monarch.


    And right now it was urgent. Zong Yan couldn¡¯t put his faith in a single reading. He had to verify what he¡¯d seen in the sea of knowledge.


    The black-haired teen took a deep breath and lifted his hands to his chest. The sphere inscribed with a six-pointed star spun rapidly in his palm.


    Under the sky, the astrological map that had been slightly sluggish before was greatly enhanced. This time Zong Yan had more experience. Instead of pouring in all his spiritual force at once, he slowly unspooled it.


    More and more images converged in the young man¡¯s dark eyes, dying them deep purple. The mystical allure could almost steal a person¡¯s soul.


    Those violet eyes, which seemed to summon the light of all the stars, searched the sky, facing the direction of Dujiakou from afar.


    A few minutes passed, but they felt as long as a century. Countless dappled images flashed before his sight. Pedestrians assembling in a hurry, advertisements cycling past, the polite courtesies of financial elites in suits and ties, and¡­ a huge black cloud descending from the sky!


    Pieces of information formed strange blocks of color in his eyes, and the final fall from the dome of the sky revealed the exact location.


    ¡°Hah¡ª¡±


    Zong Yan lowered his hands, quickly took out his phone and called Si Yan.


    He really didn¡¯t have many contacts. There was WiFi everywhere in MU, so everyone used the app to contact each other, and Zong Yan never got an overseas SIM card. Out of all the people he could call, Si Yan had the highest authority in the occult world.


    After this sequence of actions, there were only five minutes left.


    As Zong Yan turned around and walked back a few steps from the edge, he was surprised to see the helicopter had disappeared. When he looked around, he could just make out the spinning rotor reflected on a skyscraper.


    He was behind the elevators. Because of the backlight and the fact he was too engrossed in divination, he didn¡¯t even notice when the helicopter left.


    Du¡ªdu¡ªdu¡ª


    More time passed, but the call didn¡¯t connect.


    What Zong Yan didn¡¯t know was that Si Yan was already on board a helicopter. He also didn¡¯t know that the Dragon Group used invisible communication headsets during wartime, which included the investigators in Jiangzhou. Right now they were all on the same channel listening to the orders of the Dragon Group¡¯s commander.


    In this kind of emergency, with so little time left, nobody was paying any attention to their phones. The noise inside the helicopter was loud enough to drown out the sound of the ringtone.


    With four minutes left, Zong Yan ended the call and opened the MU app.


    The main page of MU¡¯s forum was swamped with countless posts. Although investigators from all over the world had come to Jiangzhou, there had only been three hours¡¯ notice and many investigators couldn¡¯t leave in time. These investigators began to crowd the forum. Posts expanded at the rate of almost ten per minute, not including the pinned updates.


    When the admin in charge of the app saw the posts were too chaotic, he locked down the forum. Now everyone was banned from posting, except for official instructions.


    Of course, the official instructions were also distributed directly to the investigators¡¯ headsets. None of them were looking at the forum right now either.


    ""


    As the school chief, Zong Yan was able to make official posts to the academic section of the forum, but in this kind of situation, what kind of high-level leader would visit the MU student forum?!


    What should he do? Call He Yuan? Did He Yuan have enough authority? How would Zong Yan explain how he knew the exact location?


    If there was more time, none of this would be a problem, but right now time was running out¡ª


    He was afraid the entity they would face today was far more terrifying than the Death-Walker in London.


    Two minutes.


    After the power was cut, in order to prevent higher-dimensional creatures from making use of radio waves, all radio communications were cut off.


    Humans hadn¡¯t fully mastered radio waves. Radio frequencies were used for communications and WiFi, but there were fears that higher-dimensional creatures would use them as weapons.


    All communication between investigators in Jiangzhou was done through alchemical technology.


    That¡¯s right, Miskatonic University had a discipline called alchemical technology, which studied how to use alchemy to imitate and innovate mundane technological devices. To this end, the occult world had joined forces with several important alchemists to create a magical guidance system and launch it into space. Although it was similar to a satellite, it utilized a very different set of principles. It was called the Morning Star.


    The lights in the surrounding buildings had been extinguished one by one. Today Jiangzhou was as quiet as a prehistoric civilization.


    Zong Yan had only caught a glimpse, but what he saw was more than just a fragment of the future.


    Under his feet was the hard soil of the ground. Below it, countless ordinary people were crammed into dark, narrow underground garages, waiting to meet their fate.


    Most of them had no idea what was happening.


    ¡°Why did the air raid siren suddenly sound¡­ That¡¯s never happened before.¡±


    The young people were on edge.


    Since communications equipment throughout the city were turned off, they¡¯d completely lost access to the network. Going without the Internet in the twenty-first century was like having broken wings. All they could do was settle in for a long and anxious wait.


    ¡°Not just you. Those alarms haven¡¯t sounded since your grandfather¡¯s time.¡±


    The adults sighed and turned to speculation:


    ¡°Did the United States rip up the peace agreement and attack us?¡±


    A military buff immediately retorted, ¡°Anti-missile technology is too mature nowadays. Our country has its own Beidou satellite system. We can use our air weapons to intercept any U.S. missile right after it launches. At the latest it would be handled over the Pacific. There¡¯s absolutely no way a missile could land within our borders.


    ¡°Besides, today our country is equally strong. If the United States wants to go to war they have to weigh the consequences. They built themselves up with war money in World War I and World War II because they were far away from the main battlefields of Europe. Why would they give the same opportunity to other countries?¡±


    Yes, although the intensity of warfare had escalated in modern times, today it was more a battle of ideas than a hot war with weapons.


    Seventy or eighty years had passed since World War II. In terms of strategic weapons, the human species was capable of destroying the entire planet a dozen times over.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not America, could it be aliens?¡±


    In the end, a random guess turned out to be the most reliable.


    Last minute.


    Zong Yan took out the card.


    This S-rank daily disposable persona card was undoubtedly the biggest trump card in Zong Yan¡¯s hand. He speculated that the strength of this card might be comparable to an Elder God.


    When the ancient gods fought on Earth, they enjoyed bonuses from human faith, sometimes exploding several times higher than their actual strength. That was how the mightiest Elder Gods with many believers were able to seal the Great Old Ones on Earth or in other galaxies.


    The strongest of the ancient gods could match the Great Old Ones, while the weakest of the Great Old Ones might not even be able to defeat Zong Yan¡¯s Night Watchman.


    Yun Zhong Jun was undoubtedly an Elder God and a major native god of China.


    Of course, there were limitations.


    60 points of San value, one hour of duration


    Zong Yan had already used the Astrologer card today. With the reward from Hastur, he had a maximum of 70 San points. After deducting 5 points for the Astrologer card, he had 65 points.


    After using Yun Zhong Jun, he would have just 5 San points left to prevent his San value from hitting zero.


    3, 2, 1.


    The second hand hit the top of the dial.


    In that instant, a droplet of some unknown blue-black substance penetrated the boundaries of time and hurtled into the Earth¡¯s atmosphere from far beyond the universe.


    The sky above Dujiakou was pierced by this dot of unknown material. Ignoring all barriers, it fell straight down.


    Zong Yan crushed the persona card in his hand.


    A second later, a man with black hair wearing a blue and gold crane cloak appeared on the rooftop. A cold cloud of mist surrounded him, sketching his handsome features and haughty eyes into even more distinctive, perfect lines.


    At that moment, Zong Yan felt something called ¡°divinity¡± merging with his soul.


    Originally this card should have functioned the same as the Azathoth card, directly controlling Zong Yan¡¯s consciousness and turning him into another being.


    It wasn¡¯t clear why, but something else happened instead. Zong Yan¡¯s mind overrode everything.


    His personality transcended the divine nature this card was supposed to give him. He received the solitary indifference of a god, the same arrogance and cold detachment, but Zong Yan himself remained in control.


    He had a vague feeling that as long as he had enough San points to activate the Azathoth card, he wouldn¡¯t be as embarrassed as last time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t have any more time to think.


    Yun Zhong Jun lightly flicked his sleeve, and the dark cuffs painted with intricate patterns swept him across a distance of several kilometers. With his jingling hair ornaments trailing in the wind, he stood on a cloud of blue and gold mist, and slammed directly into the unknown liquid falling from the sky.


    Even if no one alive believed in Yun Zhong Jun, the blood of those who once believed still flowed in this land.


    The gods who were abandoned by the rise and fall of dynasties were still remembered by the land once called ¡°Huaxia¡±.


    Yun Zhong Jun¡¯s strength could increase almost exponentially when fighting in this place.


    Time was too tight, and he hadn¡¯t managed to contact anyone.


    So this time¡­  it looked like the King of Clouds was destined to fight a solo battle.


    At the same moment, satellite images were transmitted to the conference room in Miskatonic University.


    Darwin looked at the inky blue liquid and its indescribable aura of evil, and his face sank. ¡°It¡¯s a Tindalos Hound.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    The progress of these two chapters is a little slow because this is a big plot point from the perspective of the characters. It¡¯s also a very important turning point


    Well, I¡¯m going to bed. Good night, lovelies!!


    ""


    TL Notes:


    FYI I only include material from the author¡¯s note when it¡¯s relevant to the story. Stuff that doesn¡¯t make it: lists of thank yous, requests for nutrient solution related to monthly deadlines, comments about how exhausted the author is or how far behind they are on bonus chapters.


    Usually there¡¯s a chunk of plot-related humor followed by thank yous, but this time I did some slicing.


    If you have a JJWXC account, remember to collect the author and take other positive actions to support their writing! (If you don¡¯t have a JJWXC account, click the link for a guide in English.) ?(????)?


    I¡¯m working on figuring out how to include illustrations of some of the creatures and entities mentioned in each chapter. Cthulhu mythology has a lot of existing art and it¡¯s pretty cool!


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Huaxia ¨C »ªÏÄ ¨C An ancient or poetic name for China


    Tindalos Hound / Hound of Tindalos ¨C Í¢´ïÂÞ˹ ÁÔÈ® ¨C T¨ªngd¨¢lu¨®s¨© li¨¨qu¨£n ¨C Interdimensional predatory entities who dwell in angular time and hunt down those who stray out of the curved time in which humanity dwells

 CH 38

    The Hounds of Tindalos were infamous. Among mythical races they stood apart, superior and independent, for they could roam through time and space at will. It was this ability which enabled these cunning creatures to establish their home base on Earth in the far distant past. In that era, only the simplest single-celled organisms existed. This ensured the continuation of their race and made it difficult for enemies to attack their dens.


    Although called ¡°hounds¡±, Tindalos Hounds were very different from the canines known on Earth. As for why they were given that name, it was because they scoured time and space hunting down anyone who¡¯d ever seen their shape. They chased their quarry to the ends of the universe if necessary. Countless time travelers had fallen under their claws.


    Tindalos Hounds had no fixed shape, but the very few investigators who¡¯d survived an encounter with them reported that they had savage muzzles, were covered in a strange, ink-blue liquid, and liked to hunt in packs.


    What was even scarier was that because of their remarkable ability to roam time and space, they were almost impossible to kill. However, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to capture them. All that was needed was a cage created by alchemical runes constructed with certain angles.


    Veteran investigators were well aware of these creatures.


    In the ¡°Black Forest Incident¡±, which caused a sensation throughout the occult world in the previous century, a team of twelve senior investigators was completely annihilated.


    When the search team arrived, they figured out the culprit from the recordings and limbs that were left behind. The Tindalos Hounds were responsible.


    The most chilling thing the search team found was an audio recording filled with intermittent voices.


    ¡¾¡±Oh God, they¡¯re devouring my colleague¡¯s body piece by piece, but I can¡¯t turn around¡­ Because the moment I see them they¡¯ll rip my throat out too¡­.¡±¡¿


    In the depths of the forest, even if investigators heard the sound of crunching bones and ripping flesh, they didn¡¯t dare look. And there was nothing more terrifying.


    What made it even worse was that when most people encountered Hounds, their first instinct was to help the victims. This led to the demise of many investigators.


    ¡°Tindalos Hounds only attack time travelers. Why would they appear here in such numbers?¡±


    Darwin was so horrified he almost crushed the insulated cup in his hand. ¡°Immediately inform Dragon Group command. Tell all investigators to look away at once. Do not look upon their forms!!!¡±


    The atmosphere in the conference room grew solemn.


    Because everyone knew how impossible this was.


    The terror of the Tindalos Hounds came from their unknown nature.


    They existed in angular time and could emerge from any surface with an angle less than 120 degrees. The most famous building in Dujiakou was the financial center with three towers. And it was obvious at a glance that the building itself and the ground all around it contained angles of 90 degrees.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this time¡­¡±


    A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in their hearts.


    The moment a person saw what a Hound looked like, he was on their hunting list. Investigators were made of flesh and blood. Even if they tightly shut their eyes, it was impossible to remain indifferent to the agonized screams of their companions.


    Paracelsus sighed. ¡°If there¡¯s truly no other way, we¡¯ll advise the Spire Council to use the ultimate weapon.¡±


    The ultimate weapon of the occult world wasn¡¯t a simple thing.


    It was a supreme alchemical array planted within the Earth¡¯s crust. If the Spire Council and the MU Committee voted unanimously, the array would be transferred deep below Jiangzhou. The city would be stripped from the ¡°present¡± timeline and form an independent pocket of space.


    If that happened, it would mean the entire world had abandoned Jiangzhou. The Tindalos Hounds would kill everyone inside.


    And those who managed to survive by random chance would close their eyes to hear endless human screams of agony and pain, waiting in a lightless purgatory until the alchemical formation failed.


    If you open your eyes, you die.


    One could only imagine what kind of horrific tragedy would result, a challenge that would crush human morality and spirit.


    The occult world would never take that step except as a last resort.


    ¡°No, we still have hope.¡±


    Newton flexed his hands and tapped on the conference table.


    He extended his finger and pointed to the small cyclone of cyan and gold in the satellite image.


    ¡°Perhaps we can hope for a miracle.¡±


    ¡ª


    Everything happened as Darwin predicted.


    The moment the huge, indistinctly-shaped droplet of ink-blue liquid fell past the skyscraper with three towers, countless investigators who¡¯d rushed to Dujiakou saw it.


    ¡°Everyone close your eyes!!! Those are Tindalos Hounds!¡±


    Seconds later, orders from headquarters erupted from their headsets, and every investigator who¡¯d seen the droplet felt the blood in their bodies freeze.


    Zong Yan just felt cold all over. Even though he¡¯d activated the Yun Zhong Jun persona, he couldn¡¯t stop the trembling in his soul.


    There were so many dread-inspiring mythical beings¡ªthe life-plundering Color Out of Space, the Black Goat¡¯s Cubs.


    Without doubt the Tindalos Hounds were among the worst.


    The horror came from the endless pursuit and the terror of never being able to look directly at them.


    It was unfortunate that Zong Yan had briefly learned about this race last semester, in the original book of the Necronomicon.


    Yun Zhong Jun didn¡¯t hesitate. His entire body transformed into a cyan and gold cloud that enveloped the blue-black object.


    But he was too late.


    A moment before the cloud wrapped around that drop of nameless liquid, the surface suddenly split into millions of tiny particles, plummeting like raindrops towards the ground.


    No, not towards the ground but towards¡­ the prey that witnessed them fall.


    ¡°Close your eyes! Everyone, close your eyes!¡± Si Xun¡¯s eyes were wide as he roared on the command channel.


    He¡¯d replayed the satellite images to watch the arrival of the Tindalos Hounds. These creatures couldn¡¯t be looked at by eyewitnesses, but that didn¡¯t mean they were so powerful and savage they couldn¡¯t even be viewed secondhand through a photo.


    It was too late.


    Too many investigators had witnessed the scene in person.


    The Tindalos Hounds opened their bloody maws and crushed the throats of their prey.


    Their front claws were razor sharp, and the hideous ink-blue liquid on their bodies frequently splashed their victims. Sometimes the Hounds would even tease their targets by giving them numbing agents, driving their fear to extreme levels as they watched their own bodies get torn apart and eaten bit by bit.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh¡ª¡±


    The Hounds that Zong Yan hadn¡¯t been able to stop had already reached the ground. They rushed towards their prey like a plume of smoke while screams rang out one after another.


    Some investigators instinctively opened their eyes to help their team members only to meet the same fate a second later.


    The sound of ripping flesh echoed under the sky.


    How was this possible, how was this possible?!


    Although otherworldly creatures and evil gods rivalled each other in terms of awfulness, at least they followed certain rules. As long as humans didn¡¯t take the initiative to provoke them, they wouldn¡¯t come to Earth to destroy the world.


    How did it all go wrong?!


    As Zong Yan stood within the mist, he shaped the cloud around the largest mass of Hounds and halted them in the sky.


    Then the cloud was suddenly ravaged by a colossal mouth. A wolf-shaped creature composed of countless angular fragments broke through Zong Yan¡¯s first line of defense.


    This was the Lord of Tindalos, the monstrous being who led the Tindalos Hounds.


    No, he couldn¡¯t let this behemoth reach the ground!


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t have any time to deal with the Tindalos Hounds that had already escaped. All his attention was focused on the massive wolf lord in front of him.


    Yun Zhong Jun¡¯s fingertips began to glow with divine, multi-colored light.


    As the primary god of the Jiu Ge mythos, Yun Zhong Jun¡¯s status was supreme. Qu Yuan once described him as ¡°shining with the same light as the sun and the moon¡±.


    The clouds were the only entity that could contend with the sun and moon in the sky. Unlike the sun and moon which were separated into day and night, the clouds were everywhere.


    Zong Yan could feel the land under his feet constantly providing him with a faith bonus, so he manipulated the clouds and fractured them into rain and ice, intending to trap the Lord of Tindalos inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here, visitor from a different time.¡±


    The eyes of the King of Clouds had turned completely golden, with a brilliance which outshone the sun and moon.


    ¡°I return those words to you, ancient god of another world.¡± The Lord of Tindalos¡¯ body twisted and elongated, revealing a wolf-like face. If someone were to look directly at him now, they¡¯d feel sickening panic and fear, and fall into permanent madness. Of course, Zong Yan was temporarily upgraded to godhood, so he was immune.


    ¡°We chase the scent of our archenemy. He has provoked us beyond endurance. If you stand in our way, you too will die by our fangs.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± Zong Yan replied with a sharp blow shaped from mist.


    The clouds, which were normally gentle and mild, turned into implacable weapons in the hands of this god, forming an unbreakable cage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the feud between you and your archenemy, but¡ª¡±


    One hour. He had only one hour.


    ¡°If you dare to hurt my people, you will pay in blood.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Tindalos Hounds? How unexpected.¡±


    At the top of the Dujiakou Financial Building, a dark-skinned doctor in a white coat ripped a hole in space and walked out from it with a smile.


    Behind him, a half-materialized evil shadow instantly tore apart every Hound that tried to approach him, leaving the rooftop bare.


    If someone were to look down from the sky, they¡¯d see the ink-blue liquid avoid the top of this building.


    In contrast, several floors of the other two towers were already corroded.


    ¡°It not only disposes of my old enemy, Tindalos, it serves as a perfect test.¡°


    Nyarlathotep drawled his words: ¡°What exactly did you sense when our Lord regained consciousness back then? Is that human really worthy of your attention?¡±


    ¡°Even so¡ª¡±


    The doctor smiled at the scene of hell below his feet, then fixed his gaze on the god who ruled the clouds. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m afraid all the humans in this city will be buried with him.¡±


    But that human was curious indeed.


    The Faceless God watched the fierce battle with keen interest.


    Nyarlathotep had dealt with humans too many times. He knew very well it was impossible for a normal human to take the form of an ancient god.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said the white-robed Lord of Time and Space. Just then, the diabolical chaos inherent to an evil god was vividly manifest in him. ¡°Humans are interesting creatures. If we don¡¯t push them to their limits, they only ever think of hiding.¡±


    Such was the case, for if this divine being were truly displeased, it would take him but a fraction of a second to unmake the entire planet, a result far worse than spending the lives of one city to test a nebulous hypothesis.


    And so these beings were called evil gods, for they were powerful beyond imagination, and had never experienced human emotions, joy, or sorrow.


    Neither of the two evil gods made any other comments. It was as if their discussion of whether to accept that human as a believer not long ago was just a passing thought.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t prove your value, it doesn¡¯t matter how many die. You¡¯re just an ant.¡±


    Tawil¡ªno, Yog-Sothoth, smiled faintly and said, ¡°A special ant, at best.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: So you¡¯re the one playing tricks behind my back, huh!


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Tindalos Hounds in this chapter have a little of my own personal setting ¡Ì


    TL Notes:


    skyscraper with three towers ¨C Èý×㶦Á¢µÄ´óÏà ¨C three-legged building, three-pillared building, tripod building ¨C This seems to be the same skyscraper mentioned in Chapter 1. I¡¯ve been using ¡°towers¡± instead of ¡°legs¡± because it fits the action better. These arcs are basically set in AU Shanghai and I haven¡¯t found a notable skyscraper there with 3 legs or 3 towers. The Oriental Pearl Tower comes close, but it¡¯s not a tripod and it¡¯s basically a sightseeing location, financial elites don¡¯t work inside. The Shanghai World Financial Center is just a giant building with a rectangle cut-out at the top. So I¡¯m assuming this is a fictional building and going with ¡°three towers¡± for now.


    Qu Yuan ¨C ÇüÔ­ ¨C A Chinese poet and politician in the Chu kingdom during the Warring States period, born c.?340 BC (Wikipedia)


    you will pay in blood ¨C ÄãÃǾ͵ø¶³öѪµÄ¾õÎò ¨C A more accurate translation might be ¡°you will pay for your bloody-mindedness¡± but it doesn¡¯t scan as well


    playing tricks behind my back ¨C ÔÚ±³ºóÒõÎÒ ¨C yin my back, shadow me behind my back


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Color Out of Space ¨C ÐÇÖ®²Ê ¨C ¡°color of stars¡± ¨C An extraterrestrial entity from a short story by H.P. Lovecraft (Wikipedia)


    Black Goat¡¯s Cubs ¨C ºÚɽÑòÓ××Ð ¨C Also known as the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath

 CH 39

    Zong Yan, who¡¯d just been designated as an ¡°ant¡±, felt like he was possessed by Ultraman.


    He was engaged in a fight to the death against the Lord of Tindalos. With every impact he saw ink-blue liquid scatter in mid-air. The Hounds continually tried to bore through the clouds summoned by Yun Zhong Jun, but they couldn¡¯t pierce the god¡¯s blockade. They could only thrash wildly in the air like millions of charged particles.


    The Tindalos Hounds that reached the ground were far worse. In just a few minutes they killed or injured hundreds of investigators.


    Those investigators, regardless of rank, were killed in one blow. Their throats were torn open, exposing the scarlet flesh and tissue inside.


    Xu Fu took out the fly-whisk he hadn¡¯t used in ages. With a flick of his brush, thousands of white whiskers stretched out to trap the Hounds.


    Among the immortal elders residing in MU, Xu Fu had the greatest fighting power. Both Paracelsus and Nicholas Flamel were nonmilitary personnel, so only Xu Fu had joined the battlefield.


    But he was a Daoist, and Daoists specialized in hunting ghosts, not fighting alien creatures.


    Among all the combat forces, the Dragon Group suffered the heaviest casualties.


    According to the plan of battle, Dragon Group members were originally distributed throughout Jiangzhou and stood by in every district. Dragon Group members were also the first to respond to the order to head to Dujiakou.


    Because of the early warning, five of the ten Dragon Group teams had returned to China.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh¡ª¡± An investigator screamed in pain as he was gnawed by a Hound.


    ¡°Li Wu!¡±


    He Yuan nearly opened his eyes. Instead he punched the ground with his fist, and his joints creaked from the strain.


    He was the adjutant of Team 7. The captain, Si Yan, was on standby in a helicopter, so He Yuan was the acting captain during the battle.


    He Yuan hadn¡¯t been stationed that far from Dujiakou. When the anomaly first arrived, many members of Team 7 were unfortunate enough to see it. He Yuan himself almost died.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look¡ªdon¡¯t¡­¡±


    The investigator named Li Wu cried out in pain. Blood mingled with sweat and splattered on the ground, but a moment later there was only silence.


    He Yuan was accompanied by almost every member of Team 7. They closed their eyes tightly, huddling on the ground, trembling with apprehension.


    Their eyes were shut, depriving them of sight. Everyone knew how terrible the Tindalos Hounds were, and in darkness their fear was infinitely magnified.


    As for those who¡¯d seen the Hounds, the long wait was like anticipating their own execution.


    No one wanted to die. No one wanted to die without a fight.


    ¡°Go¡­ Get the hell out!¡±


    One of the investigators who¡¯d witnessed the Hounds¡¯ arrival suddenly stood up. His veins bunched in his arms as he aimed an alchemical weapon at a Tindalos Hound, opening fire and spraying golden-red tongues of flame at the enemy.


    Ordinary physical attacks weren¡¯t of any use against these creatures. They even shrugged off alchemical weapons that normally worked against otherworldly creatures.


    The Hound that had just bitten Li Wu and trampled his corpse exposed its maw to the alchemical flame, revealing its ferocious and terrible fangs to the investigator, as if it were teasing its prey.


    The next second, a street lamp to one side suddenly crumpled and twisted. The metal pole reorganized in the air, forming a giant hollow sphere.


    This huge metallic ball gathered up several Tindalos Hounds before they could escape and locked them tight inside.


    If the angles that enclosed them were less than 120 degrees, Tindalos Hounds could escape through any surface. That meant they were nearly unkillable.


    ¡ªBut inside a sphere, they were trapped.


    ¡°Get up, all of you! We¡¯re the soldiers of the Dragon Group! Even if we die, we¡¯ll take some of them with us!¡±


    With an explosive bang, the man in the special combat uniform of the Dragon Group stepped firmly onto the wind and landed neatly on the ground. His eyes were hidden behind heavy goggles, fierce as a hawk.


    ¡°Open your eyes! We¡¯re soldiers! Our mission is to die before the civilians, to die on the battlefield, to spill our last drop of blood on this land!¡±


    Yes, they were soldiers.


    What was the duty of a soldier? To defend their country and fight for the people.


    In the face of such a terrible threat, if the Awakened with special abilities couldn¡¯t handle this situation, forget about ordinary citizens.


    ¡°Captain!!¡±


    He Yuan was the first to open his eyes. He took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°You¡¯re right! Our team is full of Level 6 elites and Auxiliary-levels. We¡¯re basically MU post-grads. If we can¡¯t handle them, who can?¡±


    A Monarch joining the battlefield was undoubtedly a big boost to morale.


    Si Yan clenched his fist and mobilized more metal to encase a Hound as it tried to pounce on him.


    The flowing blue-black ichor dripped onto his arm. Si Yan didn¡¯t blink but concentrated on bending metal.


    He actually specialized in lightning, but there was no way he could retreat at such a critical time.


    Si Yan stole a moment to look up at the sky. High above them, a giant ink-blue mass was surrounded by a spiral-shaped storm formed of cyan and gold clouds.


    From the violent fluctuations of the cyclone, they could see how intense the battle was inside. Several times the enveloping clouds began to thin out, but just as they weakened, countless clouds appeared out of nowhere and poured in almost frantically to fill the gap.


    Who the hell was it¡ªprotecting the city?


    ¡°Report to headquarters. Dragon Team 7 requests permission to fight. We won¡¯t desert the battlefield.¡± As Si Yan pressed the headset, a single shot rang out, targeting a Hound. The bullet was useless, of course, but before it hit the ground he added it to the growing sphere of metal.


    Dragon Group headquarters had fallen silent.


    Si Xun recognized his son¡¯s voice. The gray-haired old man quietly tightened his fists. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°Permission granted. Go and fight.¡±


    Everyone knew what the order meant. The best a Monarch-level could do against the Hounds of Tindalos was retreat in one piece.


    The West had gods of faith that were classified as Elder Gods. There were also gods in China.


    But after all these years, Miskatonic University hadn¡¯t managed to confirm the existence of ancient Chinese gods, so the problem had been put aside.


    The commander-in-chief stared at the cyan and gold cyclone on the satellite map.


    With a gesture he suddenly lifted the leader of the Dragon Group Air Force, who¡¯d been monitoring developments on the ground, to the command platform.


    ¡°I hereby appoint you acting commander for the duration of the battle.¡± Si Xun tossed away his crutch and said, ¡°Stay here and lead them well.¡±


    ¡°Commander-in-chief, you¡­¡± The newly-appointed commander was stunned. He stammered for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re going to¡ª?¡±


    ¡°As the reigning second Monarch, I will also join the battle.


    ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t have to call me commander-in-chief. You¡¯re the commander.¡±


    Si Xun patted him on the shoulder. He walked into the elevator without looking back.


    Although his hair was already gray, his back was as firm and straight as hard steel, supporting the unyielding soul inside.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The acting commander of the battle gritted his teeth. He stood at attention and saluted the figure¡¯s back.


    Everyone in the command room got to their feet. In silence they repeated the same action, paying the highest tribute.


    This incident in the Dragon Group base was repeated in MU. Paracelsus walked out of the conference room.


    The third and fifth Monarchs had finished their work and were also on the way to Jiangzhou via the Gate of Truth.


    It was certain that this battle would be a bitter fight to the end, but no one was willing to give up hope.


    Zong Yan struggled to hold on.


    If he were just fighting the Lord of Tindalos, the Yun Zhong Jun card would have been enough.


    But he also had to stop the Hounds of Tindalos from escaping and falling to the ground while he was fighting, and that was really tricky.


    They sparred above the city for nearly fifty minutes. Even with the faith bonus, Zong Yan was barely able to fight off the Lord of Tindalos while stopping the other Hounds.


    At the level of ¡°gods¡±, it was sometimes difficult to tell exactly who was stronger or weaker or distinguish victory from defeat.


    Time was running out.


    As soon as the clock hit one hour, Zong Yan would lose his Yun Zhong Jun form and fall to earth.


    When that happened, he would certainly lose his life, and at the same time all of Jiangzhou would be lost.


    Only a small number of Hounds had managed to escape, but they¡¯d caused heavy casualties to the investigators, not to mention what would happen when the Lord of Tindalos joined them.


    Zong Yan really needed another plan.


    ¡°Tindalos Hounds don¡¯t hunt down anyone but time travelers. Your archenemy, who is it?¡±


    The blue and gold nimbus recombined, and an indistinct voice sounded from inside. In this form Zong Yan could no longer be called human.


    ¡°Yog-Sothoth. You must have heard this name.¡± The Lord of Tindalos bared his fangs. His claws and teeth transformed into a myriad of black flashes as he pounced at Yun Zhong Jun. ¡°Our struggle with Yog-Sothoth has lasted for eternity, for we are invincible when it comes to time.


    ¡°We detest anyone who defies us, even if that being is an Outer God.¡±


    The Lord of Tindalos had no concrete form, but he assumed the shape of a wolf creature with the diabolical horns of a Western demon.


    Few would dare to oppose an Outer God, who stood as the ultimate powers of the universe. Unfortunately, the Lord of Tindalos was one of them.


    ¡°I have been slain by Yog-Sothoth countless times, and countless times I have resurrected at the end of eternity.¡±


    The wolf demon gave a howl. ¡°But as long as time exists, our struggle will go on!


    ¡°Answer me now, ancient god of another world who seeks to stop me, are you a subordinate of Yog-Sothoth?!¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    There was a culprit behind the crime, and he was caught in the crossfire.


    He remembered seeing the Lord of Time and Space in the battle operations center and the smile on his lips. Zong Yan¡¯s heart turned to ice.


    Killing someone with a borrowed knife, what a good trick. Zong Yan had known nothing good would come of Tawil¡¯s warning.


    The nimbus suddenly coalesced, and Yun Zhong Jun reappeared in his divine form. He stepped out of the clouds with bare feet, and his eyes were cold and indifferent. ¡°I am not.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you stop me?¡± The Lord of Tindalos said, ¡°Release your cage. We only came here to find our archenemy.¡±


    ¡°I can let you go,¡± Zong Yan said. ¡°But you cannot hurt my people.¡±


    If Zong Yan released his clouds, the Tindalos Hounds would be exposed to human sight a second later.


    To them, humans were nothing more than ants. The Hounds were here to seek revenge, yes, but killing humans was just a matter of following their customary directives.


    With three minutes left, the Yun Zhong Jun status was about to end.


    His fingers trembled with nerves.


    Everything hinged on this.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    In the original setting, humans don¡¯t have much power. Even the weakest mythical race can obliterate human beings.


    This story has Awakened abilities and alchemy, so the overall strength of the human race is higher. Personally, I think the change in combat strength leads to a different feel. But if you look at the battle and think it¡¯s ridiculous, well¡­ I did my best _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_


    As for the romance¡ªI have confidence in the emotional line of this story, don¡¯t worry. Everything I say is true! (babbles loudly)


    TL Notes:


    Tomorrow¡¯s update Chapter 40 is a double chapter. (?? ? ?)?*:??? ?


    If something prevents me from posting at the usual time, I¡¯ll comment here with an updated timeline. TY for reading!!


    Another Tindalos Hound:


    Ultraman ¨C °ÂÌØÂü


    killing someone with a borrowed knife ¨C ½èµ¶É±ÈË ¨C murder a person with a borrowed knife; borrow a knife to kill a man ¡ª to make a third party the instrument of a crime; borrow a knife to kill others; do harm to sb. through the hands of another


    everything hinged on this ¨C ³É°ÜÔÚ´ËÒ»¾Ù ¨C Success or failure hinges on this one action; Sink or swim depends on this action

 CH 40

    There were just three minutes left, but to Zong Yan they felt far longer than the three minutes before the countdown began.


    It even felt like his hands were sweating, but such a thing was impossible given the status of his current divine body.


    The Lord of Tindalos narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the ancient god of another world.


    With the addition of the majestic power of faith, Yun Zhong Jun¡¯s strength was increased by an incredible level on this land, inching ever closer to the upper level of the Great Old Ones who wielded ¡°world destroying¡± power.


    According to the Daoist classification, the power of the Hounds of Tindalos belonged to the Yin or cold type. In the end, they were evil beings. Meanwhile, Yun Zhong Jun consisted of the purest form of divine energy, the orthodox Yang category.


    If the fight continued like this, it would be difficult to win. Normally, given the warlike nature of the Tindalos clan, the Lord of Tindalos would never consider a temporary truce, but it hadn¡¯t been easy to track the traces of Yog-Sothoth. Even if all they managed to do was rush over and get killed, he was determined to infuriate their old enemy.


    After all, what the Tindalos clan cared about the most was their archenemy. That was the reason they came.


    Even for Tindalos Hounds, it was rare to travel through time on such a large scale. For them it took a day to traverse a hundred million years. In order to seek revenge, this race had been running through the timeline for over a month.


    ¡°Very well, I promise you.¡±


    The enormous wolf demon gave a long roar. All the Hounds that heard it transformed from solid entities into mist-like beings, then lifted their heads to echo the call.


    Only then did Zong Yan breathe a sigh of relief.


    The Tindalos clan might be notorious, but they had some credibility. The great race of Yith, which was a powerful, independent race of equal strength, also cooperated with the Tindalos. The reason humans were chased down and killed by the Hounds was partly because, on the one hand, they couldn¡¯t communicate with each other, and on the other hand, because they¡¯d violated this species¡¯ great taboo.


    But Zong Yan was now an ancient god. He had no difficulty communicating with the Lord of Tindalos.


    Meanwhile, a long-buried anger surged in Zong Yan¡¯s soul.


    Yog-Sothoth¡­


    There were two minutes left. After the agreement was made, Zong Yan took a deep breath and made a gesture with his fingers. The clouds receded like the tide.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡±


    On the ground, the investigators who were fighting the Tindalos Hounds drew to a halt.


    But they were just responding to their enemies. The Hounds suddenly changed from solid state to liquid vapor and threw down their prey. They rose straight up into the air and ran back to where they¡¯d first descended.


    After such a long battle, there were heavy casualties on the ground. Everywhere were scattered puddles of blood, severed limbs, and torn flesh, shocking anyone who saw it.


    ¡°Look at the sky! That blue and gold cyclone seems to be disappearing!¡±


    He Yuan held his severely damaged arm. He didn¡¯t have any time to deal with his injury, but propped himself against a wall and shouted.


    High above the three-towered Dujiakou Financial Building, the mysterious ink-blue mass, which had been obscured by a cyan and gold fog, slowly became visible again.


    No one knew exactly what that cloud was. But everyone knew it was protecting humanity. It was precisely because the situation wasn¡¯t totally out of control that hope had blossomed in the midst of desperation.


    But now their despair began to grow.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that today we¡¯ll¡­¡±


    The investigators had seen it clearly. What they were up against was just a tiny fraction of creatures, the ones that had managed to escape the huge drop of ink blue liquid. But when facing such a small number, the investigators had lost so much. Even the Monarchs were wounded.


    If those creatures truly reached the city¡­ the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Their blood slowly froze. At the moment, no one cared about the rule of not looking directly at the Hounds.


    The communications networks and electricity throughout Jiangzhou had been cut off. It was impossible for ordinary people to learn much about the mythical creatures in such a short time. And even if they did find out, they might not necessarily believe it.


    Numerous investigators had come in support, but excluding the dead and wounded, only sixty percent survived. For ordinary people it would have been a straight up slaughter.


    ¡°Please bless this land, God, and look after your people.¡± Foreign investigators had already begun to make the sign of the cross on their chests.


    But¡ªthe cloud gradually dispersed.


    The mysterious unknown evil hovered in the sky, poised to fall to the ground the way a drop of water descends to the sea.


    The Tindalos Hounds who¡¯d just left their prey returned to this huge drop of liquid like birds to the nest.


    If you didn¡¯t know how vicious that thing was, based on its appearance alone it might remind you of oil and pigment, suggesting the beauty of nature, light and shadow, like the Barbizon school of painting.


    ""


    One minute left.


    After seeing the Lord of Tindalos had kept his promise, Zong Yan, who was on alert with his muscles tensed, felt a sense of relief.


    Of course, Yun Zhong Jun¡¯s appearance remained unmoved, noble, and cold.


    The man in the crane cloak flicked his sleeves and finally gave a nod to the Lord of Tindalos. With his bare feet he stepped onto the clouds above the void, and slowly descended to the top of a financial building in Dujiakou.


    Even if he only had one minute, he couldn¡¯t show his weakness.


    If the Lord of Tindalos knew that Zong Yan was just pretending to be a tiger, the consequences could be imagined.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t shy about attributing the utmost malice to the minds of alien creatures.


    ¡°Ah ah ah, it looks like they¡¯re teaming up.¡±


    On the top of the building opposite the one where Yun Zhong Jun had landed, Nyarlathotep tucked his hands into the pockets of his white coat and spoke gleefully.


    It was well-known that Nyarlathotep had two hobbies in life. One was watching theater and the other was causing trouble.


    This time he wasn¡¯t to blame, but he was definitely part of the show.


    And Yog found everything about him irritating. The Lord of Time and Space knew it was impossible for his plan to go awry, but he was displeased by that derisive tone of voice.


    ¡°The script has been laid down. It must be followed,¡± Yog said coldly.


    A moment later, it was like an invisible, indescribable hand of dread suddenly loomed over them.


    With a simple flick of this hand, certain appalling facts within the present reality were altered.


    The Lord of Tindalos might claim to be the archenemy of Yog-Sothoth, but sadly, according to Yog, the Lord of Tindalos was just another being whose name he didn¡¯t bother to remember.


    The Lord of Tindalos had actually received his many deaths from two of Yog-Sothoth¡¯s Great Old One avatars.


    After all, the true essence of Yog resided entirely outside the universe, beyond space and time.


    As terrifying as the Tindalos Hounds were, they could only move within the timeline. For a higher-dimensional evil god, they too were ants that could be crushed to death with a finger, no different from flattening a human being.


    The reason he didn¡¯t squash them was simply because their usual small brawls didn¡¯t interest him at all. With such insignificant strength it was impossible for them to make the evil god unhappy.


    But if this enemy didn¡¯t follow his script, it didn¡¯t need to exist.


    Something in the distance rumbled¡ª


    The next moment, the drop of ink blue liquid suddenly seemed to boil, then exploded in the air.


    Yun Zhong Jun had just stepped onto the rooftop of the building. A moment later he was shocked by the mountain-shaking noise of an earthquake.


    And then the last second of the countdown was over. A cyan and gold flash of light surrounded Zong Yan¡¯s body, and the ancient god with ink-black hair and ornate clothes disappeared. Standing in the same place was a powerless black-haired teen dressed in a blue and white school uniform.


    The body of the Lord of Tindalos suddenly twisted in the air. Then, overruled by a paramount consciousness, it was removed from existence.


    In just an instant, like a flash of lightning, the Lord of Hounds whose power was comparable to an Elder God, and who¡¯d dared to challenge the most terrible being in the universe, was erased from reality for all time.


    It was well-known that Tindalos Hounds were immortal. No matter how many times their lord was killed, he resurrected at the end of eternity.


    But now these Hound subordinates sensed their king no longer existed, would never recover, and had been totally obliterated.


    What kind of being could do such a thing, erasing a deity-level creature without any effort?


    The answer was clear.


    The death of the Lord of Tindalos left these Hounds without a leader.


    Compared to the lord of their race, the rest of the Hounds weren¡¯t that intelligent. They couldn¡¯t communicate with other races and only knew the common language of their kind.


    And after more than a month of sleepless running in the timeline, the Hounds were starving.


    The ending was predetermined. The script that was close to deviating returned to the evil god¡¯s control and wouldn¡¯t go awry again.


    The fractured drop of liquid disintegrated.


    Ten thousand¡­ no, a hundred thousand¡­ or more like millions, tens of millions, an infinitude of liquid droplets fell from the sky like a storm.


    The Hounds poured down like a waterfall to earth.


    Without a commander, this was a rain of killing machines.


    Zong Yan¡¯s vision was a little blurred but he could clearly see the hell below his feet.


    Blood, everywhere was blood.


    A city in mass confusion, buildings destroyed by intruders, corroded asphalt roads, human body parts scattered everywhere.


    It was a land that no longer resembled itself.


    The creatures who¡¯d lost their commander hurtled towards the defenseless humans. Against such numbers, even Monarchs could only meet their deaths.


    He Yuan¡¯s arm had been severed in the previous battle, and the wound hadn¡¯t been treated in time. He could only hastily use alchemy to stop the blood loss.


    Investigators were lucky. If they lost an arm or leg, they could install alchemical limbs with their Awakening ability and avoid the tragedy of amputation. But if treatment was delayed too long, the upper tissue would become necrotic.


    But this was no longer a matter of losing limbs. When the Hounds came in like the tide, the investigators wouldn¡¯t even leave their bones behind.


    Not to mention Si Yan, even Si Xun, the long-established second Monarch, wasn¡¯t able to resist them. The Tindalos Hounds tore him to bloody pieces. In excruciating pain, he died.


    ¡°What¡¯s that noise outside, mama?¡± In a dimly lit underground passage, a little girl cowered in her mother¡¯s arms and asked softly.


    ¡°Be good, YuanYuan. Special Forces brothers are outside protecting us. Wait a little longer and we¡¯ll be able to go out.¡±


    The mother patted the little girl soothingly on the shoulder and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°But¡­¡± The little girl opened her big eyes and pointed up. ¡°There¡¯s a crack in the house. I saw a pair of beautiful blue eyes up there.¡±


    In the damaged, prefabricated roof, a split-open crevice revealed the gleaming, hungry eye of a wolf.


    Countless tragedies repeated throughout the city.


    It was a reality far worse than any horror film.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The black-haired teen¡¯s face was pale from the prolonged drain of power. His lips trembled and he fell to his knees on the edge of the building.


    Rain began to fall from the sky. It came down quickly, streaming from high above, falling in a thin drizzle.


    The rain blurred the blood on the ground as well as the shapes of the Tindalos Hounds, and it cleansed the bloodied ruins of the city.


    Anger.


    A flood of anger.


    Right now, how could it be possible for Zong Yan not to understand?


    Everything was under the control of the Lord of Time and Space from the beginning. All these events were in the palm of his hand, and now it seemed the god was still watching the struggles of the ants.


    Powerless.


    It was the powerlessness one felt when facing a strength beyond imagination.


    And finally¡­ despair.


    ¡°No¡­ I won¡¯t give in to despair, never¡ª!!!¡± Zong Yan spoke coldly, as if he were speaking to just one listener in the entire world.


    He held a card with no pattern in his hand.


    According to the myth, Azathoth was the Lord of the Universe. He could do anything.


    If he could do anything, then naturally he could¡ª


    Unmake this scene of tragedy.


    He dragged himself painfully into that abyssal sea, and it was as if a huge, cold, ruthless being had taken him by the throat.


    His spirit crossed the worlds again.


    He became ¡°He¡±.


    The Lord of the Universe. The Blind Idiot God.


    Azathoth¡£


    In an instant the young man¡¯s hair lengthened. His black irises changed to empty scarlet.


    His body transformed from the proper shape of a human being to a form beyond recognition.


    The beauty of His face surpassed the limits of human imagination. If someone had the privilege of seeing His face, they would have knelt and offered everything they had. He was clad in the simplest of light brown rags, and yet this covering was finer than a kingly robe of lavish jewels and opulent fabrics.


    ¡°Who¡­ am I?¡±


    He seemed to speak, but He also seemed to say nothing at all.


    Azathoth was famous for being the Lord of the Universe but also for his stupidity.


    Yes, Azathoth was called the ¡°blind idiot¡±, for he had no spiritual or conscious existence. He¡¯d slept forever. That was the reason the Outer Gods were so alarmed when they¡¯d first detected a flicker of consciousness.


    Now that the card was activated, the personality of ¡°Zong Yan¡± was firmly suppressed to the deepest part of his soul.


    Moreover, because of Azathoth¡¯s stupidity, even though the persona card was activated successfully, He¡¯d forgotten what He wanted.


    What the hell was I doing? It feels like I forgot something important.


    It was very, very important, so important it seemed to echo in His soul, reminding the Lord of the Universe not to forget.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I want¡­¡±


    The moment Zong Yan transformed into Azathoth¡¯s avatar, the two evil gods standing on the other skyscraper both sensed something. In an instant they reappeared at the top of the same building.


    ¡°I want all of this to go back to the beginning, before it happened.¡±


    Azathoth didn¡¯t even look at them. The blind and foolish God who¡¯d just gained consciousness suddenly remembered His mission, so He spoke softly.


    What a profound thing this sentence was. The moment His sight touched the mottled land below His feet, He was actually able to surpass the limitations of His existence, emerging from the empty sea of the Lord of the Universe¡¯s consciousness.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Nyarlathotep was about to speak, but he stopped his words.


    The Lord of the Universe, all-powerful.


    This timeline seemed to become an almost kaleidoscopic string, unfurling in His sight.


    The Lord of the Universe looked at the timeline almost randomly and saw the myriad parallel worlds that were derived from this axis.


    The subject of parallel worlds was quite mysterious. Theoretically, when people encountered certain choices, each branch would constitute a new parallel world.


    Major events like the dramatic upheaval in Jiangzhou might derive thousands of parallel worlds from the timeline.


    For example, if He Yuan didn¡¯t choose to go to Qingyang High School to seek help from Zong Yan. Or if Zong Yan chose not to verify his conjecture but rushed out of the bathroom and immediately told the Dragon Group that the location was Dujiakou. Or if Si Yan didn¡¯t reach Team 7, or if the Lord of Tindalos refused Yun Zhong Jun¡¯s request to make peace¡­


    All these things were possible, and each possibility extended a parallel world.


    The Lord of the Universe didn¡¯t bother with these parallel worlds. He just cut off the subsequent timeline.


    After the timeline was severed, all the parallel worlds created from all subsequent timelines collapsed and were destroyed.


    While He was doing all this, the scenery around them rapidly changed and retreated.


    The destroyed buildings were rebuilt in an instant, the potholes in the asphalt roads were restored and smoothed, the broken street lamps were erected again, and the setting sun that was about to sink into the horizon was dragged back above people¡¯s heads.


    Broken limbs were reattached, broken necks were reconnected, and the investigators on the battlefield returned to the state they were in before everything began.


    Si Yan was still playing games in the dormitory, He Yuan was still sweating in the training room, Li Wu was eating a meal, and Commander Si was leaning on the command console taking a rest.


    Everything in the Dragon Group was running in an orderly way. In the central operations room, all that could be heard was the sound of the analysts clicking away at their keyboards.


    The students of Qingyang High School were buried in their schoolwork. On the podium the teacher was lecturing about the knowledge points that would probably be tested in the college entrance exam.


    The elites of the Dujiakou financial district came and went. In countless office windows, gold-collar workers were dialing one foreign phone number after another.


    Life revived, everything was reborn, and the world was quiet.


    Time had gone backwards.


    Backwards to¡­ four hours ago.


    No one knew that in a few hours this place would be a hell on earth.


    After doing all this, Azathoth even had the leisure to drive the Tindalos Hounds back to the long ago past where they lived.


    So that future could never happen again.


    Azathoth¡¯s thoughts were vague. His scarlet eyes returned to blankness once again.


    And the moment His eyes emptied, the light that symbolized the end of the persona status suddenly lit up. Without any warning, He fell backwards.


    The man with gray hair and golden eyes steadily caught him in his arms.


    The Lord of the Universe, the god with brown hair and red eyes, was gone. Lying against Yog-Sothoth¡¯s chest was an ordinary high school kid.


    ¡°Let go! I¡¯ve never touched the Father in such a position!¡±


    Nyarlathotep was shocked. The next moment, evil tentacles stretched out behind him.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Yog stood where he was and didn¡¯t move a muscle. Just as the attack was about to reach him, he easily altered the position of space-time.


    Nyarla¡¯s blow landed in prehistoric times.


    ¡°It was just an avatar¡¯s consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡± Drawing up his human body, Nyarla rolled his eyes. ¡°If the Father God¡¯s true body regained consciousness just now, the universe would have disappeared.¡±


    The universe was nothing more than a manifestation of Azathoth¡¯s dream. Once Azathoth awoke, the universe would no longer exist.


    Those were more than empty words.


    ¡°So what about a conscious avatar? I¡¯ve never seen the Father God have a stream of consciousness.¡± Nyarla¡¯s tone was slightly uncertain as he looked at the person in Yog-Sothoth¡¯s arms.


    As was well-known, Nyarlathotep was the agent of Azathoth¡¯s will. He faithfully carried out the Lord of All¡¯s orders and traveled through the universe.


    But the truth was, Nyarla himself didn¡¯t know what commands he was executing, because his blind idiot Father God never gave him any orders.


    ¡­ But that didn¡¯t stop Nyarla from being Azathoth¡¯s number one (licking) devotee (dog).


    Yog didn¡¯t move. His golden eyes stared intently at the black-haired teen, who was deeply unconscious at the moment.


    ¡®Such a thing¡­ overturned my previous conjecture.¡¯


    So thought the Lord of Time and Space. Suddenly he took his hand and cleared away the remaining fragments of parallel worlds and timelines.


    He¡¯d never before felt surprise, the feeling of being out of control, but at the moment he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit unhappy.


    Azathoth was the leader of all the Outer Gods. For Yog, being able to pinpoint the existence of this stream of consciousness was by far the greatest reward of the journey.


    ¡®It¡¯s only a conscious avatar of His Majesty Azathoth. When it comes to controlling time, after all, it¡¯s still unskilled and crude.¡¯


    At this point, Zong Yan, who had just acquired consciousness, was by no means as skilled as the master of space-time.


    ¡®It will take time to hone.¡¯


    This was Yog-Sothoth¡¯s conclusion in the end.


    For an evil god, there was never a shortage of time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Now that time has been retraced these people won¡¯t retain their memories.¡± Nyarla rubbed a handful of his gray hair with some annoyance. ¡°This time the Father¡¯s stream of consciousness was a lot more intense. That Shub guy will probably show up soon.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yog nodded coldly.


    With the black-haired teen in his arms, he disappeared from view.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    There¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to say again


    After I finished writing the two in one update and posted it, I took a look at the comment section. In yesterday¡¯s update, I said I was very confident in the emotional line, but I saw some voices who don¡¯t want the relationship to develop because Bubbles is responsible for killing people this time (not hanging anyone, don¡¯t go to the previous chapter to reply ha)


    How should I say it, although this story isn¡¯t very Cthulhu in my opinion, I personally like H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of the Cthulhu mythology. So in this story, aside from combat power and plot, I¡¯m very respectful of the original setting. There are a lot of details I won¡¯t go into, but a big Lovecraft fan should be able to see the references. This is something that I¡¯ve stuck to. I also said this in the first chapter and before V, so I hope everyone can understand my bit of stubbornness on these things.


    Why are the gods of Cthulhu called ¡°evil gods¡± in the original work? It¡¯s because they don¡¯t share human values and have no connection to human morality. It¡¯s ridiculous to expect evil gods to meet human moral standards. And my bit of stubbornness makes it impossible for me to have sweet, sweet love scenes from the beginning or falling in love at first sight. But I really have confidence in the romance, really!! I wouldn¡¯t lie to you!!


    I don¡¯t mean you can¡¯t make comments in the comment section either. I just wanted to explain it again here


    My writing skills are really limited. Compared to the original work, I¡¯m not even one ten-thousandth of Lovecraft, so I can¡¯t express the charm of the evil gods, their chaos, evil, or conception of justice. This is my own regret.


    I¡¯ve been thinking about this grand plot for a long time, and the outcome is this chapter.


    This chapter is a very critical turning point and also the key to the change of attitude of the evil god towards the MC. If this chapter¡¯s ¡°time reversal¡± isn¡¯t accepted by the lovely readers, then I can only say I really tried my best and can¡¯t do better with my ability.


    I wrote this long note without the intention of frustrating people, nor do I mean it in a derogatory sense but as my very sincere thoughts.


    Although there are more people writing about Cthulhu now, the subject matter is definitely not an element that was included to be popular. The reason I included it is very simple, it¡¯s because I like it. Just like I like Yog-Sothoth, so I wrote about him. For me, this kind of love has nothing to do with the fame and wealth this story might bring me. Even if only one person reads this story, my love will keep me writing. This is the reason I¡¯ve never changed my original intention for the story (Of course, I would be happier if I can earn pocket money on the side)


    I¡¯m very happy that people give me nutrient solution, but your love for this book brings me more than the nutrient solution. In fact, my writing speed isn¡¯t fast. If I want to meet my goal for the day, aside from eating and going to the bathroom, I have to sit in front of the computer all day long. But I don¡¯t feel tired. Thinking about everyone¡¯s love makes me very happy, so I¡¯m willing to do it.


    There are still times when I feel a little sad. If you can be so kind, I don¡¯t want readers to hate the character of Bubbles because of me.


    In short, if you can¡¯t accept the story, you can abandon it at any time. Because I¡¯m determined to follow my own rhythm in this book, and I won¡¯t change the plot because of the opinions of individual readers. You don¡¯t have to leave a message before dropping the story. When an author sees a message like that, they really will be very sad. Every author is.


    I haven¡¯t written a small essay in the comment area for a long time¡­ Sorry, and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read this. After staying up all night, my head hurts a bit. I don¡¯t know what I meant to say anymore. In fact, everyone is really very good. That is, the author really has a glass heart. Not only a glass heart, but also a lot of their own stubbornness and insistence that isn¡¯t worth mentioning orz


    Finally, thank you all again, taking a bow


    TL Notes:


    Regarding the author¡¯s note: I tried, but it¡¯s really long and I definitely didn¡¯t manage to translate it with perfect accuracy. Please be kind and give the story a chance if you¡¯re enjoying it so far! (????)


    Keep in mind that CN fans can be very vocal and direct, and they buy each chapter one at a time as it¡¯s released. That¡¯s probably why the author felt the need to explain.


    If you¡¯ve followed the story, you know Zong Yan is a very heroic and moral person, and Yog-Sothoth is quite thoughtful. Anyway, I¡¯m willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Also, my tl is not perfect, please don¡¯t blame the story for things I may have inadvertently failed to express.


    Okay then! This arc continues through Chapter 46! But I¡¯m taking tomorrow off. Thankfully I¡¯m just the tl, not the author, so I don¡¯t have to worry about not having time to eat or go to the bathroom, hahaha¡­. sad author makes me cry ?:?(?? ? ? ?)


    Also: Omnipotent Lovecraftian Tentacle Gods make the best MLs!


    Cya in 48h!! <3


    ¡ª Confectioner


    ¡ª


    Barbizon school ¨C An art movement which developed out of Romanticism towards Realism, active c. 1850, featuring mainly landscapes, farmworkers, and village life. Some prominent features are tonal qualities, color, loose brushwork, and softness of form (Wikipedia)


    gold-collar workers ¨C ½ðÁì ¨C highly-skilled, highly-paid workers


    before V ¨C Refers to ¡°VIP¡± chapters. When a story enters V, the new chapters have to be unlocked


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    the Great Race of Yith ¨C ÒÁ˹֮ΰ´óÖÖ×å ¨C A species of body-jumping aliens and one of the only species to have mastered a form of time travel


    YuanYuan ¨C æÂæ ¨C Yu¨¤nyu¨¤n ¨C A girl¡¯s name


    His Majesty Azathoth ¨C °¢ÈöÍÐ˹±ÝÏ ¨C ¨¡s¨¡tu¨­s¨© b¨¬xi¨¤ ¨C Alternatively: Your Majesty Azatoth

 CH 41

    Zong Yan was dreaming.


    It was a dark, depressing dream. Everywhere were black lines of shadow and flashing light, and an urgent feeling of defiance and powerlessness rose up in him.


    From the moment he activated the Azathoth card, the personality of ¡°Zong Yan¡± was suppressed to the deepest part of his soul. He fell into a profound and fathomless sleep.


    The strangest thing about it was that although Azathoth indeed became Zong Yan, the blind idiot Lord was the loveable, brainless cutie type. There were no thoughts or consciousness in his head, which meant Zong Yan¡¯s memories blanked out.


    All in all it was a sensational experience. If you had to describe it, it was like taking a genius with a 140 IQ and abruptly reducing him to an IQ of 30, like a stupidity debuff had been slapped on him.


    The dream went on for a long time, but it also seemed to only last a second. When Zong Yan woke up, he sensed that he¡¯d regained control of his body.


    The black-haired teen struggled to open his eyelids, but they felt heavier than a thousand kilos.


    Consciousness didn¡¯t return immediately. Zong Yan blinked his eyes a few times before everything came back, and then his memories flooded in like a tidal wave.


    A young man standing on top of a skyscraper, the devastated earth below, the ink-black Tindalos Hounds descending from the sky, the ground covered with blood and torn flesh, the Huangpu River dyed blood-red by the setting sun, and the invisible odor of gunpowder smoke spreading all across Jiangzhou¡­


    Unforgivable!


    Unforgivable!


    ¡°!¡±


    Without thinking, Zong Yan stood up, his face full of gloom and hidden anger.


    But that wasn¡¯t the best idea.


    Boom¡ª!


    The black-haired teen in the school uniform jerked up from his seat. As he suddenly stood, his bent knee kicked the desk in front of him and knocked it over.


    A thick stack of books piled on the desk crashed to the floor, together with the lid of a thermos. With a loud splash, hot water spilled all over the ground.


    Everyone in the classroom froze. The teacher stopped lecturing. All the students who were listening to the lesson looked over in unison.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Zong Yan?¡±


    This was his biology class. The teacher was a tall, attractive woman. She stood at the blackboard writing, but just now she turned back with a frown, holding a piece of chalk, and gazed at the source of the noise.


    In the quiet of the classroom, the sound of the falling desk was thunderous and snatched everyone¡¯s attention.


    Zong Yan¡¯s lips moved in a mumble. With blank confusion he looked back at the faces that stared at him.


    These faces might be startled and bewildered, but they were also very much alive and well.


    The classroom¡­ Why was he in school? Clearly Jiangzhou had¡ª


    When the calamity struck, endless numbers of people died. Investigators dragged their exhausted bodies to fight otherworldly monsters. The sun sank into the horizon and the surface of the river was dyed with blood.


    How was this possible? Did everything¡ª?


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but doubt his own memory.


    Inside his skull was a pain so unbearable it felt like his head was about to explode, like an invisible hand was stirring the sea of his consciousness which had previously dried up from overuse. Just as if an ocean with boundless capacity had been emptied in an instant, exposing the barren, patchy ocean floor beneath.


    While at the same time he felt like his head was covered with a layer of hazy glass.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t answer. He staggered out of his seat and rushed out of the classroom in a frenzy.


    The black-haired teen knocked down several desks along the way, but like a terminally ill patient he seemed unaware of the dull pain it caused his body. Instead he crashed through the classroom door, running out into the hallway in the same stumbling attitude.


    The biology teacher and students stared at his back, amazed.


    ¡°No way¡­ How could he react so violently from falling asleep in class. That guy didn¡¯t have a nightmare, right?¡±


    As for the boy sitting next to Zong Yan, all he¡¯d seen was Zong Yan nodding off with his head propped in his hand. He didn¡¯t expect a big commotion a second later.


    Anyway, the boys who sat in the back row had their own form of virtue. Sometimes they got sleepy and helped each other out. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t say anything right now. He just helped straighten up Zong Yan¡¯s messy desk to avoid disrupting his classmates.


    ""


    ¡°Ye JingMing, go and take a look. Classmate Zong might not be feeling well. Help him to the school infirmary.¡± The teacher thought of how pale that student was just now. She put down the chalk and sent one of the students to check on Zong Yan¡¯s condition.


    A moment ago, everyone was sitting quietly in class. Then Zong Yan suddenly made a weird face and caused a commotion. The biology teacher was a little worried.


    Ye JingMing, the student who¡¯d been named, made a tsking sound but obeyed the teacher¡¯s instructions. He left immediately.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan had no idea what he was doing.


    He ran through the corridor as if he were mad, his chest heaving violently, cold sweat seeping from his hair and pouring down his face.


    If he could have pulled up a game panel, he probably would have seen a flashing red message saying ¡¾Temporarily Crazy¡¿as the mission status.


    Unfortunately, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t see it. A crazy person wouldn¡¯t think to check his remaining San value.


    Correct, Zong Yan had used the Azathoth card with only 5 San points left. After the card was activated, his San value once again had the honor of going negative.


    Zong Yan had tasted the consequence of a zero San value once before. Not only had it given him a painfully strong, lingering headache, he¡¯d also had a dry, wringing feeling of being drained out of his own body.


    This time it was a bit more serious.


    ¡°Hey¡ª! What are you doing? Stop!¡± Ye JingMing ran behind him, shouting.


    Almost the entire school building heard Ye JingMing¡¯s yell. The sound of their running echoed in the hallways of the school.


    Zong Yan had always done well in physical education. In order to get moral education credits, Zong Yan basically won the 3,000 meter and 800 meter races in the school sports meet every year. Students in other classes used a specific idiom when describing their race with Zong Yan¡ªthe Tortoise and the Hare.


    When running the 3,000 meters, he stretched for the finish line with countless schoolgirls running over to bring water, while the other boys had only just finished their third lap.


    Ye JingMing was also good at sports. He was the vice captain of the high school basketball team, and when he had nothing to do, he liked to bring his friends to the basketball court to dominate the playground. It could get intense.


    As part of their class¡¯s strategy to get a higher score in the school sports meet, usually Zong Yan and Ye JingMing were assigned to participate in different events. Zong Yan didn¡¯t play much basketball, so Ye JingMing hadn¡¯t really competed with him before.


    Now Ye JingMing understood why Zong Yan was called a long-distance runner. He couldn¡¯t catch up at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run, Teacher Liu wants you to go to the infirmary!¡±


    Ye JingMing chased him to the playground but really couldn¡¯t catch him. He shouted at the retreating boy, then stopped and gasped for breath.


    ¡°Damn, that kid must be nuts. If the teacher didn¡¯t ask me, I wouldn¡¯t bother to chase you.¡±


    Zong Yan turned a deaf ear. Halfway through, while running, he suddenly took out his phone and looked at it.


    The time on the display was exactly 3:00 p.m. The first class of the afternoon had just ended.


    His jumbled brain finally began to turn.


    In about an hour¡­ He Yuan would come to get him.


    Not too long ago Tawil, disguised as the seventh Monarch, told the Dragon Group headquarters that a calamity would happen soon. By now the Dragon Group would have swung into action, discussing countermeasures and informing the Spire Council.


    He Yuan told him that because they couldn¡¯t find another solution he took it on himself to go to Qingyang High School to get Zong Yan, the quasi-Monarch, in the hopes that he could help.


    When Zong Yan got into He Yuan¡¯s car he happened to glance at the time on the Lamborghini¡¯s console.


    There were less than three hours to go. He had to prevent all this!


    The black-haired teen ran to the door of the school guard¡¯s office.


    When classes were in session at Qingyang High School, the school gate was closed and no one was allowed to enter.


    The man in the guard room was listening to the radio. When he saw someone run over, he looked up and said, ¡°Class is in session. You can¡¯t just leave school.¡±


    Zong Yan ignored him. He stood in the doorway and looked at the endless flow of vehicles outside. Without thinking about it, he picked up his phone and made a call to He Yuan.


    Since the calamity was inevitable, Zong Yan had to take advantage of the next three hours to evacuate everyone in Jiangzhou.


    There wasn¡¯t a long wait before the call connected.


    ¡°Hello, Little Monarch? What can I do for you?¡±


    At the other end, He Yuan had just finished a session in the training room. He grabbed a towel and hung it on his head, making a gesture to his teammate. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s three in the afternoon. Don¡¯t you have class?¡±


    Zong Yan was enduring an agony in his brain that felt like something was sawing away at his skull bit by bit. He quickly said, ¡°I know you¡¯ve just received a divination from the seventh Monarch and are trying to come up with countermeasures right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come to Qingyang High School. Turn around and tell the commander that the disaster will happen in Dujiakou! You have to immediately announce the situation to the city and evacuate the citizens right away. Otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.¡±


    Even though he¡¯d fallen into a state of madness, Zong Yan felt unexpectedly calm. ¡°The creatures that are coming are Tindalos Hounds. Human beings have no chance of defeating them, and that includes investigators. We can¡¯t take any chances. Even Monarchs have trouble dealing with them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me how I know. I¡¯ll explain when this is over, but right now it¡¯s almost too late. We have less than three hours remaining. Please believe me.¡±


    Zong Yan anticipated their distrust to the point that he was mentally prepared to reveal the secret of his Astrologer persona card. He had to avert this catastrophe before it happened.


    ¡°Please believe me. Everything I say will happen in the future. But if we hurry, we can still avoid the worst.¡±


    He quickly reeled off all these words, then stopped speaking, apprehensively waiting for the verdict.


    The words that came through the phone made Zong Yan¡¯s heart fall into the ice. His pupils constricted.


    ¡°Little Monarch¡­ What are you talking about? ¡± He Yuan¡¯s voice was perplexed. ¡°We haven¡¯t received a warning from the seventh Monarch at all.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    ""


    Zong Yan: Everyone knows I just woke up, it was all a dream, I just woke up and I¡¯m still confused, okay?


    ¡­


    Thank you for your comforting words in the last chapter. YaYa feels super moved!! There¡¯s no way to repay you but to offer even more updates~


    Love you all!!!


    TL Notes:


    Here¡¯s some Cthulhu art by artist Great_Old_One Fang Geng, please enjoy! If you have trouble viewing it let me know. (The depictions and titles listed are not necessarily canon for this story.)


    Azathoth ¨C The Blind Idiot God ¨C The Primordial Chaos ¨C King-of-All (A female depiction but I still think it¡¯s cool)


    Tawil At-Um¡¯r ¨C Yog-Sothoth¡¯s Avatar of Kindness


    Yog-Sothoth ¨C the All-in-One, the One-in-All


    Nyarlathotep ¨C The Faceless God ¨C Prostrate (Crawling) chaos (Modern)


    Nyarlathotep (Modern)


    Ada ¨C Nyarlathotep ¨C The Bloated Woman


    Nyarlathotep ¨C The Black Pharaoh


    Shub-Niggurath ¨C The Black Goat with a Thousand Young


    The Three Pillars ¨C Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Nyarlathotep (Modern)


    Hastur


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Classmate Zong ¨C ×Úͬѧ ¨C Z¨­ng t¨®ngxu¨¦


    Teacher Liu ¨C ÁõÀÏʦ ¨C Li¨² l¨£osh¨©

 CH 42

    ¡°We haven¡¯t received a warning from the seventh Monarch at all. Little Monarch, did you make a mistake somewhere?¡±


    The voice coming from the other end of the phone made Zong Yan¡¯s heart fall into the ice.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t receive it¡­ How is that possible?¡± As he lost his composure he shouted, and his eyes glazed over.


    Zong Yan¡¯s fingers were shaking. In front of his eyes the floor began to fuse with large chunks of color. His line of sight was so obscured by ¡°madness¡± that everything was strange and blurry.


    It was clear that the memory of what was about to happen had a severe impact on Zong Yan.


    The collapse of the city and the deaths of countless investigators¡­


    Even if Zong Yan liked to joke about things most of the time, how could he laugh after seeing so many of his compatriots and companions die without even being able to fight back. Of course he was afraid, of course he was angry, of course he broke down.


    That¡¯s why he was so determined to prevent it.


    ¡°Little Monarch, is it possible you¡¯re so stressed out from studying that you¡¯re imagining things?¡± He Yuan asked with some concern. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel well, you can take leave and go to MU¡¯s medical office.¡±


    While investigators liked to joke privately that the medical office of Miskatonic University didn¡¯t treat the living, MU¡¯s doctors were highly skilled, especially when they combined their techniques with alchemy. They could snatch a person back from Hell even if he was missing an arm, a leg, or an organ.


    A moment later, He Yuan heard the dull sound of the phone hanging up.


    The doorkeeper in the guard room turned off the radio and scolded, ¡°What¡¯s going on? School is in session. What class are you in? Why are you standing here shouting?!¡±


    Just then Ye JingMing came running over. He panted heavily while glaring at Zong Yan.


    ¡°Oh, I see, you¡¯re a third year student. Senior three is a lot of pressure. You need to learn how to deal with stress. Don¡¯t try to hold it in.¡± It so happened that the guard knew Ye JingMing, the vice captain of the boy¡¯s basketball team, so he waved his hand and told them to leave. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel well, go to the infirmary, all right? Dr. Dexter, are you going out?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s such a nice day. I thought I¡¯d go for a walk.¡± The doctor in the white coat came out of the school with a cheerful smile on his face. ¡°Aha, is this student not feeling well?¡±


    Dr. Ambrose Dexter was Qingyang High School¡¯s recently recruited director of the school infirmary. Although he was a foreigner he spoke Chinese exceptionally well.


    He wasn¡¯t black, but he had a very dark tan.


    A foreigner with a doctorate from Harvard Medical School and excellent skills was hired by an ordinary high school to be the head of the infirmary. It was unconventional to say the least.


    But no one had any doubts. They automatically accepted this unbelievable setting.


    Zong Yan lifted his head. Right now there were only colorful patches left in his retinas. It felt like millions of tiny needles were piercing his brain.


    Pain, the pain was unbearable.


    The agony gave him an unsightly expression. His face was as pale as paper, like he was drowning on dry land.


    ¡°It looks like this student really isn¡¯t feeling well.¡± The dark-skinned doctor smiled, but his hands were dishonest. He wrapped one arm around the black-haired teen¡¯s shoulders, steadying him as he tottered, and covered Zong Yan¡¯s forehead with his other hand. ¡°Maybe I should take him to the infirmary for some rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Sorry for your trouble.¡± The guard didn¡¯t doubt him. He nodded and watched the doctor lead the boy away.


    What was even more unbelievable was that neither the guard nor Ye JingMing noticed the doctor hadn¡¯t actually left for the infirmary. Instead he walked Zong Yan out of the school. On the side of the busy street where people were coming and going, they openly vanished.


    Ah! I touched it! The Father¡¯s forehead!


    Nyarlathotep¡¯s heart was swooning with joy. He didn¡¯t care at all what those two little ants might have said.


    For the first time in his life, he tore through space in a rush, picked up the other person and laid him down on the hospital bed.


    They¡¯d appeared inside a high-class hospital ward. The Huangpu River was visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. There were sophisticated medical monitoring devices in the room, but if it weren¡¯t for the equipment, you might almost think it was the presidential suite of a five-star hotel.


    Alas, the Father God was really light. Even for a human being he seemed to be on the thin side.


    For once, Nyarlathotep¡¯s thinking was in line with the doctor¡¯s coat he wore.


    Nyarlathotep was worthy of being called the evil god who most enjoyed dealing with humans. He liked to watch human despair and chaos and was particularly active during times of war.


    He¡¯d used the identity of Dr. Ambrose Dexter for a long, long time. In World War II, this avatar had manipulated humanity into building nuclear weapons.


    There was nothing an evil god couldn¡¯t do in this world, and Nyarla had traveled all over the Earth in this form.


    During World War II, he visited the German Nazi military command headquarters, the heavily guarded White House, and even No. 10 Downing Street. On the one hand, he was a distinguished senior doctor for the Nazis; on the other hand, he was a leading medical professor for the Americans. He had one identity after another, circulated in the highest levels of power, and no one noticed anything wrong.


    Of course, this was just his side account. If you wanted to discuss his medical skills¡­ they were excellent, but if you let this evil god go into surgery, it had to be said that the patient wouldn¡¯t live very long.


    The ancient cosmic center of the universe, ¡°Azathoth¡±, had given rise to ¡°Darkness¡±, ¡°Chaos¡± and ¡°the Nameless Mist¡±.


    Nyarlathotep was Chaos. He was one of the three pillars of the original gods as well as the agent of Azathoth¡¯s will. As ¡°Chaos¡±, Nyarla was closer to the Lord of the Universe than the other two proto-gods, who were birthed by ¡°Darkness¡± and ¡°the Nameless Mist¡±.


    Countless indescribable and sinister shadows suddenly appeared behind the doctor in the white coat. The moment those shadows became visible, the quiet hospital room suddenly altered.


    The warm light projected from the overhead lights suddenly flickered and turned cold, a color condensed from red and blue.


    The formerly white walls were draped in bloody flesh, and there was a liquid rustling sound of indescribable things shifting in the darkness. Unseen fluids dripped and merged together, unbearably creepy.


    The floor had disappeared, replaced by a pool of dark red blood. The doctor stepped into the blood, but he wasn¡¯t affected at all by the  unsettling color or the unknown human organs floating in the pool.


    The hospital bed where the dark-haired teen was lying had changed into a cold, hard steel surgical table.


    The sophisticated medical equipment was now splattered with countless blood stains. A surgical tray rested quietly on top of one of the devices. It held several large and small syringes and scalpels of different types and lengths.


    This was the hospital of Nyarlathotep. It was difficult for an evil god to reveal his true form in the three-dimensional plane of Earth, for it would likely cause space-time to collapse.


    He occasionally got bored and pulled humans into the operating theater of this interstitial space, bound them to the operating table, and relished his victims¡¯ hysteria and madness when they witnessed the unspeakable true body of the evil god.


    Of course, this time Nyarla actually wanted to help.


    ¡°Hmm, mental power, that¡¯s really not my specialty¡­¡± he muttered to himself.


    A moment later one of the sinister shadows behind him burrowed into the mind of the black-haired teen.


    It hadn¡¯t been easy for the Lord of the Universe to create this stream of consciousness. All the Outer Gods were subservient to Azathoth. Although the pantheon of evil gods might not spell it out directly, the three pillars of the original gods were the direct relatives of the Lord of the Universe. Naturally they had to act as protectors while the Father God hadn¡¯t truly awakened.


    In this regard, the submission of evil gods to Azathoth was far more sincere than anything in human experience.


    Especially when it came to Nyarlathotep. If an actual religion had existed for Azathoth, Nyarla would be a fanatical believer.


    Boom¡ª!


    Just as Nyarla¡¯s tentacles were about to enfold the Father¡¯s stream of consciousness and begin to help it recover, he was ejected by a tremendous force. He slammed into the wall, submerged into the thick covering of sticky flesh and tissue.


    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± The Faceless God drew a breath in shock, but his tone grew more and more excited, and without his noticing it his voice climbed to a higher pitch. ¡°As expected of the Father God, he reveals so much power even while unconscious.¡±


    Nyarla reconnected his broken wrists and crawled out from the sticky wall tissue. Then he saw a gray-haired man standing in front of the sickbed.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to stop Shub?¡± The doctor swept his hands across his white coat, cleansing his blood-stained clothes and restoring the color to pure white.


    ¡°We¡¯re all of equivalent rank. If Shub truly decides to come here, I can¡¯t stop him unless you and I fight together.¡± Yog-Sothoth gave him a cold look. ¡°And then the Earth will be destroyed. Happy?¡±


    Nyarla: ¡­


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t had enough fun with humans yet, and the Father God seems to like them a lot.¡±


    The dark-skinned doctor in the white coat shrugged. A second later, the abandoned hospital filled with horror and foreboding was relocated from the interstitial space back to Earth.


    Yellow light poured down from the ceiling, covering the black-haired teen¡¯s face with a warm, hazy light.


    His lips were so pale they almost blended into his face.


    Somehow Yog-Sothoth found that Zong Yan¡¯s listless appearance on the hospital bed was really difficult to look at.


    While Nyarla was good at dealing with humans, Yog basically never left his own dimension except for an avatar or two. At most he answered the call of his believers. The rest of the time he stayed far above the plane of reality.


    Nothing could escape his omniscient, omnipotent grasp, except¡ª


    Everything that had confused him before had finally aligned, and it turned out to be this stream of consciousness.


    ¡°No, if that Shub guy comes, something pretty unpleasant might happen.¡±


    Nyarla was still chattering. Whenever he came into contact with His Majesty Azathoth, it was like he was affected by His Majesty¡¯s intelligence reduction aura, and he turned into an idiot.


    Yog didn¡¯t bother to talk to him.


    But¡ª


    Nyarla was right about one thing.


    Shub-Niggurath wasn¡¯t an easy god to deal with. As one of the three pillars of the original gods, he oversaw reproduction, and his nature was difficult to describe.


    To put it plainly, he alone had bred almost the entire existing pantheon of evil gods. He was known as the Mother of the Black Goats, the Black Goat of the Forest that had nurtured a thousand young.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Nyarla: Of course the Father¡¯s favorite god is me!


    Shub: But I¡¯m so charming, of course the Father¡¯s favorite god is me!


    Bubbles: Hehe, check the text CP before you talk


    Zong Yan: Drowning in evil gods, at a loss.jpg


    TL Notes:


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Doctor Dexter ¨C µÂ¿Ë˹ÌØÒ½Éú ¨C D¨¦ k¨¨ s¨© t¨¨ y¨©sh¨¥ng


    Dr. Ambrose Dexter ¨C °²²¼ÂÞ˹¡¤µÂ¿Ë˹ÌØÒ½Éú ¨C ¨¡nb¨´lu¨®s¨©¡¤d¨¦k¨¨s¨©t¨¨ y¨©sh¨¥ng

 CH 43

    Zong Yan was lying on the rooftop looking up at the sky.


    It was an ordinary, everyday rooftop covered with cement. You could even see occasional rough patches where the cement hadn¡¯t been smoothed out.


    It was evening and the hot summer temperature had cooled a bit. The air naturally flowed from high pressure to low, forming a cool breeze.


    A lot of elderly people grew vegetables on the roof of the tube-shaped apartment building. They scavenged wooden boards to build growing beds on the roof, filled them with soil, and picked up a load of mud from the banks of the Huangpu River each month as fertilizer. Almost every old person had their own small plot, and their vegetable crops flourished with the added nutrients.


    Many elderly people did this, but it wasn¡¯t just the old. The entire Chinese nation was filled with wild farming maniacs. No matter where people went, they grew small vegetable gardens. Many of the elders in the tube-shaped building had previously lived in the countryside. Later, after they lost their land, they planted a few vegetables to scratch the itch.


    Of course, Zong Yan wasn¡¯t lying on the ground amid the fragrance of the soil. To reach the small platform on the roof he¡¯d nimbly climbed a bamboo pole like a scampering monkey.


    On top of this small platform was installed the building¡¯s only solar water heater. Zong Yan avoided the water heater and lay down flat with his legs crossed. There was a dog¡¯s-tail straw stuck in his mouth.


    The sky began to darken.


    The view above him didn¡¯t exist. It hadn¡¯t existed since Zong Yan had begun high school.


    He remembered very clearly that the parcel of land behind the tube-shaped building was acquired by a real estate company in his third year of junior high. For a month, machines rumbled all over doing demolition. By summer vacation before his first year of senior high, the structure was already taller than the three tube-shaped apartment buildings. When Zong Yan lay on the platform and looked up, his view was slightly blocked by the new building.


    But right now, the only thing above Zong Yan was sky. The view was endless.


    Then there were his clothes. He wasn¡¯t dressed in the school uniform of Qingyang High School, but a simple, ragged sack.


    And his hair, which was suddenly incredibly long, was now a different shade, having changed to brown from black.


    Zong Yan faintly remembered that he¡¯d looked like this after using the Azathoth persona card.


    But he didn¡¯t panic. He could tell that he was dreaming.


    In your dreams you can be anything you want. Forget Azathoth, he could even be a Super Saiyan.


    But maybe Zong Yan was sleepy. Right now he felt so lazy and empty-headed that he wasn¡¯t thinking about much of anything. It was one of the intriguing aftereffects of using the Azathoth card.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed. The setting sun disappeared from the horizon, the last glimmer of daylight was annihilated by the darkness, and the stars began to twinkle in the night sky.


    Well, there weren¡¯t enough stars. There could be a few more.


    In Zong Yan¡¯s dream world he was the absolute master. So, at the very moment this thought occurred to him, the sky was suddenly populated with stars blinking off and on.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± A man¡¯s calm, low voice came from above him.


    Zong Yan lifted his head, and long gray tendrils of hair drifted down like moonlight, blowing coolly against his face.


    It was a little ticklish.


    And frightening.


    Seeing another person¡¯s face as soon as he looked up, especially on such a dark night¡ªthe thriller effect was doubled.


    Even if the other person¡¯s face was very handsome, it didn¡¯t erase the fact that Zong Yan was almost scared out of his wits.


    Generally speaking, he should have screamed or quickly retreated, but Azathoth¡¯s intelligence reduction aura made Zong Yan stupid, and his reflex arc lengthened out into infinity.


    So Zong Yan glanced at the other party very nobly and coldly, and returned his gaze to the sky, as if saying I¡¯m far too lazy to care about you.


    The Azathoth card had an effect that was difficult to comprehend. It gave Zong Yan the power to be careless about everything. He knew very clearly that he was in the presence of one of the three pillar gods, and normally Zong Yan would have reacted like he was facing a formidable enemy, but instead he felt quite calm and just ignored him.


    This, in a sense, was the arrogance that belonged solely to the Lord of the Universe.


    Besides, this was Zong Yan¡¯s dream. In his dream he was the boss. The Lord of Time and Space had to step aside.


    Just when Yog-Sothoth thought he wasn¡¯t going to get an answer, the other party slowly said, ¡°I want to hit you.¡±


    These very brief words made Zong Yan¡¯s grudge crystal clear.


    ¡°Such a thing is not impossible if you truly manage to evolve from a stream of consciousness to the full consciousness of the Lord of the Universe.¡± The Lord of Time and Space was silent for a moment. He was a little surprised but still made a pertinent suggestion.


    The avatar of Azathoth wasn¡¯t capable of it, but the real Azathoth could easily rip the true body of Yog-Sothoth out of time and space and thrash him without a word. And Yog-Sothoth probably wouldn¡¯t dare to fight back.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case when it came to other evil gods. Between one Outer God and another, fighting was regarded as a means of expressing intimacy. Usually it only happened between lovers. To some extent it was equivalent to mating.


    After all, a fight between Outer Gods was a true battle of immortals. A single blow could demolish thousands of galaxies. For example, Shub, who oversaw reproduction, was one of the three pillar gods. Before reproducing he had to fight the other party, consume their body bite by bite, then use the swallowed energy to reproduce the next generation extracorporeally.


    ¡ªA battle between the true body of one god and another could easily destroy several small universes until they were finally entangled together. The winner could choose to either make the loser submit or swallow their opponent¡¯s flesh. Whether it was eternal submission or consuming the other party¡¯s energy until the two became one, it was quite a romantic thing in their eyes.


    There was a deep mental gulf between human beings and the evil god version of romance. The way they produced their offspring didn¡¯t involve carnal desire and piston movement, but pure external reproduction.


    ¡®Why is His Majesty¡¯s newly created stream of consciousness so insistent about fighting with me? Does he want to mate with me?¡¯


    Yog-Sothoth thought with a blank expression.


    The Lord of Time and Space had no idea he¡¯d angered the other party with his previous behind-the-scenes actions.


    Because he now regarded Zong Yan as Azathoth¡¯s stream of consciousness, he didn¡¯t simulate human emotions. He interpreted everything through the lens of an Outer God.


    Of course, back when he still regarded Zong Yan as a human, Yog-Sothoth hadn¡¯t condescended to simulate human thinking either.


    Now that Zong Yan¡¯s identity was revealed, Yog-Sothoth viewed the other party from the perspective of another Outer God. In a sense, Zong Yan rid himself of the ¡°tiny ant¡± label the evil god had automatically given him.


    Would an Outer God care about the life and death of ants? No.


    So Yog took it for granted that Zong Yan didn¡¯t care either.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know what was going on in the other¡¯s head. He gave a cold laugh, lazily put his arms behind his head and stretched out his long legs.


    In the dream, Zong Yan was absolutely not in a state of temporary madness. He remembered using the Azathoth card to regress time before falling unconscious.


    Even though he¡¯d retraced time, Zong Yan was still filled with a lot of anger.


    And the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.


    Maybe he couldn¡¯t fight in reality, but couldn¡¯t he have a good time in his dream? Since this guy dared to barge into his dream world, how could the dream master not discipline this evil god?


    With that in mind he glared at the gray-haired man floating in the air. His eyes were full of hostility.


    If this were reality, Zong Yan would never dare. But it was a dream. Inside a dream, even an evil god would have to cry and beg for mercy!


    The next second, chains suddenly emerged from the void and wrapped tightly around the master of time and space. The air froze with heavy killing intent.


    Yog-Sothoth: ¡­?


    For a moment he was stunned.


    The reason was that just before, Yog¡¯s mind was filled with ¡®why does His Majesty¡¯s stream of consciousness want to mate with me¡®. He didn¡¯t think the other party would literally take action.


    This was indeed Zong Yan¡¯s dream, but for a mighty Outer God, it was only a dream world. If he wanted, he could directly seize control from the dream master. These chains couldn¡¯t trap Yog at all.


    But the Lord of Time and Space was so shocked that he didn¡¯t resist for a while. The chains got tighter and tighter, and Zong Yan revealed a wild, rampant smile.


    ¡°Father God, what are you doing?!¡±


    Nyarlathotep, who ran over in a hurry, saw this scene and felt extremely alarmed.


    ¡°Please let me join in!!¡±


    Finally the gray-haired evil god reacted. When he saw Nyarla, his face instantly froze over.


    The next moment, billions of particles of light exploded in the air, the chains broke apart link by link, and the dream world fell to pieces and collapsed, dissolving into a flurry.


    Whether it was an evil god who¡¯d entered another person¡¯s dream uninvited or the dream world¡¯s owner, all of them were kicked out.


    Zong Yan opened his eyes.


    A white ceiling, a bright and spacious high-class hospital ward, mountains in the distance, cascading skyscrapers outside the full-length windows¡­


    And two evil gods standing by the hospital bed.


    Actually, there might be more than two, because Zong Yan noticed a third evil god in the room.


    To be specific, there was an uninvited guest leaning against the opposite wall.


    ¡°Aha, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    The blond man was holding a cigar. His long, lustrous hair fell over his shoulders and his posture was languorous.


    The uninvited guest had a long, tall body exuding hormones. His face was full of deadly charm.


    His face was the most striking thing, so profoundly beautiful that it held an almost bewitching attractiveness.


    This face far surpassed the beauty that human beings could imagine. It had nothing to do with gender but broke the limits of thought.


    Zong Yan recognized him.


    In the twenty-first century of today, there were few people who wouldn¡¯t recognize such an extremely famous face.


    The superstar, the miracle of the movie industry, the three-time Oscar winner, the winner of sexiest man alive for years running, the dream lover of the world, the undisputed film emperor.


    ¡ªShub-Niggurath.


    ¡°You¡¯re already back. I was thinking of testing whether the Father God¡¯s dream could support all three of us.¡±


    Shub-Niggurath tossed his cigar into the void and tugged at the necktie on his chest. He suddenly strode forward and bent down over the hospital bed, supporting himself on either side of the black-haired teen. The corners of his lips curled as he gazed directly into the boy¡¯s dark eyes.


    ¡°Happy to meet you, my lovely little majesty¡ª¡±


    The evil god stretched out his words. Even his voice was low, sexy, and deadly, revealing a fatal charisma. ¡°I¡¯m Shub-Niggurath.


    ¡°Your most devoted believer¡­ almost.¡±


    The last word was reluctantly added because of Nyarlathotep¡¯s hostile gaze.


    TL Notes:


    reflex arc ¨C ·´É仡 ¨C A neural pathway that controls a reflex. The brain receives sensory input while the reflex is carried out, and analysis takes place after the reflex action (Wikipedia) Saying a person has a long reflex arc means it takes them a long time to react


    I¡¯m far too lazy to care about you ¨C Ò»¸±ëÞÀÁµÃÀíÄãµÄÑù×Ó ¨C the ¡°I¡± is zh¨¨n (ëÞ), ¡°imperial I¡±. It¡¯s only used once


    sexiest man alive ¨C from ×îÃÀÃæ¿× ¨C the most beautiful face ¨C ¡°sexiest man alive¡± is a title awarded yearly in popular media to male movie stars. Also the words ¡°beautiful¡± and ¡°face¡± had already been used several times


    hostile gaze ¨C »¢ÊÓíñíñ ¨C look at fiercely as a tiger does; eye with hostility; cast covetous eyes on; casting a greedy eye on its prey


    Zong Yan was lying on the rooftop looking up at the sky.


    It was an ordinary, everyday rooftop covered with cement. You could even see occasional rough patches where the cement hadn¡¯t been smoothed out.


    It was evening and the hot summer temperature had cooled a bit. The air naturally flowed from high pressure to low, forming a cool breeze.


    A lot of elderly people grew vegetables on the roof of the tube-shaped apartment building. They scavenged wooden boards to build growing beds on the roof, filled them with soil, and picked up a load of mud from the banks of the Huangpu River each month as fertilizer. Almost every old person had their own small plot, and their vegetable crops flourished with the added nutrients.


    Many elderly people did this, but it wasn¡¯t just the old. The entire Chinese nation was filled with wild farming maniacs. No matter where people went, they grew small vegetable gardens. Many of the elders in the tube-shaped building had previously lived in the countryside. Later, after they lost their land, they planted a few vegetables to scratch the itch.


    Of course, Zong Yan wasn¡¯t lying on the ground amid the fragrance of the soil. To reach the small platform on the roof he¡¯d nimbly climbed a bamboo pole like a scampering monkey.


    On top of this small platform was installed the building¡¯s only solar water heater. Zong Yan avoided the water heater and lay down flat with his legs crossed. There was a dog¡¯s-tail straw stuck in his mouth.


    The sky began to darken.


    The view above him didn¡¯t exist. It hadn¡¯t existed since Zong Yan had begun high school.


    He remembered very clearly that the parcel of land behind the tube-shaped building was acquired by a real estate company in his third year of junior high. For a month, machines rumbled all over doing demolition. By summer vacation before his first year of senior high, the structure was already taller than the three tube-shaped apartment buildings. When Zong Yan lay on the platform and looked up, his view was slightly blocked by the new building.


    But right now, the only thing above Zong Yan was sky. The view was endless.


    Then there were his clothes. He wasn¡¯t dressed in the school uniform of Qingyang High School, but a simple, ragged sack.


    And his hair, which was suddenly incredibly long, was now a different shade, having changed to brown from black.


    Zong Yan faintly remembered that he¡¯d looked like this after using the Azathoth persona card.


    But he didn¡¯t panic. He could tell that he was dreaming.


    In your dreams you can be anything you want. Forget Azathoth, he could even be a Super Saiyan.


    But maybe Zong Yan was sleepy. Right now he felt so lazy and empty-headed that he wasn¡¯t thinking about much of anything. It was one of the intriguing aftereffects of using the Azathoth card.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed. The setting sun disappeared from the horizon, the last glimmer of daylight was annihilated by the darkness, and the stars began to twinkle in the night sky.


    Well, there weren¡¯t enough stars. There could be a few more.


    In Zong Yan¡¯s dream world he was the absolute master. So, at the very moment this thought occurred to him, the sky was suddenly populated with stars blinking off and on.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± A man¡¯s calm, low voice came from above him.


    Zong Yan lifted his head, and long gray tendrils of hair drifted down like moonlight, blowing coolly against his face.


    It was a little ticklish.


    And frightening.


    Seeing another person¡¯s face as soon as he looked up, especially on such a dark night¡ªthe thriller effect was doubled.


    Even if the other person¡¯s face was very handsome, it didn¡¯t erase the fact that Zong Yan was almost scared out of his wits.


    Generally speaking, he should have screamed or quickly retreated, but Azathoth¡¯s intelligence reduction aura made Zong Yan stupid, and his reflex arc lengthened out into infinity.


    So Zong Yan glanced at the other party very nobly and coldly, and returned his gaze to the sky, as if saying I¡¯m far too lazy to care about you.


    The Azathoth card had an effect that was difficult to comprehend. It gave Zong Yan the power to be careless about everything. He knew very clearly that he was in the presence of one of the three pillar gods, and normally Zong Yan would have reacted like he was facing a formidable enemy, but instead he felt quite calm and just ignored him.


    This, in a sense, was the arrogance that belonged solely to the Lord of the Universe.


    Besides, this was Zong Yan¡¯s dream. In his dream he was the boss. The Lord of Time and Space had to step aside.


    Just when Yog-Sothoth thought he wasn¡¯t going to get an answer, the other party slowly said, ¡°I want to hit you.¡±


    These very brief words made Zong Yan¡¯s grudge crystal clear.


    ¡°Such a thing is not impossible if you truly manage to evolve from a stream of consciousness to the full consciousness of the Lord of the Universe.¡± The Lord of Time and Space was silent for a moment. He was a little surprised but still made a pertinent suggestion.


    The avatar of Azathoth wasn¡¯t capable of it, but the real Azathoth could easily rip the true body of Yog-Sothoth out of time and space and thrash him without a word. And Yog-Sothoth probably wouldn¡¯t dare to fight back.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case when it came to other evil gods. Between one Outer God and another, fighting was regarded as a means of expressing intimacy. Usually it only happened between lovers. To some extent it was equivalent to mating.


    After all, a fight between Outer Gods was a true battle of immortals. A single blow could demolish thousands of galaxies. For example, Shub, who oversaw reproduction, was one of the three pillar gods. Before reproducing he had to fight the other party, consume their body bite by bite, then use the swallowed energy to reproduce the next generation extracorporeally.


    ¡ªA battle between the true body of one god and another could easily destroy several small universes until they were finally entangled together. The winner could choose to either make the loser submit or swallow their opponent¡¯s flesh. Whether it was eternal submission or consuming the other party¡¯s energy until the two became one, it was quite a romantic thing in their eyes.


    There was a deep mental gulf between human beings and the evil god version of romance. The way they produced their offspring didn¡¯t involve carnal desire and piston movement, but pure external reproduction.


    ¡®Why is His Majesty¡¯s newly created stream of consciousness so insistent about fighting with me? Does he want to mate with me?¡¯


    Yog-Sothoth thought with a blank expression.


    The Lord of Time and Space had no idea he¡¯d angered the other party with his previous behind-the-scenes actions.


    Because he now regarded Zong Yan as Azathoth¡¯s stream of consciousness, he didn¡¯t simulate human emotions. He interpreted everything through the lens of an Outer God.


    Of course, back when he still regarded Zong Yan as a human, Yog-Sothoth hadn¡¯t condescended to simulate human thinking either.


    Now that Zong Yan¡¯s identity was revealed, Yog-Sothoth viewed the other party from the perspective of another Outer God. In a sense, Zong Yan rid himself of the ¡°tiny ant¡± label the evil god had automatically given him.


    Would an Outer God care about the life and death of ants? No.


    So Yog took it for granted that Zong Yan didn¡¯t care either.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know what was going on in the other¡¯s head. He gave a cold laugh, lazily put his arms behind his head and stretched out his long legs.


    In the dream, Zong Yan was absolutely not in a state of temporary madness. He remembered using the Azathoth card to regress time before falling unconscious.


    Even though he¡¯d retraced time, Zong Yan was still filled with a lot of anger.


    And the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.


    Maybe he couldn¡¯t fight in reality, but couldn¡¯t he have a good time in his dream? Since this guy dared to barge into his dream world, how could the dream master not discipline this evil god?


    With that in mind he glared at the gray-haired man floating in the air. His eyes were full of hostility.


    If this were reality, Zong Yan would never dare. But it was a dream. Inside a dream, even an evil god would have to cry and beg for mercy!


    The next second, chains suddenly emerged from the void and wrapped tightly around the master of time and space. The air froze with heavy killing intent.


    Yog-Sothoth: ¡­?


    For a moment he was stunned.


    The reason was that just before, Yog¡¯s mind was filled with ¡®why does His Majesty¡¯s stream of consciousness want to mate with me¡®. He didn¡¯t think the other party would literally take action.


    This was indeed Zong Yan¡¯s dream, but for a mighty Outer God, it was only a dream world. If he wanted, he could directly seize control from the dream master. These chains couldn¡¯t trap Yog at all.


    But the Lord of Time and Space was so shocked that he didn¡¯t resist for a while. The chains got tighter and tighter, and Zong Yan revealed a wild, rampant smile.


    ¡°Father God, what are you doing?!¡±


    Nyarlathotep, who ran over in a hurry, saw this scene and felt extremely alarmed.


    ¡°Please let me join in!!¡±


    Finally the gray-haired evil god reacted. When he saw Nyarla, his face instantly froze over.


    The next moment, billions of particles of light exploded in the air, the chains broke apart link by link, and the dream world fell to pieces and collapsed, dissolving into a flurry.


    Whether it was an evil god who¡¯d entered another person¡¯s dream uninvited or the dream world¡¯s owner, all of them were kicked out.


    Zong Yan opened his eyes.


    A white ceiling, a bright and spacious high-class hospital ward, mountains in the distance, cascading skyscrapers outside the full-length windows¡­


    And two evil gods standing by the hospital bed.


    Actually, there might be more than two, because Zong Yan noticed a third evil god in the room.


    To be specific, there was an uninvited guest leaning against the opposite wall.


    ¡°Aha, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    The blond man was holding a cigar. His long, lustrous hair fell over his shoulders and his posture was languorous.


    The uninvited guest had a long, tall body exuding hormones. His face was full of deadly charm.


    His face was the most striking thing, so profoundly beautiful that it held an almost bewitching attractiveness.


    This face far surpassed the beauty that human beings could imagine. It had nothing to do with gender but broke the limits of thought.


    Zong Yan recognized him.


    In the twenty-first century of today, there were few people who wouldn¡¯t recognize such an extremely famous face.


    The superstar, the miracle of the movie industry, the three-time Oscar winner, the winner of sexiest man alive for years running, the dream lover of the world, the undisputed film emperor.


    ¡ªShub-Niggurath.


    ¡°You¡¯re already back. I was thinking of testing whether the Father God¡¯s dream could support all three of us.¡±


    Shub-Niggurath tossed his cigar into the void and tugged at the necktie on his chest. He suddenly strode forward and bent down over the hospital bed, supporting himself on either side of the black-haired teen. The corners of his lips curled as he gazed directly into the boy¡¯s dark eyes.


    ¡°Happy to meet you, my lovely little majesty¡ª¡±


    The evil god stretched out his words. Even his voice was low, sexy, and deadly, revealing a fatal charisma. ¡°I¡¯m Shub-Niggurath.


    ¡°Your most devoted believer¡­ almost.¡±


    The last word was reluctantly added because of Nyarlathotep¡¯s hostile gaze.


    TL Notes:


    reflex arc ¨C ·´É仡 ¨C A neural pathway that controls a reflex. The brain receives sensory input while the reflex is carried out, and analysis takes place after the reflex action (Wikipedia) Saying a person has a long reflex arc means it takes them a long time to react


    I¡¯m far too lazy to care about you ¨C Ò»¸±ëÞÀÁµÃÀíÄãµÄÑù×Ó ¨C the ¡°I¡± is zh¨¨n (ëÞ), ¡°imperial I¡±. It¡¯s only used once


    sexiest man alive ¨C from ×îÃÀÃæ¿× ¨C the most beautiful face ¨C ¡°sexiest man alive¡± is a title awarded yearly in popular media to male movie stars. Also the words ¡°beautiful¡± and ¡°face¡± had already been used several times


    hostile gaze ¨C »¢ÊÓíñíñ ¨C look at fiercely as a tiger does; eye with hostility; cast covetous eyes on; casting a greedy eye on its prey

 CH 44

    After a few days of rest Zong Yan returned to the ordinary, uneventful life of a high school student.


    Zong Yan had made sure the future wouldn¡¯t happen again. Even if he wanted to beat up Yog-Sothoth, in the end there was nothing to say. The evil god was only simulating human logical thinking, and according to human logic, that timeline had never happened and never would. The evil god hadn¡¯t done anything, therefore he wouldn¡¯t accept the blame.


    Zong Yan: ¡­?


    After thinking about it carefully, it was true that nothing had happened in reality. The reasoning of a science-track student was impeccable. But emotionally, Zong Yan still wanted to beat him up.


    Yog-Sothoth stared at Zong Yan for a while with a look that gave him the creeps. Then Nyarla pushed him away.


    The pace of teaching at Qingyang High School was extraordinarily quick. As soon as the teacher covered new knowledge points, they immediately began a round of review.


    Zong Yan had recently caused a very embarrassing incident. Fortunately, Nyarlathotep had some conscience. He remembered that he had a side account that was the director of Qingyang High School¡¯s infirmary, so he quietly activated it and prevented Zong Yan from being dragged to the teaching director¡¯s office.


    Of course, if Zong Yan was able to call his current life ordinary and uneventful, it was only the result of self-hypnosis.


    Because his life right now¡ª


    Wasn¡¯t ordinary in any sense!!!


    For example, after morning class Zong Yan casually cleaned up his messy desktop, straightened a thick pile of exercise worksheets, picked up a thermos, and went to the cafeteria to eat.


    But when he followed the slow-moving flow of students from the second floor to the first, he saw a dark-skinned doctor in a white coat standing in the corner waving at him.


    ¡°Father God!¡±


    The other party looked especially joyous, which made many of the students around him whisper.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that? He must be a foreigner, so handsome.¡±


    ¡°Is that the new foreign teacher? I wonder what language he¡¯s speaking. It doesn¡¯t sound like Chinese.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s wearing a white coat. Could he be a doctor from the infirmary?¡±


    ¡°Wow! A doctor, that means we get to see him in PE class tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He clenched the thermos in his hand and wanted to turn around and leave.


    The language Nyarla had spoken was very authentic ancient Egyptian. Zong Yan, who¡¯d used countless language ability cards, was probably the only person in the world who could communicate with him aside from evil gods.


    He should be grateful the other party didn¡¯t run up shouting ¡°Father God¡± in Chinese, otherwise he really wouldn¡¯t be able to show his face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zong Yan felt suspicious and his tone wasn¡¯t good.


    He felt a bit puzzled by the current situation.


    Thanks to the Azathoth persona card, these evil gods seem to regard Zong Yan as one of their own.


    That¡¯s right, one of their own.


    Zong Yan originally wanted to move back to the tube building. But when he got out of class the next day, he was kidnapped and taken to a single family villa not far from school. It turned out that the small house was one of Shub-Niggurath¡¯s many foreign assets.


    Since then, Zong Yan was forced to move in with the other evil gods.


    But there was no way Zong Yan would admit that his ability to transform into Azathoth was related to his card-drawing superpower. He didn¡¯t want to be locked up and studied. Therefore, after making sure these three big guys didn¡¯t want to do things to him or kill him, at least for now, all Zong Yan could do was hold his nose and go along with it.


    Without lifting a finger he¡¯d suddenly gained three evil god sons. Was it a loss? Not really.


    It was just living together. Anyway, MU was so infiltrated by evil gods it was like a sieve. It wasn¡¯t like the situation would be different anywhere else.


    But the attitude of the three evil gods was kind of strange. And of the three, Nyarlathotep was the strangest.


    Where Zong Yan was concerned, the Faceless God was enthusiastic, even a little too enthusiastic. It actually seemed a bit erotic.


    As if he was oblivious to Zong Yan¡¯s wary expression, the doctor revealed a bright smile. ¡°Father God, we have to go to MU.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s at MU?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± Nyarla shrugged. ¡°Yog said so.¡±


    As if to echo the evil god¡¯s words, Zong Yan¡¯s cell phone immediately went ¡°Ding¡ª¡±. He looked at it and saw the push notification from the MU app.


    It said that a meeting was scheduled for today in the auditorium of Miskatonic University concerning the entire occult community. Under normal circumstances Zong Yan was considered to be a quasi-Monarch, but he was still a student and wasn¡¯t qualified to participate in such a high-level meeting.


    But the push message said Zong Yan was invited for special reasons.


    Thinking about the disaster in Jiangzhou before, Zong Yan felt a bit unsettled.


    ¡°I got it.¡± Zong Yan put away his phone and calculated the time.


    Qingyang High School¡¯s lunch break lasted two and a half hours. Students who lived in the dormitories would usually go back to their rooms to take a nap. Some students who didn¡¯t live on campus would gather in the classroom to play games or go to the library to read books. Others went to play basketball outside, and some lay on their desks to rest or did homework problems.


    Sadly, he was pretty sure a two-hour round trip to MU would take too long. He needed a leave of absence.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask for a leave. Why are you following me?¡± Zong Yan turned around. He was about to go to the teacher¡¯s office when he noticed Nyarla behind him with his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go wherever the Father God goes.¡± The dark-skinned evil god¡¯s eyes were particularly innocent. ¡°I can help the Father confuse the humans. It¡¯s my specialty. I absolutely never cause any side effects.¡±


    How could he not be good at it? Nyarlathotep liked toying with humans the most.


    It was almost the end of September. Qingyang High School held its school festival and field day in early October.


    This year¡¯s school anniversary was a round number, which meant the festival would be memorable . The school had assigned tasks to all the clubs early on, and they¡¯d already begun to decorate the school. Especially during lunch break and after class in the afternoon, a lot of clubs would gather together.


    For this reason, the basketball court had also begun a time-consuming transformation for the school festival. The boys¡¯ basketball team practice had to be moved to the gym. But the gym wasn¡¯t open at noon. It could only be used by clubs after school. Students who used to spend time there during lunch were forced to sit in the classroom and play online games instead.


    ¡°Ye Ge, look, isn¡¯t that Zong Yan?¡±


    In the classroom of senior three Class 3, someone happened to be leaning on the windowsill looking down. This sharp-eyed individual saw Zong Yan walk out from the school entrance.


    ¡°What?¡± The moment he heard Zong Yan¡¯s name, Ye JingMing threw away his phone and climbed up to the windowsill to look.


    Recently the school had begun to draw up a list of performers for the New Year¡¯s celebration. Every year there were a lot of students who wanted to perform. After all, the extra credits were significant. They also got to meet the school instructors who were responsible for the independent recruitment exams. The whole thing would even be broadcast on the municipal TV station.


    The class president of senior Class 3, Xia KeYan, was in charge of the performance list. She was also the president of the Qingyang High School Calligraphy Club. Their club had a performance program to submit and they needed to recruit a few more group performers.


    There weren¡¯t any requirements for these group performances. They were just there to rake in credits. The moment Ye JingMing found out about it, he got ready to move. Of course, he cared about the credits as much as an already drunk man cared about alcohol. Anyway, that was how he found out Xia KeYan had invited Zong Yan to participate in the Calligraphy Club¡¯s performance.


    Ye JingMing immediately exploded, and a lot of his younger brothers wanted to take this opportunity to clean up Zong Yan and get points from their boss.


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s really him. How come he¡¯s leaving school at noon?¡±


    Ye JingMing picked up the binoculars he kept in his desk and stared closely at the figure below.


    Qingyang High School was a closed campus except in the afternoon after school. The rest of the time no one, including day students, were allowed to enter or leave at will, unless they went over the wall.


    ¡°Do you think he climbed the fence? Why don¡¯t we go and lodge a small complaint.¡±


    A group of students huddled around the window chattering and discussing countermeasures. Suddenly someone exclaimed, ¡°That car¡¯s so cool!¡±


    A black and gold sports car slowly drew up in front of the gate of Qingyang High School. It stood out from a heap of private cars and attracted stares from numerous onlookers.


    ¡°That¡¯s Pagani¡¯s Huayra series, right? ¡­Damn, if I remember right, there are fewer than ten of those cars in China.¡±


    A lot of boys loved cars and bought magazines to read about them. The streamlined body and gull-wing doors were the standard configuration for an elite ¡°hypercar¡±.


    They continued to watch as the teen in the school uniform got into the sports car. The wheels turned silently and in a flash he disappeared from view.


    ¡ª


    Inside the car a famous tango was playing, ¡¶Por Una Cabeza¡·. The bow of the violin glided smoothly over the strings, evoking a warm and lilting melody.


    These evil gods really knew how to enjoy themselves.


    Zong Yan watched silently as the blond-haired evil god in sunglasses stepped skillfully on the accelerator. They plunged violently into the flow of traffic, hurtling onto the overpass in the last second of the traffic light.


    Honestly, that kind of arrogant driving behavior was really bad. Road rage wasn¡¯t a joke.


    But this was a top-end sports car, and if someone actually scraped the car, it would probably cost them a month of salary. The other drivers had to hold their noses and voluntarily give way, watching this overbearing sports car leave them in the dust.


    ¡°Is Your Majesty hungry?¡±


    Shub turned his head sideways. There was a bewitching smile in the corners of his lips, and he directly put his arm across the back of Zong Yan¡¯s seat.


    The driver¡¯s posture was so casual that Zong Yan couldn¡¯t even see a trace of his hand on the steering wheel.


    Well, it was impossible for an evil god to have a car accident.


    ¡°Pay attention to the road. Don¡¯t just go into heat whenever and wherever.¡± Nyarla sneered and tore space apart, squeezing into the gap between the driver¡¯s seat and the passenger side.


    This sports car could only accommodate two people. Unfortunately, aside from Zong Yan, the other two weren¡¯t actually people.


    Zong Yan felt a little sleepy, so he just closed his eyes.


    He¡¯d completely broken the jar. Anyway, if an evil god wanted to do something it wasn¡¯t like Zong Yan could stop them. It was better to enjoy life however he could.


    ¡°Ha.¡± Shub gave a chuckle. ¡°I was talking to the Father. If you interrupt again I¡¯ll throw you out of the car.¡±


    ¡°You try it. I¡¯m not suppressed by three dimensions on Earth. If the planet gets destroyed, just wait and see if Father God beats you to death.¡±


    ¡°Beats me to death?¡± the Black Goat of the Forest repeated, ambiguously licking his fingertips. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡±


    When the two of them finished arguing, they turned back to see that Zong Yan had already fallen asleep.


    Regressing time had taken too much out of him. Lately Zong Yan didn¡¯t have much energy. He could even manage to fall asleep surrounded by evil gods.


    This time, almost all the top brass of the Dragon Group were present at the meeting at MU.


    The discussion centered on just one thing: ¡°the time when the stars will return¡±, and how it concerned the recent incidents in Jiangzhou.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: My exciting life cohabiting with evil gods ¡Ì


    TL Notes:


    Father God / Father ¨C ¸¸Éñ ¨C Alternatively: God the Father. Please note the evil gods don¡¯t literally call Zong Yan ¡°father¡± (¸¸), they call him ¸¸Éñ, ¡°Father God¡± or ¡°Father¡± (capital ¡°F¡±). Sometimes ¡°Father God¡± sounds awkward so I vary it a bit.


    an already drunk man cared about alcohol ¨C ×íÎÌÖ®Òâ²»ÔÚ¾Æ ¨C The drinker¡¯s heart is not in the cup ¡ª to have ulterior motives; Many kiss the baby for the nurse¡¯s sake; The intention of the drunkard lies not on the wine, but on other purposes; Though drunken, one¡¯s real interest is not in wine


    younger brothers ¨C СµÜ ¨C xi¨£o d¨¬ ¨C A term for male friends, can also be used for people who are a bit subordinate


    Pagani¡¯s Huayra ¨C ÅÁ¼ÓÄáµÄ·çÉñ ¨C A mid-engine sports car produced by Italian sports car manufacturer Pagani, named after Huayra-tata, a Quechua wind god. The Huayra was limited to just 100 units (Wikipedia) MSRP $2.6 million USD

 CH 45

    Because he skipped lunch, Zong Yan got something to eat outside Chenghuang Temple before returning to MU.


    In recent years this place had become a famous attraction in Jiangzhou, but due to the rise of tourism it was completely commercialized. Locals from Jiangzhou never went there to eat.


    The food was expensive and not very good. After Zong Yan tasted it he was revolted, but it also met with the unanimous disdain of Nyarla and Shub.


    Zong Yan: ¡­?


    Evil gods actually eat food?!


    ¡°There are only a few worthwhile things about human beings. Aside from greed, hypocrisy, wickedness, and treachery, only their food is good,¡± Nyarlathotep commented. ¡°Among all the races in the universe, human food ranks in the top three.¡±


    So, as far as evil gods were concerned, greed, hypocrisy, wickedness, and treachery were all things to praise?


    As expected of an evil god.


    After lunch, Zong Yan reluctantly led the two evil gods through the Gate of Truth to arrive at Miskatonic University.


    It was a bit embarrassing. The school chief personally invited a team of infiltrators into the school. If anyone caught them, they¡¯d definitely be asked to leave.


    The most depressing thing about it was that more than one evil god was at MU. When Shub and Nyarla found out Yog was an astrology professor, they came up with alt accounts of their own.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know what kind of camouflage they¡¯d chosen, but anyway, both of them could get into MU without any obstacles at all, which could only make one anxious for the future of the occult world.


    When they arrived, there was still some time before the meeting, so Zong Yan went to see Edward and Wang KeMing.


    As for Nyarla and Shub, they already knew their way around MU. Clearly it wasn¡¯t their first time, which was a frightening thought in itself.


    ¡°Yan Ge, we¡¯ve been going crazy lately.¡± Wang KeMing was visibly thinner, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Zong Yan almost didn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Wang KeMing was very fond of food, which Zong Yan knew quite well. It was incredible to see him like this.


    ¡°MU is on wartime alert.¡± Edward was carrying a heavy pile of books. Even the little prince was in low spirits. ¡°All of our courses have been replaced by magic patterns and biology.¡±


    ¡°Ouch¡ª¡± Zong Yan drew a sharp breath.


    MU had only three required classes: alchemy, magic patterns, and biology. But the scoring for these three classes was far more difficult than the others. Magic patterns and alchemy were particularly obscure. The professors only covered fifty percent of the knowledge points in class, and the remaining fifty percent had to be learned, practiced, and extrapolated by students on their own.


    This indirectly doubled the amount of homework.


    There were already a lot of after-school assignments in magic patterns class. It took novices a lot of time to draw patterns, not to mention the type of classes they had now. Zong Yan could only imagine what kind of unholy torture they were enduring.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard,¡± he said with compassion.


    ¡°Yan Ge, you¡¯re the chief. The chief can submit a proposal to the Spire Council to ask them to reduce the pressure.¡± Wang KeMing made a mournful face. ¡°Who would have thought college would be even harder than high school ah? I can¡¯t do it anymore. I¡¯ve never had to suffer like this before.¡±


    The little fat man really wasn¡¯t lying, because when he was in high school, he knew his father had already greased the wheels for him. All he did was eat, drink and enjoy himself. He didn¡¯t pay attention to his studies at all. But he never thought he¡¯d be repaid with so much evil at university. The pain was unbearable.


    ¡°As the chief, I can¡¯t be so irresponsible.¡± Zong Yan patted him meaningfully on the shoulder.


    Wang KeMing might not know, but Zong Yan understood it all too well.


    The time the stars would return was drawing near, and otherworldly activity on Earth was growing ever more intense. When the Tindalos Hounds showed up, even the senior investigators couldn¡¯t fight back, much less students still in school.


    Zong Yan anxiously wanted his friends to learn more ways to stay alive. There was no way he¡¯d submit a proposal.


    ¡°Well, the faster we learn, the faster we¡¯ll be able to get our investigation practice courses done.¡± Edward was a lot more composed. The willful little prince had a better attitude toward his studies. ¡°Professor Tawil seems to be looking at you, by the way. Isn¡¯t he your advisor?¡±


    Zong Yan turned his head and saw the evil god with gray hair and golden eyes staring at him from a distance.


    An advisor who¡¯d forced his way in, hmph.


    But the meeting was about to start, so Zong Yan waved to his friends and headed towards the auditorium.


    The top leaders of the Dragon Group were also present at the emergency meeting. After all, China had borne the brunt of the first round of incursions.


    ¡°The main topic of today¡¯s meeting is the recent unusual activity in Jiangzhou.¡±


    Paracelsus activated an alchemical star map, and the ceiling of the auditorium was suddenly shrouded by a field of stars.


    Certain constellations were known by humanity to contain sealed Great Old Ones. As these systems slowly rotated on the star map, they were marked in bright red, which made them clearly visible.


    ¡°It should be clear that these star systems and galaxies are gradually returning to their rightful orientation.¡± The alchemist made a gesture with his fingers and the red stars began to move. ¡°This grouping is aimed directly at Jiangzhou, China. According to information previously received, Jiangzhou will be the first to experience the change.¡±


    At this point, Paracelsus nodded to a senior member of the Dragon Group on the other side of the auditorium.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± the Dragon Group senior said. ¡°A few months ago, a star vampire showed up in Jiangzhou. As we all know, this type of alien species rarely appears within human-inhabited cities protected by an alchemical array.¡±


    Zong Yan: It¡¯s my cue


    He reflexively touched his nose, remembering the star vampire he¡¯d finally managed to punch and kick to death all by himself.


    ¡°And lately¡ªextraterrestrial activity has become more and more intense.¡± When He Yuan got the signal, he looked through the report in his hand. ¡°Several Dragon Group night patrols have been attacked by rat-things¡­. As we all know, rat-things are a subordinate servitor race.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that otherworldly species are acting in response to some kind of destiny or fate. Professor Tawil confirmed this for us also.¡±


    The eyes of the crowd turned to the astrologer standing at the front of the conference room, and their gloom deepened.


    ¡°In the occult world we¡¯re all brothers. We¡¯ll be the first to stand with Jiangzhou.¡± The representative of the Spire Council delegation took the lead in expressing his attitude. ¡°We can begin by posting regular reward missions on the MU app. No matter what, we have to contain the situation.¡±


    Many investigators worked on a commission system. If a bounty was posted, it could take a lot of pressure off the Dragon Group.


    ¡°Good.¡± The Dragon Group leadership quickly agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll be responsible for the commissions. We happen to lack talent with scouting ability.¡±


    After all, the Dragon Group was a special operations unit. Their core mission didn¡¯t have any ambiguity at all. After Chinese Awakened got their diplomas from Miskatonic University, they still had to undergo one to two years of hellish training when they joined the Dragon Group.


    In normal times, when extraterrestrial creatures weren¡¯t so rampant, the Dragon Group would be sent all over the world for peacekeeping or confidential missions. As one would expect, the requirements were very high.


    But that also explained why most people with exploration abilities returned to MU after they graduated.


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    The three parties quickly reached an agreement.


    He Yuan happened to see Zong Yan.


    ¡°Little Monarch, you¡¯re here, too.¡±


    He came over to say hello while running through a checklist with the counterpart beside him.


    When he saw Zong Yan, He Yuan remembered something. ¡°By the way, are you feeling better?¡±


    Zong Yan had called him a few days earlier. He Yuan had originally planned to drive to Qingyang High School to check on him, but he got caught up in an urgent matter later. He called Zong Yan back in the evening.


    Zong Yan just told him he was fine and that he was hitting the books so hard in senior three that he ended up hallucinating.


    ¡°I¡¯m better.¡± The black-haired teen scratched his head and looked a little embarrassed.


    Paracelsus was holding the registration book and set it on the table, then waved Zong Yan to come over. ¡°I remember that you applied for temporary leave from school this semester. Are you in Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡±


    After pausing for a moment, the red-haired alchemist handed over a pendant. ¡°Your insight ability is very strong. The stronger the insight, the brighter the light in the eyes of otherworldly species. They¡¯ll attack you one after another. This pendant will provide a certain degree of protection. You should wear it at all times.


    ¡°In fact, given the emergency state of affairs, if it¡¯s not inconvenient for you, it would be better to continue your studies here in MU.¡±


    Zong Yan accepted the pendant, and he immediately felt a gaze too strong to be ignored hammering his back.


    He politely refused the great alchemist¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Excellency, but the college entrance exam is really important to me. I can¡¯t give it up.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you must pay attention to your safety,¡± Paracelsus said. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t quite understand it yet, but in the entire history of the Awakened, you¡¯re the only person to ever become a Monarch without experiencing Second Awakening.


    ¡°If I had to describe your talent, it¡¯s epoch-making. You might become the Einstein of the occult world.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Who called me?¡± The white-haired grandfather who was chatting with Newton and Darwin by the door turned around.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Einstein. We were just using you as an analogy.¡± The alchemist smiled and waved his hand. He solemnly said to Zong Yan, ¡°Remember, you must protect yourself.


    ¡°Oh, by the way. The seventh Monarch, Professor Tawil, seems to be interested in cultivating you. While you¡¯re attending school in Jiangzhou, he¡¯ll take responsibility for your safety as a mentor.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I have to say.¡± Paracelsus sighed. ¡°Never forget the school motto. There are times when danger lurks constantly around us.¡±


    For a moment, Zong Yan thought the other party might know something, but the vice chancellor just put his finger on his lips, gestured for silence, and rubbed Zong Yan¡¯s head. Then he turned away and began to talk with the member of the Spire Council waiting at the side.


    ¡°Is that the child who awakened at Monarch level?¡± The representative of the council delegation was an old man with a monocle. He squinted at Zong Yan¡¯s back for a while, then quietly asked the alchemist.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still a child.¡± Paracelsus smiled. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how far he¡¯s able to grow.¡±


    The old man sighed. ¡°You saw me develop from a teenager to the gray-hair of today. That boy will grow up too, exactly as you wish.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    The alchemist smiled, and his brown eyes were dark and deep.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Let¡¯s have a sneak preview. The next chapter is my favorite part, hey hey


    That¡¯s right¡ªthe monthly exams are coming up!!!


    Are you ready my YanYan? Hahahaha


    Crow once experienced the devil year of senior three. Of course, none of my pups will miss out (whisper)


    TL Notes:


    infiltrators ¨C ¶þÎå×Ð ¨C two five sons ¨C a couple of guys, Cantonese slang for informers or betrayers


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    rat-thing ¨C ÈËÃæÊó ¨C Human-faced rat ¨C A rodent-like creature with a human face and hands


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Mr. Einstein ¨C °®Òò˹̹ÏÈÉú ¨C  ¨¤iY¨©nS¨©T¨£n xi¨¡nsh¨¥ng ¨C Einstein is once again called ¡°Mr.¡±, same as back in Chapter 12

 CH 46

    After the emergency meeting at MU, Zong Yan once again buried himself in a program of intense studying.


    The emergency meeting didn¡¯t have much to do with him. Zong Yan probably would have focussed more on it before, but now he was surrounded by gods. Basically, he no longer had to worry about his personal safety.


    His biggest priority was the college entrance exam. A third year high school student really shouldn¡¯t spend time on anything else.


    The class teacher gave loud pep talks at the podium day after day. ¡°Everyone needs to pay attention while studying, especially during the first round of review. Do you know how important it is to review after the first mock exam? There might be students who only get twenty or thirty points in physics or math. But if they pay close attention during the review lectures, they can easily make up for lost ground. Especially students with learning biases who do worse in certain subjects. All of you need to remember the importance of reviewing.


    ¡°Every one of you should take this to heart. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve seen it in my classes. Students near the bottom can make a sudden leap. In the liberal arts track it¡¯s more difficult, but most students in the science track are active thinkers. A student can suddenly see the light if they study.  I remember one year a student in Qingyang High School made a comeback. They made it to the top ten of science students in the entire province. Don¡¯t give up hope.


    ¡°The monthly exam is coming up. Study hard tomorrow. Don¡¯t get distracted because of field day and the school festival. The day after tomorrow and the next are the monthly exam. After the results come out I¡¯ll talk to each of you individually.¡±


    The students at the bottom began to wail.


    ¡°The results from this month¡¯s exam will be reported along with your midterms. I¡¯ll issue your report card at the parent-teacher conference.¡±


    ¡­


    Zong Yan was listening with his head down, his eyes half-shaded.


    He was a little sleepy.


    Life with evil gods was a little too exciting.


    ""


    Every morning Zong Yan was woken by the Haunter of the Dark. This entity, by the way, was one of Nyarlathotep¡¯s many avatars. It was extremely averse to light and could only appear in darkness.


    For Zong Yan to fall asleep, he had to turn out the lights. It was impossible for him to sleep with the lights on. But whenever the lights were off, there was a chance Nyarla would come to his room. Every day Zong Yan did homework until very late at night. As soon as his head touched the pillow he fell asleep. He didn¡¯t have time to play hide and seek.


    The first morning it happened, Zong Yan was scared out of his wits and almost turned into Yun Zhong Jun on the spot. Later he just¡­ got used to it.


    Anyway, it wasn¡¯t like he could stop it. What else could he do?


    And the evil god morning wake-up service was surprisingly effective.


    ¡°Father God, it¡¯s time to get up.¡±


    Zong Yan wrapped himself like a silkworm chrysalis and rolled over on the bed. His face was buried in the quilt, and the head of black hair that was visible was disheveled as a chicken¡¯s nest, wantonly sticking out.


    Zong Yan was the type that couldn¡¯t stay up too late. If he forced himself to stayed awake doing homework, his sleep schedule would get squeezed, and the next day in school he¡¯d collapse on his desk between classes, completely dazed.


    Nyarlathotep tiptoed around the bed and approached him noiselessly. ¡°If the Father doesn¡¯t want to get up, we can ask Yog to suspend time for a couple of hours.¡±


    This had happened before. Not long ago, Zong Yan did homework until the middle of the night, then tossed his pen down and fell asleep. Amazingly, when he got up the next day he didn¡¯t feel tired at all. It turned out that Yog¡ªwith a sullen face¡ªhad stopped time throughout the entire three-dimensional world for a few hours. He made time flow only for Zong Yan to let him catch up on sleep.


    Zong Yan rubbed his eyes, stretching his eyelids in a line.


    Thanks to the Night Watchman, he had exceptionally good night vision. He could clearly see the triple-lobed eye hovering in the air, burning with the fiery red glow of the unknown.


    The guy sometimes even tried to climb into his bed, which was a horror scene in itself.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    The Haunter of the Dark was an incarnation of Nyarla that represented pure malice. Its appearance was very much in line with the aesthetics of evil gods. Anyway, its form was completely inhuman and there were basically no words to describe it.


    Just the sight of this kind of thing so early in the morning left a shadow on Zong Yan¡¯s psyche.


    ¡°Get out, I¡¯m already awake!¡±


    With the blanket still wrapped around him he sat up with a ¡°zing¡ª!¡± and quickly turned on the table lamp to the side.


    The Haunter of the Dark was very much opposed to light. The moment Zong Yan turned on the lamp it shrank into the darkness.


    After Zong Yan got dressed, he checked the time, packed up his homework from last night, shrugged into his school bag and got ready to rush downstairs to do a 100-meter sprint.


    The small villa wasn¡¯t far from Qingyang High School. Zong Yan only had to run two blocks to reach it, which made it even closer than the tube building.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t see Shub when he went downstairs.


    To be honest, this kind of cohabitation life went beyond his expectations.


    Nyarla was the only one who stayed in the villa every day.


    The Faceless God had tens of millions of avatars. It wasn¡¯t a big deal for a few of them to accompany the Father God. But Shub seemed to like his identity as a movie star. Most days he was busy attending all the major social events, and Zong Yan often saw his flawless face in the entertainment news that got pushed to his phone. Yog, on the other hand, didn¡¯t like to spend time with human beings. He came and went like a shadow and didn¡¯t bother with the supposed ¡°mentor protecting a student¡± mentioned by His Excellency Paracelsus.


    It was difficult for higher-dimensional beings to descend into lower-dimensional space. If they didn¡¯t pay attention they¡¯d collapse the entire region.


    Nyarla was a veteran and his avatars freely roamed the Earth. The other two had to be a bit more careful.


    The only person who really lived in the villa was Zong Yan.


    The first floor was filled with game consoles. These were part of Nyarla¡¯s private collection, mostly war and horror games.


    The third floor was full of ancient books and mysterious antiques, which seemed to be offerings given to Yog-Sothoth by his believers.


    Zong Yan detoured around the game consoles, opened the refrigerator, and took out a package of bread. He fried an egg, folded the bread around it, and hurriedly stuffed it in his mouth. Then he changed his shoes in the entrance hall and prepared to go out.


    But the moment he went outside, he saw a figure looming by the door and almost choked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    What was even more frightening was that the other party lifted his jaw towards him and extended his hand with absolutely no expression on his face.


    Before Zong Yan could respond, his wrist was grabbed. The surrounding scenery blurred in an instant, changing from a small villa garden with birds and flowers to the gate of Qingyang High School.


    Students with school bags on their backs and teachers with briefcases in their hands came and went, and no one noticed the two people who suddenly appeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to this,¡± Zong Yan said. He wanted to add, but didn¡¯t: ¡°I¡¯d rather live alone.¡±


    Lately he felt ill at ease. Zong Yan was accustomed to being by himself, but now he was surrounded by evil gods. Although it might seem like he didn¡¯t have anything to worry about, he kept getting the feeling that something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not your Father God.¡± The black-haired teen in the school uniform spread his hands. His face was relaxed, like he was oblivious of how bizarre his words actually were.


    The gray-haired evil god narrowed his eyes. With a deep sense of meaning he said, ¡°Indeed, at present you¡¯re not.¡±


    What did the conscious mind of Azathoth mean to the three pillar gods? And what did it mean to the Outer Gods? They knew very well.


    If word spread that Azathoth¡¯s consciousness had appeared on the Earth, a moment later this place would become another nest of Outer Gods.


    The Lord of the Universe had given birth to his first stream of consciousness, and one of two possible scenarios would unfold.


    Either this stream of consciousness would assimilate, merge, and finally be absorbed by the sleeping Azathoth, or it would eventually become the true Lord of the Universe.


    Either way, this splinter of consciousness would return to the Lord of All. That was an irrefutable fact.


    Yog-Sothoth¡¯s gaze was too profound, so much so that Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but start to shiver all over.


    The evil gods had treated him well the past few days, but Zong Yan never forgot himself.


    ¡°I remember you have a monthly exam today,¡± the Lord of Time and Space suddenly said.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    What was the point of rubbing it in? Yes, the exam was today.


    The first day of the exam had Chinese in the morning and math in the afternoon. The second day had English in the morning and comprehensive science in the afternoon, great!


    For senior year three, Qingyang High School was quite benevolent. Other schools arranged weekly exams for their seniors, but Qingyang High School only held a large-scale exam once a month.


    It was also the first monthly exam of senior three, which made its importance self-evident. Zong Yan didn¡¯t want to be called out for a private conversation.


    In fact, a lot of seniors were looking forward to the exam, because afterwards the teachers would spend a few days grading exam papers. The school festival and sports meet would take advantage of this period to run for the next three days. It was also the last bit of play-time for the senior three students.


    As Zong Yan hurriedly disappeared through the school gate with his book bag on his back, the gray-haired, white-robed evil god paused for a while to watch.


    The reason the Lord of Time and Space had been flitting about so mysteriously lately was because he¡¯d gone to wander around the timeline representing the ¡°past¡±.


    It should be stated that he silently observed the entire process of Zong Yan¡¯s growth from a baby to the high school student of today.


    Once, the high and mighty Yog-Sothoth never would have given a moment¡¯s thought to the life of a tiny ant.


    But when it had another meaning, the situation changed.


    However¡ª


    Ordinary, it was just too ordinary.


    Yog-Sothoth watched all of Zong Yan¡¯s history for the past seventeen years. He was stunned when he didn¡¯t find anything unusual.


    Zong Yan¡¯s so-called persona card transformations were nothing in the eyes of the evil god.


    Even if Zong Yan didn¡¯t understand, how could Yog, the Key and the Gate, not discern the truth?


    The space from which Zong Yan drew the cards was connected to the Dreamlands. The realm of dreams was a magical place, and MU existed only in a very narrow slice. In the real Dreamlands, human delusions could come true. A beggar could become the richest man alive if he followed the rules of the Dreamlands and had enough of an obsession.


    Zong Yan was able to draw cards directly from the Dreamlands. All that did was demonstrate his identity as Azathoth¡¯s stream of consciousness.


    In the eyes of an evil god, nothing about Zong Yan was strange.


    Except for one thing that happened three months ago.


    Space had been replaced, and the master of space-time was naturally aware of it.


    As he watched the flow of people stream into Qingyang High School, the gray-haired evil god frowned.


    ¡ª


    The next two days were like hell.


    ""


    When Zong Yan finally finished the diabolical monthly exam and handed in his comprehensive science test sheet, he felt so relieved that on the way home he hummed a little tune.


    Recently, more and more extraterrestrial missions had been posted on the MU app. There were over a dozen incidents caused by various alien species in Jiangzhou, including some that were C-class.


    When Zong Yan scrolled through these updates he felt like he was in a different world.


    Who would have thought an ordinary high school student had such a cool secret identity as a mysterious university¡¯s chief?


    Of course, nobody who knew about it would have imagined that the chief of MU, when facing a lengthy physics problem on the monthly exam, had written down nothing but a formula.


    There were times when Zong Yan really hated Yog-Sothoth¡¯s omniscience.


    For instance¡ª


    The moment Zong Yan closed the door, he saw the gray-haired evil god looking at him with undisguised darkness in his eyes.


    Zong Yan¡¯s face was wary. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The evil god said slowly, ¡°You only scored thirty-five points in physics.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: You only scored thirty-five points in physics this time


    Zong Yan: Get lost!!!


    ¡ª


    TL Notes:


    Thus concludes Arc 3! As mentioned earlier, I¡¯ll take tomorrow off from posting to prep the upcoming arc. Ty for reading!!! ?(????)? ?¡î


    make up for lost ground ¨C ÄæÏ® ¨C counterattack, an attack carried out by a small force during the defense, to make a sudden comeback


    suddenly see the light ¨C ¿ªÇÏ ¨C have one¡¯s ideas straightened out; begin to understand; be enlightened; inducing resuscitation


    came and went like a shadow ¨C Éñ³ö¹íû ¨C come and go like a shadow; act swiftly and wittingly; alert and quick; divinely appearing and demonically vanishing


    rubbing it in ¨C Äĺø²»¿ªÌáÄĺø ¨C One speaks only of another¡¯s shortcomings or weak points.


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    the Haunter of the Dark ¨C ҹħ ¨C y¨¨ m¨® ¨C ¡°night demon¡± ¨C An avatar of Nyarlathotep, a gigantic entity with black wings similar to a bat. Its body is only partially solid, composed of a corrosive substance capable of dissolving human skin on contact. Its most characteristic feature is its brilliant tri-lobed eye.

 CH 47

    ¡°You only scored thirty-five points in physics.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He wanted to punch something!


    Even if you were an evil god, you shouldn¡¯t say that kind of thing to a high school student who just got out of examination hell!!!


    What was even more insufferable was that Zong Yan actually noticed a trace of unhappiness in that evil god¡¯s deep golden eyes.


    Crazy, why are you so dissatisfied! Why is it so terrible to get thirty-five points in physics!!


    ¡°Oh?¡± Zong Yan glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s a big improvement over last time.¡±


    ¡°An improvement?¡± the Lord of Omniscience said coolly. ¡°You scored thirty-two points on the previous exam. That¡¯s quite some progress.¡±


    How can you just tear people down? Sadly, evil gods didn¡¯t seem to understand this principle.


    ¡°It¡¯s three points. If that isn¡¯t progress, what is it?¡± Zong Yan set his jaw. ¡°Is that what you use all that omniscience for? The mighty Lord of Time and Space might as well give me an insignificant bit of human physics knowledge. That way I¡¯ll get a perfect score next time.¡±


    Since the death of his grandma, Zong Yan hadn¡¯t received this kind of public execution, which might be why he¡¯d completely stopped trying in physics. That, in turn, had led to his current situation.


    Yog hooked the corner of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. But the last time Nyarla tried it, you shoved him through a wall.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    How come I didn¡¯t know I was so awesome.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to open your brain for me¡ª¡± The gray-haired, golden-eyed evil god lowered his voice, ¡°I can certainly grant you eternal knowledge, Your Little Majesty.¡±


    Zong Yan could see the ghostly light flickering in those golden eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure why but he suddenly thought of the scene from his dream last time, lying down and staring up at the sky.


    The sky was so dark when all the other lights had vanished, and the only thing that remained were those twinkling stars, pinpoints of light, flaring, flickering, fading.


    Zong Yan liked stars very much.


    In the dark there was no need to light a lamp. The stars would keep him company when he slept, and he didn¡¯t need to be afraid when he walked alone at night. The stars would show him the way.


    The eyes of the Lord of Time and Space seemed to be strewn with so many stars, a hundred million points of lights in all their splendor. Like the corners of that compellingly curved mouth, he was descending and drowning, willing to die in the illusory dream world of the evil god.


    But why, when he looked into the other person¡¯s eyes, did he see his favorite color?


    As Zong Yan thought of this in a daze he suddenly woke up, like a pail of cold water was suddenly poured over his head.


    ¡°What did you just do? Are you trying to mind control me?¡±


    Stompstompstomp, he backpedaled a few times and dropped his school bag on the floor. He towards the corner, watching the gray-haired evil god warily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Yog¡¯s face was completely innocent. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look into my eyes for very long. The eyes of an evil god¡¯s avatar are the only channel connected to the main body. If you look at them for a long time you will lose yourself.¡±


    To put it in human terms, that meant permanent madness.


    ¡°Although¡ªif you do get lost, it means my true form must be very pleasing to you.¡±


    Yog suddenly stood up. The white robe that trailed on the ground was like the robe of a holy Pope from the middle ages. ¡°Did you see my body?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª No!¡± The black-haired teen¡¯s face turned red with anger, but the words came out a little breathless, because Zong Yan really had just seen a swirling flash of billions of glorious brilliant lights, but he spoke with a strong sense of bluff and bluster, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    The Necronomicon recorded many things, but after all, the author was only human. It was impossible for human beings to know the true appearance of a god.


    ¡°Is that so? What a pity. If you¡¯d like, I can take you to see my body at any time you wish.¡±


    As if the gray-haired evil god hadn¡¯t heard anything, he continued to walk towards Zong Yan, steering him into the corner with a great sense of oppression.


    ¡°Although the Father God is our Blind Idiot Lord, I¡¯m the guardian of knowledge. I have no desire for you to become a fool in the future,¡± Yog said with a great deal of earnestness. ¡°Even Nyarla, at his worst, is only occasionally an idiot.¡±


    Is it really good for you to talk like that about your Father God?


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but admit that Azathoth was basically a brainless little cutie. And this fact had been deeply engraved in the minds of the three pillars of the original gods. The first time Shub had seen how quickly Zong Yan reacted to things, he was basically astounded: ¡°Is this really the Father God I swore devotion to?¡± Meanwhile, Nyarla¡¯s attitude was more confusing, but of the three pillar gods, Zong Yan actually trusted him the least.


    After all, the other two evil gods didn¡¯t visit Earth that often. It was only in the past two years that Shub got obsessed with playing idol games, and as for Yog there wasn¡¯t much to say. But Nyarla had done countless evil things throughout the history of humankind. Who knew how many people had died thanks to that blabbering little mouth.


    ¡°You can come to me for a tutorial when you have time.¡± Yog slowly and carefully straightened his cuffs. ¡°That¡¯s my duty as your advisor. There¡¯s no student I can¡¯t teach.¡±


    Oh, now you remember you¡¯re an advisor?


    But Zong Yan had to admit the offer was appealing.


    The person in question was the master of knowledge; the trinity of the gate, the key, and the guardian of the gate; an all-knowing, all-powerful being. You couldn¡¯t hire that kind of tutor for any amount of money.


    The only drawback was that he was an evil god.


    Indeed, there were no students Yog-Sothoth couldn¡¯t teach, only believers whose heads had exploded.


    If he decided that Zong Yan was a wooden-brained dummy, maybe Zong Yan would also get to enjoy the feeling of having his brain detonate.


    ¡°Oh, thanks, no need. I can just study by myself.¡± The black-haired teen quickly rejected the proposal.


    What mattered more, physics or his life? If he wasn¡¯t good at physics, at worst he wouldn¡¯t get into Tsinghua. But if he lost his life, that was really the end.


    Life¡¯s too important, bye bye to you!


    ¡ª


    Although Zong Yan wasn¡¯t happy that his physics grade was spoiled in advance, a bit of novelty appeared in the tense lives of the senior class.


    The sports meet and school festival.


    This was one of the few moments of indulgence senior students would enjoy this year.


    Even so, the teachers were still on alert and told everyone not to have too much fun. Otherwise when they came back to study, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to concentrate.


    ¡°Just endure the suffering for one year. When this year is over you¡¯ll be in college and you can enjoy yourselves as much as you want.¡±


    Teachers of every subject did their best to persuade them. ¡°Although the sports meet is coming up to help the students relax, the previously assigned papers still have to be done. The standard answers for the monthly exam have also been posted. We¡¯ll go over it in detail after the festival.¡±


    As far as the students were concerned, these words went in one ear and out the other. No one cared.


    ¡°This is our third year of high school, so we don¡¯t have a display booth this year. According to the rules of Qingyang High School, the senior class¡¯s task is cosplay.¡±


    When the lesson ended, the class president Xia KeYan reported on the situation from the lectern with two or three other student leaders.


    ¡°The school festival will last one day. The booths will run in the morning and the afternoon. In the evening there¡¯s a lantern show on the playing field. This year the west school building will be decorated like a haunted house. For the seniors, our cosplay theme is a mobile project. You just need to walk around the school in your cosplay outfit and play the character you¡¯ve chosen.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any rules for what to choose. You can do an anime character, a character from a movie or a drama, or you can wear ancient clothes, a JK uniform, or a loli outfit. I¡¯ll take the roster around and register everyone. It¡¯s a chance to use your imagination.


    ¡°Remember not to get too rowdy at the festival. There¡¯s a lantern party in the evening and all seniors have to participate in the group photo.¡±


    The senior three students would become cosplay mascots during the festival, which was one of the old traditions of Qingyang High School. After all, they didn¡¯t have as much time as other students to prepare decorations. During the festival, many of their younger classmates and students from other schools would come to take pictures with them, which also served as a memento before graduation.


    ¡°Next up is the sports meet. This is our last field day in high school. Ranking doesn¡¯t matter. The most important thing is to have fun.¡±


    For the sports meet in previous years, everyone had to march on the playing field in formation. In senior three they got to sit in the stands and watch the younger students. There was no need to say how refreshing it was.


    Zong Yan applied for the 3000 meter and 800 meter races again.


    He¡¯d won gold medals in these two events in previous years. Basically, except for the mandatory quota of students that every class had to send, no one in the entire grade was willing to compete with him.


    As for the school festival cosplay, that was even easier.


    Zong Yan had already decided on his costume in his first year of senior high school.


    ¡°Classmate Zong, I¡¯m here to register your cosplay choice.¡±


    After two classes, Xia KeYan came over to Zong Yan¡¯s desk with the book.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Zong Yan scratched his hair, took the roster, and wrote down his choice.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Xia KeYan watched him finish writing, and her fingers squeezed the hem of her skirt. ¡°About the New Year¡¯s ceremony, do you have a special talent or expertise related to ancient times? I can add it to the show.¡±


    ¡°Talent?¡± Zong Yan stopped for a moment to think.


    Xia KeYan first approached him a few days before about the New Year¡¯s performance.


    Xia KeYan was the head of the Calligraphy Club. They were rehearsing a scene and wanted to perform it at the New Year¡¯s show.


    The scene would probably be arranged like a scenario from a TV drama about ancient Chinese calligraphers and poets. They needed some additional background performers.


    Zong Yan had been invited to participate as Li Bai. All he had to do was show his face in ancient clothes.


    Last semester, when Zong Yan was taken out of class by the police, Xia KeYan had immediately spoken up for him. For obvious reasons he would have been embarrassed to turn her down.


    Anyway it wasn¡¯t a bad deal. There were credits for performing, so it was a no-brainer.


    ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily need a special talent. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t perform.¡± Xia KeYan¡¯s voice was soft. She frowned as she stood in front of his desk, looking very quiet.


    ¡°Well, now that I think about it, there is something,¡± Zong Yan said with some hesitation. ¡°I can play a few musical instruments, like the guzheng, pipa, and flute.¡±


    He¡¯d never had any special skills before, but last time in London he received the blessing of Hastur, the King in Yellow, and Zong Yan¡¯s artistic ability was greatly enhanced. He could basically play any musical instrument he saw.


    Of course, it was just a little bit. He couldn¡¯t pretend to be an expert.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s pick the flute. That feels more in line with Li Bai¡¯s personality.¡±


    Xia KeYan took the roster and nodded, leaving Zong Yan alone in his seat.


    He thought he could probably buy a flute and practice it a bit.


    Unfortunately, after the school day ended, Zong Yan put it out of his mind.


    As for this little detail he¡¯d forgotten, he had no idea what a sensational impact it would have in the future.


    It was well-known that Azathoth, the Lord of the Universe, was a master of the flute.


    And every intelligent being who heard him play, except for Outer Gods, ended up exactly the same.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: When you have time you can come to me for a tutorial  session


    TL Notes:


    I added illustrations from the H.P. Lovecraft Wiki to the following chapters: 01 (star vampire), 10 (night-gaunt), 11 (Miskatonic University x2), 14 (Yog-Sothoth), 17 (Azathoth, Nyarlathotep), 21 (Ithaqua), 27 (Shub-Niggurath), 29 (Hastur), 34 (Ghroth)


    lantern show ¨C µÆ»áÕ¹ ¨C AKA lantern festival. A traditional large-scale lighting exhibition with colored lanterns or lighting decorations


    JK uniform ¨C ¡°JK¡± ¨C from joshi k¨­sei (Japanese) ¨C A female high school student uniform (maybe from a specific anime series etc.)


    Li Bai ¨C Àî°× ¨C A Chinese poet born c. 701, acclaimed as a genius and romantic figure. Thirty-four of his poems are included in the classic anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems (Wikipedia) The idea of ¡°white moonlight¡± as an object of longing comes from his poem Quiet Night Thought (¾²Ò¹Ë¼)


    guzheng ¨C ¹ÅóÝ ¨C a 21-or 25-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither


    pipa ¨C ÅýÅÃ ¨C a plucked string instrument with a fretted fingerboard; 4-stringed Chinese lute


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Your Little Majesty ¨C С±ÝÏ ¨C Xi¨£o b¨¬xi¨¤

 CH 48

    The two-day sports meet was a success.


    Even though everyone said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the third year of high school. Just try your best. The most important thing is to have fun. Friendship first, competition second!¡±, as soon as the sports meet was actually underway, the senior class went all out. The fighting was intense.


    After all, they were about to graduate, which meant this was probably their last opportunity to win a team award. Every single class worked hard to get the highest overall score.


    In the end, because of the formidable combat effectiveness of Class 3 of year three, they narrowly took first place.


    ¡°Everyone worked hard.¡± The head teacher looked at the brand new award certificate posted at the back of the classroom and was the first to applaud. ¡°There¡¯s still some money left from the class fee. Together with the money awarded from the sports meet, we can do an offline activity on the weekend.¡±


    After the teacher left, the class leaders discussed how to spend the prize money. ¡°Does anyone have a suggestion about the location of the activity?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to KTV or do an escape room.¡±


    Multiple students chirped up with suggestions. ¡°Or we can go to a villa for a day of fun.¡±


    It would be hard to find a location at a suitable price, and some people immediately argued against it.


    ¡°Every time we meet offline we do KTV. It¡¯s boring ah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, when we went to the escape room in our second year it wasn¡¯t fun at all. What¡¯s the point of having an offline party if the whole class can¡¯t interact?¡±


    ¡°A villa won¡¯t be any good either. At the last boys¡¯ party, we went to Ye Ge¡¯s villa to have a BBQ. There¡¯s no way a rental villa would be as good as Ye Ge¡¯s. We went swimming in his swimming pool last time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly!¡±


    In senior one, Ye JingMing began to regularly organize parties among the boys in class.


    The parties, as everyone knew, were an opportunity for the boys in class to get together and have fun. Zong Yan had pretty much been silent in class since the first year of high school, and Ye JingMing had never liked Zong Yan, so the boys went out of their way to exclude him. Later on, Ye JingMing¡¯s clique grew larger and larger, and he dragged in people from other classes and grades to join his parties. A lot of boys in Qingyang High School were excited to get into his circle. They didn¡¯t concern themselves at all with Zong Yan.


    ¡°I have a good idea.¡± After being puffed up by several of his little brothers, Ye JingMing had a pleased expression on his face. After all, everyone likes flattery. After he spoke up, Xia KeYan looked over at him, which gave him a sudden shot of energy. ¡°We¡¯re in senior three. We¡¯re all adults now, right?¡±


    They were all basically adults. According to the usual age for high school, senior three was for students eighteen years and up. Only a few people had birthdays in the second half of the year and had also started school early. For example, Zong Yan was still a minor at seventeen.


    ¡°Adults? Ye Ge, you don¡¯t want to¡ª¡± Immediately one of his little brothers understood, gave a surreptitious wink, and revealed a bad smile.


    ¡°Right, we might as well go to a bar to have some fun. The Lawrence Bar is pretty good.¡± Ye JingMing leaned against the wall in a deliberately roguish pose.


    The Lawrence Bar was one of the best nightspots in Jiangzhou, located on the edge of the Bund. Most of the people who went there were upper class.


    ¡°Ah? A bar?¡±


    The rest of the students whispered to each other. ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea. We¡¯re still students.¡±


    ¡°And with so many people, we probably can¡¯t afford the Lawrence Bar with our class money.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, besides, aren¡¯t bars too rowdy?¡± A lot of the girls were worried about this. Xia KeYan was the first to show her disapproval.


    ¡°If it was a private bar we could consider it, but Lawrence is open to the public, so let¡¯s forget it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Ye JingMing patted his chest. ¡°If everyone wants to go, I can contact the manager and get a private room. As long as we hang out in the private room and don¡¯t go outside, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    That did indeed change the situation. As the students thought about it, they began to hesitate again.


    The teenage girls who¡¯d just reached adulthood had endured a lot of repression the last few months. Who didn¡¯t have a little rebellion in their bones?


    ¡°I go to Lawrence all the time. They¡¯re expensive and they have a membership system. It¡¯s not as rowdy as a normal bar.¡±


    Ye JingMing once again pursued the argument. ¡°If we don¡¯t have enough with the class fee, we can charge it to my account as my treat. This is our senior year of high school. It won¡¯t be easy to get together again in the future. We should make some good memories with each other while we¡¯re still in school.¡±


    Students who were able to go to Qingyang High School all came from good backgrounds, but Ye JingMing was by far the best among them. With so many people going to a high-end bar, a single night¡¯s spending would probably hit six figures. Young Master Ye didn¡¯t blink an eye. After a while, everyone gave in to the power of money.


    Since it had gotten to that point, it wouldn¡¯t be good to refuse again.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s vote with a show of hands.¡± Xia KeYan sighed. ¡°All those in favor of going to the bar, raise your hand.¡±


    A forest was erected in unison. Except for Zong Yan, who was sitting in his seat pretending to sleep, everyone else raised their hands.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. Let¡¯s schedule it after the midterm exam.¡±


    And so the matter was settled.


    ""


    ¡ª


    The school festival was held immediately after the sports meet.


    These two events occupied the school day during Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but the school festival was a completely free day.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t do anything in the morning. He put a bright red lens in his left eye, fixed his hair with some gel, and then casually went out to buy some groceries.


    Yes, groceries.


    After all, he was the only one in the house who needed to eat. The other three evil gods would come and go at will, but even if they showed up, they didn¡¯t have to eat.


    Zong Yan had to buy some bread for breakfast, as well as eggs and cheese slices. For lunch he usually ate in the cafeteria, and he ate dinner on the way back from school. Occasionally when playing video games, Nyarlathotep would remember to order takeout for Zong Yan when he worked on homework late into the night. Of course, it was the kind of takeout the evil god didn¡¯t pay for.


    As for why he gave himself a new look¡ª


    Seniors were responsible for cosplay, and the character Zong Yan had chosen was Lelouch.


    Yes, the Lelouch from Lelouch of the Rebellion.


    The reason he chose this character was very simple. It was because Lelouch wore a school uniform on campus. All Zong Yan needed to do was put on a slim-fitting version of a black jacket and mess a little with his hair and eyes.


    Anyone who glanced at him could see the lack of effort.


    But the cosplay was supposed to be fun, and Qingyang High School didn¡¯t require its senior three students to put in too much work. If it weren¡¯t for the bad publicity it might inspire, Zong Yan even thought of going as Makoto Ito. After all, Makoto Ge always wore his school uniform in the anime. The jacket of Qingyang High School was easy to confuse with Makoto Ge¡¯s school uniform, which would save a lot of money on clothes.


    In order to replenish his brain, Zong Yan also went to the market and bought a pigeon to make some stew.


    The good thing about living alone was that Zong Yan was perfectly able to cook for himself.


    After he put the food into the refrigerator and did some homework in his room, he opened the MU app on his phone like usual.


    Lately Zong Yan had been spending the money from the card He Yuan gave him.


    He¡¯d been told the card contained an allowance for underage Awakened granted by the Dragon Group. The other card was given to him by Si Yan. Zong Yan secretly went to the bank to check it later and discovered the name on the account was Si Yan. It was probably a secondary card. Zong Yan felt pretty embarrassed.


    Every month the Dragon Group deposited about five thousand yuan into the account. That was a huge sum of money for Zong Yan, but he didn¡¯t like to spend the Dragon Group¡¯s money all the time.


    Zong Yan was a young man with strong self-esteem. This was evident from the fact that he¡¯d earned money for his living expenses by doing translation work instead of from his superpowers.


    He wanted to earn his own money if he could.


    The Dragon Group had helped him a lot¡ªnot only in life, but in many other places¡ªbut if it was possible, he still wanted to stand on his own two feet.


    Of course, he had the ability to do more, it was just that he had to cover his tracks.


    Lately Zong Yan had been quietly observing events in the occult world.


    Edward and Wang KeMing knew he had to take the college entrance exam, so they rarely mentioned anything in the chat group. But Zong Yan took out his phone every day after doing homework or on the way to school to look through the MU forum.


    The current situation in Jiangzhou wasn¡¯t good. Investigators had found signs of lower-level extra-dimensional beings including rat-things and star vampires.


    Also, because of the frequent incursions of alien creatures, some unimaginable things had appeared in Jiangzhou¡¯s social media lately. Of course, the most appalling cases had been suppressed by the top levels for fear of causing panic.


    Even Zong Yan, when he went to the supermarket and passed the local square, thought he¡¯d seen some investigators wearing MU badges. It was another sign that the Spire Council had begun to call in global investigators to deal with incidents in the city.


    A lot of mercenary tasks had been added to the app, and many temporary investigation missions had been established.


    The app used a real name authentication system, and Zong Yan¡¯s registered level was a student at MU, so many of the high-level mercenary tasks on the app weren¡¯t even visible. At most he could only pick up a few low-level tasks.


    But that wasn¡¯t a problem for Zong Yan.


    He took out the Astrologer card and crushed it. The next moment, a shimmering astrological sphere appeared above his palm.


    This card was really a must-have for his commute. It only cost 5 San points and lasted up to three hours.


    After his San value was depleted last time, Zong Yan¡¯s maximum San value went from 70 to 75. He got the feeling that if he used Azathoth¡¯s persona card a few more times, he might wake up one day and find it at 100.


    But the aftereffects were really unpleasant to think about.


    As Zong Yan was walking to school, the crystal ball in his hand suddenly went ¡°buzzt¡ª¡±.


    A celestial map unfolded in front of him. There, in the area of Qingyang High School, a star was wandering around.


    An otherworldly creature had appeared at school!


    Zong Yan was horrified. He shoved the astrological ball into his bag and ran towards the school gate.


    After all, this was the day of the school festival. Not only were all the students of Qingyang High School present, but many graduates and members of the public had come to visit too.


    Qingyang High School¡¯s festival was famous in Jiangzhou. It was advertised in the newspapers in advance. A lot of people were willing to buy tickets to attend.


    If an alien creature appeared in a place with so many people, the consequences would be unthinkable.


    Even the lowest class of rat-thing could cause casualties.


    Zong Yan was so anxious that when he bumped into someone, he didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± Cosplayer Ye JingMing, who was dressed as adult Inuyasha, staggered back a couple of steps and gave him an angry glare.


    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s that kid rushing off to?¡±


    As a love rival, Ye JingMing immediately recognized Zong Yan from the back. He muttered as he stood in place, then waved his hand and beckoned his friends to come over.


    ¡°He must be up to something. Let¡¯s go, brothers. We¡¯re going to check it out.¡±


    ""


    TL Notes:


    KTV ¨C karaoke


    shot of energy ¨C ´òÁ˼¦Ñª ¨C injected chicken blood, give chicken blood ¨C pumped up, extremely excited (sometimes used mockingly) ¨C Originates from a sham health care treatment in the 1960s in which injections of year-old rooster blood supposedly filled people with energy (Baidu)


    cover his tracks ¨C ¾ÍÊǵÃÎæºÃÂí¼× ¨C cover his ¡°horse armor/side account¡± well


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Lawrence bar ¨C ÀÍÂ×˹¾Æ°É ¨C L¨¢ol¨²ns¨© ji¨³b¨¡


    Young Master Ye ¨C ҶС¹«×Ó ¨C Y¨¨ xi¨£o g¨­ngz¨«


    Lelouch ¨C ³·ÐÞ ¨C Lelouch Lamperouge, the protagonist of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. A slender bishounen type


    Makoto Ito ¨C ÒÁÌÙ³Ï (CN ¨C Y¨© T¨¦ngCh¨¦ng) ¨C ÒÁÌÙÕ\ (JP ¨C It¨­ Makoto) ¨C The protagonist of the infamous School Days visual novel and its adaptations. A generic-looking anime protagonist who wears a two-button black school uniform jacket and dark red tie


    Makoto Ge ¨C ³Ï¸ç ¨C Ch¨¦ng g¨¥


    Inuyasha ¨C Ȯҹ²æ (CN ¨C qu¨£ny¨¨ch¨¡) ¨C The male lead of the manga series of the same name, and its adaptations. He typically has white dog ears, long white hair, and a red Sengoku-period priest¡¯s robe (Wikipedia)

 CH 49

    Zong Yan was in such a hurry that he didn¡¯t notice the person following him.


    The crystal ball was in his school bag. He put his thumb through a gap in the bag and kept it on the sphere. That way he could sense the location of the creature at all times.


    He¡¯d arrived at school after spending the day doing homework, and now it was almost evening. The playing field of Qingyang High School was brightly lit. The lantern festival would begin soon.


    A lot of people had arrived in time for the evening show. The daytime festival was intended more for students. In the evening there wasn¡¯t just a lantern festival, there was also a haunted house decorated at great expense. Many people had purchased tickets to come see it. The atmosphere was lively.


    There were people everywhere. Zong Yan struggled to navigate through the crowd, making his way at a turtle¡¯s pace towards the location identified by the sphere.


    ¡°Wow, is that Senior Zong Yan?¡±


    A lot of younger students saw him standing in the crowd and came up to him, excited and wanting to take pictures.


    After all, the school festival was a golden opportunity to get a selfie with the senior students. On the school forum earlier, several girls had said they wanted to meet Zong Yan. People speculated about what character Senior Zong would choose to cosplay.


    ¡°Is the senior cosplaying as Lelouch?¡±


    They were all from the same school, and Zong Yan couldn¡¯t really refuse, so he had to turn around and take a group photo. But the number of people around him only increased, and the commotion got bigger and bigger.


    ¡°Ah? Is that Lelouch? Why do I feel like it¡¯s Kyoya Hibari from Reborn.¡±


    ¡°How is that Hibari? Lelouch¡¯s eye turns red when he uses his power. Look, one of the senior¡¯s eyes still has the outline of a bird in it.¡±


    The girls began to form a line to take pictures with him.


    Zong Yan¡¯s face was expressionless, but inside he was anxious.


    ¡°It really is Lelouch ah. The senior looks so good.¡±


    Everyone could see that Zong Yan had put in minimal effort, but in this world beauty was a form of power, and the girls succumbed to the coercion of good looks.


    After all, a man with a handsome face looks great in everything.


    Meanwhile, Ye JingMing and his group, who¡¯d chased after him, were gnashing their teeth.


    ¡°Damn it, that kid actually cosplayed Lelouch!¡±


    The little brothers nervously looked at Ye JingMing.


    After trying almost everything, they¡¯d managed to find out from Xia KeYan¡¯s best friend that she was going to cosplay Kikyo from Inuyasha at the school festival.


    That was the reason Ye JingMing cosplayed as Inuyasha today. After all, Inuyasha and Kikyo were the official CP in the anime.


    But as it turned out, when Xia KeYan came to school today, everyone found out that the character she¡¯d actually chosen was Nunnally from Lelouch of the Rebellion.


    At first Ye JingMing just had a bad feeling about it, but his premonition came true. Lelouch and Nunnally weren¡¯t actually a CP in the anime, but it set off loud alarm bells.


    Ye JingMing clenched his fists.


    He was filled with resentment.


    He and Xia KeYan were basically childhood sweethearts, but for various reasons she¡¯d always treated him like a little brother. It was only after they reached high school that Ye JingMing really understood his feelings.


    But he was too timid and never dared to confess.


    Xia KeYan belonged to a well-known scholarly family in Jiangzhou with a storied history. Her ancestors were officials in Yanjing, very different from Ye JingMing¡¯s upstart family.


    When Ye JingMing was little, his father took him to Xia KeYan¡¯s house to visit. They were always deliberately subservient and low key, very careful to only give the appropriate gifts. Back when Ye JingMing was still playing with Legos, Xia KeYan was reciting the Four Books and Five Classics. Anyway, he didn¡¯t exactly know why, but Ye JingMing had been a little afraid of Xia KeYan since childhood. It might be because when he was bullied in elementary school, only Xia KeYan stood up for him.


    But as time passed, in high school Ye JingMing formed his own gang, turning from a brave but browbeaten boy to an evil dragon. When they were in their first year of senior high school together, Xia KeYan caught him sneaking through Zong Yan¡¯s desk. After that she didn¡¯t speak to him again.


    Ye JingMing wasn¡¯t too happy about that.


    But either intentionally or unintentionally, Xia KeYan had more contact with Zong Yan, especially in the second year of high school when they were assigned to the same study group. After that, Xia KeYan¡¯s attitude towards Ye JingMing got even colder. Ye JingMing firmly believed it was because Zong Yan had badmouthed him behind his back.


    As did Ye JingMing¡¯s group of minions.


    Although they usually called each other brothers, everyone tacitly followed Ye JingMing as the leader. The reality was that they¡¯d all gathered for the sake of status and money.


    Jiangzhou was only so big. Second generation officials with real family backgrounds sent their kids abroad from the start. The sons of big conglomerates who were on the Hurun list basically wouldn¡¯t return to China until they finished college. Those who stayed were either well-established families or nouveau riche.


    Ye JingMing¡¯s father intended for his son to take over the family business in the future. The first thing he did was pave the way for Ye JingMing to accumulate more contacts inside the country. But when it came to family background, Ye JingMing really did rank No. 1 in Qingyang High School.


    A while ago, most of Ye JingMing¡¯s little brothers had seen Zong Yan get into a limited edition sports car. After that, they all began to dither a bit, complying in public but disobeying in private, and there was some veiled criticism.


    Naturally they didn¡¯t want to offend Zong Yan too much. They were all the children of businessmen. After they graduated they might move in the same circles.


    ¡°Get lost.¡± Ye JingMing was in a foul mood. He watched as the black-haired teen made a sorry gesture towards the girls and squeezed through the crowd. Ye JingMing didn¡¯t bother to say anything more to his little brothers. He pushed past them, chasing Zong Yan.


    Zong Yan ran fast, and there were a lot of people between them. Ye JingMing remembered the last time Zong Yan ran wild through the school and felt a stab of fear.


    After a few steps, Ye JingMing realized that Zong Yan was headed towards the art building.


    The entire art building, from the first floor to the seventh, had been converted to a haunted house. Even the windows were covered with black paper. In the dark it looked especially spooky.


    The haunted house was a special tradition of Qingyang High School. Each class would select a few representatives to pretend to be ghosts and frighten people. The art building had a built-in terrifying atmosphere¡ªthe plasters in the art studio, the piano no one ever played in the music classroom, etc. The sixth and seventh floors were the anatomy dissection rooms of the International Department, which was petrifying in itself.


    There were a lot of people at the haunted house. Zong Yan had to comply with the rules and join the back of the line, but he was on pins and needles the entire time.


    He had a vague sense that the extra-dimensional creature was in the haunted house.


    Admittedly, the haunted house was a good location. The supernatural imagery associated with such a place would provide the perfect cover.


    Would an ordinary monster think to choose a haunted house?


    He didn¡¯t think it was a coincidence.


    Zong Yan concealed his phone¡¯s screen and opened the MU app.


    The investigation reports that he could access mentioned some unusual species.


    Because of the activity of otherworldly creatures recently in Jiangzhou, some cultists had showed up, and even¡­ species that could masquerade as human.


    He looked up at the sky and began to think.


    Right now he only had one card that was suitable to use, and that was the Night Watchman.


    Zong Yan hesitated and sent a message to He Yuan.


    The Night Watchman¡¯s power level was absolutely comparable to a human Monarch. But he wanted to be on the safe side.


    ¡°Welcome to the haunted house. This is the map. Just follow the corridor to the left and go up one floor at a time. When you come down, the exit is on the right.¡±


    The volunteer at the door gave him a printed map and a flashlight. ¡°Remember to return the flashlight when you leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zong Yan politely thanked him and disappeared through the door.


    This made Ye JingMing who was in line behind him anxious, but the haunted house used a timed release system.


    ¡°Ye Ge, what should we do? That kid already went inside.¡±


    They stood in the back and watched Zong Yan walk into the haunted house.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s no big deal if he¡¯s inside. We¡¯ve all been in the art building. One of you guard the first floor. You have to block him for me.¡±


    Ye JingMing pooh-poohed their doubts and began to issue commands to his little brothers.


    ¡°When the time comes, contact the group. We¡¯ll find an empty room and settle our grudges somewhere quietly.¡±


    When it was finally Ye JingMing¡¯s turn, he dashed in without even taking the map or flashlight.


    While he ran up to the second floor, Ye JingMing noticed how dark the corridor was. From a distance he could only hear a few quiet footsteps and echoing shrieks.


    For the sake of atmosphere, the haunted house only allowed in people every five minutes, and the number of visitors on each floor was strictly controlled.


    Ye JingMing glanced at the little brothers who¡¯d followed him inside and saw them trembling with their flashlights. He grimaced and continued running up the stairs without looking back.


    The haunted house wasn¡¯t completely dark. Each landing in the stairwell still had sufficient lighting.


    Ye JingMing had never been afraid of haunted houses. He was a rock-solid materialist and had gone to many such places on Halloween. Even while his friends went in standing up but came out crawling in fear, he was the only one whose expression didn¡¯t change and heartbeat didn¡¯t leap. With his hand in his pocket he looked like he¡¯d gone shopping.


    He had to find that Zong Yan kid quickly. Then they¡¯d resolve this like real men!


    He, Ye JingMing, would show Zong Yan that the fair maiden always chooses the strongest man!


    Inuyasha, dressed in red and carrying a wooden sword, ran up the stairs two at a time with amazing speed.


    To be honest, he was dressed as Inuyasha with red clothes and white hair. If he ran into a classmate disguised as a ghost, given the dim light inside the haunted house, it wasn¡¯t clear who¡¯d scare who.


    Ye JingMing stomped up to the second floor.


    The second floor was normally an art gallery. Tonight it had been transformed into a scene from a haunted mansion. The paintings in the gallery had been torn down, painted with creepy patterns, or splashed with red ink.


    Inuyasha murderously ran through the corridor with his sword in hand. He didn¡¯t give the gallery a second glance.


    In the dim light, Ye JingMing thought he saw a long, narrow shadow flicker and disappear. Overjoyed, he hurried toward it.


    ¡°Zong Yan, if you have any guts, don¡¯t run!¡± Ye JingMing shouted and chased the dark shadow into the music classroom on the third floor.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    The classroom was extremely dark. At some point the black cloth on part of the window had been torn off. Before it was a grand piano and a seated figure.


    Ye JingMing was getting angrier and angrier. He decided that Zong Yan was playing hide-and-seek with him, so he walked up to the piano and extended the hand with the wooden sword.


    ¡°Hey, enough hiding. If you have the guts, you can¡ª¡±


    A second later his pupils constricted and he involuntarily stepped back.


    With a bang, a blood-soaked head rolled off the piano stand.


    Sitting there¡­ was a headless body.


    TL Notes:


    CP ¨C couple ¨C a romantic pairing


    childhood sweethearts ¨C Çà÷ÖñÂí ¨C green plums and a bamboo horse ¡ª childhood games of riding on a bamboo stick for a horse; a friendship formed in childhood ¡ª said of boys and girls; life of subteen youngsters; playmates in childhood


    Four Books and Five Classics ¨C The most important books of Chinese Confucianism written before 300 BC (Wikipedia)


    Hurun List ¨C ºúÈó°ñ ¨C A list of wealthy people in China, similar to the Forbes 400 list of the world¡¯s wealthiest people


    the fair maiden always chooses the strongest man ¨C ÃÀÈËÖ»ÅäÇ¿ÕßÓµÓÐ ¨C beauties only belong to the strong ¨C Maybe my version isn¡¯t sexist enough idk


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Kyoya Hibari ¨C ÔÆȸ¹§ÃÖ (CN ¨C Y¨²nqu¨¨ G¨­ngm¨ª) ¨C ë…ȸ ¹§ÃÖ (JP ¨C Hibari Ky¨­ya) ¨C A popular supporting character in Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (¼ÒÍ¥½ÌŽŸ¥Ò¥Ã¥È¥Þ¥óREBORN!)


    Kikyo ¨C ½Û¹£ (CN ¨C Ji¨¦g¨§ng) ¨C (JP ¨C Kiky¨­) ¨C The female lead of Inuyasha, pre-reincarnation version


    Nunnally ¨C ÄÈÄÈÀò (CN ¨C N¨¤n¨¤l¨¬) ¨C (JP ¨C ¥Ê¥Ê¥ê©`) ¨C A supporting character in Code Geass, Lelouch¡¯s younger siste

 CH 50

    Bam¡ª!


    The blood-soaked severed head rolled down from the piano and struck the keys with an ugly noise.


    Ye JingMing even saw the sticky blood stain left on the black-and-white keys.


    A gust of cold air came out of nowhere and sent a chill through his body. Only then did Ye JingMing realize his back was soaked with sweat.


    The scene was so frightening that Ye JingMing was shocked and took several steps back, trembling as he took the phone from his pocket and turned on the flashlight function.


    He still had his wits. The whole time he kept repeating to himself that he was in a haunted house.


    Sure enough, the moment the flashlight of the phone lit up, Ye JingMing clearly saw the evidence on the headless corpse.


    ¡ªThe neck was obviously made of plastic, splashed with what looked like red ink.


    ¡°Damn, what company decorated the haunted house this year? That prop¡¯s just way too realistic.¡±


    Ye JingMing cursed and kicked the fake head away, as if that could cover up his momentary failure to breathe.


    He patted himself on the chest and felt his surprise just now was beyond humiliating.


    ¡°Damn it, where the hell is that Zong Yan kid hiding? I obviously just saw someone walk into this classroom.¡±


    Ye JingMing put his phone back in his pocket and suddenly felt something dripping on his head.


    At first Ye JingMing didn¡¯t care about it, but the liquid smelled so bad that Young Master Ye couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle his brow.


    ¡°What the hell.¡±


    He casually wiped his head and looked up slowly.


    There, in the black void above him, a mass of coiled tentacles opened a sinister maw lined with fangs. This hideous expression was stimulated by the presence of the creature¡¯s most coveted, mouth-watering prey.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh¡ª!¡±


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan had just reached the fourth floor when he heard the scream coming from below.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure how many screams he¡¯d heard along the way, but this time it was particularly harrowing as well as vaguely familiar.


    In fact, Zong Yan himself was a little scared. He normally never would have dared to approach a haunted house. After all, people who pretended to be ghosts were sometimes far more terrible than actual ones. But this was a special situation. He could only soldier on.


    He shook his head, took out the crystal ball, and walked past a classmate dressed as a chainsaw maniac without a second glance.


    ¡°Senior Zong!¡±


    The chainsaw maniac knew him and hounded him for a selfie. Zong Yan didn¡¯t have a choice but to agree.


    After the photo was taken, Zong Yan had almost reached the fifth floor when he ran into someone who looked familiar.


    After thinking for a moment, he decided the other person was probably a student from his class. Unfortunately, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t remember the other party¡¯s name. The only thing he knew was that he was one of Ye JingMing¡¯s crowd.


    ¡°Classmate.¡±


    The other party was looking down to send a message on his phone. Suddenly his shoulder was tapped from behind. In the middle of the dark haunted house, he jumped like a rabbit almost three feet high.


    ¡°You, you, you¡ªcrap!¡±


    The little brother had just reported to Ye JingMing¡¯s group that he hadn¡¯t seen Zong Yan on the fourth floor, and he waited a while without getting a reply. But the moment he turned around, he saw the main character behind him. His soul almost flew away in fright.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The other person¡¯s reaction was so violent it almost made Zong Yan wonder if he was cosplaying Voldemort instead of Lelouch today. ¡°We¡¯re all in the same class. I won¡¯t eat you. Why are you so surprised?¡±


    How could I not be surprised, ge! We were just discussing how to put a sack on your head and beat you up!


    ¡°Oh, by the way.¡± When he saw the other student, Zong Yan remembered something.


    Since the other boy was Ye JingMing¡¯s little brother, Ye JingMing was probably here too. And speaking of Ye JingMing, Zong Yan suddenly remembered the scream he¡¯d heard just now. It sounded a bit like Ye JingMing¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Is Ye JingMing here, too?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± The little brother was shocked. His brain erupted in a storm.


    Does he already know we want to rough him up?


    The cold light in the corridor was very dim, casting mottled, intricate shadows on the floor. The black-haired teen stood there in a black school uniform. One eye glowed scarlet while the other was dark and deep and almost couldn¡¯t be seen.


    What did that eye reveal?


    An immense, dark current gathered in that pupil, and stars of light nearly imperceptible to human vision rose and fell like a vast and monstrous roiling.


    At that moment, fear gained a new, incarnate definition, and no human being could gaze on it and resist the shudder deep within their soul.


    The little brother had stared at him for three seconds without knowing it.


    ¡°Ye Ge wants to clean you up, but he never replied to the message. We don¡¯t know what happened either.¡± His mind was blank. As if bewitched, he revealed all their plans. ¡°All of us except for Ye Ge are watching different floors.¡±


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t hear from him?¡± Zong Yan frowned.


    When he thought of that miserable scream just now, an incredible suspicion arose within his mind.


    There was a difference between the sound made by ordinary people when they were genuinely terrified and the sound they made when they were frightened by a ghost in a haunted house.


    And Ye JingMing¡¯s scream was like the sound of killing a pig, a heart-rending shriek.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of your group? Hurry up and get everyone out of here.¡± Zong Yan guessed the worst. ¡°Something¡¯s not right. The police should be here soon.¡±


    He sent a message to the Dragon Group before, and lately they were on the highest alert. It probably wouldn¡¯t take them long to get here.


    As if to echo Zong Yan¡¯s words, they suddenly heard the shrill sound of a siren through the window below.


    A second later, the little brother¡¯s phone connected.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The other teen didn¡¯t know why, but because of the stare-down just now his fingers were shaking uncontrollably and his forehead was dripping with cold sweat. ¡°What? There¡¯s a short circuit that could cause a fire and we have to evacuate immediately?¡±


    Zong Yan pondered off to the side.


    That was actually a really good way to evacuate ordinary people in an emergency.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t delay any longer. The Dragon Group must have mobilized the firefighters as well. Right now they were shouting at the haunted house with loud speakers. Most of the haunted house staff had cell phones. They¡¯d evacuate as soon as they got the news.


    The most important thing right now was to find out what happened to Ye JingMing.


    The black-haired teen ran down to the third floor. Along the way he got a call from He Yuan.


    ¡°Hello Little Monarch, are you inside the haunted house?¡± He Yuan¡¯s voice sounded very distant, and there were shouting voices beside him. ¡°Hurry up and come out. If it¡¯s an intelligent creature like you said, it¡¯s likely C-rank or above. You haven¡¯t had your Second Awakening. It¡¯s too much of a stretch to fight a C-class creature.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m on the seventh floor now. It¡¯ll take some time to come down. Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. I won¡¯t try to be a hero.¡±


    Zong Yan spoke quickly as he walked into the empty music room.


    The music classroom was much brighter than the corridor because part of the window covering had been torn off. Through the glass he could see the dark night outside.


    Zong Yan put the phone back in his pocket. With his other hand he extracted the Night Watchman card from the gap in space and crushed it.


    A second later, an English aristocrat with tied-back hair appeared beside the window with a black umbrella in his hand.


    The plague-masked bird of death circled in the night sky for a little while, then swooped down and rested on his master¡¯s shoulder.


    When Zong Yan had moved in with the evil gods, the bird didn¡¯t dare to show its face around the villa. He meekly foraged for food outside on his own.


    ¡°Go, help me find if there¡¯s anything unusual.¡±


    This time the Night Watchman¡¯s gloves were white. He scratched the sharp beak of the harbinger bird, and after the latter rubbed against his fingertips for a moment, he swiftly spread his wings and flew away.


    If Zong Yan had a special need, he could connect his sight with the harbinger bird for a short time, which gave him an extra pair of eyes. The benefits were self-explanatory.


    After bidding farewell to the bird of death, Zong Yan intended to look around to see if there was anything unusual here. And immediately he met the affectionate gaze of the blood-stained head on the floor.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ahhhhhhhhh!


    He was so shocked he almost jumped straight up. However, the Night Watchman¡¯s innate elegance restrained this reflexive action.


    It was then that Zong Yan noticed there were no souls at all in the classroom. In other words, it was a fake.


    ¡°That¡¯s just way too realistic¡­¡± he muttered to himself. He was about to walk out of the classroom when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    There was a little glimmer in the corner, a scattered reflection of the moonlight.


    A cell phone.


    Zong Yan skirted the headless plastic corpse on the piano bench and bent down to pick up the phone.


    He activated it, and on the lock screen a picture of Ye JingMing leaning against a Ferrari sprang into his eyes.


    In this day and age you could lose anything, but the last thing you¡¯d lose was your phone.


    The Night Watchman slid the phone into his pocket. His expression grew more and more grave.


    There were no traces in the music classroom other than this cell phone. That thing was obviously still in the haunted house.


    ¡ª


    ¡°How¡¯s the evacuation going?¡±


    Outside, the Dragon Group had been shouting with loudspeakers for a while. People streamed out of the haunted house. The team aimed magnesium lights at the art building, brightly illuminating the structure which was decorated like a ghostly mansion.


    As soon as the crew showed up, people gathered to watch from the side. But Zong Yan had guessed wrong. It wasn¡¯t firefighters who came but members of the Dragon Group disguised as firefighters.


    ¡°Zong Yan hasn¡¯t come out yet.¡±


    He Yuan kept watch at the door the entire time. He hadn¡¯t seen the familiar Little Monarch among the people who came out.


    ¡°The current chief of MU?¡±


    This time, it was Team 6 who showed up. He Yuan came along because he had nothing better to do. The people from Team 6 had also heard of Zong Yan, but the news that he¡¯d awakened as a Monarch had been kept well under wraps. All they knew was that this year¡¯s chief chose to temporarily leave school to study for the Tsinghua entrance exam.


    That was enough for the members of Team 6 to stand in awe.


    The Tsinghua exam? Listen, this guy was clearly a study tyrant¡ªhe even became chief in his first year of school. His future was unlimited, okay?


    ¡°Yes.¡± He Yuan hesitated and called again.


    On the other side, the seventh floor of the art building was extremely dimly lit.


    Ye JingMing was trembling all over, tied to the anatomical table in the middle of the room. His lips had gone white.


    If you looked carefully, you¡¯d see that the floor of the dissection room was carpeted with thick, menacing, dark green tentacles. They were studded with luminous eyes, gleaming like something covered in viscous, slimy oil.


    At the same time, an indescribable stench filled the air.


    Zong Yan had found this place with the help of the harbinger bird. He was currently attached to the shadow behind the window curtain. When he saw what was in the room he couldn¡¯t help but suck in a cold breath.


    Just as he was trying to remember what kind of monster this was, his cell phone suddenly rang.


    TL Notes:


    Happy Chapter 5-0! ???©d¨v(?????)¨u???


    soldier on ¨C Ó²×ÅͷƤ ¨C toughen his scalp ¨C brace oneself to do sth; braving all rebuffs; put a bold face on it; summon up courage


    Regarding swear words: This story is from a site in mainland China which means the swearing sometimes involves euphemisms or workarounds. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll see milder swearing in the tl like ¡°crap¡± or ¡°fck¡± instead of the actual F word. It¡¯s because the author used a workaround like ²Ý ¡°grass¡± instead of the actual Chinese equivalent of the F word


    put a sack on your head and beat you up ¨C ¸øÄãÌ×Âé´ü ¨C The original just says ¡°sack you¡±, but this is the full meaning. ¡°Sack¡± is used a couple of times


    study tyrant ¨C ѧ°Ô ¨C learning tyrant, study lord, straight-A student

 CH 51

    As the cell phone suddenly rang, a Western female voice soared directly to the high notes, making it sound even more conspicuous.


    Zong Yan¡¯s phone was set to vibrate and mute year-round. It was only Ye JingMing¡¯s phone that could have rung.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He immediately retreated back into the shadows.


    An instant later, a dark green tentacle ripped the curtain to shreds. A dripping coat of slime corroded the cloth everywhere it landed.


    Okay, that was a bit too fierce.


    Zong Yan took a deep breath and finally managed to retrieve the creature¡¯s details from his memory.


    C-rank otherworldly creature: shoggoth. The usual image was a large mass of wild, demonically-dancing tentacles covered with glowing eyes, combined with a terrible smell.


    Although shoggoths were just a low-level subordinate race, their combat effectiveness was the best in their class. If not for their limited intelligence they might have been ranked among the higher monsters.


    It was because of their lack of brains that shoggoths were usually enslaved by stronger species. They were rarely used by evil gods. The Outer Gods had their own, superior slaves, who served them exclusively. Though Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure how much better they had to be compared to mindless creatures like shoggoths.


    After hundreds of millions of years of enslavement, shoggoths finally rose up and launched the first rebellion in their history.


    The result was a spectacular failure. They were enslaved even worse.


    Although this creature was C-rank, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to deal with. It could be damaged by both physical attacks and magic patterns.


    ¡°Wu wu wu¡ª¡±


    When Ye JingMing heard the familiar ringtone he widened his eyes. His clothes had been corroded by mucus. If it weren¡¯t for the heavy fabric of his Inuyasha outfit, he probably would have lost a layer of skin.


    Saving lives was important.


    Because of the sudden noise, all the black and green tentacles in the room slowly rose up, leaving nauseating traces of black slime on the pale walls. Those eyes shining in the darkness were ready to strike at the intruder in the shadows.


    Zong Yan silently moved from the windowsill and revealed a pair of scarlet eyes in the shadows of the ceiling.


    He was waiting, waiting for the perfect shot.


    Countless white bones stained with blood and bits of flesh were scattered on the floor of the anatomy room. The mucosal membrane of the shoggoth was still dripping onto the bones, most of which belonged to frog and rabbit specimens.


    Zong Yan scanned the room and didn¡¯t see any human bones for the time being. His inner tension relaxed a little.


    Ye JingMing might be the first human caught by this shoggoth. Zong Yan saw that the tips of its tentacles were trembling. It wanted to enjoy this human delicacy quickly.


    Of course, the person lying on the dissection table was trembling too.


    An unknown item had been stuffed in Ye JingMing¡¯s mouth. At the moment his eyes were wide open.


    Because he saw a familiar face on the ceiling.


    Compared to Zong Yan¡¯s usual look, this gray-haired, red-eyed version of him was obviously pretty bizarre. It was also sharp enough to pierce most people through the heart.


    ¡°Go¡ª¡±


    In an instant, a myriad of shadows struck out from the darkness, transformed into sharp black spikes, and stabbed down from the ceiling. With incontestable force they plunged into the amoeba-like, indescribably horrifying creature.


    ¡°Tekeli¡ªLi! Tekeli¡ªLi!¡±


    The shoggoth screamed. Its huge, hideous tentacles rose up in a quick convulsion, and its evil luminous eyes twisted together like patterns on a cloth rag.


    Thousands of tentacles began to split and reorganize, revealing the stomach-turning connective tissue inside. At the same time, the shadows swam through the narrow anatomy room one by one, like waves rolling in from the tide.


    ¡°¡ª! ! !¡±


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t need to look. He could see the panic in Ye JingMing¡¯s eyes.


    The gray-haired, red-eyed Night Watchman suddenly broke free from the shadows. The black umbrella in his hand blocked the tentacles¡¯ attack.


    The shadows were like daggers. At their king¡¯s command they fought the shoggoth¡¯s tentacles. The Night Watchman dropped from the ceiling, grabbed Ye JingMing¡¯s hand, and freed him from the restraints on the dissection table.


    The moment his hands were freed, Ye JingMing ripped out the garbage bag in his mouth and shouted like he was about to faint, ¡°What the hell, is this a movie?! What kind of fcking disgusting thing is this? I smell like shit now. Since when did our school¡¯s haunted house have an immersive experience!¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    The child must be stupid. His clothes were strips of corroded rags and he was still talking about making a movie.


    The Night Watchman dragged him through the shadows, disappearing from the dissection table in an instant, reappearing in the corridor outside, and fleeing as fast as possible.


    The next second, the door to the anatomy room went ¡°clang¡ª¡± and was knocked down by shoggoth tentacles. Slime-covered, dark green pseudopods flowed out from the room, covering most of the corridor outside.


    ¡°Fck, did I just become a shadow? Wtf wtf wtf wtf¡ª¡±


    Ye JingMing¡¯s worldview had just collapsed. If Zong Yan hadn¡¯t pulled him, he might have fallen over on the spot.


    When Ye JingMing was first caught by the shoggoth, he thought it was some kind of new attraction at the haunted house. It was only later, after he was strapped to the dissection table, that he began to feel like something was a little wrong. His materialist view of the world was greatly challenged. But when Zong Yan held up a black umbrella and called down shadows from the ceiling, and then pulled Ye JingMing directly into the shadows with him, he could no longer deceive himself.


    ¡°Who, who, who, who, who the hell are you? Are you an alien lurking in our school!¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up,¡± Zong Yan said in a bad mood. ¡°If you make any more noise it¡¯ll come right over.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s Night Watchman persona was capable of fighting A-class monsters. There was no reason for him to run from a shoggoth.


    The problem was what just happened.


    Last time, Zong Yan was able to take Edward and Wang KeMing shuttling through the shadows without any hindrance. A large part of the reason was because they were also Awakened. Their bodies successfully assimilated.


    But Ye JingMing was not. This guy was a completely ordinary person, and just a moment ago Zong Yan felt the obstruction from the shadows.


    But it was an emergency situation. The shoggoth had almost filled the entire classroom, with enough tentacles to block out the sky. There was no other way for them to escape except through shadows.


    So Zong Yan spent an enormous amount of effort to bring Ye JingMing out of the anatomy room, allowing this muggle to feel the power of magic.


    ¡°Damn¡ª!¡±


    They ran to the stairwell and began to run downstairs. But an instant later there was a familiar stench and rustling sound coming towards them from below.


    ¡°We can¡¯t run down!¡± It was only now that Ye JingMing regained some sense. ¡°I was caught on the third floor¡­. It brought me to the sixth floor later.¡±


    Now that he¡¯d regained his reason, Ye JingMing began to feel afraid again. He sneaked a glance behind them to the end of the corridor and saw something emitting a feeble light. Those hideous tentacles were already swarming, so he turned his head away.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go up.¡± Zong Yan made an instant decision.


    Now, because he¡¯d consumed too much power, he could only create a few shadows to slow down the shoggoth¡¯s movement.


    As they began to run upstairs, Zong Yan heard footsteps on the lower floors. He thought it must be the investigators who came to support them.


    ¡°Upstairs?¡± Ye JingMing froze for a moment. His legs were shaking. ¡°That¡¯s the seventh floor!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the roof,¡± Zong Yan said impatiently.


    By now he was practically dragging the weak-legged Ye JingMing, who could barely stumble on his soft legs.


    They ran all the way. Meanwhile the investigators below also seemed to have found the creature, which was entrenched on the third to sixth floors. There was the sound of flames bursting out from magic patterns, followed closely by the screams of the shoggoth.


    If a shoggoth gained enough sustenance, it could split into several more shoggoths. This shoggoth was furious at Zong Yan for snatching away such delicious food. To reveal its inner fury, the shoggoth¡¯s tentacles danced in the air like a frenzy. It attacked the stairs, causing them to collapse.


    There was a lock on the door to the rooftop. Zong Yan went over with his black umbrella and attacked it violently. Looking at the twisted piece of metal, Ye JingMing was dumbfounded. As he was struck by a cold breeze he said, ¡°You really are an alien, right.¡±


    When he thought that he¡¯d actually tried to make trouble for Zong Yan, he felt terrified inside.


    He thought he was extremely lucky. He¡¯d caused problems for Zong Yan for three years. It was only when they were about to graduate that he realized the other teen had special powers. He wasn¡¯t an ordinary person at all. Ye JingMing really had to thank Zong Yan for not killing him.


    ¡°Have you ever seen an alien that looks like me?¡± Zong Yan actually bothered to reply.


    He¡¯d really never cared about Ye JingMing¡¯s petty troubles. Zong Yan was fundamentally a lazy person. To put it bluntly, he was indifferent to pretty much everything around him. He excluded other people from his world and was pretty happy with his life.


    Although Ye JingMing disliked him, he¡¯d never risen to the level of a school bully. It was just that sometimes he would trip Zong Yan or take the lead in excluding him¡­ but Zong Yan didn¡¯t like dealing with others anyway. And even if there were a lot of rumors spread about him, it was hard for other students to have much ill will toward a classmate widely recognized for his good looks.


    As soon as they kicked the door open and ran across the concrete roof of the art building, the shoggoth behind them scrambled to collapse the roof of the stairwell. Chunks of cement flew through the air.


    ¡°What, what should we do now?¡± Ye JingMing was shivering with fear. He couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of tragedy would happen if that tentacle managed to strike him. ¡°This is the roof. Will someone come to save us?¡±


    ¡°Save us? I¡¯m here, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    The Night Watchman lifted his slightly disheveled top hat, and the harbinger bird circled down from the dark night sky and landed firmly on his shoulder. ¡°Remember, no matter what happens later, don¡¯t say a word. Do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I hear you. Whatever you say goes.¡± Ye JingMing nodded his head like he was mashing garlic.


    Zong Yan felt satisfied. He took out his cell phone and dialed He Yuan while holding his opened umbrella in front of Ye JingMing.


    The Dragon Group had brought in magnesium lights, so everything around the art building was completely lit up.


    The members of Team 6 suddenly turned the lights around and ran towards the playground with a loudspeaker. With a flamethrower modified with alchemical magic patterns, they fired directly into the sky.


    ¡°Wow¡ª! Look at that, fireworks!¡±


    ¡°Heavens, it¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    For a moment, golden-red fireworks rose up in the air from the playground and attracted everyone¡¯s attention. The crowd let out a gasp of excitement.


    Right now!


    Zong Yan pushed back the shoggoth¡¯s tentacles with his open umbrella, grabbed Ye JingMing, and jumped down from the seventh floor.


    Vague shadows covered them, reducing their visibility a bit. If someone looked over, they¡¯d only see a shadow descending rapidly down the side of the art building.


    Ahhhhhhh¡ª


    Ye JingMing instinctively wanted to scream, but he remembered Zong Yan¡¯s orders just now. He was so shocked that he didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    Kong¡ª


    A floating magic pattern burst out from He Yuan¡¯s hands. Several other members of the group formed a human wall to cover him. He successfully caught Zong Yan before he hit the ground.


    Quietly, camouflaged by the distraction, when everyone else was distracted by the so-called fireworks. The darkness of night fell once again. No one seemed to notice anything strange.


    ¡°How did you get into such a tight spot?¡± He Yuan stepped forward and freed Zong Yan from the floating effect. ¡°And what kind of get-up are you wearing?¡±


    As He Yuan looked at the gray-haired, snappily-dressed person in front of him, he couldn¡¯t really associate it with Zong Yan¡¯s usual appearance in his school uniform.


    Night Watchman Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Night Watchman Zong Yan: ¡°Uh, cosplay.¡±


    He Yuan suddenly understood. Only then did he notice Ye JingMing standing to the side, who hadn¡¯t yet returned to his senses. He Yuan frowned. ¡°Ordinary citizen?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a classmate. He was almost swallowed by the shoggoth just now. I happened to run into him, so I went to help. That¡¯s why it took me a while.¡±


    When Zong Yan saw that He Yuan didn¡¯t intend to pursue the matter, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Think I got away with it ¡Ì


    TL Notes:


    WTF ¨C What the fck ¨C from ÎÔ²Û ¨C Internet slang for swearing


    Think I got away with it ¨C ÃÉ»ì¹ý¹Ø ¨C to get away with it / to slip through / to bluff one¡¯s way out


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    shoggoth ¨C ÐÞ¸ñ˹ ¨C A sentient blob of self-shaping gelatinous flesh. It usually sports a profusion of eyes, mouths, and pseudopods, and can move at incredible speed.

 CH 52

    After the school festival, Zong Yan¡¯s life returned to its previous state of eerie calm.


    If he had to pick out the biggest repercussion, it would probably be the graduation photo on the night of the festival.


    Thanks to the excuse Zong Yan gave He Yuan, he was forced to go up on stage as the Night Watchman and stand for a group photo with all the students of senior three.


    But even if you ignored the feelings of Xia KeYan, who¡¯d cosplayed as Nunnally, there was also Ye JingMing, who was in a state of shock and given a blanket by a kindly investigator. In short, Zong Yan cast a wide psychological shadow.


    With a black umbrella in his hand he had to pose for photos as the Night Watchman with numerous enthusiastic students. He managed to appear in this guise in all the graduation books of senior three. Everyone praised him for his cool and handsome costume and for having the soul of a role-player. Later, his photos constructed yet another tall building on Qingyang High School¡¯s forum.


    Night Watchman Zong Yan: ¡­


    I¡¯m so tired but I have to maintain the elegant smile of the Night Watchman.


    In senior three, a student¡¯s life was supposed to be three points and one line with no variations. The sports meet and school festival were a small splash of mercy given by school. After this splash, of course, the students had to return to a life of stagnant water.


    The sad thing was that an unknown student leaked the news that their class was going to a bar after the midterm exam. The class teacher specially called the class committee to hold a meeting to discuss it. She said it was forbidden. The students were not allowed to violate the good discipline of the school.


    So it all went up in smoke.


    But it couldn¡¯t be called a total loss. There were rumors that the students had formed a secret chat group, saying they were going to wait until winter break to find a chance to meet up at the bar.


    In addition, Ye JingMing began deliberately avoiding him.


    Not only did Ye JingMing avoid Zong Yan, his little brothers were hiding from him too. Sometimes when Zong Yan went to the cafeteria at noon for lunch, he accidentally passed some of Ye JingMing¡¯s little brothers. They bowed and saluted in unison, like a head of state was reviewing the troops. It gave Zong Yan a weird headache.


    Otherwise Zong Yan didn¡¯t have time to care about it, because a new event arrived that was big enough to fill anyone with anxiety.


    It was the parent-teacher meeting scheduled after the midterm exam.


    The midterm exam itself wasn¡¯t a big deal. Zong Yan¡¯s study habits remained the same. He was solid in his coursework, except for physics, where he still couldn¡¯t manage to improve. But the parent-teacher conference was actually a little worrying.


    The class teacher knew about Zong Yan¡¯s family situation, so usually Zong Yan was the only student whose parents weren¡¯t required at the meeting.


    But this time was different. This time the class teacher called him to the office.


    ¡°You¡¯re a senior in high school. The parent-teacher meeting is very important. You have to ask your guardian to come.¡±


    At this point the class teacher bent her finger and tapped on the desk. After looking around to confirm no one else was in the office, she lowered her voice. ¡°That incident at the end of last semester, nothing happened to you, right?¡±


    Last semester, Zong Yan was taken out of the classroom by the police, then got into a Dragon Group helicopter. A lot of students were thinking ¡°Wow, so cool¡ª¡±, but inside, the teachers were exploding. A lot of physics teachers were military nerds. They naturally recognized the emblem of the Dragon Group. When the class teacher thought of this incident, she felt a little apprehensive.


    ¡°It was nothing, just something minor,¡± Zong Yan said casually. ¡°Why, what happened?¡±


    ¡°As long as you didn¡¯t have trouble.¡±


    The class teacher remembered how the Dragon Group had interviewed her. After thinking about it she didn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡°Anyway, your guardian has to come to the parent-teacher meeting.¡±


    The guardian Zong Yan had filled in on his paperwork was an old grandfather who lived in the tube-shaped building. The other party was seventy or eighty years old. Zong Yan didn¡¯t dare ask him to come to his parent-teacher meeting. How could he embarrass him with his shitty grades?


    The last time Zong Yan had a weekend off, he bought a lot of groceries and brought them to the tube apartments to be distributed. The Dragon Team helped him fix up his identity problem perfectly. The grandparents in the tube building all thought he was living on campus and told him to study hard and not have too much fun.


    When he left the office he was a bit preoccupied.


    This preoccupation reached its peak after the midterm exam.


    He wished he knew what kind of madness had infected the old devil of physics. The difficulty of the midterm exam skyrocketed, mixed with a lot of physics questions from previous years.


    For one multi-part problem, Zong Yan clearly remembered doing a similar question in the ¡¶Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations¡· book. At most, the numbers had changed. But when the question showed up on the exam, he was completely stumped.


    This must be the legendary: Open the book. Oh, I got it.


    Close the book. Just now I have learned a new lesson about loneliness.


    Open the book again. Oh, it¡¯s a formula problem.


    Close the book. What formula was that just now?


    Zong Yan looked at the blank space on his comprehensive science exam paper and felt his brain go numb.


    ¡°Physics is really fcking evil ah.¡±


    Zong Yan was a paragon of extreme partiality when it came to his classes. Halfway through the first round of review, he¡¯d made significant progress. After bathing in a baptismal sea of review questions, his brain was like a new CPU running at super speed. Not only did he figure out the organic chemistry that he¡¯d never fully understood, he also filled in the topics he was missing in biology.


    But he still hadn¡¯t made any progress in physics. If he continued at this pace, forget Tsinghua and Beijing University, the best he could do was an ordinary 985.


    As the school chief of Miskatonic University, Zong Yan had been hoping that he¡¯d get bonus points on the college entrance exam. When he asked He Yuan about it, he was told that in order to make it fair, if he wanted extra points on the exam he had to complete an investigation task above level C.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He¡¯d only completed one E-level task so far. And for that E-level task, he¡¯d personally faced a Great Old One. Based on Zong Yan¡¯s usual luck, what would a C-level task require?


    The old devil of physics even gave him a deadline, saying that if he failed to pass the midterm physics exam with a score of 50, he would have a good talk with Zong Yan¡¯s parents.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to hand in your exam.¡±


    He got up from his seat and turned in the test paper at the podium, filled with sorrow beyond words.


    Why can¡¯t I draw a study tyrant card?


    The next day on the weekend, Zong Yan received good news and bad news from the class group.


    In the math exam he got full marks, a score of 150. Apparently, the head math teacher of senior three had pulled the test papers of several students who did well in math across all the classes and corrected them before the other papers. Only Zong Yan was perfect, and the proof he¡¯d written in the last big problem was logical and well-organized. The other students lost points on details and missed a perfect score.


    He didn¡¯t expect the first perfect score in senior three to appear in his own class. The mathematics teacher of Class 3 was particularly proud. He @¡¯d Zong Yan and told him the good news directly in the class group software.


    The bad news was that the math teacher wasn¡¯t very good at using the class group interface. Instead of clicking ¡°@Zong Yan¡±, he accidentally selected ¡°@all members¡± which included the physics teacher who was lurking in the group.


    ¡¾Taste of Life (Mr. Liu)¡¿ : Wow, perfect score in math! I¡¯m about to correct the test papers. I¡¯ll look for your physics paper and see if there¡¯s any improvement this time


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He wanted to fall over and die. He immediately shivered and quit out of the class group, set his status to Do Not Disturb, and hid in bed, pretending to be dead.


    ¡°Father God?¡±


    The three-lobed eye of the Haunter of the Dark suddenly loomed in the shadows. A moment later Zong Yan felt the quilt on his body transform into a layer of slimy material, maybe some kind of flesh and blood adhesive, or possibly a tentacle.


    The other two pillars of the three original gods were busy most of the time. One was active being an idol and the other was occupied with observing different lines of space-time. Only Nyarla, who had thousands of avatars, had the leisure to stay here every day.


    Speaking of which, there was one thing that needed to be said.


    Although Nyarlathotep repeatedly called him Father God and gave a good performance, Zong Yan maintained his observant attitude.


    Sure enough, last week, he found out why.


    ¡°After the stars return, the day of Your Majesty¡¯s awakening will draw near.¡±


    The emperor of Hollywood lifted a cigar to his lips. His blond hair cascaded down his back, and the corners of his eyes narrowed in languor and boredom, filled with lingering contempt.


    That¡¯s right, it was contempt.


    Zong Yan could see it. Although he didn¡¯t fear for his life right now, he was far from a situation where these evil gods treated him as an equal.


    ¡°If Your Majesty awakens, the entire universe will cease to exist.¡±


    Shub-Niggurath¡¯s face was shrouded by the smoke. Through a hazy white fog, his face was beautiful beyond the limits of cognition.


    ¡°And you, too, will be absorbed by His Majesty, and become a part of the Lord of the Universe. In human terms I suppose it would be called the annihilation of your personality.¡±


    Zong Yan was silent for a moment. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Because it¡¯s fun, of course.¡± The evil god gave a malicious smile. ¡°It¡¯s so interesting to see Nyarla get beaten down.


    ¡°Besides¡ªsince Your Majesty¡¯s stream of consciousness can take on human form, there are a lot of people who will be interested. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t try to join with His Majesty¡¯s consciousness again.


    ¡°After all¡­ I don¡¯t want Him to wake up.¡±


    Nyarlathotep saw him not so much as a family member but more as a pet and a novelty. There was no such thing as kinship among the evil gods. Even if they called him Father God, it wasn¡¯t even as sincere as when they used the words Your Majesty.


    Rather than a pet, Zong Yan wished they¡¯d just view him as an ant.


    When he woke up, Zong Yan was covered in cold sweat.


    Yes, the supreme Mother Goddess hadn¡¯t met him in reality, but instead used some sort of dream-like communication method to inform him.


    Because it was more fun.


    In Zong Yan¡¯s opinion, the other party was just tired of participating in such a scene of brotherhood. That¡¯s why he put a knife to Zong Yan¡¯s neck.


    For reasons that were still a bit unclear, Shub-Niggurath didn¡¯t want his Father God Azathoth to awaken.


    Zong Yan felt like he was in a palace fighting drama. It was extremely annoying.


    But as it turned out, an hour later something even worse showed up.


    A man in a white robe appeared in mid-air, shredding space-time, not giving a moment¡¯s thought to the countless dried-out bones behind him.


    He gave Zong Yan a measured look. He clearly didn¡¯t do anything. but Zong Yan felt like he¡¯d been thoroughly examined.


    He hadn¡¯t seen Yog-Sothoth in half a month, but as soon as they met, Zong Yan knew his undercover conversation with the Supreme Mother Goddess wasn¡¯t a secret to the all-knowing, all-powerful god.


    Surprisingly, the evil god didn¡¯t mention it. It was like he tacitly agreed with the discussion.


    That¡¯s right, knowing about it didn¡¯t change anything. In order to avoid being subsumed, Zong Yan didn¡¯t dare use the Azathoth card again.


    Deadlock.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: Actually I rushed back to attend the parent-teacher meeting


    By the way, last night YaYa posted a short story about the whoring Hastur. It¡¯s evil god x believer, and it won¡¯t have V chapters. I wanted to try the creepy style of the Lovecraft genre. Interested parties can click to check it out~


    TL Notes:


    I haven¡¯t read the Hastur story but it¡¯s pretty short. I¡¯ll tl it after the main story unless someone else grabs it


    went up in smoke ¨C ÅÝÌÀ ¨C hope dashed to pieces, fizzle out


    985 ¨C Project 985 was a project to promote the development and reputation of Chinese universities by allocating funding to certain universities in China. Most of the 39 universities of Project 985 are ranked among the top 500 universities in the world (Wikipedia)


    deadlock ¨C ËÀ¾Ö ¨C impasse, stalemate, checkmate, dead end

 CH 53

    Zong Yan thought about it for a long time. After receiving some dubious advice from Wang KeMing, he decided to ask his good brother He Yuan to help with his parent-teacher meeting problem.


    He really did regard He Yuan as a good friend.


    But this time his good friend said he couldn¡¯t help.


    ¡°Little Monarch, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help out, but I just got an urgent mission. I¡¯m in the Middle East right now.¡±


    Under the scorching desert sun, He Yuan had a satellite phone in his hand while adjusting his alchemical gun with the other.


    They hadn¡¯t been in touch for a while. Zong Yan had no idea that the moment he turned around He Yuan would be sent to the Middle East. He didn¡¯t respond for a while.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can make it back in time for your parent-teacher meeting. If it really doesn¡¯t work, why don¡¯t I ask the captain if he has time?¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I think I can probably get a friend to help. Thank you.¡±


    He Yuan¡¯s words frightened Zong Yan into inventing a new friend out of thin air. He couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of scene would unfold if Si Yan showed up at the parent-teacher meeting.


    Now that his plan to ask He Yuan for help had failed, he was of ideas. After all, Zong Yan had a limited number of friends. If he needed to ask for a favor, there weren¡¯t many people his own age he could talk to, let alone people who were older.


    Since there was really no alternative, all he could do was brace himself.


    Despite Zong Yan¡¯s extreme reluctance, the parent-teacher conference arrived on the day as scheduled.


    Zong Yan got up early, kicked away the Haunter of the Dark, put on his clothes, picked up his school bag, and prepared to go to school.


    According to the usual procedure for the parent-teacher meeting, students and parents would arrive at school together. Then they¡¯d go to the multimedia classroom to listen to the senior year teaching director¡¯s report on the midterm exams, the principal¡¯s speech, a performance analysis of previous years¡¯ results, and the public commendation of the top ten students in the grade. After the presentation in the multimedia classroom, all the senior students would return to their classes, and the individual parent-teacher conferences would begin. The process lasted all morning.


    During the parent-teacher meetings for previous years, Zong Yan just slept in. After all, he didn¡¯t have to attend the meeting, nor did he have to be publicly executed with his report card in front of his parents like the rest of his classmates.


    This year his class teacher made an ultimatum, so Zong Yan had to give her a little face.


    He sighed, put a fried egg on a slice of bread, grabbed the ketchup  and squeezed it around, wrapped up his food in a disposable plastic bag, and got ready to go out.


    ¡°Your parent-teacher meeting is today.¡±


    Unexpectedly, just after he left the house, Zong Yan ran into the gray-haired evil god in his usual location.


    He was more wary of Yog-Sothoth than ever before.


    Nyarlathotep might play tricks every day, but even if Zong Yan was a pet or a novelty item, he at least had some room to maneuver. As for Shub-Niggurath, Zong Yan hadn¡¯t really been able to read him at first, but now he knew the other party just wanted to enjoy the show. Along the way he¡¯d also made clear he didn¡¯t want Azathoth to wake up. But when it came to the omniscient and omnipotent Yog-Sothoth, the master of time and space, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t understand his thoughts at all.


    In fact, in terms of attitude, he was the only one who hadn¡¯t really changed since the beginning.


    Which made it even more confusing.


    On hearing him speak, Zong Yan¡¯s heart gave a thump. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your class teacher told you to inform your guardian of the parent-teacher meeting.¡± The gray-haired evil god slightly hooked up the corners of his mouth. The ten fingers that peeked out from the sleeves of his robe were clasped in front of him, and with his golden eyes he was the picture of an ancient sage. ¡°I am your academic advisor as well as your guardian.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    That wasn¡¯t actually wrong.


    For a moment he¡¯d almost forgotten that his graduation from MU depended on the man in front of him.


    ¡°Well, now you know,¡± Zong Yan said stiffly.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Yog nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Go where? You¡¯re not going to my parent-teacher meeting, are you?!¡± Zong Yan was shocked.


    No way!


    The Lord of the Gate glanced at him indifferently. Although he didn¡¯t reply, his expression said it all.


    Do evil gods like going to parent-teacher meetings for people?


    Zong Yan¡¯s temples were throbbing. He wanted to grab this guy and shake him and yell, What in the world are you thinking, ge?


    But he didn¡¯t dare.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t try to guess what I am thinking. There¡¯s no intersection between the logic of a human and a god.¡±


    After saying this, the omniscient and omnipotent lord motioned for Zong Yan¡¯s hand.


    So Zong Yan reluctantly took his hand. The next second, the scene around them was replaced. The lush and green private garden transformed into the school entrance where people were coming and going.


    Zong Yan¡¯s face was as sad as if he¡¯d just lost his mother.


    Yog-Sothoth withdrew his gaze. Because the fact was that as long as ¡°space¡± existed, he could see Zong Yan from 360 degrees.


    Of course, the great evil god didn¡¯t have any interest in the parent-teacher meeting. But he was very much looking forward to seeing the black-haired teen¡¯s depressed expression.


    ¡ª


    First came the big presentation in the multimedia classroom. Everything during this section proceeded normally. Zong Yan surreptitiously glanced at the gray-haired evil god sitting next to him. The latter tilted his head and rested his cheek against his slender fingers. He seemed to be listening very carefully.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zong Yan was on edge. When he arrived at the door of the classroom to sign in, his inner numbness reached its peak.


    According to the rules, parents were to come to the classroom for the parent-teacher meeting. The students were supposed to wait outside and clear the hallways.


    Zong Yan could only watch as Yog smiled at him and walked into the room.


    Tragically, the humans in the classroom didn¡¯t know what kind of being was among them.


    The class teacher had just finished talking with the parent of another student. When she turned around, she saw Zong Yan, so she went to the door to greet them.


    ¡°Is this your guardian¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my elder brother, Tawil.¡±


    Zong Yan was torn about it, but after struggling for a long time, this was the title he chose.


    He didn¡¯t know if the evil god would suddenly lose his temper if Zong Yan called him old, but it seemed better to avoid calling him uncle or ¡®shu shu¡¯ just in case. As for ¡®jiu jiu¡¯, Zong Yan thought this title was a little too illicit. The teacher already knew Zong Yan was an orphan. She might not believe he¡¯d suddenly found a blood relative out of nowhere.


    It really wasn¡¯t easy.


    ¡°A foreigner?¡± The class teacher was frozen for a moment, glanced back at the classroom, then turned towards them with an odd look on her face.


    Gray hair and golden eyes¡ªthat wasn¡¯t the kind of coloring that normal people would have. Then there were the profound facial features and the name that wasn¡¯t quite right. Zong Yan¡¯s heart was inwardly drumming, hoping his teacher wouldn¡¯t notice anything wrong.


    ¡°Uh, mixed race. To be precise, it¡¯s an adoptive relationship.¡±


    Zong Yan urgently mobilized his brain cells and in just a few minutes invented a sad and beautiful story about a poverty-stricken senior three student who was adopted by a wealthy and generous family which also just happened to include an elder brother.


    Shub-Niggurath played the role of the father while Nyarlathotep played the mother. Anyway, evil gods had no concept of kinship, why not leave it at that.


    ¡°I see. That Mr. Shub-Niggurath is really a generous man. His name is the same as that foreign star, too. How kind-hearted.¡± The class teacher sighed with emotion. ¡°I have to greet the other parents. You can go to the playing field and play ball with your classmates. After the parent-teacher meeting you can come back.¡±


    Zong Yan lifted the corners of his mouth and thought to himself, I don¡¯t dare to leave.


    He tugged nervously at his sleeves and stared with a troubled face through the classroom window.


    In fact, there were several other people doing the same thing, but most of them were girls.


    ¡°Zong Yan, is that the head of your family? He looks so handsome.¡±


    One of the girls had the courage to come up and talk to him. ¡°Is he your paternal or maternal uncle? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s your father, right? He looks too young.¡±


    This was a great topic for student gossip. Every year there was a parent-teacher meeting, but Zong Yan was the only student whose parents never came. No one thought his family would actually show up in senior year. Everyone gathered around to take a look.


    Not all parents came to the meetings. For example, Ye JingMing¡¯s father just sent an assistant.


    Actually, I¡¯m his father.


    Zong Yan thought coldly and ruthlessly to himself.


    Then he held his breath.


    Because the class teacher made a brief opening speech and began to hand out the students¡¯ report cards.


    White paper transcripts were distributed to every parent¡¯s desk.


    Qingyang High School was really clever in this regard.


    In order to increase students¡¯ enthusiasm for the midterm, their scores weren¡¯t disclosed until the parent-teacher meeting. Their report cards would be handed directly to their parents on that day.


    Thanks to this rule, midterm exams at Qingyang High School always received more attention than the final exam.


    Zong Yan watched anxiously as the evil god picked up the report card. A crazy surge of adrenaline flooded his entire body.


    When he went back and checked his physics answers, he saw how difficult the exam was this time, but Zong Yan hadn¡¯t really felt anything.


    There are times when ignorance is bliss.


    Anyway, no matter how hard the physics exam was, Zong Yan¡¯s score on the 110 point test was extremely stable, always hovering around 30 points.


    Yog looked at the sheet of paper with an inscrutable expression


    In fact, the omniscient and omnipotent lord had known for a long time that Zong Yan¡¯s physics score was yet another glorious number starting with ¡®3¡¯. It was just that the nervous expression of the black-haired teen glued to the window was really too funny, just like his sorrowful look before. So the evil god deliberately gave him a smile.


    It was clear that Zong Yan had completely forgotten who¡¯d informed him of his physics results previously. After receiving the dangerous glance, he wailed inside and silently covered his face.


    ""


    It had really been a long time since he¡¯d experienced the feeling of being publicly executed.


    Zong Yan told himself over and over that the other party wasn¡¯t human, but his feelings were still complicated. It was difficult to explain.


    While he was struggling with himself, someone cautiously tapped him on the shoulder.


    Zong Yan looked back and saw a familiar face. It was the boy he¡¯d met in the haunted house at the school festival, Ye JingMing¡¯s little brother.


    ¡± Zong¡­ Zong Yan Ge, Ye Ge wants to know if you¡¯ll come see him for a bit. He, he wants to say something to you!¡±


    When the black-haired teen turned around, the little brother¡¯s palms were sweating. He stumbled nervously over the remaining words.


    Zong Yan looked over and saw Ye JingMing leaning on the railing. As soon as their eyes met, Ye JingMing quickly looked away.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he was suddenly reminded of those scenes in idol romance dramas, the ones where the heroine goes looking for the hero to confess.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: I¡¯m your advisor, senior classmate, elder brother, and sort-of son (?), and I¡¯ll be your boyfriend later on


    Zong Yan: ? (confused cat.jpg)


    The plot is developing according to the timeline. What you want to see will be written, don¡¯t worry~


    TL Notes:


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    elder brother ¨C ÐÖ³¤ ¨C xi¨­ng zh¨£ng ¨C a respectful form of address for an elder brother or a man friend


    shu shu ¨C ÊåÊå ¨C sh¨± shu ¨C uncle; father¡¯s younger brother; (a child¡¯s form of address for any young man one generation senior)


    jiu jiu ¨C ¾Ë¾Ë ¨C ji¨´ jiu ¨C uncle; mother¡¯s brother (informal)

 CH 54

    Wasn¡¯t that how the heroine acted towards the hero in an idol drama? She was shy, too afraid to confess, but then she saw him in the hallway and called out. She nervously glanced over at him while standing on tiptoe¡ªthe perfect ending to the episode.


    The image struck Zong Yan like a crash of thunder. Inside he was at a loss.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded at Ye JingMing¡¯s friend, put his hands in his trouser pockets, and walked over. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Zong Yan got straight to the point. He casually released his hands and leaned against the iron railing.


    The sunlight fell across his face, covering his entire body in gold. It was as warm as flowing honey, dyeing his white shirt a warm color.


    The other students in the hallway were waiting for the parent-teacher meeting in the classroom to end. When they saw this scene, they gathered together and began to whisper.


    ¡°Am I seeing that right? Isn¡¯t that Ye JingMing and Zong Yan from Class 3?¡±


    ¡°It must be them. Strange, doesn¡¯t Ye JingMing hate Zong Yan? I remember his little brothers made trouble for Zong Yan before. Weird.¡±


    ¡°Did that really happen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have a friend in Class 3. He told me about it.¡±


    Compared with Zong Yan¡¯s openness, Ye JingMing¡¯s gaze was much more complicated.


    ¡°Um.¡± He instinctively touched his nose. In psychological terms, this was a signal indicating weakness or uncertainty.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zong Yan looked away from Ye JingMing¡¯s face. He seemed very relaxed and glanced at the flag-raising platform below.


    With his EQ, he had no idea what the other party was going to say.


    After the previous incident, the normal procedure was to use a magic pattern to erase Ye JingMing¡¯s memory, but Zong Yan knew Ye JingMing was a senior three student. The magic pattern had certain risks, so he asked for a favor.


    As a result, the sisters of the Dragon Group Logistics Department gave Ye JingMing a confidentiality agreement to sign. After that they let him go.


    Otherworldly incidents normally didn¡¯t take place in urban areas. Most of the time, investigators could just evacuate ordinary people with search warrants or similar documents.


    But lately alien creatures were proliferating all around the school. Investigators and the Logistics Department of the Spire Council were constantly at work. They¡¯d distributed stacks of memory-altering magic patterns to all the investigators and drew up a number of confidentiality contracts.


    The occult world had direct contact with various government officials. The terms of the confidentiality contract were extremely harsh, no laughing matter at all, which ensured to the greatest possible extent that information about the occult world wouldn¡¯t ever be leaked. Of course, even if Ye JingMing suddenly went crazy and tried to post about his experience online, the investigators¡¯ network monitoring was serious business; if he talked to the people around him, they¡¯d probably think he¡¯d gone insane.


    But it seemed like this incident had also given Ye JingMing the most unforgettable experience of his life.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ye JingMing glared fiercely at the onlookers behind them. His little brothers obediently went over and yelled, ¡°What are you looking at!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look, don¡¯t look, Ye Ge is talking serious business with Yan Ge!¡±


    When everyone backed away, only then did Ye JingMing hesitantly speak. ¡°Are you actually an alien?¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the confidentiality agreement you signed?¡±


    In a strong and forthright way Ye JingMing declared, ¡°I was frightened out of my mind back then. How could I actually read through something like that?


    ¡°So¡ªare you an alien or not?¡±


    He gulped nervously, and there was a little fear in his eyes as well as a gleam of light.


    As one would expect, boys at that age are fascinated by cool things.


    In high school, academic achievement decided everything.


    Only later did you realize the world was more complicated than that. It was status and money that actually determined who had power and influence over the world.


    For most people who suddenly discovered there were aliens around them, their first reaction was to make sure their life wasn¡¯t in danger. Ye JingMing just thought it was pretty cool.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m a human like you.¡± Zong Yan said as quietly as possible, ¡°If I had to describe it¡­ it¡¯s like a superpower.¡±


    ¡°What! A superpower!¡± Ye JingMing exclaimed so loudly he almost made the students in the hallway look at them again. He shrunk down and whispered excitedly, ¡°Is that what happened that day, that weird feeling when you took me through the shadows? That was your ability, right?


    ¡°Oh yeah, you also sent a text saying I shouldn¡¯t tell anyone, what did that mean? Are there any restrictions on your ability?¡±


    After Ye JingMing was taken away by the Dragon Group, Zong Yan asked their classmates for his phone number. He quickly sent a message telling Ye JingMing not to reveal anything about the abilities he¡¯d used in the haunted house.


    Ye JingMing¡¯s brain was in a tizzy.


    What little boy hadn¡¯t watched Ultraman battle Little Monster as a child? Not only Ultraman, but Armor Heroes and the Story of Hongmao and Lantu. What child didn¡¯t dream about it in his heart?


    Superpowers, fck, that was so awesome.


    That night, Ye JingMing¡¯s entire brain had been dumbstruck. It felt like he passed through a layer of warm water, and then he suddenly appeared in the corridor outside.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Zong Yan had the kindly expression of someone who was looking at a mentally disabled person. ¡°You¡¯ve heard that saying, right? Curiosity killed the cat. The more you know, the worse off you are.¡±


    That was true, just like the words carved on the fountain of Miskatonic University: ¡°Knowledge Is a Major Path to Ruin¡±.


    ¡°Oh, all right.¡± Ye JingMing¡¯s excitement had been doused with a bucket of cold water. He scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. ¡°By the way¡­ that day, I never said, uh, thank you.¡±


    Although Ye JingMing never liked Zong Yan in the past, he also wasn¡¯t the type of person who was afraid to admit his mistakes.


    Zong Yan had saved his life, returning good for evil. Ye JingMing felt ashamed when he remembered all the obnoxious things he¡¯d done before.


    Zong Yan: That¡¯s it?


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The black-haired young man waved his hand carelessly. His face was relaxed. ¡°Not a big deal.¡±


    That made Ye JingMing¡¯s feelings become even more complicated.


    That day, the Dragon Group made him sign a confidentiality agreement. During the process a lot of people asked him about Zong Yan in a gossipy way.


    ¡°Are you friends with the chief of MU?¡±


    Ye JingMing: ¡­? What¡¯s the chief of MU?


    ¡°No, well, we¡¯re just classmates.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not friends ah.¡± The investigator smiled mysteriously. ¡°A friend is a good thing, like a crowbar and an old seal.¡±


    Ye JingMing: My intuition says there¡¯s something wrong here, but I don¡¯t know what it is


    At any rate, this conversation helped Ye JingMing understand Zong Yan¡¯s status in the occult world, which seemed to be quite awesome.


    He remembered when he was lying on the dissection table and his head was about to be separated from his body. The Night Watchman dropped down from above with a black umbrella, like he was glowing in the darkness. Ye JingMing really felt lucky that the other party hadn¡¯t bothered with him for so many years.


    ¡°I did a lot of bad things before.¡± Ye JingMing took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fully aware of my mistakes and I sincerely apologize to you. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zong Yan shrugged. ¡°I accept.¡±


    In fact, Ye JingMing had been displeased with Zong Yan for a very long time. He tripped up Zong Yan wherever he could, openly as well as secretly, but Zong Yan never seemed to take it to heart. He always looked lazy and relaxed.


    Just like when they were freshmen in high school, Ye JingMing quietly put angry notes in Zong Yan¡¯s desk, inviting him to the playground after school for a one-on-one bout. As a result, the other party was the first to leave the classroom at the end of the day, the same as always, and the angry notes ended up in the classroom trash bin.


    Xia KeYan even talked to Ye JingMing privately about it, which made him feel even worse inside.


    However, Ye JingMing was too superior to get his little brothers to beat people up. He had no idea what Zong Yan¡¯s family conditions were, so all he did was exclude him however he could.


    As for Zong Yan, he didn¡¯t care at all.


    Isolate him? Zong Yan didn¡¯t have any friends to begin with. He didn¡¯t care what people thought.


    Angry notes? Zong Yan just ignored them. He always went directly home after school.


    His calm and careless attitude made Ye JingMing feel very dissatisfied inside.


    It was like he was performing a one-man show. The other party didn¡¯t pay any attention to him at all.


    Ye JingMing turned around and leaned against the railing. With his hands on the bar he looked at the parent-teacher meeting in the classroom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I hate you.¡± Ye JingMing fell silent for a moment. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she likes you.¡±


    Zong Yan was finally stunned. ¡°Who likes me?¡±


    ¡°Xia KeYan.¡± Shocked, Ye JingMing looked back and saw that the expression on Zong Yan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look fake. His heart grew even more painful.


    What, could it be that his love rival was wishful thinking too!


    ¡°Huh???¡± Zong Yan¡¯s eyes were about to pop out. The two young men stared at each other in the hallway.


    Zong Yan was really surprised. He never thought a school beauty-level figure would like him.


    ¡°Maybe you made a mistake? I only ever talk to Classmate Xia about school. It¡¯s inappropriate to say that kind of thing about a girl. What if you hurt her reputation.¡±


    Ye JingMing: ¡­


    He was feeling desperate.


    When he thought of the past three years of secret jealousy and wrangling with a love rival, which turned out to be his own personal carnival, he couldn¡¯t extricate himself from his inner depression.


    ¡°¡­ Xia KeYan and I have been friends since childhood.¡± Ye JingMing¡¯s voice was as thin as a thread. ¡°The way she treats you is special.¡±


    Zong Yan wanted to say, I really don¡¯t get that feeling, brother.


    ¡°So it¡¯s like that. You think Xia KeYan likes me, so you targeted me. Let¡¯s reverse the reasoning. Do you like Xia KeYan?¡± With immense compassion he patted Ye JingMing on the shoulder. ¡°Brother, if you like her you have to go for it. It¡¯s already senior year. You don¡¯t have time to wait. In the future we¡¯ll go to university and we¡¯ll all be separated. This is a rare moment. Seize the opportunity ah.¡±


    Ye JingMing was still a little confused about the situation. Only after a while did he react. It seemed like he¡¯d just been given a pep talk by the person he¡¯d imagined was his love rival. For a time, his mood grew even more complex.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like me, and I don¡¯t know if I like her myself.¡± As he spoke, Ye JingMing pulled his collar in annoyance. ¡°Maybe I just like her out of some kind of hatchling dependency syndrome.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    He was about to speak when the classroom door suddenly opened.


    During their conversation, the parent-teacher meeting had ended.


    Then Zong Yan saw Yog-Sothoth¡¯s benevolent eyes.


    The evil god didn¡¯t give Ye JingMing a single glance. He looked at Zong Yan with a smiling expression. He was still holding the report card that had a glorious number starting with ¡®3¡¯ printed on it.


    As Zong Yan¡¯s bad feeling got worse and worse, the other party spoke.


    ¡°Come back and do a make-up lesson with me tonight.¡±


    Zong Yan: *slowly types out a question mark*


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: The day has finally come


    TL Notes:


    got straight to the point ¨C ¿ªÃżûɽ ¨C The door opens on a view of mountains; come straight to the point; come straight to the question


    flag-raising platform ¨C ÉýÆį̀ ¨C Most schools in China have one of these. It¡¯s where flag-raising ceremonies and school announcements are made


    power and influence over the world ¨C »°ÓïȨ ¨C discursive power ¨C  the capacity to influence policies and political processes through the shaping of norms and ideas (via Google)


    Little Monster ¨C С¹ÖÊÞ ¨C I don¡¯t know this creature¡¯s name in English. When I google it I just see little cartoon pictures of a cute T-Rex type creature and even some CP fanfiction¡­ it¡¯s a creature from Ultraman


    Armor Heroes ¨C from Ìú¼×ÓÂÊ¿ (Armored Heroes) which maybe is supposed to be îø¼×ÓÂÊ¿ (Armor Heroes) ¨C a 2009 TV series that looks similar to Power Rangers


    The Story of Hongmao and Lantu ¨C ºçèÀ¶ÍÃÆßÏÀ´« ¨C Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit Seven Heroes ¨C known as ¡°Howie & Landau¡± in English, a 2005 Chinese animated series


    Knowledge Is a Major Path to Ruin ¨C from ֪ʶÊÇͨÍùÃðÍöµÄÖØҪ;¾¶ ¨C Knowledge is an important road to destruction, etc.


    a friend, a crowbar, and an old seal ¨C known as an investigator¡¯s ¡°three-piece suit¡± or three most helpful items. This may be Call of Cthulhu RPG lore in the Chinese fandom. I couldn¡¯t find a reference in English. ¡°When you¡¯re chased by a monster, first you give the old seal to a friend and tell him what to do. When that doesn¡¯t work, give your friend the crowbar and have him face the monster, buying time while you run away (correct usage). Incorrect usage is when your friend knocks you out with the crowbar, leaves you to the monster, and runs away himself.¡± (source, paraphrased)


    hatchling dependency syndrome ¨C ³ûÄñÇé½Ú ¨C ¡°hatchling circumstances¡±, ¡°fledgling plot¡± ¨C Chicks are young birds that rely on adult birds. Hatchling circumstances describes a person who has a strong dependency on someone else, which could be a classmate or friend (Jikipedia)

 CH 55

    Zong Yan was in a complicated mood.


    A make-up lesson¡­ What the hell was a make-up lesson? It was a death sentence, right?


    ¡°I get a lot of homework. Every day I¡¯m busy studying, uniting with my teachers and loving my classmates. I do homework till midnight every night. Time is really tight. I think it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t.¡±


    Zong Yan politely declined.


    ¡°Time?¡± Yog-Sothoth smiled. ¡°If I so wish it, time will always obey me.¡±


    The implication was simple. During their tutoring sessions, time would be suspended. There would be absolutely no disruption to Zong Yan¡¯s sleep.


    Zong Yan: ¡­ Fck


    He actually forgot the other party was the master of time and space. Thanks to time manipulation, Zong Yan had such a comfortable sleep schedule these days that he¡¯d somehow managed to forget this simple fact.


    ¡°I¡¯m stupid. My brain is weak. It¡¯s impossible to teach me anything, especially physics,¡± the black-haired teen said sincerely. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to anger the noble Lord of the Gate, so let¡¯s just forget about it.¡±


    It would be best if Yog-Sothoth never found out Zong Yan was a wooden-headed dummy who couldn¡¯t learn physics no matter what he tried. When the evil god discovered this fact it would likely fill him with rage. Next thing you know, Zong Yan¡¯s brain would get exploded, and the story would end there.


    ¡°With your current grades you won¡¯t get into Tsinghua.¡±


    Zong Yan: So blunt, so sad, my heart aches so much, damn evil god!


    ¡°Of course¡­ the most important thing of all¡­¡± As the Lord of the Gate looked at him, his golden eyes narrowed, hinting at a hidden world, yet brimming with imminent danger. ¡°I am your advisor, and this is my responsibility.


    ¡°Do you know what the physics teacher said about your grades at the parent-teacher conference?¡±


    The evil god¡¯s narrowed eyes squinted further. ¡°Although I disdain to imitate the emotions of lower creatures, your lack of respect for knowledge displeases me.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He¡¯d been focused on his conversation with Ye JingMing and hadn¡¯t paid attention to the situation in the classroom.


    But it was true¡ªalthough Zong Yan¡¯s performance in physics was extremely bad, he didn¡¯t lose points in other subjects. When the senior three teaching team held a meeting to analyze the results of each class, they specifically noted the only student who got a perfect score in math outside the competition class, and ended up analyzing Zong Yan¡¯s results.


    And so the teaching director of senior three exclaimed, Oh! This is a good seedling!


    For most boys in the science track, if they lost points, it was in Chinese and English. Especially English¡ªa lot of boys just couldn¡¯t learn it. But this kid Zong Yan was the opposite. In a 150-point English test he actually managed to get above 140 every time.


    English had always been a strong point of Qingyang High School. The school had several branches: kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, senior high school, and international high school. Foreign language education began in kindergarten. In high school, the English teachers weren¡¯t merely foreigners or mixed race, they also taught less common foreign languages on the side. A score of more than 140 from a perfect score of 150 was so common in Qingyang High School that it made Zong Yan¡¯s English score less of a surprise.


    ¡°Yes, Zong Yan¡¯s language talent is outstanding. He passed several foreign language exams in his freshman year and was specially excused from taking additional second language classes,¡± the Spanish teacher interjected during the analysis.


    In contrast, Zong Yan¡¯s Chinese score was also decent. He hovered around 110 points every time, which was very standard.


    Mathematics was the only thing that stood out. In the midterm exam he got the only perfect score in his grade. At other times, no matter how difficult the test, he got more than 145 points every time. His math performance was solid.


    As for biology and chemistry in the comprehensive science exam, biology was the simplest subject, and he was almost infinitely close to full marks.


    In chemistry he occasionally made a mistake on a big question, but the chemistry teacher said there were several advanced topics they hadn¡¯t reviewed yet. After another round of review, he was confident he could pull up Zong Yan¡¯s chemistry score to about 95.


    Every year, Qingyang High School did two rounds of review before the first city-wide mock exam. Right now, after the midterm, the first round was almost over. The first mock exam in Jiangzhou was usually scheduled at the end of December. But Qingyang High School had its own system which used the senior teachers¡¯ own self-generated questions. So Qingyang High School didn¡¯t participate in the first mock exam. It was equivalent to their midterm, and they weren¡¯t going to waste two days of instruction to participate.


    ¡°Then as long as this child gets his physics up, it¡¯s entirely possible that he could be a ¡®top 1¡¯ for Tsinghua and Beijing University!¡± The head teacher of the subject was so surprised he slapped the table.


    The senior year teachers generally liked to focus on the top dozen or so young people. Students like Zong Yan were usually considered to be science talents only.


    ¡°Old Liu, do more work on this child and see if you can bring up his score.¡± The head teacher of the subject said with all earnestness, ¡°One more admission to Tsinghua and our school will look outstanding when we publish the list. And there¡¯s bound to be recognition from above.¡±


    Therefore the physics teacher made up his mind to talk to Zong Yan¡¯s parents, and what followed was the previously-mentioned embarrassing scene.


    Zong Yan imagined the Lord of the Gate standing before the physics teacher expressionlessly listening to the news that Zong Yan had only scored 35 points in physics. And that was the last straw that crushed him to death.


    ¡ª


    It didn¡¯t take long for Zong Yan to regret that he¡¯d agreed to make-up lessons.


    Did Yog-Sothoth know how to teach people?


    No. He was an evil god. An evil god who didn¡¯t have a teaching license.


    Zong Yan looked at the pile of books the other party threw at him and fell into contemplation.


    ¡°What kind of language is this?¡±


    He casually picked up the nearest volume from the floor and blinked as he looked at the dense, tadpole-like words.


    Zong Yan had drawn numerous language ability persona cards over the years. To summarize, he could probably read most of the languages that had ever existed in human history. He was unquestionably a master when it came to linguistics, and human languages were interconnected. From ancient times to the present, the various families of human languages had evolved and developed together. But Zong Yan couldn¡¯t make out a single word of the book in front of him.


    ¡°This is the script of the Great Race of Yith.¡±


    Yog-Sothoth was seated in mid-air, floating, and his gray hair and white robe were draped a bit strangely. With his arms crossed and his eyes that penetrated everything, he was the picture of an ancient sage.


    ¡°According to the usual correspondence of scientific and technological levels, this species is about a dozen epochs ahead of humankind.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    He had no idea what that had to do with his physics tutoring.


    ¡°If you can read this book to the end and imprint its knowledge in your mind, human physics will not be a problem for you.¡± The evil god displayed a rare bit of mentorship. ¡°This is a textbook of the Great Race of Yith.¡±


    A single textbook from a different species encompassed the entire physics knowledge of humankind, not to mention a single exam. Did such an amazing thing exist?


    But the name of this race was kind of chuunibyou. It sounded like someone clearing their throat.


    ""


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t automatically believe everything Yog said, but he had to admit he felt excited.


    The black-haired teen reflexively licked his lips. ¡°I can¡¯t read it.¡±


    It seemed the other party had expected him to say that. The gray-haired, golden-eyed evil god lifted the corners of his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own way?¡±


    Damn, that sentence contained a lot of information.


    Zong Yan automatically thought of his unique card drawing ability. He took a few steps back, staring in shock at the master of time and space. ¡°Y-y-y-y-you¡ª¡±


    No wonder Zong Yan had such a reaction. Until now, he thought he was the only one who knew he had super powers.


    How stupid.


    Could it be this human still hadn¡¯t engraved the idea ¡°the omniscient and omnipotent Lord is omniscient¡± into his bones and blood?


    The gray-haired sage didn¡¯t bother to answer the question. Instead he ducked his head. Next, Zong Yan watched in horror as his head separated from his neck and slid into nothingness.


    Incidentally, the surface of the incision was clean and neat, without any traces of blood or flesh, just like a white sheet of paper.


    It was a horror movie in broad daylight.


    Zong Yan accepted it pretty well. Yog-Sothoth had been away for a long time, leaving Zong Yan to live under the same roof as countless incarnations of Nyarlathotep.


    What did that mean? It meant that when Zong Yan was lying in bed, his blanket might suddenly turn into a mysterious black substance. Occasionally when he opened the refrigerator, he¡¯d find a fresh and clean human brain on a plate. When he went downstairs to get a glass of water, he might encounter a beautiful girl with a fan in her hand. Yes, that was the Bloated Woman, an avatar of Nyarla, the same Ada who¡¯d infiltrated Zong Yan¡¯s investigation team. Later Zong Yan learned that the fan was part of her body. If the fan was lowered, it would reveal a huge and bloated tentacle that fed on human brains.


    Sometimes he¡¯d see an ancient Egyptian sphinx in the backyard and a pharaoh wearing an ornate robe sitting on the couch with a giant shantak bird lying at his feet. To be honest, Zong Yan didn¡¯t know why the house didn¡¯t burst. Maybe the Lord of Time and Space had given the house a space expansion spell like in Harry Potter. It was surprising the neighbors didn¡¯t sue them for causing a disturbance, so lucky, so fortunate.


    Those were just the small incidents. Occasionally, when Zong Yan was sitting in the bathtub, his surroundings would suddenly change from a bright and spacious bathroom to a cramped and dark abandoned public toilet. The tub transformed into a pool made of cast iron, the bath water filled with rainbow bubbles turned into gelatinous blood, and the small intestine of an unknown creature dangled from the light fixture. It was an unbelievably nasty scene.


    ¡°Nyarlathotep! I¡¯m taking a bath!!¡±


    Zong Yan was so scared he activated the Night Watchman in the tub. A second later, a dense cloud of ghosts filled his sight.


    ¡°Oh, ah, sorry, I actually brought the Father God here too.¡±


    The Haunter of the Dark flew over in a hurry. In the living room, the Black Pharaoh put down the game controller. The next second, Zong Yan was released from Nyarlathotep¡¯s space again.


    ¡­ The Night Watchman vowed that he¡¯d never been so embarrassed before. The harbinger bird was so disgusted he disconnected from the mental link.


    The only good thing was that the persona automatically restored itself. The next time he used the card, it would be a brand new Night Watchman.


    But now it seemed his little secret had been discovered long ago.


    Zong Yan hardened his heart. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can draw the language card of a specific species that accurately.¡±


    The floating, partial head rotated to ¡®look¡¯ at Zong Yan.


    Although Zong Yan clearly understood the situation, the sight still left him speechless.


    The head slowly floated back to its master¡¯s neck.


    A second later, the back of the dark-haired teen¡¯s hands were covered by fingers as cold as ice.


    TL Notes:


    My schedule is kind of weird this week, sorry. Chapter updates may come an hour or two later than normal (?? ? ?)


    uniting with my teachers and loving my classmates ¨C ÍŽáʦ³¤ÓÑ°®Í¬Ñ§ ¨C similar to the idiom ×ð¾´Ê¦³¤ÍŽáͬѧ, ¡°respect teachers, unite with classmates¡± ¨C study seriously instead of fooling around


    sounded like someone clearing their throat ¨C from Ò»Ìý¾ÍÀ϶þ´ÌÔ³ÁË ¨C Uh¡­ this might be wordplay. If I come up with something better I¡¯ll update it. In Mandarin, ¡°Yith¡± is ¡°Y¨©s¨©¡±


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    shantak ¨C ÏÄËþ¿Ë ¨C Flying bird-like creatures, larger than an elephant in size, with a head resembling a horse

 CH 56

    His hand was freezing cold, as cold as the ice and snow that accumulated year-round in the North and South Pole. It had no warmth whatsoever.


    To make things even worse, not only was it cold, it felt completely different from the normal touch of human skin!!!


    Zong Yan reflexively cringed away.


    Compared to Nyarlathotep, who was very familiar with human beings, it was possible that Yog-Sothoth¡¯s arrogance dictated that even if he was an all-knowing, all-powerful god, he wouldn¡¯t waste time trying to understand those creatures known as ¡°humans¡±.


    It was possible that his body only resembled a ¡°normal¡± human on the outside. The rest was completely unknown.


    After all, the Lord of Time and Space would never allow an ant to touch him.


    ¡°?¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s reaction was intense. Just now the other party had been floating right in front of him, but an instant later he¡¯d transposed himself behind Zong Yan. It was enough to frighten anyone. Not to mention Zong Yan had no idea what the guy wanted to do.


    Yog-Sothoth felt somewhat puzzled, so he invested a little of his intellect into it.


    It was then that the gray-haired evil god noticed the warmth of the black-haired teen¡¯s hand.


    It was already early November. Since a soft human being was living in the villa, the central air was already set for heating.


    The location of the lesson was Zong Yan¡¯s bedroom. Because Zong Yan¡¯s physique was the type that tended to feel cold, he set the temperature pretty high, so much so that in winter, he only needed to wear a pair of shorts in bed and cover himself with a quilt.


    Naturally, the teen¡¯s slender hand was as warm as a small oven.


    Temperature.


    This was a word that didn¡¯t hold much meaning for evil gods.


    Yog-Sothoth located the concept of ¡°temperature¡± within his vast perspective, and then he understood.


    At the same time, the omniscient and omnipotent Lord found it a little curious.


    Evil gods didn¡¯t have much invested in the concept of ¡°temperature¡±. Of course, they could simulate it if they needed to, but how many evil gods would bother? The idea of wanting to heat yourself up like a star was rather silly.


    However, the evil god unexpectedly found that the warmth of this tiny human body didn¡¯t annoy him.


    Why? Was it because the other party was a strand of consciousness of the Father God?


    Yog-Sothoth could effortlessly maintain multiple simultaneous tracks of thought. At the same moment, he firmly clasped the fingers of the black-haired youth.


    If there were someone else in the room, they would have seen the white-robed evil god floating in the air, clasping a casually-dressed young man in his arms, a pair of overlapping hands and¡­ a floating head that still wasn¡¯t completely attached to a neck.


    This position made Zong Yan a bit uncomfortable. He wasn¡¯t used to having physical contact with anyone, let alone an evil god.


    Zong Yan opened his mouth to say something. Suddenly, the hand that was holding the back of his own exerted a little force. This caused his fingertips to tense in the air, slowly opening a brilliant gap in space.


    Zong Yan: ! ! !


    He froze.


    For years, he was the only one who could access the magical card drawing space. Zong Yan had made attempts, both openly and secretly, but no one else could see the spatial rifts, much less open one.


    He felt the cold body of the evil god behind him, the hand without any warmth at all clasping the back of his own, and then it led his fingers into the gap in space, precisely¡­ clutching a card.


    While Zong Yan stared in shock, the two of them drew out the card.


    For a moment, Zong Yan felt a little complicated. He turned his head and looked sideways at the gray-haired evil god, feeling a little judgmental.


    Now Zong Yan understood why that guy had wanted to hold his hand. It turned out he wanted to draw the specific language ability persona card for the Great Race of Yith.


    So it was possible for an evil god to draw a card on his behalf?


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t quite believe it. He was a sensible young man who¡¯d grown up under the banner of the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars and the Five-Starred Red Flag. How could his hand be worse than an evil god who belonged to the anti-human chaotic evil league?


    When he looked at the card he was holding, Zong Yan¡¯s eyes immediately glazed over.


    ¡°This¡ª¡±


    On the face of the glittering card was a golden-haired man outlined against the sky. His face was handsome and dazzling, so radiant and glorious it was difficult to look directly at him. He had a head of strikingly long hair the color of gold scattered behind him, and he was clad in a luxurious white and gold robe. Every stitch was embroidered with sunlight. Gilt-colored sun earrings dangled from his ears.


    The blond man held a seven-stringed lyre in his hand. The scorching sun blazed beneath his feet, like he was the focus of all the light around him.


    When Zong Yan saw that the face on the card was completely different from his own, he felt a hunch.


    Sure enough, at the bottom of the card was a description written in small characters: The Sun God¡ªApollo.


    Zong Yan drew a sharp breath.


    Without question this was an S-rank daily disposable persona card, which should put it at the same level as Yun Zhong Jun.


    And when Zong Yan held this card in his palm he sensed its use conditions.


    ¡¾¡ªIn a place without sunshine, you are the light¡¿


    ¡¾When there is no light, the SAN value consumed by this card is halved¡¿


    This rule overlapped to some extent with the Night Watchman.


    But this was an ancient god persona card!!!


    There was only one other card in Zong Yan¡¯s hand that let him explode into an entirely other person, Yun Zhong Jun, and it had taken the accumulated luck of seventeen years for him to get it. But this evil god just took his hand and immediately drew an S-rank card!


    What kind of amazing luck was this! No, the golden-eyed shell that Yog-Sothoth was wearing right now was lucky!


    Since he started living with evil gods, in case of any unexpected needs, Zong Yan only dared to draw a single card per day. With his atrocious luck, six times out of ten he got waste cards. The others were minor ability cards.


    But now he suddenly had another Elder God persona card.


    Zong Yan was tempted to run around like a screeching chicken. He suddenly looked back, and his eyes burned as he looked at the gray-haired evil god who was once again comfortably floating in mid-air.


    Yog-Sothoth¡¯s head had returned to his body. At the moment he was smiling, gazing at him with eyes that were full of significance.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Zong Yan revealed a rather greedy expression and blinked at him.


    The Emperor of Luck! Hug this powerful thigh!!!


    ¡°Almighty Master of Time and Space, Eternal Lord of the Primordial Beginning, your glory overwhelms me. Please do it again.¡±


    The black-haired teen excitedly offered his hand. He stared at the gray-haired evil god with sincerity beyond words.


    Zong Yan had thrown away all self-restraint.


    What¡¯s the use of self-restraint, can you eat it?! It took seventeen years to come up with a single card, but this guy hooked his hand and immediately got another. Was this the power that came with being a big boss? Talk about excessive!


    This expression wasn¡¯t bad. But it was a little too dog-like.


    Yog-Sothoth observed to himself.


    The black-haired teen was staring at him with an eager, hopeful look. His eyes shone as brightly as stars that had not yet been annihilated by time.


    The Lord of Time and Space wasn¡¯t certain why, but he suddenly remembered something that happened a few hundred million years ago. On a whim he¡¯d personally visited eleven-dimensional space.


    In the vastness of the universe, the only fixed constant was mass.


    As one of the three proto-gods, just how huge was Yog-Sothoth¡¯s body?


    The Outer Gods were almost never located within the universe. Even the palace of Azathoth was outside the universe, at the center of time and space. The reason was because the bodies of the Outer Gods were too large. Once the mass of the universe exceeded a certain range, it was likely to collapse entire planes.


    The true body of the Lord of Time and Space consisted of billions of brilliant spheres that were constantly splitting and reorganizing.


    When he walked through the universe, because of this huge mass, cracks in space abounded.


    Enormous black holes formed around him as he went, obliterating the surrounding galaxies into nothing.


    Whether they were planets or yellow stars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, or quark stars, the celestial bodies that were so huge to human beings were reduced to nothing after a few moments of the evil god¡¯s tour of the universe. Life that had struggled to be born on a planet over billions of years of evolution ceased to exist in a second.


    The light from the last moments of those annihilated stars, the lives that struggled against death, they were somewhat similar to the light in those black eyes.


    All equally fragile, all equally beautiful.


    Yog thought absently, stretched out his hand again, and repeated the same action as before. He took the black-haired teen into his arms and clasped his fingers tightly.


    The evil god rested casually against his shoulder, and his long gray hair fell like a waterfall past Zong Yan¡¯s cheek.


    This guy¡¯s hair seemed pretty normal, but it was a bit too smooth. It was like he¡¯d used ten dozen bottles of Rejoice. It wasn¡¯t the same as Zong Yan¡¯s chicken nest hair that he spent ten minutes combing every morning.


    Under their fingertips, a fissure appeared in space, blooming into multi-colored light.


    A moment later, they easily withdrew a card.


    This time they didn¡¯t accidentally draw the wrong card like before. Zong Yan held his breath as he nervously turned over the card. On it, in neat script, was written: the Great Race of Yith language proficiency card.


    Zong Yan: What if I¡¯m a little disappointed


    He inwardly heaved a sigh and chose to use the card by spending the SAN cost.


    A moment later, a stream of words appeared out of nowhere to prompt him.


    ¡¾Using the ¡°Great Race of Yith¡± card requires SAN value = 60. Do you want to continue?¡¿


    That was comparable to the one-time cost of activating an Elder God card. Zong Yan let out a ¡°tsk¡±.


    Normally when he drew a language ability persona card, even one as difficult as the hieroglyphic holy script of Egypt, it only cost 10 San points. This race cost six times more than that, which was a little scary in itself.


    But what else could he do? Learning physics was hard work.


    Zong Yan chose to use the card, then picked up the book full of ghostly symbols from the floor.


    The evil god loosened his tight grip on Zong Yan¡¯s hand and floated into the air again.


    ¡°You can begin,¡± Yog kindly reminded him.


    Zong Yan examined it closer.


    The book that was previously covered with mysterious unknown symbols suddenly became clear. The words broke out of the book and turned into a mysterious blue light, which darted straight at the center of his forehead.


    Just like when the Monkey King put on the golden headband and Tang Seng recited the spell, countless voices chanted in Zong Yan¡¯s ears, and when he listened closely, all of them were reciting knowledge beyond the current level of humanity.


    Pain, the headache was unbearable.


    The moment before Zong Yan lost consciousness, he had only one thought.


    You really can¡¯t trust a tutor who doesn¡¯t have a license.


    TL Notes:


    Twenty-four Filial Exemplars ¨C ¶þÊ®ËÄТ ¨C A classic text of Confucian filial piety attributed to Guo Jujing, written during the Yuan dynasty (c. 1300) (Wikipedia)


    amazing luck ¨C from Å·ÖÞÈË ¨C European. Slang that doesn¡¯t really work in English


    atrocious luck ¨C from ·ÇÖÞÈË ¨C African. Ditto


    hug this powerful thigh ¨C ±§´óÍÈ ¨C Common idiom meaning to hold tight to someone who will bring you benefits by association


    Rejoice ¨C Æ®Èá ¨C A shampoo brand, one of the first international hair care brands to enter the Chinese market. ¡°For 30 years, Rejoice women have calmly faced pressure, maintained a confident and elegant image, and showed their beautiful selves to the world.¡± (Baidu)


    the Monkey King¡¯s golden headband ¨C a reference to Journey to the West, the 16th-century Chinese classic and the subject of many TV dramas and movies. When Tang Seng recites a certain sutra, the band tightens and causes an unbearable headache


    Tang Seng ¨C ÌÆÉ® ¨C ¡°Tang Monk¡± ¨C The courtesy name of Tan Sanzang (ÌÆÈý²Ø), a central character of Journey to the West


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    the Sun God, the God of the Sun ¨C Ì«ÑôÉñ ¨C T¨¤i Y¨¢ng Sh¨¦n


    Apollo ¨C °¢²¨ÂÞ ¨C ¨¡b¨­lu¨®

 CH 57

    Oh, he fainted.


    Yog-Sothoth, who was floating in the air above the youth, looked down at him, then calmly averted his eyes and returned to the book in his hand.


    The Lord of Time and Space might be the master of knowledge, but that certainly didn¡¯t mean he knew how to tutor anyone.


    Besides, even if an evil god knew how to give lessons, and offered to teach you, would you dare to accept?


    Throughout the universe, Yog-Sothoth had hundreds of millions of devoted believers. These believers gave offerings of faith and made sacrifices to the mighty Lord of the Gate, then prayed to the evil god to give them knowledge.


    Other races in addition to human beings could also withstand the baptism of the evil god¡¯s mind.


    Yog-Sothoth¡¯s preferred teaching method was direct infusion of knowledge.


    But there were other ways.


    The textbooks of the Great Race of Yith were similar to the methods of the evil god.


    As an alien race whose technology was more than a dozen epochs ahead of humans on Earth, the Great Race of Yith had long ago abandoned traditional methods of communication using words and language. Instead they used thoughts and hyperlinked brain waves.


    The book Yog-Sothoth gave to Zong Yan was brutally direct. In fact, it was a textbook of enlightenment for the Great Race of Yith. Although it appeared to contain words, in fact, as long as the person who viewed it understood their language¡ªmeaning, their brainwave frequencies matched¡ªthe knowledge within the book would transform into a narrow beam of electromagnetic waves and automatically insert itself into Zong Yan¡¯s mind.


    This was no different from Yog¡¯s favorite ¡°filling a stuffed duck egg¡± method of bestowing knowledge, except that one was a bit more simple and crude, and the other was a little more gentle. Aside from that they were essentially the same.


    The gray-haired evil god carelessly flipped another page of the book in his hand. After a while, he thought something might be wrong.


    The black-haired teen was lying on his back on the soft carpet.


    The floor of Zong Yan¡¯s room was covered with thick Persian rugs, hand-woven from expensive Egyptian wool. They were warm when you stepped on them barefoot, which was very much in line with Zong Yan¡¯s secret fluff-con inclination.


    When he first fell over, his face revealed pain for a moment, but it didn¡¯t seem serious after that.


    But now¡ª


    The black-haired teen was curled up on the carpet. His knees were drawn up against his chest and his arms were wrapped around his legs.


    For a human, it was body language that revealed insecurity, because in infancy, all humans developed in this position in their mother¡¯s womb. If he instinctively used this posture, it meant the surrounding environment made him insecure.


    The light in the room was dim. The teen¡¯s temples were covered with sweat. Strands of hair clung to his cheeks like curling black snakes.


    His eyebrows were tightly knitted together, his face was contorted with pain, and his lips were bitten and smeared with blood, a dreadful sight.


    The thin, casual clothes had bunched up because of his movements, revealing the pale skin of his back covered with cold sweat, and the crystal sheen of the sweat was dazzling under the cold white light of the desk lamp.


    The Lord of the Gate thought he¡¯d been extremely considerate. He¡¯d very kindly taken into account the fact that Zong Yan was still in a human state. To evil gods, the human brain was closer to a goldfish brain. His intention was to let Zong Yan master advanced physics first, then slowly help him weed out the unnecessary parts.


    Anyway, Yog-Sothoth really wasn¡¯t capable of taking a ¡°Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations¡± approach to guiding Zong Yan through physics exercises. That was just too degrading to his identity as an evil god.


    Strange¡ªsince this was the Father God¡¯s stream of consciousness, and he¡¯d already interfaced twice with the Father God¡¯s mind, there shouldn¡¯t be such a serious rejection reaction, right?


    The evil god¡¯s head lowered while his white robe remained motionless, in total violation of the laws of physics.


    With just a thought, Zong Yan was lifted by an invisible force, suspended in mid-air.


    Beads of sweat condensed on the teenager¡¯s face without ceasing, as if he were in a sauna instead of an air-conditioned room. His clothes were soaked with sweat. He looked like a drowned chicken.


    Clearly he wasn¡¯t in good shape.


    Yog frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Father God?¡±


    Just then, Nyarla¡¯s avatar, the Haunter of the Dark, emerged silently from the darkness. He incidentally touched the wall switch, turning off the lights.


    The room was suddenly plunged into a darkness where nothing could be seen. Of course, that didn¡¯t hinder the vision of the evil gods.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the all-knowing, all-powerful Lord simply said.


    It wasn¡¯t a lie.


    When it came to this black-haired young man, Yog not only couldn¡¯t see his timeline, he couldn¡¯t see his past or future, and he couldn¡¯t see his present.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    The Haunter of the Dark folded up his shadow-woven wings, and his triple-lobed eye glittered fiery red.


    As he made this ¡°kind¡± suggestion his eye gleamed.


    The last time Nyarlathotep had tried to penetrate Zong Yan¡¯s consciousness, he was unexpectedly slapped away and smashed into a wall. It was a little embarrassing.


    He hadn¡¯t made this suggestion in good faith. He just wanted to see Yog jump.


    Was there any chance Yog didn¡¯t know what he was thinking?


    The gray-haired evil god stared coldly at the Haunter of the Dark. The next second, thousands of shadows erupted behind him, and light blazed out in the narrow room.


    ¡°! ! !¡±


    The Haunter of the Dark avatar especially hated light. The moment these lights burst out, Nyarla shrank into the shadows and was forced to retreat from the room.


    But on one point, Nyarla was correct.


    Let¡¯s give it a try.


    Yog commanded his shadows to slowly wrap up the black-haired teen and lift him in the air.


    The shadows gently ruffled the sweat-soaked hair on the teen¡¯s forehead, then parted the lips that were bitten bloody and pressed against them, forcing the young man to open his mouth, preventing him from inadvertently biting into his own flesh.


    If Yog had the inclination, his phantoms could destroy any galaxy he chose, anytime, anywhere. With a single movement of his mind the entire solar system would be razed to smithereens.


    But right now, these shadows, symbols of destruction and devastation, carefully loosened the black-haired teen¡¯s collar, straightened his clothes, then covered and wrapped his body, drawing away all the exuded sweat, but occasionally left a red mark due to inexperience.


    Fragile, too fragile.


    Although this was the Father God¡¯s stream of consciousness, if his head and body were separated, or his scalp were incised along his hairline, this small stream of consciousness might not mature in time to return to the vast mind of the Lord of the Universe.


    This human was so fragile that the evil god was forced to grow more and more cautious. Finally he even activated human emotions so that he could adjust his force to a level a human being could endure.


    The Lord of the Gate thought he¡¯d never been so considerate to anyone.


    He felt like the most gracious evil god there was. Compared to those Outer Gods who did nothing all day but perform music in the palace for His Majesty Azathoth, playing the flute badly enough to destroy entire galaxies, Yog-Sothoth really was approachable, a very model figure of an evil god.


    One of the shadows approached the forehead of the black-haired teen and attempted to enter.


    No matter how fragile he was, this was Azathoth¡¯s stream of consciousness. Yog was ready to be ejected.


    But, surprisingly, he didn¡¯t feel any sense of rejection.


    The youth¡¯s spirit was like a bubbling warm spring, quietly accepting the cold spirit of the invading evil god, sinking with him into the boiling hot sea of his conscious mind.


    Everything around him was like a newly-formed ink wash painting, like someone held a brush and left slashes of color everywhere, spilling out on everything together, a dizzying succession of brushstrokes.


    The temperature was unbearably hot, as hot as a volcanic crater filled with scalding red lava, so hot that his sea of consciousness was boiling over.


    Yog-Sothoth finally realized.


    This wasn¡¯t some kind of mishap in the middle of the process. It was probably what the humans called ¡°Second Awakening¡±.


    It was well-known that the Awakened went through two stages.


    First awakening meant a person gained abilities where there was nothing. From then on, they could use magic patterns and alchemy and possessed inherent powers.


    The Second Awakening was a burst of one¡¯s awakening threshold. It raised an Awakened person¡¯s power by another level, and usually occurred within two years after their first awakening.


    Strictly speaking, Zong Yan wasn¡¯t actually Awakened.


    But perhaps because of the fusion of dimensions, it was necessary to abide by the newly-integrated order, so similar symptoms appeared.


    The problem wasn¡¯t the textbook. The book was at most a trigger.


    The evil god suddenly became interested. He gazed at the sea of consciousness that was completely open to him, and the shadows of his spirit suddenly surged up, then plunged towards the sea below.


    Unless two beings were on the most intimate terms, it was impossible for evil gods to be so open to each other, without any reservation, without even the slightest repulsion.


    Yog-Sothoth wasn¡¯t a good god.


    Since he dared to welcome an evil god into his mind, he would have to accept the consequences that came with the arrival of a supreme spirit.


    ¡ªEven if the other party was a tiny human, an insignificant stream of consciousness.


    TL Notes:


    stuffed duck eggs ¨C ÌîѼµ° ¨C A dish where the egg shells are kept mostly intact with an opening on one end, then filled with glutinous rice, meat, and vegetables. The closest Western dish I can think of is stuffed bell peppers


    fluff-con ¨C ÈÞë¿Ø ¨C ¡°con¡± is from Japanese ¡°¥³¥ó¡±, from the English word ¡°complex¡±, meaning a person who likes something to an extreme degree, e.g. ¡°face complex¡±, ¡°lolicon¡±

 CH 58

    ¡°Emergency, emergency!¡±


    Late at night, a message was posted on the Miskatonic app.


    ¡¾Request for Help¡¿Unidentified alien species appears in New York, USA


    @Investigator Saugus: ¡¾picture¡¿¡¾picture¡¿


    On the other side of the planet it was the middle of the night, but all of North America still had the sun on its back. Only the metropolis of New York City, known as the city that never sleeps, was under a curtain of darkness, as quiet as if it were entirely depopulated.


    Then the empty streets suddenly flooded with horrible monsters. They walked with their backs bowed and their hands stretched in front of them. They were like zombies from a post-apocalyptic movie, a sight that made one¡¯s skin crawl.


    ¡°Ghouls?¡±


    Several investigators who were sitting late at night in MU frowned.


    ¡°How could ghouls show up so brazenly on the streets of New York?¡±


    Hoshino Kota took a sip of coffee as he walked into the conference room in his pajamas and slippers. When he saw the image on the projector, the scruffy uncle sharpened his gaze.


    Every investigator who¡¯d taken a biology class was familiar with ghouls.


    There was a large population of ghouls in the Dreamlands. They worshipped Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss, and lived in a subterranean region beneath the main continental plate of the realm. Their lair was capable of moving between the real world and the Dreamlands.


    MU had a good relationship with ghouls as well as nightgaunts, the result of establishing friendly diplomatic relations. Every year, MU sent a research team to explore the depths of the Dreamlands. If they encountered any danger along the way, ghouls would offer assistance. That was one reason the ghouls¡¯ language was offered as an optional course at MU. Occasionally professors would take students to interact with ghouls in person.


    Compared with the ghouls in the Dreamlands, real-world ghouls were far more dangerous.


    Ghouls in the real world lived in the underground sewers of major cities. Generally speaking, they wouldn¡¯t appear in front of people voluntarily unless they¡¯d made a contract with cultists or witches, in which case they would carry out their orders.


    ¡°The time the stars will return is drawing near. Maybe the ghouls have been summoned by their Lord.¡±


    Darwin stepped into the conference room with a tweed coat hastily draped over his body. There was a serious expression on his face.


    ¡°None of that matters. What matters is what the US authorities intend to do.¡±


    Anastasia put away her fan. The Russian beauty had a sarcastic look on her face. ¡°Such a big disaster in New York, yet they refused help from the occult world. What are those politicians thinking?¡±


    Every nation had an agreement with the occult community. Whenever an abnormal phenomenon happened around the globe, the first requirement was to report it to the Spire Council.


    And yet, after such a terrible event happened, the first choice of U.S. authorities was to hide the news and warn investigators stationed in New York.


    If an investigator hadn¡¯t been attacked by ghouls and given no choice but to post the story on the Miskatonic app, it was likely the occult world would still be in the dark.


    ¡°Those damn politicians!¡±


    Another investigator had a gloomy expression. ¡°Don¡¯t they know how many innocent citizens will die as a result? Those are ghouls! They can assimilate human beings!¡±


    That was the scariest part. If the matter wasn¡¯t handled quickly, it was possible that all of New York would become a city of zombies wearing human skin.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the United States stood by and did nothing. After the situation got out of control, they secretly sealed off all of New York City.¡±


    An investigator said, ¡°Just three hours after the occult world got the news, they announced a leak at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in New York State. They issued an emergency notice to the public to leave as soon as possible after quarantine.¡±


    ¡°But ten hours earlier, their president gave a speech to reassure the public and said all the rumors were unfounded.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how the United States usually operates?¡±


    As Anastasia sneered, her chest heaved violently. It was clear how angry she was.


    Among the people present, she was the most upset. It was because she¡¯d been in a similar situation before, deceived by the authorities.


    ¡°It¡¯s already 2019, but it¡¯s hardly been thirty years since the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. I guess people forget the pain as soon as the wounds have healed.¡±


    Silence fell in the conference room. Even the U.S. authorities, who¡¯d just connected, didn¡¯t speak.


    The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 wasn¡¯t a tragedy just for the occult community, but for the entire world.


    The incident began when a superior independent species known as the Color Out of Space entered the atmosphere from elsewhere in the universe and landed in the territory of Ukraine. It just happened to end up near the fourth generator unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union.


    The Color Out of Space was in a debilitated state. It began to eat, and it was insatiable, plundering nearby life force in a frenzy. It didn¡¯t even spare basic carbohydrates. In the end it evaporated all the water used to cool the nuclear reactor. This was what caused the subsequent reactor explosion.


    The tragedy could have been avoided. That night, in the small town of Pripyat, which was only twenty-five kilometers away from the nuclear power plant, several people saw colorful star fragments falling in the night sky, like a shooting star with a long tail, descending in the direction of the nuclear power plant. Residents reported the incident to the Soviet General Administration.


    Even worse, after the Chernobyl leak, Soviet authorities chose to conceal the matter for the sake of their international image. The occult world was kept in the dark.


    The damage caused by the Color Out of Space not only led to the explosion and containment leak of the nuclear reactor, it also ravenously absorbed all nearby life force. The area was razed and turned into a dead city.


    The follow-up to the incident was so grave that it exceeded the imagination of all countries on the planet. Since then, the incident was taken as a warning to be written into the history of the entire occult world, a permanent reminder to future generations to never make such mistakes again.


    Anastasia was Russian, but before the collapse of the Soviet Union, she was a Soviet citizen. Unfortunately, she was one of the thousands of victims of Chernobyl.


    At the time of the nuclear plant disaster, Anastasia was less than ten years old. The radiation changed her body and contributed to her early awakening.


    It was fortunate that she awakened because it saved her life. Later, in order to make sure the tragedy would never happen again, she went to Miskatonic University, then chose to go to graduate school while working as an investigator. Finally, she became one of the surviving senior investigators.


    ¡°Investigators are urgently requested to travel to New York. We can¡¯t allow this matter to get any worse.¡±


    Darwin snuffed out his cigarette. ¡°Ghouls who live in the real world usually believe in one of the Great Old Ones. If we don¡¯t stop them, the consequences can be imagined.


    ¡°Now that this has happened, we can only do our best to keep it from getting worse.


    ¡°I suspect this won¡¯t be easy to resolve. We can see from the pictures how serious the situation is in New York. We should contact the nine Monarchs. Humanity shares a common destiny¡ªin the face of the evil gods, we must stand united.¡±


    Fortunately, the situation hadn¡¯t deteriorated to the point where the occult world wasn¡¯t able to intervene. They still had time to deploy their teams.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not nine Monarchs anymore.¡±


    Just as the people in the conference room were about to leave to begin emergency preparations, an investigator with a document in his hand entered the room. There was unconcealed excitement in his voice. ¡°The Chinese Dragon Group just confirmed that humanity has a tenth Monarch.¡±


    A new Monarch-level Awakened was so significant to the human race that joy appeared on the faces of all the investigators present.


    ¡°Who is it? Could it be that captain of the Dragon Group who was stuck at Auxiliary level?¡±


    ¡°Out of the ten Monarchs, China accounts for three. Worthy of such an ancient Eastern country.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the investigator denied. ¡°The new Monarch-level is very young, apparently just a teenager. The name is Zong Yan.¡±


    ¡ª


    For the last half a month, Zong Yan¡¯s mind had been confused.


    He went to get water after class, then took a copy of ¡¶The Will to Power¡· and read it at his desk.


    But by the time the bell rang, he hadn¡¯t even turned a single page.


    The black-haired teen took out a bookmark, put the book aside, and looked out the window with his head propped in his hand.


    In senior three, physical education was relatively unstructured. Art and music classes in Qingyang Senior High had been cancelled for the seniors. Only classes for lesser-known languages, which were needed for college entrance exams, still remained.


    Due to the intensive learning conditions, there was an added physical education section in senior three. The most important change was that physical education teachers no longer gave instructions, but directly opened the activity room and let students choose their own equipment for exercise.


    A lot of boys played basketball with their shoulders huddled together, while girls played badminton or volleyball.


    Zong Yan turned over the physics paper beneath his hand and his melancholy deepened.


    Half a month ago, he agreed to an evil god physics tutorial from Yog-Sothoth. And then he got punked.


    It turned out that the textbooks of the Great Race of Yith liked to toy with people¡¯s minds. Zong Yan took in so much knowledge at once that his entire body erupted with pain. He accidentally triggered his Second Awakening early.


    That¡¯s what members of the Dragon Team told him the next afternoon.


    The Dragon Group¡¯s detection devices picked up traces of a violent awakening source. At first they thought a powerful monster had descended on Jiangzhou. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Zong Yan¡¯s Second Awakening.


    The speed left He Yuan and Si Yan shocked, as well as all of the Dragon Group¡¯s senior management.


    Zong Yan had his first awakening just a few months ago. Such a short amount of time had passed. How could he awaken again so soon?


    No one would dare to believe that kind of speed, let alone the fact that Zong Yan had been Monarch-level from the start. No one was brave enough to speculate what state he¡¯d reach after Second Awakening.


    The Dragon Group wanted to take Zong Yan back for a systematic test to determine his peak ability level.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Avoid, duck out, no need! I¡¯m just a weak, pathetic, helpless counterfeit goods Monarch. It¡¯s okay if we just pretend, is it really necessary to test, you think I don¡¯t need any self-esteem?!


    ¡°So noisy.¡±


    In the end, the Black Pharaoh, whose video game had been interrupted, waved his hand and tampered with reality. The Dragon Group members quietly went away. Their plan to test the new tenth Monarch was safely buried in the back of their minds.


    But the tenth Monarch was still crowned.


    Zong Yan¡¯s Second Awakening was the best news the occult world had received in a while.


    But Zong Yan didn¡¯t pay much attention to that. He was more concerned about what happened to him while he was unconscious.


    All he remembered was a splitting headache, his entire body was in excruciating pain, and his mind was about to split into pieces.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Zong Yan experienced that kind of thing. After using the Azathoth card a second time he had a similar reaction. It was agonizing.


    But this time seemed a little different.


    Hot¡­ so much scorching heat all over his body.


    It was like he¡¯d been thrown into the searing, sun-baked land of the Sahara desert. Like a fish desperate for water he was about to die under the scalding waves of heat in a sea of sand.


    It was by no means a pleasant feeling. Zong Yan might be afraid of cold, but this was far beyond the temperature range he could tolerate. Any higher and the proteins of his body would begin to lesion, and then he would die gloriously in his bed.


    It was at that moment that an ice-cold spirit suddenly invaded his mind.


    Zong Yan was being roasted by the flames. He didn¡¯t hesitate at all, but immediately dragged this supreme spirit into the sea of his consciousness with all four limbs and refused to let go.


    It felt so good.


    In a haze, Zong Yan felt like he¡¯d been wrapped in something, then emerged in the vastness of the universe.


    There was a sphere formed from millions upon millions of brilliant lights, a miracle of continuous aggregation and fission.


    He couldn¡¯t have said why, but on seeing this huge sphere he felt inexplicably close to it. So Zong Yan very cautiously stretched out a thinking tentacle towards the entity and touched it.


    And then, and then there was no then.


    When Zong Yan woke up, he saw Nyarlathotep¡¯s severed limbs tumbling to the ground. Apparently that guy had tried to invade his mind again, but suffered consequences beyond description.


    And the Lord of Time and Space was still floating in the air, looking over with eyes that were full of meaning.


    Zong Yan: ¡­?


    But he didn¡¯t care about any of that. What he was most concerned about was his physics score.


    Speaking of which, there was some bad news.


    That was because the physics of the Yith race was too advanced, and the physics taught in senior high school only included a small portion of human physics. When doing questions, Zong Yan often thought in a super-hyperactive way, and ran himself into a dead end.


    Therefore, strictly speaking, his physics performance didn¡¯t improve that much. Instead he wrote so many dialectical formulas that even the teacher couldn¡¯t understand, which made it impossible to argue that his answer was correct. Instead of advancing he retreated.


    From 35 points, he regressed to 25.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: You give back my physics score!! Give me back my 35 points!!


    TL Notes:


    witch ¨C ħŮ ¨C m¨®n¨· ¨C Alternatively: sorceress, succubus, female demon, female ghost


    Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant ¨C The Indian Point Energy Center permanently ceased power operations in 2021 (Wikipedia)


    the rumors were unfounded ¨C ¿ÕѨÀ´·ç ¨C An empty hole invites the wind ¡ª weakness lends wings to rumours; There is something behind this; Wind comes from the hollow cave ¡ª being not a groundless rumour


    Worthy of such an ancient Eastern country ¨C Sorry but this part made me lol. As did the section in Chapter 16 where MU students were stunned that Zong Yan ate his food with little ¡°Harry Potter wands¡± (AKA chopsticks). Like seriously¡­? Hahaha


    The Will to Power ¨C ȨÁ¦ÒâÖ¾ ¨C A book drawn from the notes of Friedrich Nietzsche after his death, published in 1901 (Wikipedia). It contains an example of the ¡°Nietzschean affirmation¡± of life, an embrace of the terrors of nature and history, as opposed to a Buddhistic negation of the will and the world in general:


    ¡°If we affirm one single moment, we thus affirm not only ourselves but all existence. For nothing is self-sufficient, neither in us ourselves nor in things; and if our soul has trembled with happiness and sounded like a harp string just once, all eternity was needed to produce this one event¡ªand in this single moment of affirmation, all eternity was called good, redeemed, justified, and affirmed.¡± (source)


    Any higher and the proteins of his body would begin to lesion ¨C ÔÙ¸ßÒ»µãµ°°×ÖʾÍÒª²¡±ä ¨C This may be a reference to heat shock proteins generated when the body is in heat shock or under similar stress


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    New York ¨C ŦԼ ¨C Ni¨³ Yu¨¥


    USA ¨C ÃÀ¹ú ¨C M¨§i Gu¨®


    (Investigator) Saugus ¨C Ë÷¸ñ˼ ¨C Su¨¯g¨¦s¨© ¨C Alternatively: Soggs, Sorgus, Soguth


    Indian Point Nuclear Reactor Nuclear Power Plant ¨C ÖÝÓ¡µÚ°²½ÇºË·´Ó¦¶ÑºËµçÕ¾


    Soviet Union ¨C ËÕÁª ¨C S¨± Li¨¢n


    Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant ¨C Çжûŵ±´ÀûºËµçÕ¾


    Pripyat ¨C ÆÕÀïƤÑǼ¾ ¨C P¨³l¨«p¨ªy¨¤j¨¬


    The Color Out of Space (previously mentioned in Chapter 38):


    Image source: Ludvik Skopalik¡¯s artwork based on H. P. Lovecraft¡¯s short story ¡°The Colour out of Space¡± (Wikipedia) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 CH 59

    Zong Yan really wanted to hunt Yog-Sothoth down and stab him with a knife.


    Thirty five points, he only had thirty-five points on the exam, and now ten of those points were gone! That was a third!


    His score wasn¡¯t high to begin with, but now you couldn¡¯t even see it.


    With thirty-five points he could at least dream about Tsinghua, but now what? Now what!!!


    Zong Yan wanted to grab that gray-haired evil god and shake him and shake him again. But after the tutorial session he actually disappeared for half a month. Maybe he headed to a different time and space to enjoy the show. Zong Yan was so angry his head was smoking.


    Sure enough, you can¡¯t trust what an evil god says!!


    After a short time the bell rang, and all the students in the classroom hurried to the playing field in a swarm.


    A lot of the students in the science track were boys. Since gym class was usually held with two classes together, Class 3 had formed two regular teams to play soccer with the other classes.


    After physical education, everyone was usually sweating, but Qingyang High School thoughtfully scheduled PE class at the end of the day.


    ¡°Zong Yan, are you going to play soccer?¡±


    Just after Zong Yan neatly put away his copy of ¡¶The Will to Power¡·, Ye JingMing came in from the hallway with a pink basketball in his hand.


    As for Ye JingMing, after he¡¯d realized his mistake during their previous, not quite heart-to-heart conversation, he now regarded Zong Yan as a comrade-in-arms of the revolution.


    Zong Yan had saved his life and wasn¡¯t his love rival. In Ye JingMing¡¯s eyes that made Zong Yan one of his own. He packed up Zong Yan and planted him in his own camp.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t think there was anything weird about this. After all, he hadn¡¯t cared when Ye JingMing fought against him before. Now he just had one more person to talk to. It didn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    The way boys communicated with each other wasn¡¯t very complicated. It could be a matter of playing a game of basketball or getting into a fight. For whatever reason, they now saw eye to eye.


    Speaking of basketball, Ye JingMing taught him how to play.


    All of Qingyang High School watched in wordless awe as the two teens hung out together. The question marks on the forum could fill an entire screen. Every day a special team arrived to report on the situation between the two. It took half a month before everyone finally confirmed¡ª


    They really made up.


    After Ye JingMing¡¯s group of minions began to call out ¡°Yan Ge¡±, ¡°Yan Ge¡±, the onlookers had to accept it as reality.


    Even Ye JingMing and Zong Yan could bury the hatchet. Was nothing impossible in this world?


    Everyone was numb.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zong Yan stood up and walked to the playground with Ye JingMing.


    Time passed quickly, and soon it was almost time for winter break.


    Lately Zong Yan was paying close attention to current affairs, including the news on the MU app.


    The occult world had been unsettled recently. It seemed there was something wrong in New York. For weeks running they¡¯d been calling in investigators from all over the world.


    He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but all the turmoil made Zong Yan feel a little concerned. Even though he¡¯d reverted time, the painful memory of the fall of Jiangzhou still lingered in his mind.


    Senior three was the kind of year where you felt like every minute and second was hard to bear, but after you got through it, you were surprised how quickly it passed.


    Senior year was short, but compared to the other two years of high school it was so much more memorable.


    Before winter break, Qingyang High School would hold a New Year¡¯s ceremony.


    The ceremony was considered a big event.


    This year the Spring Festival arrived early, in mid-January, so Qingyang High School would combine the holiday with New Year¡¯s Day, then close until after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t include the senior three students who were heading into their second semester. Senior students had to return to school on the eighth day. Shortly after that was the meeting for the One Hundred Days pledge. To put it plainly, there wasn¡¯t a lot of time left to prepare for the college entrance exam.


    Leading up to the New Year¡¯s ceremony there would be a period of intense rehearsals after school, but by the second semester of senior three, all that would go away. Not only would it be no more, the senior students would have to participate in evening self-study after class.


    Qingyang High School had student dormitories, but there weren¡¯t that many rooms. Senior three students had priority, and a lot of them would choose to live on campus during that semester to avoid wasting as much time as possible.


    Although Zong Yan¡¯s part in the Calligraphy Club performance amounted to buying soy sauce, the scriptwriter couldn¡¯t help but open the back door for him. Li Bai turned into a powerful player who not only had a sword dance but also played the flute.


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t bring himself to refuse. That was because Li Bai¡¯s costume was really stylish.


    Dressed in spotless white with a jade crown on his head, his ink-black hair falling behind him, a longsword in his hand.


    When Zong Yan changed into the costume and walked out, the entire rehearsal room fell silent.


    One couldn¡¯t say he was especially similar to the character he was playing. Compared to Li Bai¡¯s wild temperament, Zong Yan just wasn¡¯t as intense. Although it wasn¡¯t entirely clear why, when he stood in place he suddenly captured the spirit. His every gesture and expression was like a dream from the Tang Dynasty.


    ¡°How¡¯s the Calligraphy Club rehearsal¡­¡± The dance teacher walked through the door and saw this scene, then clapped his hands in excitement. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s the spirit! Ah, there aren¡¯t many people nowadays who can portray this kind of ancient style. Have you studied posture before?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Zong Yan revealed a bewildered expression, and the serene aura of detachment evaporated from his body.


    If he had to attribute it to something, it might be the Yun Zhong Jun card.


    That persona had left something of an impact on Zong Yan. For one thing, he thought he could probably imitate the temperament of the ancients pretty well, which was most likely thanks to the card.


    ¡°Not bad. Li Bai was chosen well.¡±


    The teacher gave him a few more pointers and told him where to stand on the stage.


    This time the rehearsal after school took a bit of time. When they figured out the order of appearance and standing positions, Xia KeYan came up to him again.


    To be honest, ever since Ye JingMing told him Xia KeYan might have some feelings for him, Zong Yan¡¯s attitude towards her had become a little awkward.


    Zong Yan used to get pretty nervous, and he knew he had a low EQ. When it came to that kind of thing he hadn¡¯t given it much thought.


    But it actually wasn¡¯t the first time Zong Yan had been in that situation.


    Someone had confessed to him in public before in junior high school.


    ¡°How is your flute practice going?¡± Xia KeYan lowered her head and stared at her toes. She didn¡¯t look at Zong Yan, who was still holding a sword.


    ¡°Well¡­ I think it¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    A few days ago Zong Yan went to the nearby musical instrument store to buy a flute. Unfortunately, he forgot to bring it to school today for the rehearsal. However, when he tried to practice at home he didn¡¯t have any problem playing a song.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, but you don¡¯t have to push yourself too hard.¡± Xia KeYan¡¯s voice was soft but cheerful. ¡°We¡¯ll have a backing track by then. Even if you don¡¯t play anything, the effect will be amazing.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try it out. If I can, I¡¯ll play along with the accompaniment.¡±


    The rehearsal went on a while longer.


    This was the dress rehearsal as well as the final rehearsal. Everyone was energized to welcome the New Year the day after tomorrow.


    In addition to the Calligraphy Club¡¯s performance, the school basketball team was also putting on a fancy basketball demonstration. The performance was led by Ye JingMing.


    Ye JingMing¡¯s academic scores weren¡¯t very good. Next semester he was going to be transferred to the International Department of Qingyang High School. Therefore, he took the New Year¡¯s ceremony very seriously. He¡¯d begun rehearsing a music program with the basketball team early on.


    ¡°Leaving? Let¡¯s head back?¡±


    After the rehearsal was over, Ye JingMing bumped into Zong Yan who was carrying his schoolbag. The two walked home together.


    In something of a coincidence, Ye JingMing¡¯s family lived in the same community as Zong Yan. That is, the villa community located in the city center where houses had their own small gardens. The property values were expensive enough to frighten people to death. It was a well-known gathering place for the rich and famous in Jiangzhou.


    Incidentally, it seemed that Wang KeMing¡¯s family also had a villa there.


    Based on what Ye JingMing said, owning a plot of land in this community was like an admission ticket to Jiangzhou¡¯s celebrity circle. It was equivalent to living in Beverly Hills.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Was it that awesome? He thought about Shub-Niggurath¡¯s wealth and fell into deep thought.


    Of course, if an evil god was involved, it was entirely possible he hadn¡¯t paid any money, sigh.


    ¡°What did Xia KeYan ask you about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just the rehearsal.¡± Zong Yan scratched his head. ¡°I forgot to bring my flute.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ye JingMing walked under the streetlamp and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to the international section next semester.¡±


    Indeed, as soon as the second semester began, he would be transferred to the International Department of Qingyang High School for the preparatory course. He was already studying for the TOEFL. After just half a semester he¡¯d go abroad.


    Other students in the class had enrolled in art programs. Plenty of students from well-off families had chosen the same path as Ye JingMing.


    The fees charged by the International Department of Qingyang High School were scarily expensive. A single year cost upwards of six figures. However, the International Department had a wide range of channels. Basically, as long as you paid the tuition and passed the language test, and did some work on your own, it wasn¡¯t difficult to get into one of the world¡¯s top 100 universities if you could afford the tuition and passed the language test.


    After all, the most important thing in college was your major. Even Harvard had its weak disciplines. The rich second generations in the International Department generally just wanted to look good on their resumes. All they cared about was the name of the school. They didn¡¯t care what their major was, so they had plenty of room to maneuver.


    ¡°If you like her, just go confess ah.¡±


    Zong Yan stared at the shadows under his feet as he walked. He might not be very good at dealing with emotional questions, but even if he¡¯d never eaten pork, he¡¯d still seen a pig run, right?


    Every school had the phenomenon of puppy love, especially high school. Qingyang High School was no exception.


    ¡°Ugh. To be honest, I don¡¯t really know how I feel about Xia KeYan.¡± When they reached this topic, Ye JingMing¡¯s head began to hurt. ¡°I know she doesn¡¯t like me. It¡¯s impossible for her to say yes to me.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°Then you¡¯re really not going to confess?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t like Ye JingMing at all. He was short-tempered and couldn¡¯t hide anything.


    Ye JingMing: ¡°I¡¯m not.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. When I was in kindergarten she was the little genius in class, the only one who could recite the Three Character Classic. And then she helped me when I was bullied¡­ I don¡¯t know if I like her or not. I just don¡¯t want her to like anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Feelings ah.¡± Zong Yan nodded in understanding and hit the nail on the head. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have enough courage to gamble on it, you might as well give up. When push comes to shove, you just don¡¯t like her enough.¡±


    The vice captain of the basketball team looked at Zong Yan with an alarmed expression.


    His intuition told him there was something wrong with this statement, but he couldn¡¯t find a way to refute it.


    No¡­ the most important thing was how could this guy with a negative EQ say something so emotionally and philosophically apt?


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it again.¡± Ye JingMing hung his head.


    Just then, the street light above their heads flickered and suddenly went out.


    TL Notes:


    his head was smoking ¨C ÆßÇÏÉúÑÌ ¨C fulminate with anger; blow a fuse; blow a gas jet; foam with rage; fume with anger; Smoke comes out of one¡¯s seven orifices.; The smoke of one¡¯s anger came out of one¡¯s nostrils. ¨C ¡°seven orifices/apertures¡± means your eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth


    Spring Festival ¨C ´º½Ú ¨C Chinese New Year. Based on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, observance traditionally begins the evening preceding the first day of the year, through the Lantern Festival on the 15th. The first day begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February (Wikipedia)


    meeting for the One Hundred Days pledge ¨C °ÙÈÕÊÄʦ´ó»á ¨C One Hundred Days Oath Meeting (for the College Entrance Examination) ¨C A large-scale school-wide teacher-student meeting held around February 27th ¨C March 5th, when most high schools are 100 days from the national college entrance examination. The purpose is to ¡°inspire students to study and prepare¡± for the exam, ¡°stimulate the enthusiasm of senior teachers¡±, ¡°relieve students¡¯ nervousness¡±, etc. All the students take an oath about their study and life. (Baidu) If you look at some of the pledges they¡¯re pretty intense. Reading about Chinese high school makes me so glad I never had to do that. ?:?(?? ? ? ?)


    buying soy sauce ¨C ´ò½´ÓÍ ¨C buy soy sauce; pass by; don¡¯t know anything; don¡¯t want to talk about (online slang) ¨C A bystander, along for the ride, someone who basically just shows their face


    he hadn¡¯t paid any money, sigh ¨C ¡°sigh¡± ¨C from µãÀ¯ ¨C ¡°light wax¡± ¨C This seems to be slang meaning to have a moment of silence, light a candle for someone, etc.


    TOEFL ¨C Íи£ ¨C Test of English as a Foreign Language


    rich second generations ¨C ¸»¶þ´ú ¨C the second-generation rich; rich second generation; The second rich generation; wealthy second generations ¨C Normally I would tl this as ¡°rich kids¡± or something, but this is how I see it translated most often


    even if he¡¯d never eaten pork, he¡¯d still seen a pig run ¨C µ«ÊÇû³Ô¹ýÖíÈ⻹ÄÜû¼û¹ýÖíÅÜÁË ¨C Very common idiom meaning that even if you don¡¯t have personal experience of something, you¡¯re still familiar enough with it to know what to do or draw inferences about it


    puppy love ¨C ÔçÁµ ¨C puppy love; fall in love at an early age ¨C Refers to romantic relationships between kids under the age of 18, typically viewed with a negative light (Baidu) The bane of parents who worry that dating will distract their kids from schoolwork and the all-important college entrance exam. It¡¯s not uncommon for dating to be banned in junior and senior high school (by schools as well as parents) for this reason.


    Three Character Classic ¨C Èý×Ö¾­ ¨C A classic Chinese text written around the 13th century, an embodiment of Confucianism suitable for teaching young children. The text is written in triplets of characters for easy memorization (Wikipedia)


    hit the nail on the head ¨C Ò»Õë¼ûѪ ¨C pierce to the truth with a single pertinent remark; draw blood with one prick; go straight to the heart of the matter


    gamble on it ¨C ¹Â×¢Ò»ÖÀ ¨C bet all on a single throw; bet one¡¯s bottom dollar on; throw the helve after the hatchet; go for the gloves; make a last desperate effort; make a spoon or spoil a horn; make or break


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Beverly Hills ¨C ±È¸¥Àûׯ԰

 CH 60

    Suddenly the street light above them flickered and went out.


    At the same instant, Zong Yan cut through space and tightly grabbed the Night Watchman persona card. On the fingertips of his other hand, a golden flame magic pattern burst out¡ªjust in case.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ye JingMing asked. His face was vigilant and fearful.


    He took a few steps back, shrinking behind Zong Yan, and stared at the glittering magic pattern on the other teen¡¯s fingers.


    After the previous incident with the shoggoth, Ye JingMing almost suffered from PTSD. For a long time, the slightest unexpected movement put him on alert.


    But Zong Yan had helpfully reminded him that since he wasn¡¯t Awakened, the probability Ye JingMing would run into an otherworldly monster was as low as winning the lottery. Even if there were a lot of extra-dimensional creatures in Jiangzhou right now, they rarely attacked ordinary people, but focused on the Awakened.


    The flesh and blood of Awakened people was more effective than eating the bodies of a hundred ordinary people. In addition, the Awakened possessed an inherent attractiveness to aliens, which was the reason Zong Yan had been forced to move out of the tube building.


    ¡°There¡¯s a situation.¡± Zong Yan crushed the Astrologer¡¯s card, and a levitating crystal divination ball appeared above his palm.


    ¡°Is it, is it the type of situation I¡¯m thinking of?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too serious. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Zong Yan reassured him. The next moment his eyes turned an arcane shade of purple, flickering with stars of light.


    Thousands of information streams invisible to human sight converged in the sky and coalesced in his eyes, just like a high-tech projection. A vast star map unfolded before his eyes.


    ¡°There seems to be something above that street lamp.¡±


    Ye JingMing thought of the close encounter at the school and suddenly felt a little more courageous.


    He dared to take the basketball out of his schoolbag, weighed it in his hand for a moment, then hurled it through the air. But nothing happened. The ball rolled into the nearby fountain.


    There were a lot of people in the street. After all, they were in the city center. Not far away was a large shopping mall filled with luxury stores, and before them was a square with a fountain in the middle.


    By the time they¡¯d finished rehearsal it was almost seven o¡¯clock, the usual time for people to go out to eat. White collar workers who¡¯d just left work sat under the umbrellas of a caf¨¦ to one side.


    ¡°It¡¯s too populated here. Let¡¯s head to the mall.¡±


    Zong Yan made a clear decision. He and Ye JingMing exchanged a glance, then turned their heads to the fire escape of the shopping mall.


    The emergency exits of the shopping mall were almost never used. If you could take the elevator, you certainly wouldn¡¯t decide to climb the stairs. Only the emergency lights were on inside.


    Ye JingMing saw a flash of light, and then the black-haired teenager wearing a Qingyang High School uniform transformed into a gray-haired Night Watchman with a top hat and black umbrella.


    ¡°Do, do you feel like you¡¯re taller now?¡± he stammered a bit and hesitated before saying.


    ¡°Taller?¡± Zong Yan paused for a moment and instinctively glanced at his feet.


    Although the Night Watchman¡¯s costume was a bit retro, it didn¡¯t actually copy the short high heels that men sometimes wore in the 17th century. His footwear resembled the Martin boots popular in modern times.


    ¡°Maybe I look more mature like this? I don¡¯t know. Well, it¡¯s not really the best time to talk about it. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The Night Watchman had learned from experience. This time he didn¡¯t try to take Ye JingMing with him through the shadows, but just walked into the fire escape.


    Zong Yan¡¯s Night Watchman¡¯s outfit had already been exposed to the public. He didn¡¯t care if people labelled him as a cosplay fan.


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep behind me.¡±


    Zong Yan felt a little guilty. The creature was probably only here because of him. Thank goodness he had the ability to protect his friends. It was something of a blessing in misfortune.


    In addition, Ye JingMing had encountered the occult world before. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised by anything Zong Yan did.


    Fortunately, the creature that appeared in the vicinity wasn¡¯t hard to deal with. It was a Hunting Horror, a B-rank superior independent species.


    As far as Zong Yan was concerned, if it wasn¡¯t the incarnation of an evil god, anything else that jumped out in front of him was just delivering vegetables for him to chop. As long as he didn¡¯t make a mistake like with the shoggoth last time, he could send pretty much any alien creature back to outer space with a couple of whacks.


    By the time the Dragon Group showed up to find the awakening source they¡¯d detected, Zong Yan had already cancelled the Night Watchman status. He was standing in front of the caf¨¦, drinking a coffee and waiting for them to arrive.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve already handled it¡­. Thanks very much. You saved us some work.¡±


    The investigator in charge of coordinating with the police spoke to the officers behind him, then everyone dispersed one by one.


    The occult world cooperated secretly with police departments and other organizations in various countries. Basically, if there was a shortage of personnel, everyone would work together to help.


    Zong Yan, the recently crowned tenth Monarch of the occult world, was in the limelight recently. His name was the first item in the MU app¡¯s search bar and dominated the search topics for almost two weeks running.


    It was rumored that several of the old hands on the Monarch list were very curious about the young and gifted tenth Monarch. However, the Dragon Group in Jiangzhou looked at Zong Yan as a kind of mascot.


    The tenth Monarch was so young. He wasn¡¯t even an adult yet, still in his third year of high school, and how important was senior year? Maybe it was because everyone had gone to MU. They wanted to take care of him like a precious object.


    ¡°In that case, let me take down your statement.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zong Yan readily agreed. ¡°Tonight¡¯s creature was most likely a B-rank Hunting Horror. When we went to the landing on the second floor of the mall, it suddenly attacked us. I tried to lead it away to protect the public, but it might have been seen. I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine.¡± The investigator typed efficiently on his tablet and quickly submitted an investigation report. ¡°Jiangzhou hasn¡¯t been peaceful lately. The Internet¡¯s locked down to prevent a panic. If someone tries to upload a video it¡¯ll just be blocked.¡±


    Ye JingMing listened to this casual statement with considerable awe.


    As they spoke, Zong Yan remembered the help request that had provoked so much discussion on the MU app. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s happening in New York?¡±


    ¡°New York? Something big¡¯s going down in New York!¡± The investigator frowned. ¡°Lately there¡¯s a big decrease in the number of creatures sighted in Jiangzhou. The one you met today is only the second this week. The Dragon Group sent a lot of people to New York to help out. The news that¡¯s come back doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    Zong Yan had guessed something along those lines. After all, the recent international news was also bad.


    The nuclear power plant leak in New York had given rise to international condemnation, especially from Europe, the most direct victim located across the ocean from the United States.


    The world was now waiting to see how the United States managed the nuclear leak.


    ¡°We¡¯re observing whether the situation there is contained. If they don¡¯t succeed, we¡¯ll have to go over there on a mission.¡±


    There was no way around it. Professional matters had to be left to professionals. This wasn¡¯t a nuclear leak at all, but an incident caused by an otherworldly species, so it was even more important not to disclose anything to the public.


    However, the members of the Dragon Group belonged to China¡¯s special forces. If the Dragon Group went to New York to help out, they would be well-compensated for their assistance.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡±


    After giving his statement, Zong Yan sighed and walked home with Ye JingMing.


    When he arrived at home and opened the door, Nyarlathotep, who¡¯d transformed into a pool of mysterious liquid, extruded a mouth and a hand and pointed to the door. ¡°Someone delivered a package for you today.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You didn¡¯t do anything to the delivery person, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The Bloated Woman lightly hopped down from the second floor, covering half of her face with her fan. ¡°But he might have accidentally seen something he shouldn¡¯t have. If he ends up with a bit of mental illness, it¡¯s really not my fault.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He picked up the utility knife, opened the package and took out the instrument inside.


    This was the flute that Zong Yan had custom-ordered from the musical instrument shop.


    His original intention was to pick out a flute at random. But when he actually got to the store, this plan flew out the window. He couldn¡¯t think about anything other than buying a superior quality, expensive flute that had to be made to order. It was like being possessed.


    Zong Yan had really never been in contact with any musical instruments before, but when he walked into the music store, he was able to see the advantages and disadvantages of various instruments at a glance. Sitting on a piano bench he casually played Chopin. Picking up a violin he turned into Paganini. The owner of the store was surprised and thought he¡¯d met a reclusive musical genius. He quickly gave Zong Yan a discount.


    It was only after Zong Yan selected the flute materials, added a pile of special requirements, and paid a huge deposit that he realized what he¡¯d done.


    Recently, because Nyarlathotep helped him solve the problem of becoming the tenth Monarch, Zong Yan was able to occasionally pick up missions on weekends to earn some extra money.


    It had to be said that investigators really made money fast. As long as you were alive to enjoy it, any D-level mission earned upwards of five figures, and C-levels were six figures. Zong Yan suddenly became one of the invisible rich.


    Then he bought a flute and instantly returned to pre-liberation days.


    ¡°A flute?¡±


    When Zong Yan took out the flute and began to examine it, the smile on the Bloated Woman¡¯s face froze over.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Bloated Woman. The Haunter of the Dark who¡¯d just launched into the air, the Black Man who¡¯d formed a solid body, and the Black Pharaoh who was lying lazily on the tatami mat, all turned their heads with bright smiles that were suddenly frozen on their faces.


    All of the incarnations of Nyarlathotep were staring at the flute in Zong Yan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Under the stares of numerous evil god avatars, Zong Yan felt a bit on edge. He skillfully adjusted the bone-white flute in his hand.


    Strange, he was certain he¡¯d never touched the thing before, but he felt unexplainably familiar with it. And it wasn¡¯t the same as the feeling he got from the ability given to him by the Great Old One Hastur¡­.


    He put the flute to his mouth and gently blew the first note.


    What kind of heavenly music was this?!


    Zong Yan was deeply intoxicated by his artistic talent. He held the flute in his hands and began to play, totally infatuated. He didn¡¯t look at the glazed faces of Nyarlathotep¡¯s avatars at all.


    ¡®At last, at last, the recital of the Father God begins.¡®


    ¡®How is it that a stream of consciousness possesses such a devastating musical talent?¡¯


    The avatars exchanged a look with each other and retreated silently into the darkness.


    Zong Yan was oblivious to this. Nor did he know how blood-curdling was the sound he played.


    There¡¯s a certain type of person who doesn¡¯t have the slightest bit of talent for music and knows nothing about it, but stubbornly believes that what they¡¯re playing is the music of heaven.


    Sadly, there was no sane person around Zong Yan to remind him of this. After all, his audience was filled with evil gods.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s drunk, ah, it sounds so good


    Everyone else: ¡­¡­


    TL Notes:


    PTSD ¨C A disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event (via Google)


    invisible rich ¨C ÒþÐθ»ºÀ ¨C A rich person who is low-key about their wealth, or a rich person who¡¯s unknown to the public


    instantly returned to pre-liberation days ¨C Ò»³¯»Øµ½½â·ÅÇ° ¨C return to before liberation in one day ¨C the things you worked hard to achieve are lost all at once, and you can only work hard from scratch; to be in a similar state to before liberation in the 1940s when most people were poor and felt helpless


    felt a bit on edge ¨C Èç×øÕëÕ± ¨C sit on pins and needles; as if sitting on a spiked rug; be in an extremely uncomfortable position; be kept on the anxious seat; be on nettles; be on tenterhooks; be [sit; stand; walk] upon [on] thorns; feel as if sitting on a bed of nails


    totally infatuated ¨C Èç³ÕÈç×í ¨C delude one to folly; be out of one¡¯s mind


    blood-curdling ¨C ²Ò²»È̶à ¨C too horrible to look at; could not bear the sight; so horrible that one could hardly bear to look at it; so miserable that one cannot bear seeing it; abysmal, terrible, horrible, miserable


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Hunting Horror ¨C ¿Ö²ÀÁÔÊÖ ¨C A race of flying serpentine creatures


    Image source: Call of Cthulhu, French version ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 61

    When the song ended, Zong Yan slowly put down the flute. He felt like he was born to play this piece of music.


    Yes, it sounded so beautiful! The music of the flute was like a melody from heaven. Who else could play it but him? Who else!!


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    With the flute in his hand, the black-haired teen looked excitedly at the Black Pharaoh, the only entity left in the living room.


    The Black Pharaoh was one of the countless avatars of Nyarlathotep. He was a handsome man with dark skin and gorgeous robes.


    He had a gamepad in his hand, his eyes were glued to the screen, and he didn¡¯t respond to Zong Yan¡¯s question.


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but think that was a little strange. He knew the Haunter of the Dark and the Bloated Woman had just been here too, but he didn¡¯t know why they all disappeared as soon as he began to play. As he thought about it, he began to walk over.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    When Zong Yan went over to the Black Pharaoh, the latter suddenly reacted. His expression was a bit confused.


    ¡°What do you think about what I just played?¡± Zong Yan asked very sincerely.


    ¡°Good, very good.¡± As if to prove the sincerity of his words, Nyarla put down the gamepad and clapped his hands.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He began to doubt whether this guy actually listened to him play.


    ¡°In fact, I have another suggestion. Why don¡¯t we call Yog and Shub here to listen to your¡­ beautiful performance.¡±


    In order to appear more confident and conceal the fact that he¡¯d disabled his hearing, after Black Pharaoh applauded, he put forward a heartfelt suggestion.


    As a professional troublemaker, Nyarla was an expert at diverting attention.


    Sure enough, after hearing these two names, the black-haired teen immediately forgot his doubts.


    Zong Yan: ¡°They¡¯re both busy. It¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    If the two evil gods missed out on such a fantastic performance it was clearly their loss! Right!


    Instead of worrying about Nyarla, he carefully put the flute back into the dust bag. Humming happily, he began to prepare his dinner.


    As Nyarlathotep watched him go, he experienced a rare desire to say something.


    The Lord of the Universe didn¡¯t have many passions, but the one he was most obsessed with was music and performing.


    It was well known that Azathoth was the Blind Idiot Lord. But no matter how blind and idiotic he was, he could still manage to make a flute sound execrably grating, hideous, and abominable day after day, which really demonstrated his devotion to music.


    ¡­ It was just that intelligent beings would go crazy at the sound of it, and even Outer Gods who weren¡¯t strong enough would find themselves involuntarily joining in when they listened.


    Otherwise, where do you think all those Outer Gods came from¡ªthe ones who did nothing but perform for Azathoth in his palace!!


    Of course, entities like the three pillar gods wouldn¡¯t be compelled by the sound of Azathoth¡¯s flute, but that wonderful music would spontaneously echo in their heads for a long time, like a form of magical brainwashing.


    It was probably the ¡°light yellow dress, fluffy hair¡± type of brainwashing.


    ¡°Speaking of which, why did you buy a flute all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Zong Yan added the washed broccoli to the pot of boiling water and waited for it to cook. ¡°The day after tomorrow is the New Year¡¯s ceremony. The part I¡¯m performing on stage needs to play an instrument, so I chose the flute.¡±


    After the New Year¡¯s ceremony would come a blissful winter vacation. Since Zong Yan had just affirmed his artistic talent, he spoke with a hint of joy.


    Nyarlathotep: ¡°¡­¡±


    He imagined the scene: the Father God¡¯s stream of consciousness on stage, piping to the assembled teachers and students of the whole school, and made up his mind to never say anything to Zong Yan about it.


    How fun would that be!


    Nyarla, who was addicted to making trouble, even decided to take Shub and Yog to see the show. He might even bring along a few other Outer Gods who had nothing better to do.


    Hahahahahaha, it was so much fun to watch humans experience misfortune.


    So the Black Pharaoh went back to the couch and continued to play games in a good mood.


    Meanwhile, Zong Yan, who was dripping chili sauce on the broccoli with a spoon, didn¡¯t notice a thing.


    ¡ª


    The day of the New Year¡¯s ceremony soon arrived for all the Qingyang High School students who were so eagerly looking forward to it.


    Qingyang High School had an auditorium that could accommodate thousands of people, and that was where the stage was set up.


    To avoid occupying too much of the students¡¯ time, the New Year¡¯s ceremony would take place during the last two classes of the day. The students participating in the New Year¡¯s ceremony were given special permission not to attend the first class in the afternoon. For that reason, the students in Class 3 of senior three who were going to perform disappeared from school at noon.


    Zong Yan ate a leisurely lunch, then wandered around backstage.


    His role as Li Bai wasn¡¯t complicated. Now that the weather was cold, the auditorium was heated, and a lot of actors were putting on makeup and hadn¡¯t changed into their costumes yet.


    Zong Yan happened to see Ye JingMing nearby. The basketball team was performing a demonstration, so all the team members had to wear T-shirts.


    In wintertime, Zong Yan always wanted to wrap himself into a plush ball. He took a look at Ye JingMing¡¯s bare arms and shivered inside.


    It¡¯s so cold ah. This guy is really powerful.


    Shaking his head, he turned around and went to change into his costume.


    ¡°Hold still. Let¡¯s do some simple stage makeup.¡±


    The dance teacher had to lead a group of teachers in a performance today, so the art teachers came over to work as guest makeup artists.


    Zong Yan had just finished changing his clothes and picked up the hem to prevent himself from tripping. Then he was pushed into a chair over to the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re so pale. You don¡¯t really need foundation, do you?¡±


    The makeup artist pulled over a light and looked at Zong Yan. He didn¡¯t even grab the concealer, but took the highlighting stick and shadow powder and started applying them to Zong Yan¡¯s face.


    Zong Yan¡¯s skin was the cold, pale type that everyone envied. It was odd, but this type of skin appeared more often in boys. When girls were pale they tended to have warmer skin tones.


    A person wearing an ancient costume generally wouldn¡¯t wear eye makeup because it would be too obvious when they stood in the light. But things were different on stage, where the lighting was so much more dramatic. The makeup had to be heavier to achieve the right effect.


    So Zong Yan sat there and was fussed over for a while. His hair crown also took a long time to apply.


    ¡°There.¡± When he was done, the teacher looked at his work with satisfaction and also took two photos with him.


    Outside there was already a sparse audience. All the students in the school would shortly gather in the auditorium to watch the performance.


    The New Year¡¯s ceremony of Qingyang High School was known to be creative and unique, so the municipal TV station broadcast it every year, and several media people had arrived to do the filming. They¡¯d set up their cameras below the stage and were adjusting it, but from a distance it looked like they were carrying machine guns.


    Zong Yan sneaked a glance from offstage. The crowd was a sea of heads. He couldn¡¯t see the end of them.


    For a rare moment he felt a little nervous.


    Anyway, this was Zong Yan¡¯s first time performing in front of so many people. The biggest thing he¡¯d done before was give a speech under the national flag in primary school. He was a little nervous about participating in such a big show.


    As he thought of this, his gaze, which was originally careless, suddenly stopped.


    There were detailed seat assignments for the rows in the auditorium. For example, in the first row were the principal, vice principals, and the school board. In the second row were the teaching directors of each grade and the head teachers of each subject. Behind them were the teaching staff and invited parents, and finally the students in the back.


    But what Zong Yan saw in the first row was an evil god with dark skin and a white coat, and another evil god with gray hair, golden eyes, and a white robe. When Zong Yan looked over at them, they looked back at him. One gave a cheerful smile while the other carelessly raised his eyes and returned his glance.


    Zong Yan: ¡­?


    Help me understand this, did these two evil gods have nothing better to do today? Did they come out to experience the daily life of the common folk?


    What was even more frightening was the fact that the two evil gods were sitting in the seats reserved for the school board.


    Nyarla had the identity of the director of the Qingyang High School medical office, as Zong Yan knew. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t like the evil gods had tampered with reality just once or twice. Just get used to it.


    As for Yog-Sothoth, half a month ago this unlicensed tutor had single-handedly lowered Zong Yan¡¯s physics score by ten points. Zong Yan hadn¡¯t even seen his shadow since then. He suspected the guy had fled the scene of the crime. He really hadn¡¯t expected to see him today.


    This left Zong Yan rather confused.


    What was so special about the Qingyang High School New Year¡¯s ceremony? Why were these two evil gods so interested?


    Really, aside from the villa where they lived, it was absolutely never a good thing when evil gods started to pile up. Like in the last incident in Jiangzhou, when the evil gods rushed over to watch.


    Zong Yan hesitated.


    ¡ªWas something about to happen here?


    When he thought of this possibility, and the thousands of students in the auditorium, he couldn¡¯t calm down. He quickly reached into his pocket, crushed the Astrologer persona card, and took out his precious crystal ball to have a good look.


    Surprisingly, no.


    In the past few days, Jiangzhou was quiet, like the investigator had said. The frequency of otherworldly attacks had decreased more and more.


    Before, whenever Zong Yan looked at the crystal ball, he¡¯d always seen some small red dots. But lately they were gone.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±


    Although he couldn¡¯t figure it out, Zong Yan decided to be vigilant so that he could protect this imperiled world from the evil gods.


    After he made up his mind, he crouched down and kept a close watch on the situation from the stage until Xia KeYan came over to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. After this act, we¡¯re up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so soon?¡± Zong Yan was stunned for a moment and nervously scanned the audience again. Then he straightened his clothes and went backstage.


    ¡°The next program is ¡¶Three Hundred Poems¡· presented by the Qingyang High School Calligraphy Club.¡±


    After the emcee¡¯s announcement, all the lights were dimmed. The sound of someone reading aloud began to reverberate in the auditorium along with some music. In the center, a projector displayed vigorous and magnificent handwriting under the command of the lead actor.


    Zong Yan put his flute into a hidden pocket in his sleeve. He came out to the sound of music with a sword in his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s Li Bai!¡±


    ¡°So handsome!! It¡¯s Senior Zong Yan!¡±


    The projector behind him showed Li Bai¡¯s heroic ethic. When the lights returned, the young man with black hair and white clothes stood at the side of the stage, causing numerous screams.


    It was originally just a role for a vase. There wasn¡¯t much of a scene to perform. All he had to do was stand on stage.


    So many people were staring at him that Zong Yan almost couldn¡¯t control his face, but he managed to endure it. He casually put his sword away, took out the flute and put it to his mouth, ready to start his performance.


    ¡°Oh wow, is he really going to play?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s great. Look, someone just put a microphone next to him.¡±


    Under the expectant eyes of the crowd, Zong Yan took a deep breath and put the flute to his mouth.


    At the same time, the loudness of the musical accompaniment decreased, to set off the sound of the flute on stage.


    Everyone was watching with anticipation.


    The next second, an unspeakable croaking noise came out from the flute and resounded through the auditorium.


    How could this sound be described?


    It lacked the melodiousness of music, and as for actual notes, it didn¡¯t so much as approach them; it only made its audience feel they were listening to the most hideous thing in the world, a thing completely unrelated to the word ¡°good¡±.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just that the word ¡°good¡± was irrelevant, it was something that stood a world apart from music. It was the sound of someone scraping their fingernails on a chalkboard, like the worst sounding things in all the world had gathered together and rolled into one, combining to form a sensation that both choked you and made you gag.


    ¡®Is it really possible for a flute to make such a sound?¡¯


    This was the question everyone wanted to ask, but unfortunately, they were no longer able to.


    The moment the sound of the flute reached their ears, it was no longer just a sound, but transformed into something more profound, such as¡ªconsciousness.


    Also known as the magical sound you could hear even when covering your ears.


    The black-haired teen on the stage closed his eyes and blew into the flute as if mesmerized.


    The people in the audience lost consciousness, and their eyes became lax. They were immediately hit by the mental intelligence degeneration aura.


    ¡°Hahahahahahaha¡ª¡±


    Nyarlathotep was convulsed with laughter, rocking back and forth, and even Yog hooked the corners of his mouth.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: (the song ends) Everyone was so enthralled, I was amazing!


    TL Notes:


    Thus concludes the arc!! ?(???)?


    The next chapter begins a new arc, so I will skip updating tomorrow to do prep.


    If you¡¯re curious, it currently takes me about 5 hours to tl and edit a chapter like this one (3580 CN characters), or about 1.5 hours per 1k characters. So I¡¯m not particularly fast or anything, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m, uh¡­ willing to sink most of my free time into this one activity. (????)


    Regarding posting frequency: Sometime in the future I may pick up another project, but it¡¯s hard to go from a completed project with lots of reader activity to a new project with no readers and no feedback. It¡¯s like wandering in the Sahara for dozens of chapters. When that happens, I might cut back on daily updates for this project, but it won¡¯t be for a while, and it would be to start posting chapters of a new project. If you have thoughts about this let me know~


    Ahh, I always get sleepy in the fall. I hope you guys are having a good autumn (or spring, if you¡¯re in the southern hemisphere). (????):??? ?


    light yellow dress, fluffy hair ¨C µ­»ÆµÄ³¤È¹£¬ÅîËɵÄÍ··¢ ¨C A reference to a 2020 idol draft show (¡°Çà´ºÓÐÄãµÚ¶þ¼¾¡±, Youth With You Season 2) in which a trainee attempted to rap the quoted lyrics. The result was closer to a kindergarten recitation than a rap, so astonishingly terrible (but perhaps also strangely fascinating?) that it spawned a series of memes (Baidu) You can view it in all its glory here (14 seconds) One commenter says: ¡°Weirdly I have come to like this¡­. anti-flow? ¡­I hate that it¡¯s stuck in my head¡± (¤Ã???)¤Ã ?


    art teacher / makeup artist ¨C The gender of this person wasn¡¯t specified. I flipped a coin


    role for a vase ¨C »¨Æ¿½ÇÉ« ¨C flower vase previously mentioned in Chapter 19, a pretty but useless person


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 62

    After Qingyang High School held its New Year¡¯s ceremony, the students eagerly looked forward to winter break.


    Zong Yan, on the other hand, entered a state of self-imposed isolation.


    The moment he got home, he sealed up his flute inside a box forever, fastened it with a steel lock, and shut himself in his room. He hardly saw anyone for days.


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t really be blamed for being so withdrawn. It was just that what happened at the New Year¡¯s ceremony was so devastating.


    Everyone below the stage who heard the music was in a trance, with their brains completely vacant. Meanwhile Zong Yan continued playing the flute on stage, completely oblivious.


    Most terrible of all, the live broadcast continued. His music was transmitted to thousands of households through the television.


    The conversion into electronic signals failed to diminish the effect of the terrifying sound. People unthinkingly stopped what they were doing and drifted towards the TV like wandering souls, staring at the live broadcast with disoriented eyes.


    It was fortunate that Qingyang High School¡¯s New Year¡¯s ceremony didn¡¯t make it to the city¡¯s main TV station. Even so, its potency was astonishing.


    As he played, Zong Yan gradually lost his nerves and quietly peeked out at the audience. All he saw were his fellow students staring back at him with gleaming eyes.


    As a result, Zong Yan¡¯s confidence exploded. He executed several flute tricks in a row, adding a variation to the Carmen Fantasy and improvising the melody a bit.


    It was all thanks to the Great Old One Hastur. Otherwise he couldn¡¯t have adapted the song so perfectly.


    After the song ended, Zong Yan drew the sword he was wearing on his back, twirled it twice in his hand, and slowly exited the stage to the sound of the background music.


    Li Bai would be followed by Su Shi.


    Backstage, Zong Yan returned the sword to the prop table and then wiped the sweat on his face with a few pieces of tissue paper.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it while performing, but after leaving the stage he realized that his palms were sticky from anxiety and tension. He almost couldn¡¯t hold the sword straight.


    After he managed to calm down a bit he felt that something was wrong.


    He should have heard the sound of Su Shi¡¯s poetry being recited on stage, but there was nothing. The only sound in the auditorium was the recorded accompaniment music.


    What was going on?


    Zong Yan originally intended to go change his clothes. He paused for a moment, walked up the steps to the side of the stage, and poked his head out from the curtain.


    Then he saw Nyarlathotep¡¯s avatars occupying the first row of seats. All of them had delighted smiles on their faces, and the one in a white coat was lying on the arm of his chair, laughing. Beside him was a gray-haired evil god wearing a white robe, lazily supporting his head with his hand. His golden eyes fell precisely on Zong Yan, who was peeking over at him.


    But that wasn¡¯t the most important thing. The most important thing was that the floor of the auditorium was covered with a multitude of circular black ripples. It was like someone had spilled paint everywhere. In the dim stage lighting, they were an unsettling, evil color.


    And¡­ it seemed like something was about to cross through those circular ripples.


    The lights were turned towards the stage because of the performance. Everything else was in darkness.


    The entire audience was staring at the stage. No one looked down to see that their feet had been swallowed by black ripples.


    ¡°Tick.¡± ¡°Tick.¡± ¡°Tick.¡±


    Even the ceiling was covered by sticky, roiling black waves. A drop at a time, unholy black liquid fell to the floor like a scattering of rain.


    At some point the pause button had been pressed on the performance. No one spoke, and the members of the Calligraphy Club who¡¯d stood behind Zong Yan at the beginning were frozen in place, staring blankly ahead.


    Zong Yan¡¯s scalp was tingling. He couldn¡¯t care less about changing out of his costume. He hurried out from the stage over to the first row of seats.


    Strange to say, the black ripples scattered for Zong Yan when he approached, as if they were yielding before him.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    The moment Zong Yan spoke, certain unidentifiable things poked their heads out of the black ripples.


    They were like toads or ancient reptiles or octopi. They were composed of a strange flowing substance, like they had no proper bodies at all. Their ugly tentacles waved in the air, writhing and twisting, extremely repulsive.


    What was even more frightening was that all of these creatures were holding flutes, and they bowed submissively to Zong Yan as they played.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    What the hell were these things!! And why was the sound of their flutes so awful!


    It was so terrible to hear that Zong Yan¡¯s face crinkled up. ¡°Stop playing!¡±


    The unidentified creatures¡¯ liquid bodies suddenly produced pairs of eyes. They trembled and looked at him warily, and their large mouths immediately swallowed the flutes they were holding. Then they lapsed onto the floor in bewilderment.


    Why were these repulsive things listening to him?!


    The black-haired teen looked at Yog-Sothoth with a bewildered expression. He was beginning to suspect something that was both absurd and disagreeable.


    ¡°They¡¯re servants of the Outer Gods, musicians who often surround the palace of His Majesty Azathoth and perform for him.¡± Yog thought the expression on Zong Yan¡¯s face right now was quite interesting, so he didn¡¯t mind adding another spark to the fire. ¡°For the sake of the fragile humans around you, you¡¯d better not play the flute. After all, that¡¯s the Father God¡¯s favorite instrument, and his servants are inspired by the music.¡±


    So¡ªby implication, he¡¯d caused this entire situation?!


    The words were deafening in his ears. Zong Yan looked around at the lax faces and empty eyes, saw Nyarlathotep¡¯s thrilled expression as he observed everything, took in the little smile in the eyes of the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord, and with a ¡°pop¡ª¡± the thread in his heart snapped and broke.


    After a flash of light, the young man with black hair and white clothes transformed into a god with blond hair and bare feet that didn¡¯t touch the ground.


    His eyes were as pure and clear as the sky, like a calm turquoise sky just after a storm had cleared, capable of perceiving anything at a glance. Like a statue carved from marble, with profound edges and planes, his face was incomparably beautiful.


    The god held a lyre of pure gold in his arms, and he was wearing a short but elegant white and gold Greek robe. He was noble yet warm, gentle yet unapproachable and distant.


    This was Apollo, the world¡¯s most famous Sun God, and a strand of his blond hair was entwined with a small spray of white flowers woven by a water nymph. Golden light and fire surrounded him as if he were the convergence of all the light in the world.


    Where the God of the Sun descends, all that is dark must give way.


    Apollo gave a faint smile, and his long fingers danced across the strings of the lyre.


    In Greek mythology, Apollo wasn¡¯t only the god of the sun, but also the god of music and prophecy. In addition, he was a god of healing.


    As he gently plucked the strings, the lyre produced a truly melodious sound, far different from the flute that was played previously.


    The golden light around the sun god seemed to turn into long, straight arrows. They shot to every corner of the auditorium, forcing all the darkness to retreat.


    The servants of the Outer Gods had arrived in great haste at His Majesty¡¯s call, but under the repulsive force of the Earth, they were little more than shadows.


    When the light hit them, these shadows dispersed one after another like torn pieces of paper. Silence gradually returned.


    Under the golden light, the black haze was dispelled from the entire auditorium. Everything became normal again, but the people still didn¡¯t wake up.


    Zong Yan¡¯s hands continued to play, the lyre continued to make music, and light flowed outward like meltwater, gently soothing the wounded minds of those who heard it, and incidentally blurring their memory.


    Twenty minutes later, when the members of the Dragon Group rushed over, they found nothing.


    ¡°Qingyang High School? If I¡¯m not mistaken, isn¡¯t this the school of the newly-crowned tenth Monarch?¡± The investigator glanced in wonder at the stage where people were still singing and dancing. The New Year¡¯s ceremony was in progress. He was a little confused.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say there were A-rank or higher otherworldly fluctuations here? Strange, I¡¯m not finding any abnormality. Is it a mistake?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Maybe the Monarch took care of it.¡± The other investigator put away his pen. ¡°Lately all the monsters in Jiangzhou are approaching Monarch level. The tenth Monarch¡¯s completed mission list is full of high-level creatures, too. Man, you can tell he was a Monarch at first awakening. People really shouldn¡¯t try to compare themselves to others ah.¡±


    All the Monarchs were extremely talented. They could use elemental powers without needing the guidance of magic patterns. If an ordinary investigator wanted to get stronger, they had to study.


    Of course, through round-the-clock practice and precise calculation, the combat effectiveness of the senior investigators who fought with magic patterns wasn¡¯t that much worse than Monarchs. This greatly increased the fighting strength of the human race.


    ¡°Yeah. All right, all right, let¡¯s call it a day!¡±


    They didn¡¯t try to look any further. After making sure there was no mistake, they left the school.


    Occasionally the Dragon Group¡¯s detectors could make mistakes, so no one bothered to examine it deeper. After all, compared to Jiangzhou, New York was now a hell on earth.


    But the incident still inflicted long-lasting damage on Zong Yan.


    He was so self-absorbed that he ate nothing but takeout for two days. He even asked the harbinger bird to help him go to the door and bring the food to the second floor. He never set foot outside his bedroom.


    When Yog appeared in his room, the lights weren¡¯t on. He could vaguely see a person-sized bulge on the bed.


    Yog-Sothoth: ¡­


    He stared at the bulge for a while then suddenly disappeared.


    Zong Yan huddled under the blanket and slept. He was still immersed in the most unbearable blow of his life. For a while he didn¡¯t even want to do his winter break homework. He hugged himself and curled up in a ball of misery.


    Then, as he slept, he felt himself kick something round.


    The black-haired teen opened his eyes and saw a sphere of colorful, brilliant light squeezed under his blanket. It was face to face with him, and he saw it as soon as he looked over.


    He¡¯d fallen into a hazy sleep, and when he opened his eyes, they were stabbed by the dazzling light. His eyes immediately shed physiological tears.


    Zong Yan was so frightened that he threw back the quilt and rolled over to turn on the light. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    The brilliant sphere elongated and deformed, reappearing in the shape of a slender man with short hair wearing a trench coat. With his high nose and deeply defined features, he looked like a scholar from a classical 17th century oil painting.


    His face was completely different from before, and his temperament was no longer ethereal but elegant and erudite. In short, his image was now perfectly consistent with that of a teacher.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to tutor you.¡± Yog added gently, ¡°This time we¡¯ll use the minimally efficient human way.¡±


    He made a gesture, and in his hand appeared a pile of Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations books.


    Zong Yan¡¯s sight went black.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Do you want me to get a zero?


    Here we go, here we go!


    TL Notes:


    Welcome to the new arc, ¡°The Sun God¡±! This one is 15 chapters. ?(???)?


    Normally when an arc ends, I take a day off from posting to do prep. For this arc, the last chapter is pretty long, almost double. So this time I¡¯ll take a day off before Chapter 76 instead of after. (¤Ã???)¤Ã ?


    Carmen Fantasy ¨C ¿¨ÃÅ¿ñÏëÇú ¨C One of Sarasate¡¯s most well known works, Op. 25. The adaptation for violin is often performed in competitions and considered one of the most challenging and technically demanding pieces (Wikipedia)


    Su Shi ¨C ËÕéø ¨C A learned calligrapher, politician, and polymath of the Song dynasty, c. 1050. One of the most accomplished figures in classical Chinese literature, he founded the haofang school, which cultivated an attitude of heroic abandon (Wikipedia)


    unapproachable and distant ¨C ¾ÜÈËÓÚǧÀïÖ®Íâ ¨C keep sb. a thousand li away; keep at arm¡¯s length; keep a good distance from sb; put sb. beyond the pale


    extremely talented ¨C ÀÏÌìÒ¯ÉÍ·¹³Ô ¨C ¡°God¡¯s reward for eating food ¡± ¨C highly talented, talent that falls from the sky (Baidu)


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 63

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Zong Yan steeled himself and quietly gulped.


    His previous score in physics was 35 points. But after going through a mental ordeal, his score on the midterm plunged to 25.


    To be fair, although Zong Yan didn¡¯t do very well in physics, his grades were stable. He got around 30 points every time. He¡¯d never suffered such a devastating loss.


    After the physics teacher finished correcting the exam, he asked Zong Yan to the office for tea. In a serious voice the teacher told him to find a cram school during winter break and that he must not think of giving up.


    ¡°Time is growing short. At the last meeting of our teaching team, we all agreed that with your grades, a top tier university is no problem for you.¡±


    As far as Zong Yan could remember, his physics teacher had always given him the cold shoulder, but right now his face contained nothing but encouragement. ¡°I heard that you want to apply to Tsinghua? Tsinghua has an excellent engineering program. It¡¯s very suitable for boys like you. You¡¯re so good at mathematics. If you want to develop into pure science, you could also consider Beijing University.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a bright child and you¡¯re usually very self-disciplined. Your teacher didn¡¯t do the right thing before. Let me apologize now. You¡¯re a senior in high school. Don¡¯t let personal feelings get in the way of your future.¡±


    It was then that Zong Yan realized Mr. Liu was just a small old man with grey hair and a hunched body.


    Mr. Liu had previously retired, but he was specially recruited and came back to teach physics. If not for the fact that he wanted to rest, he would have focused on third year students specifically. Instead, he¡¯d taken a new class and followed it through all three years of high school.


    That had some advantages. For example, the relationship between teacher and student was stronger.


    ¡°I know, Mr. Liu,¡± Zong Yan said, feeling guilty.


    Now that he thought about it, aside from giving him detention and openly criticizing him in class, hating iron for not being steel, Mr. Liu hadn¡¯t done anything else to him.


    It was just that as a teenager Zong Yan had strong self-esteem and couldn¡¯t tolerate any frustration. Over time, things had become somewhat hostile.


    But now that he thought about it, how could there be any real animosity between a teacher and a student? A teacher would certainly hope his students would be admitted to a good school and develop well in the future. And just now, an old and respected teacher had actually extended an olive branch to Zong Yan, hoping he wouldn¡¯t be prejudiced against a subject just because he didn¡¯t like his teacher.


    Teachers are educators, and their sincerity didn¡¯t have to be spoken. There was nothing unusual about it.


    Zong Yan and Mr. Liu had fought from the first year to the third. He never thought they¡¯d reconcile like this.


    ¡°I took your test paper from the teacher who graded it this time. In the past you only wrote down a formula for the major questions. I didn¡¯t expect to see that this time, you wrote a large number of dense equations and calculations. But your formulas were very strange, and it wasn¡¯t clear where they came from. I¡¯ve never heard of negative particles that can transform themselves. But your teacher sees that your attitude has changed. You have the right mindset now. It won¡¯t be difficult to learn.


    ¡°You can do it. Jiayou.¡±


    The physics teacher patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re young and you have the energy to work hard. You¡¯re even able to get a perfect score in math. What¡¯s so hard about physics? Have confidence in yourself. Your teacher believes you¡¯ll be able to overcome this difficulty. Tsinghua and Beijing University are waiting for you next year. You¡¯ll make your family proud!¡±


    It was thanks to this conversation that Zong Yan had psyched himself up. He was looking forward to winter break to start cramming, hell-mode style.


    But as it turned out, he suffered a psychological blow from the New Year¡¯s ceremony and did nothing but lay around at home for a few days. Anyway, before he could start his plan, he was suddenly interrupted by Yog-Sothoth.


    Zong Yan thought to himself, there¡¯s no way I can do that kind of tutoring ah! Last time I lost ten points, this time won¡¯t it be 15? I¡¯ll probably hit zero by the end of winter break. I¡¯d be stupid to do this!


    ¡°This time we¡¯ll do it the human way.¡± The omniscient and omnipotent Lord, who¡¯d changed his appearance, spoke without mercy. He didn¡¯t give Zong Yan any space to refuse but pushed a pile of textbooks onto the table.


    To be honest, after the last tutoring session that sent Zong Yan¡¯s performance backward instead of forward, Yog-Sothoth had felt a rare bit of frustration.


    Of course, the great omniscient and omnipotent Lord would never reflect on his own behavior. He attributed everything to the inadequacy of human physics.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    What else could he do? All he could do was learn. If he angered this person into giving him a sudden flood of enlightenment, the problem wouldn¡¯t be his physics score hitting zero, the problem would be sudden-onset dementia.


    Surprisingly enough, Yog-Sothoth sat down at the desk with a pen in his hand. The Five-Three in front of him opened to a section on charged particles that Zong Yan had never understood. The evil god indicated that he should start working on the exercises.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why, but seeing this guy act so grounded made Zong Yan feel a bit flustered.


    Of course, Zong Yan certainly wasn¡¯t going to openly refuse.


    When he finished working a problem and pushed it over, a cold and slender hand grazed his cuff and landed on the sheet in front of him, then mercilessly circled an error. ¡°Wrong. This formula is useless.¡±


    Oh! He¡¯s actually teaching.


    It was a bit creepy to be personally tutored by an evil god, not to mention the only reason for this personal guidance was to raise a tiny human¡¯s physics grade. Should he feel surprised, maybe honored?


    As Zong Yan stared at the formula on the paper he couldn¡¯t stop worrying about the only 25 points he had left.


    Maybe Zong Yan was a bit too wary, but he really wanted to preserve those remaining 25 points. He didn¡¯t know if his world view would be demolished again after this round of tutorials. It was hard to say.


    But if the evil god was one foot tall, Zong Yan was ten feet tall. He had his own way of resisting.


    That¡¯s it¡ªI won¡¯t listen, I won¡¯t listen, I just won¡¯t listen at all!


    Even if the other party was the Lord of Omniscience and Omnipotence, there was no way he could tell whether someone was paying attention, right? Ha ha ha ha!


    Zong Yan thought he was extremely clever. He listened to the lecture in a casual manner. After Yog finished speaking, Zong Yan went to work with his pen.


    This time, he deliberately slowed down his writing speed, hoping to stretch things out. He wanted to get this tutorial session over as fast as possible.


    Then, while the other party was explaining, Zong Yan¡¯s mind began to wander in the sky, something he was very experienced at. For example, he imagined himself living it up, punching Elder Gods and kicking Outer Gods and Great Old Ones left and right. Then he thought about what takeout he¡¯d like to order in the evening. It seemed like an interesting movie was released recently, maybe he should go see it, etc., etc.


    ¡­ Unfortunately, this brilliant avoidance method didn¡¯t last long. The relevant party soon discovered it.


    Yog pinched a corner of the Five-Three book, and his voice suddenly dropped two degrees compared to his previous straightforward narration. ¡°I explained this question to you just five minutes and three seconds ago. Were you listening or not?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the black-haired teen answered with great confidence and conviction. There wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of a guilty conscience.


    ¡°Very well then, please restate what I said before.¡± Considering the goldfish brain of a human, which forgot whatever it was looking at a second later, the evil god lowered his standards even further. He gave a cold sneer, ¡°Just describe it in general.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    When the Lord of Omniscience and Omnipotence saw this reaction he almost laughed with anger.


    Lately it seemed that Zong Yan had been in a bad mood. That was why Yog had reached this point¡ªto try to find something to distract him. Yog hadn¡¯t hesitated to lower himself. He¡¯d even gone so far as to spend a hundred-millionth of a second loading the knowledge of human high school physics, then went into battle personally to help.


    This couldn¡¯t be called a gift¡ªit was straight up indulgence. And what was the result?


    ¡°A disobedient student will be punished by his instructor.¡±


    In the dim light, the man¡¯s smile was unspeakably dangerous.


    The face of Yog¡¯s new avatar was a little too sharp. If you just looked at his temperament, it was very much in line with his erudite and elegant identity. But when his expression grew cold, Zong Yan¡¯s hair stood on end. It was like a dangerous hunter had just locked on him, as frightening as if he were about to be strangled.


    It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over¡ªthat tone of voice¡ªsomething bad was about to happen.


    Zong Yan found himself seated on the stool, unable to move.


    He watched in horror as a swarm of indescribable and terrifying shadows unfurled behind the gray-haired evil god.


    The next moment, those shadows gradually solidified, taking over the entire room, writhing over the carpet, covering the ceiling.


    They somehow avoided all the other contents of the room, forming a huge cocoon that completely enveloped Zong Yan.


    The scene was really damaging to his San value.


    Zong Yan instinctively grabbed a card from the void but a second later, he was caught by the wrist.


    When he looked up, he met a pair of golden eyes.


    No, those eyes couldn¡¯t be called golden anymore.


    It was something that couldn¡¯t be described in words. It was the brightness of an array of stars unfolding across the entire sky.


    Just a glance could snatch the soul away.


    As Zong Yan looked on in horror, those spirit-shadows disappeared inside his head.


    Every one of the shadows was terrible, but they submerged into Zong Yan¡¯s temple without the slightest hindrance.


    At the same time, a strange and mysterious sensation gradually crept into his mind.


    He felt as if he¡¯d been stripped of all disguise, leaving his spirit exposed to a freezing wind. In the vast sea of his consciousness, an indescribable presence suddenly appeared, occupying this territory with uncontestable authority.


    ¡®What is this?!¡¯


    Zong Yan looked at Yog with horror.


    ¡®Your spirit has already connected with mine.¡¯


    The gray-haired evil god smiled slightly, but this smile gave Zong Yan the creeps. Cold chills ran down his spine.


    ¡®In other words, I can now see all the thoughts in your mind. Of course, you can do the same to me. But let me give you a piece of advice. Don¡¯t try to spy on me through the psychic bridge, or you¡¯ll be lost in the sea of my spirit. You¡¯ll be completely annihilated. Not even your soul will remain.¡¯


    If an evil god wanted to know what was in a person¡¯s mind, how easy, just take out their brain and you were done. Otherwise, a psychic tentacle could reach out, probe inside, and grab all a person¡¯s thoughts. After the target¡¯s mind was seized it would leave a bit of insanity as a side effect, no big deal.


    Of course, a fragile human being couldn¡¯t endure that kind of stimulation, so Yog-Sothoth compassionately constructed a simple psychic bridge.


    To share such a bridge with the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord was an enormous honor.


    By definition, a psychic bridge was a two-way channel. While Yog was able to view Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts, Zong Yan could also attempt to reach the evil god¡¯s true self.


    However, right now Zong Yan was nothing more than an insignificant stream of consciousness. If he rashly tried to touch the evil god¡¯s substance, he would be swallowed up by billions of glorious spheres, and nothing would be left.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Very well, now we¡¯ll study.¡¯


    Yog shoved the exercise book over to him with a benevolent air.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: This is too hard for me, really.


    ¡ª


    TL Notes:


    devastating loss ¨C »¬Ìú¬ ¨C Waterloo ¨C The site of Napoleon¡¯s defeat in 1815


    time is growing short ¨C from ʱ¼ä¾ÍÊǽðÇ® ¨C ¡°time is money¡±. I think the point is that there isn¡¯t much time left, time is valuable, etc.


    top tier ¨C literally says ¡°top3¡± ¨C ¡°top1¡± should refer to Beijing University (formerly known as Peking University), ¡°top2¡± means Tsinghua and Beijing University, and ¡°top3¡± would include the other universities that round out the top 10 of the national ranking in China. There¡¯s no solid consensus on the third highest-ranking university. It sort of depends on your major. (from Baidu)


    hating iron for not being steel ¨C ºÞÌú²»³É¸Ö ¨C be exasperated at sb.¡¯s failure to make good; regret that one¡¯s offspring does not live up to one¡¯s expectations


    sincerity didn¡¯t have to be spoken ¨C ÌÒÀî²»ÑÔ ¨C Peaches and plums do not speak ¡ª sincere men need not speak much


    You¡¯ll make your family proud ¨C from ¹â×ÚÒ«×æ ¨C make one¡¯s ancestors illustrious; bring glory on one¡¯s ancestors; glorify and illuminate the ancestors; One¡¯s ancestors will be rendered illustrious


    the evil god was one foot tall¡­ ¨C аÉñ¸ßÒ»³ß×ÚÑܸßÒ»ÕÉ ¨C This is based on an idiom, ¡°µÀ¸ßÒ»³ß£¬Ä§¸ßÒ»ÕÉ¡±, ¡°the Dao is one foot high, the demon is ten feet high¡±. The more you advance, the greater the obstacles or resistance you will face


    I won¡¯t listen, I won¡¯t listen¡­ ¨C ÎÒ²»ÌýÎÒ²»ÌýÎÒ¾ÍÊDz»Ìý´ó·¨ ¨C There¡¯s a very similar popular meme. The last part mentions the ¡°Great Law¡± (´ó·¨) or fundamental laws of the country. I wasn¡¯t sure of a good English equivalent


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 64

    It was terrifying for a teacher to know the instant a student was distracted in class.


    As Zong Yan discovered.


    This was the scene when Yog-Sothoth began his tutorial session.


    ¡®From now on, I can¡¯t think of anything at all!¡¯


    Zong Yan admonished himself secretly, then turned his attention to the book in front of him. ¡°You can start now.¡±


    He swore he¡¯d never listened to a physics lecture so intently before. He was so serious that it was like having his eyes glued to the exercise book.


    In fact, putting everything else aside, Yog-Sothoth was actually a very effective tutor. The Lord of Omniscience and Omnipotence was worthy of his title.


    When Zong Yan listened to his physics teacher in class, he was never able to follow along. But now the knowledge points he didn¡¯t understand were instilled one by one, neatly arranged in his mind. Like a flash of illumination, everything became simple and clear.


    At first Zong Yan was worried about being suddenly ambushed again. But the more he listened, the more he became absorbed. For the first time he was able to swim in the ocean of physics instead of being slammed into shore by the tumbling waves.


    His exclusive, limited edition evil god tutor would begin by analyzing the problem bit by bit. Then, after listening to a summary, Zong Yan went back and did three similar questions in a row.


    Initially Zong Yan felt awkward having someone constantly staring at him as he wrote. But the instant his mind began to wander, Yog would give him a death ray stare, or the tentacle of a spirit-shadow would wrap around his wrist as a warning.


    Later on, as he overcame more and more types of problems, Zong Yan felt like a new person. He didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else. The little science gears in his brain began to whir, carrying out calculations at high speed.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t stupid. He was a natural born science-track student. In the past, he hadn¡¯t scored well in physics because he didn¡¯t know enough to cross the threshold. Although the textbook from the Great Race of Yith had retrogressed him 10 points in physics, it had also opened up several channels of learning in his head and gave him the basic concepts. Now, as he was being tutored, the things he¡¯d learned before fed back in. All of a sudden the obstacles were swept away. He was on a roll.


    Of course, the evil god didn¡¯t bother to tell him this. Zong Yan only thought this guy was a powerful tutor, so he bowed his head and studied in silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m done!¡±


    After finishing the last big problem in the set of exercises, Zong Yan let out a deep breath. He turned his head in excitement.


    They were sitting at the desk in his room. A huge, unnamable shadow still surrounded them, wrapping the two people inside a dark, tightly sealed ball. The lamp on the table was faintly trembling.


    The short-haired man sat beside him with his head propped in his hand. The chaotic color in his eyes hadn¡¯t faded at all. When Zong Yan turned his head he saw his own small reflection in those eyes.


    Somewhat embarrassingly, Zong Yan turned his head so fast he almost hit the other party¡¯s face.


    The black-haired teen gulped silently.


    ¡®His looks are so perfect I can¡¯t pick out any flaws. But it¡¯s creepy that he¡¯s not even breathing ah!¡¯


    He looked at the inhumanly smooth skin on the evil god¡¯s face, which didn¡¯t show the slightest trace of pores, and thought quietly to himself.


    The next moment, the evil god¡¯s low laughter resounded in the narrow space. Zong Yan suddenly felt a warm breath intertwining with his own, inseparable and close.


    That was the bad thing about a psychic connection. As long as the evil god was interested, not even the slightest flutter in Zong Yan¡¯s mind could escape his attention.


    ¡®Simulating human physiological processes is indeed somewhat difficult for evil gods.¡¯


    As nervous as Zong Yan was, he began to feel a little strange. So he quietly scooted away, creating some distance between himself and the omniscient and omnipotent Lord.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Before he could move away more than a little, a spirit-shadow wrapped around the back of his neck. It almost made Zong Yan shudder.


    The back of the human neck is a very fragile place!! Don¡¯t touch it casually, okay!


    The omniscient and omnipotent Lord hadn¡¯t turned a page of the book in his hand. It was covered in a multitude of words that Zong Yan was entirely incapable of understanding.


    The gray-haired evil god didn¡¯t even look up. He set Zong Yan down where he¡¯d been a moment earlier.


    ¡°These questions are wrong.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He instantly discarded the unnecessary thoughts in his brain, picked up his pen honestly and began to work on problems again. He finished another chapter full of practice exercises without noticing.


    Zong Yan began to think this tutoring session was taking an unusually long time. The lecture on charged particles ended and they moved on to the next chapter. Before he knew it, they covered half of the Five-Three book, but the tutorial still didn¡¯t end.


    Zong Yan felt like he was imagining things. He looked back at the pen in his hand. The ink hadn¡¯t decreased at all.


    ""


    A bold idea entered his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Zong Yan said with great sincerity.


    ¡°No, you are not.¡± The pages of the book in front of Yog slowly turned over. ¡°I¡¯ve suspended time, and you now have undigested matter in your stomach, exactly as you did when you woke up.¡±


    Damn, that¡¯s too much.


    Learning is learning. Even if time is suspended, your mind will still feel tired!


    Zong Yan wanted to grab the tyrannical evil god¡¯s shoulders and shake him.


    ¡°No, you will not.¡±


    Yog lifted his eyes. Only then did Zong Yan notice he was wearing a faintly discernible smile.


    Zong Yan¡¯s inner alarm bells went off. Then he fell backwards.


    The spiritual shadows lurking in the sea of Zong Yan¡¯s consciousness suddenly emerged from under the surface of the water and extended out to every one of his nerve endings.


    They accurately and precisely connected to each nerve fiber in his spinal cord and brainstem, but instead of activating the neurons, they mimicked various neurotransmitters, stabilizing the postsynaptic membranes to produce additional receptors.


    At that moment, Zong Yan felt like his mind had been catapulted to the peak. His sight went gray.


    Under the evil god¡¯s lightly-sketched manipulation, his nerves were overloaded, and the steady restoration of neurotransmitters revitalized his somewhat exhausted spirit.


    Zong Yan seemed to see the gorgeous sky and flickering stars under the low curtain of night, every change from the end of the human race to the beginning, and all things in the universe turned into white static like the old-fashioned crash of a computer.


    ¡°¡ª¡±


    It was only for a moment.


    But he saw the world through the eyes of an evil god.


    The black-haired teen was lost in confusion and suddenly fell, but the spirit-shadows caught him in mid-air.


    His pajamas were once again damp from sweat that seeped from his skin, plastering the fabric to his body. His whole person seemed to be steaming, like a freshly boiled pot of water or a hot branding iron. His chest heaved violently. A hazy color crept over his dazed face.


    Like a broken toy, he possessed a soul-stirring, shattered kind of beauty.


    The gray-haired evil god watched all this with keen interest, but inwardly he felt some regret.


    The human body was far too fragile. It was almost overloaded at a level of less than 1%. If not for the fact the evil god had such good control, Zong Yan might have become a vegetable just now.


    After that, Zong Yan didn¡¯t feel any fatigue at all. Thanks to the evil god¡¯s chemical stimulation methods, his entire body felt vigorous and energized, like he could complete an entire stack of papers.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Yog waved his hand, and the exercise book and pen automatically leaped into the hands of the black-haired teen. His voice was like the whisper of the devil, ¡°If you feel tired, we can do that again at any time.¡±


    ¡ª


    This hellish cramming session lasted just one day.


    Of course, that was one day by human standards.


    The great Lord of Time and Space deliberately suspended time in order to tackle physics within one calendar day.


    Zong Yan sensed that he might have actually worked for more than fifty hours in the time-suspended space. He got about halfway through his high school physics review.


    It had to be said this tutorial process was immensely painful.


    First of all, pausing time meant there was no need to drink, eat, go to the toilet, or address any other physiological needs. Secondly, the establishment of the psychic bridge meant Zong Yan couldn¡¯t get distracted. The moment his mind began to wander in the sky, he would be caught in the act and face the mental punishment of hearing Yog recite out loud exactly what he¡¯d been thinking. Finally, whenever Zong Yan began to feel mentally fatigued, the mighty Lord of Time and Space would use his chemical electroshock therapy to forcibly recharge Zong Yan¡¯s energy levels.


    With all this supporting hardware in place, the only thing Zong Yan could do was immerse himself in the ocean of physics without any rest.


    Eventually, Yog observed that Zong Yan was growing too tired, so he mercifully allowed Zong Yan to go to bed and take a nap.


    The moment when those spiritual tentacles were withdrawn from his head, Zong Yan collapsed on the bed like he had kidney deficiency. As soon as he touched the pillow he sank into a sweet dream.


    The gray-haired evil god drifted slowly through the air and looked down at the young man¡¯s serene, sleeping face. A rare, subtle emotion rose up inside him.


    ¡®Human beings are so small.¡¯


    The Lord of Time and Space gazed at his Zong Yan¡¯s face.


    He could easily see the bones of the young man¡¯s body, see the blood flowing through his tissues, see the texture of his skin and the brain that had shut down its external senses.


    ¡®One touch and it will break.¡¯


    In the eyes of a supreme evil god, all creatures deserved to be called ¡®fragile¡¯.


    It was just that human beings were especially fragile.


    Yog-Sothoth had never understood why the Father God¡¯s stream of consciousness chose to be born as a human.


    In the vast universe, there were countless races superior to human beings. In the eyes of the Lord of Time and Space, the 4.5 million year history of the human species was a stretch of time he could penetrate with a single thought. If Yog were so inclined, he could roll back human civilization millions of years.


    In the wider universe, those that could be regarded as greater civilizations reckoned time in units of billions of years.


    Those races were madly devoted to the mighty Lord of the Gate. Once they¡¯d sacrificed a large galaxy as tribute to the god, requesting that he grant them his presence.


    At the time, Yog was in a good mood. He sent an avatar over and gave them a great deal of knowledge in return.


    Unfortunately, even with their most advanced light brain technology, the race was unable to receive the Lord of the Gate¡¯s gift.


    They knelt on the ground and watched as a light brain comparable to a planet disintegrated and exploded into a sea of stars. But the expression on their faces grew even more fanatical.


    Throughout the universe, the weak were easy prey to the strong, and the law of the jungle prevailed.


    The more advanced and powerful a race, the more aware they were of the gap between themselves and the gods, and so their adoration increased.


    Zong Yan slept for a long time. When he woke up, there was no one else in the room, evil gods included.


    The curtain was drawn to let in sunlight from outside. He squinted his eyes and looked at the blue sky. Suddenly, the phone at the head of the bed vibrated.


    When he opened his cell phone to check, numerous headlines met his eyes.


    ¡¾New York, U.S.A invaded by a black fog of unknown origin. Dark clouds block out the sun, covering the sky. Sightings of mutated animals have been reported¡¿


    ¡¾WHO response: The species is unknown and has never been recorded in existing scientific literature. The mutation may be caused by the previous nuclear power plant leak¡¿


    ¡¾The United Nations calls for nations around the globe to assist with the disaster¡¿


    ¡¾The New York Times: We have lost the sun forever¡¿


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart began to sink. He continued to pull down news articles while opening the Miskatonic app.


    ¡¾Latest emergency: Situation critical. Calling all active investigators to report to New York, U.S.A. immediately¡¿


    The notification was placed on the main page of the app, highlighted in red and bolded. All other missions gave way to this one.


    What was worse, the push message was golden.


    A gold notice meant the highest level of emergency in the occult community. The Spire Council had strict control over such emergency declarations. The last time it had been used was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the entire world was nearly dragged into the grave.


    In other words, the appearance of this notification meant one thing¡ª


    Humanity was in danger.


    TL Notes:


    kidney deficiency ¨C ÉöÐé ¨C According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys store ¡°jing¡±, or essence, which is important for longevity and considered one of the Three Treasures (ÈýŒš) along with qi and shen. People are said to be born with a fixed amount of jing. Although jing can be acquired from various activities, it¡¯s also consumed by stress, illness, sexual intercourse (for men), etc. (Wikipedia) In CN web novels, you¡¯ll frequently hear that too much papapa leads to kidney deficiency, resulting in exhaustion


    light brain ¨C ¹âÄÔ ¨C Alternatively: optical brain. A common term in CN web novels. It usually refers to some sort of optical processing computer, presumably far superior to current technology


    dragged into the grave ¨C ÅãÔá ¨C be buried with the dead ¨C die together, take with you into death


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    WHO ¨C ÊÀÎÀ×éÖ¯ ¨C World Health Organization (ÊÀ½çÐlÉú½M¿—)


    United Nations ¨C ÁªºÏ¹ú


    New York Times ¨C ŦԼʱ±¨


    Cuban Missile Crisis ¨C ¹Å°Íµ¼µ¯Î£»ú

 CH 65

    Summon investigators from all over the world to New York?


    Zong Yan sat up in his bed with a jolt. His fingers kept swiping the screen.


    The seriousness of the situation was beyond what he¡¯d imagined.


    News media all over the world were reporting on the conditions in New York. Zong Yan hurriedly scanned the stories. The photos showed all of New York City shrouded in a dark, oppressive fog. Not a single light was visible through the gloom. It was a disturbing sight.


    To make matters worse, the black fog continued to spread. Philadelphia and Boston, which were close to New York, were now affected by the same phenomenon.


    So far, no one knew if the black fog might have other effects. The World Health Organization collected samples for testing. While they didn¡¯t observe any adverse impacts on the human body, they also hadn¡¯t found a way to disperse the fog.


    Currently the world¡¯s media attributed all of the strange phenomena to the nuclear power plant leak that happened near New York. However, a few third-rate tabloids had begun to claim that these were signs of the biblical apocalypse.


    Three or four days had passed since the nuclear power plant leak, and almost the entire population of New York City had already chosen to evacuate.


    But New York was the financial heart and lifeblood of the United States, so after symbolically listing the areas that needed to evacuate, the governor didn¡¯t force the inhabitants to leave.


    The nuclear power plant accident was a blow to the international image of the United States. However, every member of Congress was well aware that the problem was actually related to the occult world. They weren¡¯t interested in roiling the financial markets over such a small matter.


    Even with the evacuation order, they were able to manage world public opinion until the morning of the next day.


    When the sun rose over North America, the entire continent was bathed in sunlight¡ªexcept for New York City, which remained in unending darkness.


    This mysterious phenomenon was reported all over the world. Simultaneously, reporters from Europe unearthed a few blurred photos previously shot in New York. That was how news began to spread of biological mutations caused by nuclear radiation.


    At least, that was how ordinary people understood the story. As a member of the occult world, Zong Yan knew how close it was to the truth.


    There was nothing more urgent than a gold notice issued by the Spire Council.


    Zong Yan anxiously logged into WeChat, looked at He Yuan¡¯s circle of friends, then tapped the registration button in the MU app.


    He was now the tenth Monarch. The greater his power, the greater his responsibility, and Zong Yan was the only person who understood his true level. He was more effective than a dozen Monarchs.


    Although the disaster was in another country, there was only one human race. Politics wasn¡¯t a concern of the occult world.


    He Yuan had returned from the Middle East a long time ago. In the picture he¡¯d just posted, he was clearly in front of the landmark Empire State Building in New York.


    The guy never concealed a thing from his circle of friends.


    With that as an excuse, the rest was easy.


    ¡°I have to go save the world. Right now New York is in danger. As the tenth Monarch, it¡¯s my duty to leave.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts were full of righteousness, and his face brimmed with wholehearted sincerity, frankness, and honesty.


    And yes, it had taken Zong Yan more than fifty hours to master half of his high school physics material.


    Yog-Sothoth was an extremely strict teacher. The omniscient and omnipotent Lord wouldn¡¯t allow any student to lose points after receiving his instruction.


    He made it clear that he expected Zong Yan to get a perfect score in physics.


    And it was precisely because of his strict requirements that Zong Yan, who¡¯d just gone through a grueling learning session, felt so spiritually exhausted.


    Maybe mental fatigue could be recharged at any time, but spiritual fatigue could only be healed in other ways.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t tell anyone about his trip to New York, especially He Yuan and Si Yan. He just silently signed up on the MU app, then contacted the MU Logistics Department. When the Logistics Department saw that a Monarch level had joined, they viewed it as perfectly reasonable and immediately arranged flight tickets and other amenities. They worked at lightning speed, and the flight was due to leave that afternoon.


    Which was exactly what Zong Yan was hoping for.


    Saving the world was a lot better than receiving another one-on-one tutoring session from Yog-Sothoth.


    Zong Yan immediately packed his bags and surreptitiously carried them down from the second floor.


    While Zong Yan was moving his luggage, the Black Pharaoh, who was occupied with his own matters, asked without lifting his head, ¡°Father God, are you going somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m headed to New York.¡± Zong Yan looked around warily. ¡°Where¡¯s Yog?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Didn¡¯t that guy pause time before? He left after that.¡±


    Nyarla fiddled with the gamepad in his hands. He was playing the latest game released by the Great Race of Yith, ¡¶Ancient Scrolls 5¡·. The game¡¯s open world format was of great interest to the evil god. Unfortunately, when Zong Yan looked over, all he could make out were some sort of strange psychic fluctuations crossing the screen.


    ""


    It¡¯s good he¡¯s not here.


    Zong Yan breathed a sigh of relief and his movements became much bolder. He openly carried his suitcase down, then went to the small, semi-open kitchen to fix a simple lunch.


    ¡°New York¡¯s been pretty lively lately. I have a few avatars in the area watching the show.¡±


    Zong Yan held the soup spoon in his hand. ¡°What in the world¡¯s going on there?¡±


    Only now did it occur to him that Nyarlathotep, an evil god with countless incarnations who were always in the thick of things, probably knew the situation like the back of his hand.


    ¡°The ghouls who live there are running riot.¡±


    The Black Pharaoh lazily threw away the gamepad and collapsed onto the wide sofa. His long black hair slid down like silk.


    Nyarlathotep had been busy lately. His numerous incarnations were either actively making trouble for Cthugha and Nodens, or in transit and on their way to make trouble.


    The Black Pharaoh had been sitting on the couch like this for several days in a row.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably Ghroth.¡±


    So it was Ghroth again.


    If the song of Ghroth reached Earth, the entire planet would be destroyed by the subsequent violent natural disasters.


    ¡°How much time is left?¡± Zong Yan was worried.


    ¡°Ha.¡± Nyarla let out a short bark of laughter. ¡°If the ghouls succeed in their plans, maybe half a month.¡±


    Half a month?!


    Zong Yan almost doubted his ears. ¡°Ghroth is going to arrive in half a month?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. The ghouls are still in the process of summoning their god. If their god revives, the stars will return. That will cause Ghroth to travel deeper into the galaxy, and then the Great Old Ones on Earth will awaken.¡±


    The Black Pharaoh stretched his back. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll die in the human sense, but your spirit will return to the eternal Father God. Human beings are such fragile things.¡±


    The evil god was usually a bit tone-deaf, but at that moment he finally revealed the extent of his vast indifference.


    Just for a moment. A flicker and it was gone.


    ¡°Of course, if you want to save these humans, Father God, all you have to do is use the card of His Majesty Azathoth.¡±


    In a place where Zong Yan couldn¡¯t see, the evil god revealed a treacherous smile. ¡°If the avatar of the Father God reveals himself, Ghroth will submit to you and depart obediently.¡±


    As if to increase the credibility of his words, Nyarla added a seemingly candid complaint, ¡°The Father God really likes humans ah.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Zong Yan responded while suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart. His expression didn¡¯t change. He finished eating, washed the dishes, and dragged his suitcase into the taxi. Only then did his face suddenly turn cold.


    The black-haired teen clenched his fists and his knuckles began to turn white.


    Without question, Nyarlathotep¡¯s intentions weren¡¯t good.


    And Shub-Niggurath directly contradicted him.


    One warned him not to use the Azathoth card because he didn¡¯t want the Lord of the Universe to awaken.


    The other tempted him to use the Azathoth card for reasons that were unknown.


    But if you started from Shub-Niggurath¡¯s warning, it wasn¡¯t impossible to deduce.


    The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young didn¡¯t want the Lord of All to wake up, while Azathoth¡¯s most devoted follower was willing to do whatever it took to return the Father God to the world.


    One of these two evil gods wasn¡¯t telling the truth.


    Or maybe¡ª


    They were both lying.


    As Zong Yan squeezed his fist, his fingernails dug into his palms, leaving deep half-moon marks in the flesh.


    He was a high school student. He hadn¡¯t even reached adulthood yet. It was true that he¡¯d matured early because of his childhood experiences, but he was now in a situation where he couldn¡¯t trust anyone around him, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling overwhelmed and depressed.


    Forget it. Put all of that aside. The most important thing right now was the situation in New York.


    The black-haired teen took a deep breath. After paying the taxi fare he walked into Jiangzhou International Airport.


    The MU Logistics Department had already booked his ticket. All the flights to New York had been halted, so Zong Yan had to fly into the nearby Philadelphia International Airport. After that he would contact the local Logistics Department of the occult world and travel to New York.


    He went to the refill station in the airport and got some water, then found a random seat and waited for boarding to begin.


    Even after sleeping for a long time, Zong Yan was still exhausted.


    Since it was an emergency booking, the plane was full. The Logistics Department had only been able to book a business class seat, not first class.


    When Zong Yan got on the plane he planned to put on his eye mask and go back to sleep. But the moment he glanced over he almost got the fright of his life.


    In the business class seat next to his, an evil god with gray hair and golden eyes was looking down, casually flipping through the book in his hand.


    ¡°Coming?¡± Yog lifted his eyes. ¡°Since you¡¯re almost rested, let¡¯s continue. After you finish your lessons, the plane will take off.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    His pupils quaked.


    ¡ª


    He Yuan was in the passenger seat, driving down the interstate.


    There were almost no other cars on this stretch of road as far as the eye could see. But the traffic in the oncoming lane was moving like a snail. There was a long line of cars.


    They were heading into New York, while the New Yorkers were fleeing.


    After the nuclear meltdown, U.S. authorities sent troops to seal off the city and pick up stranded people in the process.


    The occult world didn¡¯t have much time left. The situation in New York had only gotten worse, so today was the last batch of evacuations. Whoever didn¡¯t make it out would be locked inside the city for good. It was a last, desperate measure.


    Ghouls could disguise themselves as humans. That was the latest information received by the occult world.


    As time went on, the number of ghouls disguised as humans would only increase. It had become necessary to look at the overall picture.


    Because so many people left in a hurry, there hadn¡¯t been time to evacuate a lot of supplies and materials.


    Some of the homeless who were less well-informed and didn¡¯t know about the evacuation order ran happily to the city¡¯s abandoned grocery stores, completely unaware of the grim purgatory they were about to face.


    He Yuan sighed. Then, suddenly, his eyes narrowed.


    He saw the recruitment list on the app.


    The list of candidates was arranged by rank, and Monarchs were at the top. For example, when the ninth Monarch Si Yan signed up for the campaign to save New York, his name stood at the top of the list.


    Just now, behind the ninth Monarch¡¯s name, the red letters ¡¾Tenth Monarch Zong Yan¡¿ had silently appeared.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: On the plane I finally finished studying physics


    TL Notes:


    circle of friends ¨C ÅóÓÑȦ ¨C A WeChat feature known as ¡°Moments¡± in the English version of the app. It¡¯s frequently called ¡°circle of friends¡± in tl¡¯d webnovels because of its name in Chinese. The feature allows users to create circles which consist of mutual friends. They can share pictures with captions, statuses, and links, ¡°creating an intimate and private communicating circle within the users¡¯ choice of close friends¡± (Wikipedia)


    Ancient Scrolls 5 ¨C ÉϹžíÖá5 ¨C The correct translation is probably ¡°Elder Scrolls 5¡±, but it seemed weird to have the Great Race of Yith release a game with the exact same name as Skyrim

 CH 66

    The sunglasses-wearing Si Yan spun the steering wheel in his hand and slammed on the brakes. ¡°Who did you say was coming?¡± he asked coldly.


    ¡°That kid, Zong Yan ah!¡± He Yuan felt distressed. The number he just tried to dial showed that the other party had switched off his phone. Clearly the kid decided to act first, report later. He must have contacted the MU Logistics Department directly. ¡°I just saw his name on the MU registration list. I can¡¯t get through to his phone. He¡¯s probably on a plane to the United States right now.¡±


    As he spoke, He Yuan got so angry that he slapped his thigh. ¡°That kid¡¯s wings have really hardened. He¡¯s supposed to be prepping for the college entrance exam in China right now. Such a big thing, but he came over here to join the fun. It¡¯s good that he was promoted to Monarch level, but he doesn¡¯t have any experience against the enemy!¡±


    ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    Si Yan¡¯s entire body was like a grumpy air conditioner, filling the vehicle with cold air. He reached over, grabbed He Yuan¡¯s phone, and made a call.


    He Yuan watched closely and saw his captain hit the number for the Logistics Department of MU.


    ¡°Vice-captain, what are you two talking about?¡±


    The other members of Team 7 sitting in the back of the truck were exchanging gossip and assembling their firearms. They all began trading glances.


    ¡°Is it about the new tenth Monarch?¡±


    Some of the team members picked up on key words in their conversation, immediately opened the MU app to check the list of applicants, and found the red name that had suddenly been added. ¡°The new Monarch signed up too?!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± exclaimed a team member who knew the inside story. ¡°The tenth Monarch isn¡¯t even an adult yet. He¡¯s two weeks away.¡±


    ¡°Then the rumor¡¯s true? The tenth Monarch is in his third year of high school?¡±


    ¡°The current chief of MU is the tenth Monarch, right? But he went through the process to take a leave of absence. They say he¡¯ll return to school after the college entrance exam.¡±


    ¡°A leave of absence? And MU went along with it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I disagree. He¡¯s already a Monarch. Monarchs don¡¯t need to study magic patterns for combat, and his grades in other subjects are top-notch. I even heard that he¡¯s completed several B-rank monster missions independently in Jiangzhou.¡±


    By default, B-rank monster missions were assigned to senior-level and veteran investigators. The fact that an underage teen was able to handle them could only make people marvel.


    ¡°He completed B-rank creature missions on his own? No wonder the MU Logistics Department agreed to send him to New York¡­. The situation¡¯s critical right now. Even a gifted Monarch will have to grow up fast.¡±


    Investigators weren¡¯t greenhouse flowers. Of the first nine Monarchs who were widely known, aside from the seventh Monarch who pursued prophecy, every one of the others had waded through battlefields of blood and fire.


    When Si Yan was promoted to Monarch level, Dragon Team 7 was performing a confidential peacekeeping mission in the Middle East. They were convoying a group of sick, elderly, and disabled civilians when they ran into the local reactionary forces. There was artillery fire everywhere, fighter jets flying overhead, and countless missiles raining down. It was then that Si Yan¡¯s ability awakened from Auxiliary phase to Monarch level.


    As for the second Monarch, Si Xun, the current commander of the Dragon Group, he¡¯d been even more powerful in his younger days. He was a famous general on the world stage.


    ¡°Those who offend our nation will be punished no matter how far away they are!¡±


    The young second Monarch, with a folding knife in his hand, made a stunning impact during World War II. It wasn¡¯t clear how many enemy invaders he killed.


    This was also the period during which Lockes, the first Monarch, had set one foot in the grave.


    After awakening to Monarch level, an Awakened person¡¯s physical fitness would greatly improve. In addition, their awakening ability gave them a longer lifespan. The oldest known Monarchs in history were nearly two hundred years old.


    Lockes had been alive even longer than Si Xun. He was active on the battlefield in World War I. However, at the end of the last World War, the formidable first Monarch suddenly disappeared. The occult world hadn¡¯t heard news of him for forty or fifty years. Investigators could only speculate whether the great man had fallen to otherworldly beings.


    It was a fitting end for an investigator. Investigators were people who gambled with their lives, walking a tightrope over the abyss, and died at the hands of extra-dimensional creatures.


    Which senior investigator didn¡¯t have a r¨¦sum¨¦ stained with blood?


    Right now the occult world was facing a situation that would provide the best and cruelest form of training. No wonder the MU Logistics Department had agreed.


    Of course, accepting something rationally wasn¡¯t the same as accepting it emotionally.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Si Yan coldly reprimanded. Suddenly everyone in the pickup truck was as quiet as a chicken.


    Everyone knew about the captain¡¯s temper. He was irritable as hell, and he wasn¡¯t in a good mood at the moment. No one wanted to try their luck.


    ¡°Hello, you¡¯ve reached the Logistics Department of Miskatonic University.¡±


    The phone finally connected.


    The call, which was encrypted by the satellite phone, was entirely confidential. Only specific phone IPs were allowed to dial in.


    ¡°Is the tenth Monarch coming to New York? Which flight?¡±


    The other party was surprised and quickly checked the IP address of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. He, you¡¯re not cleared to check the itinerary of a Monarch¡­¡±


    ¡°This is Si Yan.¡± He impatiently recited a string of numbers. ¡°The tenth Monarch¡¯s guide happens to be my adjutant. What¡¯s wrong with asking about it?¡±


    It was indeed true that He Yuan was Zong Yan¡¯s guide. It was stated in the first classified briefing document.


    The member of the Logistics Department on the other end of the line hurriedly ran the voiceprint test, then began to handle the captain¡¯s inquiry.


    Everyone in the truck was silent.


    The team members exchanged shocked glances.


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have guessed that Officer He turned out to be the Little Monarch¡¯s guide!¡¯


    ¡®The tenth Monarch is one of our own!¡¯


    ¡®To be honest, I haven¡¯t seen the captain¡¯s face look this bad since the commander-in-chief was diagnosed with high blood pressure after his physical¡­.¡¯


    He Yuan didn¡¯t bother with the gossipy team members behind him. He looked sideways out of the truck window.


    At the end of the paved highway stood a silent city in permanent darkness. Everything around its borders was brightly illuminated, like it was forever divided into night. It was a mystical sight, like something out of a Hollywood movie with top-notch special effects.


    It was hard to imagine that New York was once known as the city where night never falls. Right now it was a metropolis populated only by the homeless. The former financial center was deserted.


    There was nothing accidental about the current situation. The occult world was treating it with the highest importance.


    Ghouls and humans almost never mixed with each other. The last time a ghoul riot had occurred was in medieval Europe. At the time, the Black Death was raging through the continent, decimating nearly a third of the population. Corpses were stacked up at random and the graves overflowed underground, encroaching on the habitat of the ghouls and reducing their living space. Many humans became infected and turned into ghouls. They eventually became the notorious ¡°vampires¡± of the middle ages. The Church was eventually forced to acknowledge their existence.


    Compared to other extra-dimensional creatures, ghouls were one of the few species that had an ecological niche distinct from humans. They had their own way of life and cultural and social traditions. Even if every human on Earth was wiped out, the ghouls would survive.


    The appearance of such a serious ghoul infestation might be the biggest warning sign so far of the return of the stars.


    The return of the stars might sound mysterious and vague. But if human beings failed to halt the warning signs and passively stood by, the stars¡¯ return would only accelerate.


    Right now everyone in the occult world was in danger, and the Spire Council was holding its most difficult gathering of the century.


    They had met to decide whether to terminate the ¡¶Treaty of Seclusion¡· signed in the 18th century. This would announce the existence of the occult community to the world.


    The situation in New York was known to them all. In order to minimize the effects on their country¡¯s international standing, U.S. authorities eagerly cooperated with the occult world¡¯s initiatives. Both the media and the military were keeping a tight lid on the news.


    But the black fog was spreading. If they didn¡¯t solve the problem in New York, the fog would likely spread across the globe, and if that happened, the occult world would be exposed.


    The biology professors in MU held more than ten symposiums and finally determined that the ghouls were trying to summon their master.


    If a Great Old One was really summoned to Earth, it wouldn¡¯t be New York that lost the sun, but the whole world.


    With the situation so urgent, every Awakened was a valuable strategic resource.


    MU was urgently working on moving the Gate of Truth to Boston within the next few days to make it easier for investigators to get in and out. Now that the semester at MU was over, students were also taking on practical investigation tasks. This year¡¯s practice fieldwork missions were all related to New York. For the first time ever, advisors were organizing and leading student teams, which was an attempt to solve some low-level problems.


    He Yuan sighed inwardly. His eyes became dark and determined again.


    He just hoped MU would be somewhat humane and assign an easy task to the fledgling Little Monarch.


    After the call ended, Si Yan threw the phone into He Yuan¡¯s hands. Then he stepped on the gas pedal, and the pickup truck hurtled towards New York like an arrow from a bowstring.


    ¡ª


    He¡¯d studied physics for more than fifty hours, and now he had to do it again?


    Zong Yan wanted to cry but didn¡¯t have any tears.


    He was right to run away. The problem was that he¡¯d followed his usual habits of thought and ignored the most important point¡ª


    ¡°Nothing can be hidden from the great and all-knowing, all-powerful Lord.¡±


    Yog gave him a rather cruel sneer, and Zong Yan felt chills run down his back. ¡°You¡¯re only half done. Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    In the end, Zong Yan managed to complete Yog-Sothoth¡¯s directives, only to be assigned another paper to test whether the more than one hundred hours of tutoring had managed to sink in.


    Of course, it was difficult to get a perfect score the first time, not to mention the other party was the strictest teacher in the universe.


    After the evil god was done correcting the paper, Zong Yan was forced to listen to an analysis of the mistakes he¡¯d made¡­. Finally, the moment he reached the end of a third paper and stopped writing, only then did the gray-haired evil god show mercy and let him go.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s far from my standards, it¡¯s good enough for human beings.¡±


    The Lord of Time and Space casually lifted the suspension of time. The next second, the people in the cabin resumed their movements. The plane taxied to the runway and launched itself into the blue sky.


    Zong Yan felt so exhausted and sleepy that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to move.


    He didn¡¯t even have time to connect to the WiFi on the plane before he leaned back in his seat and fell asleep.


    The Lord of Time and Space stared at him steadily for a couple of seconds, then carelessly turned his eyes away.


    He gazed at the timeline of the entire Earth.


    There were only ten days before the arrival of Ghroth and the return of the stars.


    In ten days, all the Great Old Ones sealed on this planet would break free from their cages.


    And the Earth, a planet which had endured for 4.6 billion years, would completely cease to exist.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    This isn¡¯t the last arc. It won¡¯t end so soon _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_ Our Yan hasn¡¯t taken the college entrance exam yet, how can it be over so fast?


    TL Notes:


    The next chapter is a little weird. If I remember right, it¡¯s basically about homeless people and not a whole lot happens with the main cast. For that reason I¡¯m going to do my best to post two chapters tomorrow. That way, if you don¡¯t like the chapter, you can skim it and read the next one immediately (¤Ã???)¤Ã ?


    If there¡¯s a delay or the schedule changes I¡¯ll post a comment or update the TL Notes.


    act first, report later ¨C ÏÈÕ¶ºó×à ¨C behead sb. first then make all known to the Emperor; act first and report afterwards; execute one on the spot without prior approval from the court; kill sb. first then to report


    wings have really hardened ¨C ³á°òÓ² ¨C hard wings ¨C A common idiom that refers to young birds whose feathers are soft and unable to fly on their own. When their feathers harden, they fly away. It means that when people gain abilities, they forget those who helped them in the past and become ungrateful.


    Those who offend our nation will be punished¡­ ¨C from ·¸ÎÒ»ªÏÄÕߣ¬ËäÔ¶±ØÖ ¨C This is a slightly modified version of a famous line from Volume 70 of the Book of Han, a historical work completed in year 111. It also appears in the 2015 movie Wolf Warrior


    homeless ¨C from Á÷À˺º ¨C ¡°tramp, hobo; bum; vagrant¡±, ¡°wanderer, vagabond¡± ¨C I¡¯ll discuss the reason I chose the word ¡°homeless¡± in the next chapter


    almost never mixed with each other ¨C from ¾®Ë®²»·¸ºÓË® ¨C The well water does not intrude into the river water ¨C Refer to Ch. 24 for a longer note


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    vice-captain ¨C ¸±¶Ó ¨C Alternatively: assistant captain, alternate captain. Previously translated as ¡°second in command¡± for a random NPC in Ch 36


    Lockes ¨C Âå¿Ë˹ ¨C Lu¨°k¨¨s¨© ¨C Alternatively: Locus, Roxas, Rocks, Rox, Roques, Locksey

 CH 67

    The past few days were a free-for-all for the homeless people of New York.


    The city was shrouded in unending night. Almost all of the people had gone. After a bit of shouting about human rights, the government had trawled through the streets and back alleys for a few days and evacuated the last group of inhabitants. Of course, due to various accidents, there were homeless people who didn¡¯t manage to be evacuated. Their only option was to remain in the city.


    The streets that normally bustled with people were deserted. The Upper East Side, the symbol of the well-to-do, was abandoned. Luxury high-rises rose into the night sky like ghosts on silent guard. At a glance, there was no one at all on the Avenue of the Arts. The shops on both sides of Madison Avenue were closed and desolate.


    When the United States rose to become a global hegemon, the city¡¯s status rose with it, becoming one of the world¡¯s financial centers.


    Untold fortunes had been created here, but there was extreme disparity in the distribution of wealth.


    In New York City, the gap between rich and poor was enormous. The wealthy drank afternoon tea on the Upper East Side while the homeless poor brawled in Brooklyn. White-collar workers lived in the more peaceful borough of Queens, commuting between these areas on a daily basis.


    But now an unforeseen emergency had swept through the financial center. More than eight million people live in New York City alone. There wasn¡¯t time to evacuate them all in only five or six days.


    The ones who were left behind were at the bottom of the pile.


    Homeless people carried bags snatched from the mall and pushed shopping carts loaded with piles and piles of goods to their newly chosen houses.


    They didn¡¯t dare go to Madison Avenue. Manhattan was under military control.


    Indeed, in New York right now, aside from homeless people and some crazed believers who were eagerly looking forward to the apocalypse, only military forces remained. The homeless people didn¡¯t know exactly what the military was doing there. All they knew was that when they woke up, the rest of the city had packed up and gone. The homeless took over Brooklyn. They smashed through shop windows with hammers and took out the food. Other homeless people teamed up to steal money from banks, not realizing that banknotes had become worthless paper in New York.


    This was the other reason the power supply in the city hadn¡¯t been cut off. It wasn¡¯t just to supply the military. It was the government¡¯s last act of mercy for the New Yorkers who remained.


    ¡°Hey, Sam, where you headed?¡±


    A homeless man saw the youth who¡¯d just walked out of a different clothing store. He shouted and waved his hand.


    The teenager named Sam turned around. ¡°I¡¯m going to get new clothes!¡±


    ¡°Nice. There are some good clothes for people your age over on the first floor. Go around the corner and take a look.¡± The homeless man smiled and shouted to him, pushing the cart in front of him as he left.


    These people existed on the bottom of the social ladder. They didn¡¯t care if the world was going to end tomorrow. All they knew was that the people in the city had gone, but the supplies were still intact.


    Just like Sam. Sam wasn¡¯t an American. His father was a migrant who was smuggled over the border from Mexico. After Sam¡¯s relatives died unexpectedly, he wasn¡¯t eligible for U.S. welfare benefits.


    Children of migrants like him didn¡¯t have much education, which meant his options were limited. Either he could make a living in the flesh trade, or he could join a gang and run errands.


    But now the whole city had suddenly emptied out. People in rags could rush into any store on the street with a hammer and get the expensive items they previously could only look at in the shop windows.


    Was there anything more exciting than that?


    ¡°Thank God! Hallelujah!¡±


    Homeless people gathered in the open spaces of the city and sang, and their song spread far and wide in the silence of the night.


    Sam ran excitedly into the store, peeled off his dirty clothes and tried on new ones in front of the racks with glee.


    He¡¯d wanted to come into this shop for a long time. Whenever he passed by it on the street, he¡¯d stop and stare. Sometimes, when he actually worked up the courage to go inside and browse, he got disdainful looks from the shop assistant.


    Apparently another homeless person had visited the store before him, which was why Sam was able to bypass the smashed lock so easily and come inside to enjoy these clean and tidy new clothes. A large section of the floor was sunken in because of the rough trampling of so many people. When he stepped around a deep hole, Sam glanced at it and couldn¡¯t see anything inside but darkness.


    ¡°This one¡¯s really nice, and this one¡¯s good too!¡±


    He took a shopping bag and stuffed all the clothes he liked inside.


    When he passed the checkout counter, Sam nimbly climbed over it and used a wire to pick the lock on the cash register. He grabbed a large amount of money out of it and stuffed it into his woven bag.


    ¡°Those people really did leave. Who knows if they¡¯ll ever come back?¡±


    Most of the people who¡¯d stayed in New York had the same mentality. After all, the sky was permanently darkened, but there wasn¡¯t any danger.


    ¡®Who knows why those people left? Who knows why the military moved in? Money¡¯s always useful.¡¯


    Sam heard of some homeless people who¡¯d stolen boats from the harbor and were ready to take them to sea.


    Some people had chosen to stay in New York just to loot and go somewhere else.


    Sam was a migrant who slept in a slum, and the neat stack of dollars in the cash box made his eyes redden. Excited, he began counting the money under his breath.


    There was a sudden sound of shelves collapsing in the store. Sam thought it was another homeless person like him and didn¡¯t pay any attention.


    Tap, tap, tap.


    The sound came closer, and there seemed to be some strange noise mixed in with it, like something crawling up from the ground.


    Sam swept the last of the money out of the till. He closed his bag and looked back warily.


    Behind him stood a man with a drooping head. His hands were hanging in front of him, and his face was covered by long hair, making it impossible to see his expression.


    ¡°I found this place first. You can go to the store next door and take a look.¡±


    Sam took a few steps back and made a defensive gesture as he pulled a folding knife out of his pocket.


    There were a lot of homeless people who preyed on other homeless. Sam might not be very old, but he understood this unwritten rule very well.


    The police in New York would never stand up for a homeless man. If you wanted to protect what you had, you could only rely on your fists.


    Homeless people knew to expect such things. This was a country where you couldn¡¯t even cross the street if you were poor.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The man with the drooping head didn¡¯t speak. He stood there with his head hanging down.


    It was then that Sam noticed the skin on the man¡¯s neck. It looked strange, a bit like gel. But not only that, his bare skin seemed to be covered in strange marks, like fish scales or moss were growing on him, an abhorrent sight.


    When he saw this, Sam began to feel a chill.


    ¡°We¡¯re done talking, I¡¯m out.¡±


    Sam kept a wary eye on him just in case, then slowly walked towards the entrance of the store.


    He thought it was just a drunk homeless man.


    When he exited the store, Sam cautiously looked back.


    He returned the folding knife to his pocket. At that moment, a strong force rushed up behind him and threw him to the ground.


    Sam felt himself rolling on the ground while staring forward.


    But how was it possible for a person¡¯s head to roll?


    As he died, he caught a glimpse of his own severed neck and felt a sharp pain as an afterthought.


    People don¡¯t die instantaneously. In the event of sudden death, the human mind can linger for a while.


    The man he thought was drunk casually picked up his head and muttered something in an unintelligible language. Then the man happily returned to the shop and jumped into the deep black hole in the floor with his freshly prepared head.


    ¡ª


    When Zong Yan woke up, the plane was about to land.


    He¡¯d slept for fifteen or sixteen hours, as blissful as a fool.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised to see that the seat next to him, which originally belonged to the gray-haired evil god, was empty.


    Despite his weariness, Zong Yan didn¡¯t resist Yog-Sothoth¡¯s tutorial lessons very much.


    Anyway, if he could raise his physics grade, the ultimate beneficiary would be Zong Yan himself. The physics problems he once sweated over were nothing in his eyes. They¡¯d become simple and easy to complete. The feeling of inner satisfaction made up for his mental fatigue.


    Sure enough, among the three great evil gods, the Lord of Omniscience and Omnipotence was the most genuine one.


    Of the other two, one ran around calling him ¡°Father God, Father God¡± but was full of evil inside, while the other alternated threats with bribery, which was annoying.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, our flight from Shanghai to Boston is about to land. Please fasten your seat belt and put away your folding tray. Thank you for your cooperation.¡±


    Zong Yan put the eye mask into his school bag. He was the first to step out of the cabin after the plane landed.


    It was a beautiful day in Boston. The sun was shining brightly outside.


    Because he was in such a hurry to arrive, Zong Yan didn¡¯t have much time to check his messages. He had to sign up for a cross-border communication service online, then he connected to the airport WiFi.


    His WeChat exploded as soon as he opened it. There were 99+ red dots.


    Zong Yan began to sweat after he opened the app. He Yuan had sent more than thirty messages. Zong Yan didn¡¯t need to read the contents. They were all related to the same topic: ¡°Why did you come to New York?¡±


    There was also a message from another person with a Dragon Group avatar. According to the method of exclusion, it had to be Si Yan¡¯s account. He¡¯d tried to call Zong Yan on WeChat, too.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t have the courage to give much of a reply. He answered with a head scratching emoji that he¡¯d stolen from the Bloated Woman, then closed out of the chat box at the speed of light.


    The remaining 99+ messages were from a chat discussion group.


    This chat group consisted of Zong Yan, Wang KeMing and Edward. After the incident in London, the three of them became brothers in arms. When Zong Yan took a leave of absence, the little prince and the little fat man continued to study at MU.


    Occasionally the two would send messages to the group. When Zong Yan glanced at it he realized their messages were similar to He Yuan¡¯s. After all, the list of applicants was visible to everyone. It turned out that Edward and Wang KeMing had also come to New York under the guidance of their advisor. They were standing by in Boston.


    When Zong Yan saw this he immediately tapped out a message.


    ¡¾I Love Gauss (Zong Yan)¡¿ : My plane just landed. Where are you guys?


    What he didn¡¯t notice was that the crowd on the other side of the airport had begun to stir.


    A blond man wearing sunglasses was the focus of the crowd, and he was coming this way.


    TL Notes:


    There are some things I could pick out as inaccuracies in this chapter, not specifically the character of Sam, but some of the statements made about homeless people and immigrants in the U.S. However, it¡¯s not very relevant to the story so let¡¯s just accept that the author isn¡¯t super informed on this topic and move on.


    The author¡¯s overall point, that life is difficult for the poor, unhoused, and migrants in the U.S., is certainly true.


    free-for-all ¨C ¿ñ»¶ ¨C revelry; carnival; binge; rejoice with wild excitement; be cried away by wild pleasure or joy. In my personal opinion, if you¡¯ve been abandoned in a doomed ghoul city with no public services aside from electricity, breaking into a store to take food or even clothes is an act of survival, not a carnival or a binge


    homeless ¨C from Á÷À˺º ¨C ¡°tramp, hobo; bum; vagrant¡±, ¡°wanderer, vagabond¡± ¨C In the English-speaking world, calling people ¡°tramps¡± or ¡®hobos¡± is very insulting. I don¡¯t think the original author intended this exactly, so I used ¡°homeless¡± instead. The word ¡°homeless¡± when used as a collective noun is also considered derogatory because it is ¡°reductive and purposely isolates a specific group, making it seem like the needs of that group are not representative of the whole of society¡± (source). According to stylebooks, it¡¯s okay to use ¡°homeless¡± as an adjective


    Avenue of the Arts ¨C ÒÕÊõ´óµÀ ¨C Art Avenue ¨C Not sure what street is intended here. Maybe 5th Ave? When I google the name I get pictures of the Met Museum


    migrant ¨C ͵¶É ¨C illegal immigrant, stowaway ¨C I double checked and there¡¯s no widespread agreement on this term. There are objections to pretty much everything that¡¯s in use


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Sam ¨C ɽķ ¨C Sh¨¡nm¨³

 CH 68

    Zong Yan bowed his head as he sent the message. While waiting for a reply, he was distracted by a sudden commotion.


    It was like the scene of a battle. The entire airport was suddenly crowded with people. In the lead was a gaggle of media carrying extra-large cameras and microphones, followed by a throng of shouting people. It was so noisy that it felt like some kind of weird, flash mob performance scene.


    The man being chased by these people had blond hair and sunglasses. He was wearing a black shirt and slim-fitting black pants that outlined his lean waist and the unbelievable proportions of his long legs. On his feet were a pair of spiked Martin boots of the same color.


    ¡°Lord Shub, we love you!!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhh, the Lord just looked at me! He looked at me!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Niggurath!!¡±


    The shouting of the fans was deafening. They almost blocked off the entire airport exit. The media carrying cameras were even more excited, but they didn¡¯t dare come forward.


    Who was Shub-Niggurath? He was Hollywood¡¯s biggest international star, the darling of the screen, the dream lover of countless women.


    Unfortunately, in the past two years he hadn¡¯t acted in many movies. Instead he went to Wall Street to amuse himself as a venture capitalist. He occasionally directed films, recorded albums, and appeared in high fashion shows around the world. Wherever he appeared he was the absolute focus of the crowd.


    Shub-Niggurath¡¯s adoring fans didn¡¯t care what he did. Even if he didn¡¯t act much anymore, his flawless face was followed by people all over the world. A top French fashion designer once said that Mr. Niggurath¡¯s face was a miracle from the gods. He was like Narcissus from ancient Greek mythology, possessing a beauty that transcended gender, race, and everything else.


    Of course, as the center of everyone¡¯s attention, Shub-Niggurath was by no means a perfect superstar.


    He was cruel. He was cold. He was arrogant. But that was nothing unusual in the eyes of his fanatical followers.


    It was scary to see the cult-like enthusiasm and devotion of this superstar¡¯s fan base. It was said that a while ago, some members of his core fans jumped from a building more than a hundred meters high in order to get a glance from him. Maybe such a degree of adoration really deserved to be called a cult.


    Zong Yan had his cell phone in one hand and was dragging his suitcase in the other. He took a casual look around and suddenly got a bad feeling.


    Did they just say Nicholas? Or Niggurath?


    It wasn¡¯t a good name. Of the two people Zong Yan was thinking of, one was a proto-god and the other was an important elder at MU. No matter who it was, they were both powerhouses.


    He gulped and bowed his head.


    He¡¯d just posted his location in the group chat. Edward and Wang KeMing said they were on their way. Zong Yan hesitated for a moment, wanting to switch to a less crowded exit.


    But when he tried to turn around and started dragging his suitcase, the screams at the door suddenly got louder and louder.


    The blond-haired evil god with his hands in his pockets suddenly stepped away and walked straight towards Zong Yan.


    He put his hand on the frame of his sunglasses and took them off, revealing his flawless face.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    So it was this guy?!


    ¡°The first thing you did when you saw me was turn around and leave. How sad.¡±


    Shub suddenly opened his arms. With the advantage of his superior height he pulled the black-haired teen into his arms, smiling dangerously the entire time.


    Zong Yan went stiff.


    He wanted to duck away but didn¡¯t have time. He was forced into the evil god¡¯s arms like a timid little bird.


    ¡®Who¡¯s that with Lord Shub?¡¯


    ¡®Ahhhhh, dammit, I want Mr. Niggurath to do that to me!¡¯


    ¡®God, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Mr. Niggurath so enthusiastic about anyone.¡¯


    The airport fell silent in an instant. Everyone¡¯s eyes were like sharp blades stabbing into Zong Yan.


    It was well known that Shub-Niggurath was famous for his face as well as his terrible temper.


    This innate sense of contempt was reflected in all parts of the superstar¡¯s life. He basically never looked people in the eye, let alone got close. Anyone who made it within a meter of him was in for some embarrassment.


    Zong Yan felt like he was going numb under the camera flashes and countless staring eyes.


    How did it feel to be greeted by an international superstar?


    Maybe this was how it felt.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The moment Zong Yan was able to regain his balance, he broke away from the embrace. His black eyes were full of vigilance, and his other hand reached into his pocket and quietly held an Elder God persona card.


    ¡°I¡¯m the host of New York. Something so big happened and the Father God came here in person. Why shouldn¡¯t I come?¡± Shub lazily combed back the hair on his forehead with his fingers.


    The people at the airport made so much noise that the evil god began to feel impatient.


    A moment later, the shadow that extended from the back of his Martin shoes suddenly expanded.


    The clear marble floor of the airport was instantly covered with a sticky, black tar-like substance, just like freshly extracted petroleum. It gave off an indescribable stench.


    Countless shadows and indistinct behemoths swam slowly within the darkness, and in the fragmented space, a million eyes opened in a million narrow crevices, gazing back with eyes full of malice.


    The people in the airport seemed oblivious to the changes around them. They walked through the sticky darkness, and the black in the center of their eyes expanded more and more, taking over the white, a horrifying thing to see.


    Zong Yan silently tightened his fingers. When he was about to crush the card of the Sun God, the blond-haired evil god beside him said carelessly, ¡°They¡¯re fine. It¡¯s just that they won¡¯t make any noise for the time being.¡±


    When he heard those words, the black-haired teen immediately scanned his surroundings.


    Indeed, the media who were carrying their cameras were now standing in a daze. It took a while before they remembered what they¡¯d been doing, so they hurriedly put away their equipment and left. The ordinary people who¡¯d arrived with the media also seemed to return to their senses. The ink-black color in their eyes surged and they dispersed like marionettes on a string.


    The airport exit, which had been brimming with people a moment ago, returned to normal in a flash.


    Zong Yan¡¯s gut tightened.


    Of the three evil gods, Shub-Niggurath was the one Zong Yan was the most wary of.


    Nyarlathotep liked to stir up trouble. He preferred to see human beings destroy themselves, struggling in the mire of despair and darkness, instead of doing it himself. As for Yog-Sothoth, it wasn¡¯t that he was indifferent, really; his attitude was more like condescending contempt. He disdained to have any dealings with human beings. In a sense, he was the safest.


    While Nyarla wandered the border between human light and darkness, Shub-Niggurath created his own human identity, then used the power of an evil god to perfect this identity and erase the slightest flaws.


    Why did he do it? To enjoy the admiration of tiny ants? To gather followers?


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t figure out the evil god¡¯s intention at all. Maybe he just found it interesting.


    But the way he did it, the means he used, the trampling on human beings, was disturbing.


    ¡°I just came here to remind you about that warning.¡±


    The blond-haired evil god suddenly bent down. His scarlet eyes stared at Zong Yan unblinkingly.


    Yog had once said to Zong Yan¡ªdon¡¯t look directly in an evil god¡¯s eyes, or you¡¯ll likely lose yourself in the vast, indescribable nature of their existence.


    Within those malicious scarlet eyes, Zong Yan saw countless black shapes entangled together like a swarm of black clouds, a myriad of unidentifiable flailing tentacles, festering fangs dripping with mucus, goats¡¯ hooves that were twisted and curved or straight or random, and the horns of the Black Goat described in the Bible. It was ugly and terrible, and with just one glance Zong Yan felt sticky sweat on his forehead.


    Who would have imagined that such a being could put on human skin, and that it would become so beautiful it surpassed any concept of gender, enchanting everyone who saw it?


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever use that card.¡±


    The Black Goat with a Thousand Young reached out and gently cupped the black-haired teen¡¯s face. His long and slender fingertips moved suggestively over Zong Yan¡¯s skin. ¡°Even if Ghroth comes. Even if the Earth is destroyed.


    ¡°Of course, if you do use that card, you won¡¯t change anything for the better. His Majesty Azathoth is more powerful than you can imagine. As a stream of consciousness, you¡¯ll be completely annihilated. You won¡¯t even remember to tell Ghroth to get lost.¡±


    That was true. The last time Zong Yan used the Azathoth card, his entire being had become like someone else. If it weren¡¯t for the strength of his obsession, he wouldn¡¯t have remembered to reverse the timeline of Jiangzhou. He would have become lost in the vast and variegated dream world of the Lord of the Universe.


    ¡°When the Harbinger of Doom arrives, I can give you the status of a family member of the Black Goat. If I do that, the destruction of this tiny planet won¡¯t cost your life.¡±


    The evil god gave a low laugh. His voice was treacherous and compelling, ¡°As long as you¡¯re obedient.


    ¡°Only good children can be rewarded.¡±


    ¡­


    It seemed that Shub had come here just to remind Zong Yan about his warning. After saying these words, the blond-haired evil god abruptly disappeared.


    The floor and ceiling of the airport hall returned to normal. People came and went. They didn¡¯t seem to realize that an international superstar had just been here.


    ¡°Yan Ge¡ª! Yan Ge! Over here!¡±


    While Zong Yan was thinking about this conversation, a familiar voice shouted from afar.


    When he looked up, he saw Wang KeMing puffing and running over. Edward wasn¡¯t that much slower. Wearing sunglasses and a mask, he followed with his hands in his pockets.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    When he saw Edward¡¯s blond hair, mask, and sunglasses configuration, he felt like he was about to suffer from blond-haired sunglasses PTSD.


    ¡°Yan Ge, when did you sign up? So cold! You came to Boston secretly without telling your own brothers. If we didn¡¯t come here with a mentor for our investigation practice class, we might not have even seen each other.¡±


    After a semester¡¯s absence, Wang KeMing¡¯s figure had visibly shrunk. He¡¯d unexpectedly changed from having a completely round face to one with a faint trace of a jawline, which left Zong Yan amazed.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to talk about it. This semester isn¡¯t fit for humans! If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think I was repeating senior year of high school. No, even senior three wasn¡¯t this exhausting.¡± Wang KeMing¡¯s face was sorrowful. ¡°Senior year of high school just means studying books. I can¡¯t believe that going to MU means I have to be beaten up by alien creatures.


    ¡°By the way, who was that man just now?¡±


    Zong Yan was startled. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The guy with sunglasses. It looked like he had a good body and a good temperament, like a movie star¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re seeing things,¡± Zong Yan denied it. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Wang KeMing didn¡¯t examine it any further. He helped Zong Yan with his luggage and the three of them walked out of the airport together.


    TL Notes:


    Oh yeah, double update!! ©d(o???o)?


    Did they just say Nicholas? Or Niggurath? ¨C I had to modify this line because Nicholas and Niggurath are identical in the raw (Äá¹ÅÀ­Ë¹ / N¨ªg¨³l¨¡s¨©). The ¡°Nicholas¡± Zong Yan is thinking of is probably Nicholas Flamel, the chancellor of MU


    timid little bird ¨C СÄñÒÀÈË ¨C as a little bird rests upon a man ¡ª a timid and lovable little woman


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Lord Shub ¨C ɯ²¼´óÈË ¨C Sh¨¡b¨´ d¨¤r¨¦n ¨C Alternatively: Master, Sir


    Narcissus ¨C ÄÉ¿¦Ë÷˹ ¨C N¨¤k¨¡su¨¯s¨© ¨C The Wikipedia entry is spelled ¼{Î÷ɪ˹ (N¨¤x¨©s¨¨s¨©)

 CH 69

    After the school chief¡¯s three-member investigation team met up, the next step was to find MU¡¯s temporary base of operations in Boston.


    ¡°I heard that China¡¯s college entrance exam is incredibly important. How long will you be on holiday?¡±


    Edward and Zong Yan were walking side by side.


    After the semester, the little prince¡¯s face lost much of its elated glow. His temperament had begun to shift towards silence and resolve.


    In fact, Zong Yan knew Edward wasn¡¯t nearly as na?ve as he previously seemed.


    The British royal family was one of the few in the world that continued to wield power. But in addition to power, they controlled massive wealth.


    The desire for power and riches was the original sin that inspired the worst in humanity.


    Edward had grown up in such a royal family. He was experienced in dealing with people, especially when it came to reading them.


    Even so, he¡¯d held on to his purity.


    Zong Yan appreciated people who were pure. But purity didn¡¯t mean simple. It meant having clear goals, living soberly in the world, and preserving a sincere heart.


    ¡°Not very long. I¡¯ll probably head back a few days after the Spring Festival.¡±


    Zong Yan did some calculations and realized the break for New Year¡¯s wasn¡¯t even a month long.


    There was no helping it. After all, it was senior three.


    They walked together to the parking lot outside, where a streamlined sports car was parked. A blue and gold shield logo glittered brightly on the hood.


    ¡°Wow, cool!¡±


    When he saw the sports car, Zong Yan felt like his straight male aesthetic had bent for a rare moment.


    Edward smiled, helped him put his luggage in the trunk, and opened the driver¡¯s side door.


    The British royal family owned property all over the world, Edward included. Although he looked like an ordinary MU student, he was actually extremely wealthy.


    This Koenigsegg was said to be Edward¡¯s eighteenth birthday present. After learning the little prince was coming to the United States, the British royal family had shipped over the car from the other side of the Atlantic.


    Handsome is as handsome does, and the number of second glances it attracted was very high. But there was one drawback¡ªthere were only two seats.


    Edward hadn¡¯t even thought about it. After all, he thought he was only partnering with Wang KeMing this time.


    ¡°Should we call and ask them to change the car?¡± Edward frowned and pulled out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can squeeze in.¡±


    Fortunately, the seats were spacious, and Wang KeMing had lost some weight. Zong Yan waved his hand to show it wasn¡¯t a problem.


    ""


    After Wang KeMing and Zong Yan got into the passenger seat, the sports car quietly started up.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your team leader?¡±


    Zong Yan had directly contacted the Logistics Department of Miskatonic University about his assignment. He was a Monarch, after all. However, considering the fact that the tenth Monarch didn¡¯t have any experience carrying out high-level missions, and the fact that the Logistics Department had been threatened by the ninth Monarch, it wasn¡¯t clear what kind of task they were going to assign.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Anastasia.¡±


    Anastasia was a senior investigator with Level 4 awakening ability. Among all the senior investigators, her awakening ability was the most mediocre. Everyone in the occult world knew she was unable to progress because of something unknown that happened in her younger days.


    However, she was extremely proficient in the use of magic patterns. She could fight against Monarch levels directly with magic patterns and a lot of calculations. That was why she was known as the ¡°Magic Pattern Monarch¡± and the ¡°Russian Witch¡±.


    Zong Yan had met her a few times at MU. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little surprised.


    Anastasia was a senior investigator renowned throughout the occult world. It wasn¡¯t clear why she would come here to lead a few MU students.


    But then he thought about it more and considered that Edward was the presumptive crown prince of the British royal family. The occult world was probably committed to protecting him. It didn¡¯t matter if he was only here for experience and training. The priority was to ensure the safety of the young prince.


    As he thought of this, Zong Yan suddenly turned his head to Edward, who was driving.


    ¡°What is it?¡± In order to prevent being photographed, Edward had only removed his mask in the car. He was still wearing sunglasses.


    Zong Yan hesitated for a moment, but decided to get straight to the point. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood.¡±


    Wang KeMing, who was squeezed in by the side: ! ! !


    After Zong Yan took leave from school, the relationship between Wang KeMing and Edward had improved a bit. Edward wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic about him as he was about Zong Yan, but he¡¯d come to regard Wang KeMing as one of his own people.


    To be honest, Wang KeMing felt a little guilty.


    When he first joined the team, his plan was to make friends with the crown prince and get close to him. But when they actually became friends, he realized how unscrupulous and distasteful he¡¯d been.


    Wang KeMing got the feeling that Edward hadn¡¯t been in a good mood lately, but he also knew how to read the air. He didn¡¯t think their relationship was close enough, so he hadn¡¯t tried to ask. Now he quietly pricked up his ears.


    The little prince¡¯s hand suddenly tightened on the steering wheel. After a long time, he slowly said, ¡°Something happened to my father.¡±


    Wang KeMing: ! ! ! ! ! !


    He paid close attention to international media, but there wasn¡¯t any news at all about that. The events in New York right now were the focus of international attention. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth was as quiet as a chicken. Not a word had been revealed.


    Anyone who was interested knew that such a situation with the king could easily cause a crisis of confidence among the people. It might even lead to turmoil within the royal family. Lanchester II was a bold and brilliant king. He liked to maintain control of everything, which meant the whole government was sealed tight as a drum.


    So they¡¯d just learned one of the royal family¡¯s secrets?


    Wang KeMing realized this after the fact.


    Wait a minute, if something really happened to King Lanchester, wouldn¡¯t that mean¡­


    His eyes widened. Zong Yan was also taken by surprise.


    After all, just six months ago, Zong Yan had a secret conversation with the aging king in Buckingham Palace.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been in very good health for years.¡± Edward said slowly, ¡°He moved from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle to recuperate. It¡¯s been hidden from the media.¡±


    When he said these words, the blond-haired, blue-eyed prince looked very calm. His words didn¡¯t contain much emotion. They were even a little cold.


    But if you looked carefully, you could see a trace of the bewilderment and confusion he hid beneath his cold, indifferent expression.


    ¡°A few days ago I received a message that I should prepare myself, probably in a few months.¡±


    The implication was that the situation wasn¡¯t optimistic.


    There was silence in the car. Zong Yan racked his brain but had no idea what to say. He sensed that his friend was sad, and that not comforting him would be unkind. In desperation, he somehow managed to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    Wang KeMing: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was horrified. Yan Ge ah! It¡¯s not the right time to say that kind of thing!!


    Fortunately, Zong Yan had automatically spoken in Chinese. The little prince¡¯s fluency wasn¡¯t good enough to understand idioms, so the awkward moment soon passed.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Edward smiled and changed the subject to lighten the heavy atmosphere in the car. ¡°Anyway, I can still participate in the New York mission with you. Let¡¯s forget about the other things for now. Our task is more important.¡±


    As they chatted, a text message arrived from the Logistics Department.


    Basically, the investigators had assembled in Boston, then traveled to New York either through official means or via their own transportation.


    New York was closed off. Only a few checkpoints were open for investigators to enter and exit. When investigators left the city they underwent strict inspections. After all, it was possible that a ghoul might try to sneak out. In contrast, entry into the city wasn¡¯t as strict.


    The text message was simple and brutally direct. Zong Yan was handed control of a large chunk of the city, and he was responsible for scouting that area. Not only that, he was also given the authority to deploy troops.


    There wasn¡¯t anything extraordinary about this. For example, when Si Yan arrived, not only did the ninth Monarch bring the members of Team 7, he also took over command of the famous Delta Force. In comparison, Zong Yan could only mobilize ordinary soldiers.


    The MU app also sent updates related to the New York incident. Zong Yan quickly went in and read them.


    ¡°The incident in New York is the result of a ghoul uprising. They¡¯re attempting to summon the evil god they worship. There may also be a group of cultists cooperating behind the scenes.¡±


    Zong Yan read the notice word for word: ¡°The ghouls live underground. Your current instructions are to locate the underground altar they¡¯ve built to summon their god. If you find any trace of ghouls, report it immediately. If you encounter any ghouls in your vicinity, kill them, regardless of their behavior towards humans.


    ¡°There may be a city of ghouls beneath New York.¡±


    A document containing an introduction to ghouls was attached at the bottom.


    This kind of information about otherworldly creatures came from experience their predecessors had paid for with their blood. Zong Yan read through it carefully.


    ¡°Then we should head straight to New York. Anyway, our mentor Ms. Anastasia should be there already.¡±


    Edward gave a shrug, took the next turn, and merged onto the freeway.


    The area assigned to Zong Yan was the borough of Manhattan.


    Manhattan was the lifeblood of New York. Even after its people evacuated, countless financial secrets remained there. It was also where the troops sent to New York were stationed. After all, that was the area the army had inspected first. They could guarantee the ghoul city wasn¡¯t nearby. Relatively speaking, the danger wasn¡¯t high.


    They drove from daylight into darkness. When they arrived, the sky was divided into two stark halves, both of which looked out of place.


    After entering New York, Zong Yan felt a clear sense of oppression. If he guessed right, the ghouls¡¯ summoning ritual was already underway.


    ¡°Investigators from the occult world? Oh, head directly to the temporary base for staging.¡±


    The soldiers at the checkpoint muttered a bit and let them in.


    Manhattan was under military control, which meant there were no investigators stationed there. This allowed them to allocate personnel elsewhere.


    However, the U.S. soldiers stationed in Manhattan weren¡¯t eager to cooperate with the instructions given at the checkpoint.


    Their opposition reached a peak when they saw Zong Yan¡¯s team.


    ¡°Jesus Christ! Was that Congressman kicked in the head by a donkey? How is a little beardless boy our commander?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right, the new commander? A fresh recruit who doesn¡¯t even have a military rank?¡±


    ""


    After they explained their purpose and showed the command transfer order, the soldiers began to boo and make catcalls.


    Whether it was Wang KeMing, Edward or Zong Yan, the faces of all three young men were fresh and tender. These ruthless veterans could tell at a glance they¡¯d never seen blood, let alone a battlefield.


    ¡°Hey! Listen up, go back and play in your little sandbox. We¡¯ve been here for days and haven¡¯t seen a trace of your so-called occult world. We don¡¯t have time to play kiddie games with you!¡±


    The commander of the unit was a middle-aged lieutenant general. He stood outside the square and coldly watched the situation unfold. He had no intention of stepping in and taking control.


    U.S. Army soldiers were highly-disciplined to obey orders. These soldiers might seem arrogant, but whose orders were they following right now? Zong Yan could figure out who was responsible without a moment¡¯s thought.


    Bang¡ª


    When the three didn¡¯t answer, a white soldier loaded his gun and fired a shot into the sky. ¡°Get the hell out! This is a free country. America doesn¡¯t welcome yellow people here!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡±


    The other soldiers followed suit and burst into laughter.


    Racial discrimination.


    In the Land of Liberty, racism was a serious problem. Asians, much like Blacks, were usually at the bottom of the chain of contempt.


    It had become popular for politicians and public figures to implicitly espouse ¡°political correctness¡± and emphasize Black equality. But Asian Americans continued to be discriminated against.


    The military had been stationed in Manhattan for two or three days, and for two or three days, nothing happened. Not a hair had been seen of the ¡°unidentified creatures¡± mentioned in the directive from the top brass.


    After several days of relentless searching that bore no fruit, these soldiers were exhausted, but the orders kept coming in. The result was discontent and bad morale, like a build-up of carbon monoxide in the air. At this point, it would only take one spark to set off an explosion.


    Zong Yan was the fuse.


    The ridicule and words of contempt ignited Zong Yan¡¯s temper as well. Wang KeMing clenched his fists.


    No Chinese could stand by in the face of such insults.


    Smiling coldly, the black-haired teen crushed the card in his hand.


    Everyone was here to face otherworldly creatures, army troops included. The Treaty of Seclusion didn¡¯t apply.


    New York was shrouded in permanent night, which meant the cost of the Night Watchman card was cut in half.


    Stepping out of the dark fog, a gentleman appeared in his place. He lightly tapped on the ground with his black umbrella.


    All the soldiers who were laughing so hard suddenly came to a halt. They stared with wide eyes.


    The shadows around them had suddenly grown sharp claws and teeth and seized them by the neck.


    The Night Watchman hooked the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°Now am I qualified?¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Do you want me to do something for real, or do you already know you¡¯re wrong?


    TL Notes:


    In my opinion, some of the things in the last part of this chapter are dumb and inaccurate. Regarding the military bits specifically: I know I¡¯m biased because I¡¯m a veteran, but the U.S. military is one of the most racially integrated institutions in the country. Racist speech is a great way to get a near-instantaneous dishonorable discharge. You¡¯ll be ¡°promoted to civilian¡± so fast your head will spin. I could go into various other things but I¡¯m not gonna bore you. I¡¯ll just chalk this one up to the lieutenant general(!) who was standing by(!!) doing nothing(!!!). ( ??? ???) Anyway, I know the author is just setting up a face-slapping arc, so¡­ let¡¯s just move on.


    Note I also spoke up for the U.K. when they were accused of having universally atrocious cuisine. I¡¯m fair to everyone lol


    Oh, I¡¯m so annoyed by this chapter, so irritated¡­ I guess it¡¯s time to¡­ post another one! (????) *:???*:???


    straight male aesthetic ¨C Ö±ÄÐÉóÃÀ ¨C Paraphrasing from Baidu: the type who always chooses the least popular color in a row of lipsticks and loudly proclaims, ¡°This is the color men love the most, all women should wear this to please men¡±. A person who thinks he has invincible fashion taste when in fact his opinions are not very popular. (I get the feeling this entry has been massaged quite a bit to avoid offending those very same straight men)


    Koenigsegg ¨C ¿ÂÄáÈû¸ñ ¨C A Swedish manufacturer of high-performance sports cars. The Koenigsegg Regera (2016-present) has a base price of US$1.9 million


    I¡¯m sorry for your loss ¨C ½Ú°§Ë³±ä ¨C restrain one¡¯s grief and accord with inevitable changes ¨C Used to comfort family members of the deceased


    Delta Force ¨C Èý½ÇÖÞÌØÖÖ²¿¶Ó ¨C Delta Special Forces ¨C 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment¨CDelta


    play in your sandbox ¨C ÍæÄãÃǵÄÄà°ÍÈ¥ ¨C go back and play in your mud


    without a moment¡¯s thought ¨C ÓýÅָͷ¶¼ÏëµÃ³öÀ´ ¨C figure it out with his toes

 CH 70

    It was hailed as the Spire Council¡¯s most crucial meeting since the Cold War, held in response to the most urgent situation, to make the most important decision.


    After Miskatonic University relocated to the border of the Dreamlands, the Spire Council moved there too, and a tower was built behind MU. In keeping with the years¡¯ long tradition of the occult world, a council chamber filled with floating seats occupied the topmost floor.


    The subject of today¡¯s meeting had already been raised twice. The previous two times, no decision had been reached due to a lack of sufficient votes.


    After all, this was an issue that concerned the future of the entire mystical community. The forty-seven members who were eligible to vote were extremely cautious.


    The crisis facing New York wasn¡¯t a disaster for the Awakened, but for the entire human race.


    The question before the Council was whether to announce the existence of the occult world to humankind.


    The radical faction argued it was necessary to unite all of humanity to overcome the emergency. After all, the time when the stars would return was drawing close. This was an indisputable fact


    The conservative councilors, on the other hand, advocated maintaining the 18th-century Treaty of Seclusion. They believed the occult world should remain hidden from ordinary people. The last time the mystical community had come to light was during the middle ages. The exposure of vampires directly caused the Church to launch a violent witch hunt which killed numerous innocent people.


    Many members of the Spire Council were also MU professors. Right now the chamber was in chaos. People from each faction were giving impassioned speeches.


    ¡°Due to the small vote margin, for the third vote we will qualify the ten Monarchs for the ballot.¡± The leader of the Council sat on the foremost floating seat and spoke without lifting his head.


    The members of the Spire Council were divided into two wings. No one could convince anyone else. If the voting continued, it would only result in a stalemate. Therefore, the Council had to resort to wartime precedent and increase the number of people eligible to vote.


    The Council leader¡¯s head had begun to ache from all the commotion. He extended the silver scepter in his hand and rapped heavily on the back of the chair.


    Clang¡ª


    The loud noise silenced the entire chamber.


    ¡°Now that we have quiet, let¡¯s proceed with voting.¡±


    The councilors exchanged glances¡ªyou look at me, I look at you¡ªthen they slowly took out their ballots and began to cast their votes. One by one they went to the red ballot box in the front of the room.


    ¡°Mr. West, about the newly-recognized tenth Monarch¡­¡±


    Everyone knew this third vote would almost certainly determine the outcome of the Council session. After all, ten more votes had just been added. A few of the Monarchs were out of reach most of the year, and others were recluses, but the remaining Monarchs were likely to be decisive.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that will only add seven valid votes. After the second ballot, the radicals were three votes short of the required majority.¡±


    Councilor West breathed an exasperated sigh. ¡°Unthinkable, unbelievable! The traditions of the occult world have stood for more than two hundred years. Will the treaty finally be destroyed today?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, all these people must have studied at MU in vain, while a small number of other people shouldered the burden. There is indeed a major calamity underway. But if we don¡¯t manage to resolve it, there¡¯s no guarantee the occult world won¡¯t be targeted in retaliation.¡±


    Another councilor shook his head, worried. ¡°Have we forgotten the lessons of World War II?¡±


    The Conservative councilors were cautious. They believed the Council should not only focus on the present, but look to the future and consider the development of the occult world.


    Meanwhile, the radical councilors were also expressing their views.


    ¡°The time for the return of the stars is drawing closer and closer. It¡¯s no longer necessary to hide.¡±


    A councilor who was also a professor said, ¡°Since it¡¯s already an established fact, it¡¯s best to give the people of the world time to accept us before it¡¯s too late. If we drag it out, the situation will become irreparable, and I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll face a conflict within the human race as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny that the conservative faction still thinks the human race will get through this unscathed. If we can¡¯t even handle the current problem, how dare we talk about what¡¯s coming?¡±


    The radical councilors sighed. ¡°This incident in New York is the final wake-up call for the occult world.¡±


    ¡°At present, there are twenty votes for the radicals, eleven votes for the conservatives!¡±


    According to the rules, when a major decision was pending, one side needed twice as many votes as the other to be victorious. It was thanks to this regulation that voting had been deadlocked for so long.


    The vote count continued to be called out, but every member of the Spire Council knew the result was still in question. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to obtain twice as many votes as the other side.


    ¡°The votes of the ten Monarchs will now be counted. For various reasons, the first Monarch, fifth Monarch, and seventh Monarch will not participate in the voting process.¡±


    The Council leader activated the tower¡¯s alchemical projection device, and the ballots were transmitted through the air. The votes of the seven Monarchs began to trickle in.


    ¡°Both the ninth and the second Monarch support the radicals!¡±


    The radical councilors began a round of thunderous applause, while the conservatives began to boo.


    Who didn¡¯t know the ninth Monarch Si Yan and the second Monarch Si Xun were soldiers, father and son? Their votes pretty much reflected the attitude of China¡¯s senior leaders.


    ¡°The third and eighth Monarchs support the conservatives!¡±


    This time the applause came from the conservative faction.


    It was true that the occult world¡¯s official stance was that they didn¡¯t involve themselves in national politics, but when matters reached such a high level, how could there be complete neutrality?


    The exposure of the incident in New York was the last thing the United States wanted.


    In the game of geopolitics, nations didn¡¯t have friends, only interests.


    ¡°The fourth Monarch supports the radicals, and the sixth Monarch supports the conservatives!¡±


    Two more votes were announced, and no one knew what to do. The situation had once again fallen into a stalemate.


    The conservatives had eighteen votes, and the radicals had thirty-five votes. The last vote was now the most crucial. Otherwise a fourth vote would have to be taken.


    ¡°God, I¡¯m getting too old to vote for a fourth time.¡±


    Many Council members were getting on in years, and they¡¯d been inside the tower for nearly twenty-four hours because of the vote. Everyone was tired. They just wanted to get it over with and didn¡¯t have much interest in continuing.


    ¡°The last vote, the most important vote, is in the hands of the tenth Monarch.¡±


    ¡°The tenth Monarch is also the youngest. Isn¡¯t he the chief of MU this year?¡± a member of the Council asked in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a good child. His academic performance is very good.¡±


    MU¡¯s anthropology professor squinted his eyes and boasted, ¡°Last semester he was the only student who got an A from me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, a student who hasn¡¯t even graduated has the right to vote?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s the tenth Monarch. That¡¯s the rule written in the Spire Charter.¡±


    The Council leader rapped his scepter. Everyone fell silent.


    They all stared nervously at the projection. As more time passed, the screen still didn¡¯t display a vote result for the tenth Monarch. The Council leader frowned and made a phone call.


    ¡°Hello? Ms. Anastasia? Yes, yes, we¡¯re holding a vote. Would you please inform him if you can? Yes, thank you.¡±


    After all, the Monarchs had been included in the voting at the last minute, and a lot of Monarchs had signed up for the mission in New York and rushed to the battlefield. It was normal not to pay attention.


    ¡°Well then, ladies and gentlemen. Let¡¯s have a few moments of peace and quiet while we wait.¡±


    ¡ª


    Anastasia hung up the phone and pressed the button on the frame of her glasses. Suddenly a map of New York unfolded in front of her eyes.


    The holographic projection glasses had been developed by Google, and were recently put into occult as well as official use. The futuristic system could easily provide all kinds of useful information. Every senior investigator was equipped with one, and Monarchs had one too. As for why Zong Yan didn¡¯t own one, he was already in Boston when the express courier arrived.


    ¡°The tenth Monarch¡¯s in Manhattan? It just so happens that the young prince of England is there as well. Ah, I suppose I have to go perform my duties as a mentor.¡±


    The beautiful Russian blonde opened and closed her hands, and every fingertip glowed with a different magic pattern.


    A moment later, her body moved with the speed of a shadow, hurtling towards the location that was designated on the map.


    When it came to magic patterns, Anastasia was the top of the line.


    As for Zong Yan, what was he doing just then?


    He was making a statement.


    The people of the United States were very interesting. Perhaps because of their country, they all had a strong sense of national pride, but at the same time they believed in the truth of ¡°fists first¡±. It wasn¡¯t the simple admiration of strength found in Japan. Compared to Asians, Americans had more fear. After all, American soldiers were famous for their fear of death. During World War II, it was unknown how many Japanese kamikaze bombings they suffered.


    Zong Yan remembered seeing a movie called Charging Out Amazon which depicted this contradictory relationship.


    So he decided that if he could solve this problem with his fists, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate.


    The shadows suddenly grew claws and seized the throats of all the soldiers. Their breath was so cold that these soldiers, every one of whom had seen battle, were unable to lift a finger, let alone pull a trigger.


    The Night Watchman holding his black umbrella still had the face of a teenager, but now he was as frightening as the coming of Satan.


    ¡°I¡¯m the tenth Monarch. My name is Zong Yan, and I¡¯ve been sent by the occult world to meet you. The beings you¡¯re about to face aren¡¯t human. They¡¯re an extra-dimensional species more terrifying than human thermal weapons. If this is the quality of your army, I wouldn¡¯t mind teaching you a lesson you¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    ¡°Attention! Order arms!¡±


    The army lieutenant general, who¡¯d been sitting on the sidelines as if this had nothing to do with himself, suddenly clapped his hands. The soldiers put away their sneers and scorn and formed up seriously.


    Zong Yan knew he¡¯d made the right move.


    The American military was extremely strict. If there was no signal from their commander, the soldiers would have never dared to step out of line.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Lieutenant General Lynn.¡± The general came over in his long leather boots. The stars on his epaulets were striking. ¡°We dismissed you at first because of your age and appearance. But you¡¯re clearly strong enough to deserve our recognition, so we¡¯ll follow the directives of our superiors.¡±


    Lynn hooked the corners of his mouth a bit unnaturally and extended his hand. ¡°I would like to apologize on behalf of my men and transfer command of this unit.¡±


    Behind him, the rank-and-file soldiers who¡¯d made the loudest complaints put away their guns as well. On command, they came to attention and saluted Zong Yan.


    Zong Yan stared at the general¡¯s hand for a moment. Then he slowly and carefully took off his gloves and accepted it.


    ¡°Happy cooperation,¡± he said, narrowing his eyes.


    TL Notes:


    Double update!! ©d(o???o)?


    Are you ready for some ghoul-smashing action? I know I am. (????)


    jk I don¡¯t really know what happens next


    I forgot to mention!! This is the halfway point of the book!! If you¡¯re feeling really nice  ??(????)  please go over to NovelUpdates and rate this series or give it a review. Most readers come here from NU and it really helps get the word out. Also, try to be generous with stars if you don¡¯t mind. The instant I posted the first chapter, the anti-BL brigade came out and dumped it with half a dozen 1- and 2-star reviews. ?:?(?? ? ? ?) It really hurt the rating and a lot of readers look at that to decide whether to try a series. TY TY TY!!! £¨? ?? ??)¤Ä©¥©¥??*¡£


    nations didn¡¯t have friends, only interests ¨C ÓÀÔ¶¶¼Ö»ÓÐÀûÒ棬ûÓÐÅóÓÑ¡£ ¨C This is a version of a quote originally by Lord Palmerston (19th-century British statesman, served as Prime Minister), ¡°We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.¡±


    sweeping blanket statements about various countries ¨C It¡¯s possible I mistranslated some of this, I don¡¯t know, I tried, let¡¯s think about happier things


    Charging Out Amazon ¨C ³å³öÑÇÂíÑ· ¨C A 2002 Chinese action film directed by Song Yeming


    human thermal weapons ¨C ÈËÀàÈÈÎäÆ÷ ¨C According to Baidu, ¡°hot weapons¡± are a category that includes firearms, artillery, and weapons of mass destruction. Anything that involves fire or an explosion. I assure you not a single grunt standing in formation had any idea what Zong Yan was talking about when he said it. But the general probably did because he went to War College


    change of command ¨C In the US Army, change of command is usually accomplished by saying something like ¡°Sir/Ma¡¯am, I relinquish command¡± followed by ¡°Sir/Ma¡¯am, I assume command¡±. But when shadow-wielding witch children take over a unit, who knows


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Mr. West ¨C Τ˹ÌØÏÈÉú ¨C W¨¦is¨©t¨¨ xi¨¡nsh¨¥ng


    Satan ¨C Èöµ© ¨C S¨¡d¨¤n


    Lieutenant General Lynn ¨C ½¾üÖн«Áж÷ ¨C L¨´j¨±n zh¨­ng ji¨¤ng Li¨¨¨¥n ¨C Alternatively: Len, Lane, Ryan, Leon

 CH 71

    Now that Zong Yan had decided on a course of action, the next few steps fell into place.


    After the initial storm of scrutiny, the soldiers¡¯ attitude towards Zong Yan made a 180-degree turn. Their eyes filled with fear.


    There was nothing fake about it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation in Manhattan?¡±


    After the transfer of command, Edward became Zong Yan¡¯s first staff officer.


    The little prince had been systematically trained in warfare and command. In this regard, he had far more experience than Zong Yan, so Zong Yan immediately appointed him to the job.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been stationed in Manhattan for three days. We haven¡¯t found any trace of alien creatures during that time.¡±


    Lynn was leaning over a map of New York City with a pen. He described the situation and carefully pointed out some details.


    ¡°Our orders from up above are to perform daily patrols and protect the major buildings in Manhattan. That¡¯s our mission.¡±


    Manhattan was a financial district, which meant a lot of underground parking lots and similar structures. They could just about rule out any possibility that ghouls had an underground city here.


    The Night Watchman put his gloves back on. He flexed his knuckles and tapped gently on the table. He had a sinking feeling.


    Thanks to Lynn¡¯s explanation, Zong Yan realized that the task assigned to him by the Logistics Department was incredibly easy.


    To be honest, ¡°easy¡± wasn¡¯t at all what Zong Yan wanted. He knew the occult world meant well. They were trying to protect the new Monarch. But he wasn¡¯t a greenhouse flower who was willing to wait meekly in the rear.


    As long as he had the power to protect the human race, he wouldn¡¯t ever sit back and be protected by someone else.


    ¡°How many soldiers can we mobilize right now?¡± the Night Watchman asked.


    ¡°If we set aside personnel who have to remain stationed in Manhattan, as well as the troops we need for routine patrols, there are only about a thousand,¡± the lieutenant general said cautiously. After answering the question, he seemed to realize something. ¡°Are you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Zong Yan picked up his top hat and rose to his feet. He lightly said, ¡°Instead of remaining here, we should take the initiative and attack. The situation in New York is critical. Do I have the authority to mobilize the unit?¡±


    The matter was beyond urgent.


    With the Night Watchman¡¯s abilities, Zong Yan could sense that the city was full of souls, howling under the curtain of night. They weren¡¯t concentrated in Manhattan but in other parts of the city across the river. The screams were agonizing, and they were audible from a long distance.


    The situation there couldn¡¯t be good. Zong Yan¡¯s mood darkened.


    What audacity! The lieutenant general was impressed. ¡°You¡¯re the commander now. Of course you have that authority.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    When the Night Watchman was about to leave, someone suddenly barged through the door.


    Wearing a tight-fitting combat suit and special tactical glasses, a blonde beauty pushed into the room and regarded Zong Yan with approval.


    She¡¯d overheard Zong Yan¡¯s previous words and totally agreed.


    When the tenth Monarch first enrolled at MU, the senior investigators picked him out as an excellent seedling.


    ¡°Hello, team leader.¡±


    Before Zong Yan could speak, Wang KeMing stood and greeted her. Even Edward straightened up and nodded.


    Anastasia nodded back, then strode forward and smiled at Zong Yan. ¡°The Spire Council is voting on whether to expose the occult world to the public. You should check your phone.¡±


    She didn¡¯t express an opinion about Zong Yan¡¯s current appearance. After all, a lot of investigators liked to dress in peculiar clothes. Whatever they wore was up to their own personal preferences. There were even investigators who wore bikinis on the battlefield.


    As for Zong Yan, he was forearmed with Nyarla¡¯s prediction. The world was about to end. He didn¡¯t care about revealing this persona.


    ¡°Okay, thank you for the reminder.¡± Startled, Zong Yan hastily took out his cell phone.


    Just now he was so busy cowing his new underlings into submission that he didn¡¯t even notice the update on his phone.


    Si Yan and He Yuan had both sent messages on WeChat, saying that the Monarchs were voting right now, and their superiors hadn¡¯t set rigid requirements for Zong Yan¡¯s vote. That meant he could choose according to his own opinion.


    To be honest, it was a double-edged sword.


    Human beings were instinctively xenophobic towards beings who were different from themselves. Fox¡¯s series of movies about mutants was an illustration of that kind of dynamic.


    But this wasn¡¯t the time to hesitate.


    Even if others didn¡¯t understand, Zong Yan saw it clearly.


    The situation in New York was getting worse. Nyarlathotep had told him what would happen if they didn¡¯t interrupt the ghouls¡¯ summoning ritual. The moment the ghouls¡¯ evil god arrived, Ghroth would come along with him to shift the stars. And then the Earth would be destroyed.


    When the planet was at stake, it wasn¡¯t a problem just for the occult world. It was a problem for the entire human race.


    Zong Yan had already made a decision. No matter what it took, even if he had to sacrifice everything he had, he wouldn¡¯t let the home of the human race be destroyed.


    ¡°I have to give it more thought.¡± The Night Watchman was silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Anastasia said briskly. ¡°The voting¡¯s at a critical point right now. Your decision could determine the final result. It¡¯s good for you to take it seriously.¡±


    From what Zong Yan remembered, this beautiful Russian mentor was known for her rash and eccentric personality.


    But the person who was facing him right now was clearly a cold-blooded female warrior, and she didn¡¯t seem to be in the best of moods.


    ¡°But you still need to hurry up. Everyone¡¯s waiting for your vote.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± After a pause, the Night Watchman walked outside and activated a voice-amplifying magic pattern.


    He was about to give a pre-battle speech.


    The soldiers outside were in full gear and ready to go, standing in squared-off columns and rows, staring straight ahead.


    ¡°The situation in New York today is urgent. But the borough of Manhattan isn¡¯t the main battlefield between us and the alien creatures.¡±


    As he faced the eyes of the crowd, Zong Yan tightly gripped the umbrella in his hand. ¡°If we don¡¯t stop the black fog in time, the entire planet will be covered in darkness.¡±


    Hesitation appeared on the soldiers¡¯ faces. Zong Yan could see it in their eyes, and he added a strong dose of medicine. ¡°For years the mystical community has been secluded from the world. This is the first and only time that investigators from around the globe have been summoned to the same place. That means the situation is critical.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received orders to stand by here in the Upper East Side, but I¡¯m not willing to settle in and wait. I choose to take the initiative.


    ¡°The enemy we¡¯re facing isn¡¯t from this world. These are beings that are possibly immune to bullets. But right now, we¡¯re standing in a human city on human land. We cannot surrender human land to alien creatures. If there are any soldiers here willing to follow me into other areas of New York City, go and stand in the open space to the left.¡±


    After these words, clusters of soldiers picked up their guns, fell out of formation, and went to stand on Zong Yan¡¯s left.


    He made a rough estimate and calculated that the number wasn¡¯t very large. There were only  around two hundred.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re with me. I¡¯ll now transfer command of Manhattan back to General Lynn. All right, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Meanwhile, Anastasia went over to Edward and Wang KeMing.


    ¡°Are you good friends with the tenth Monarch?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wang KeMing nodded.


    Anastasia flicked a strand of her long blond hair. ¡°My orders are to guide you through the investigation practice class. But as you know¡­ for various reasons, the location of your mission is outside New York.¡±


    Indeed, it wasn¡¯t just Zong Yan who was getting biased treatment. Edward faced the same thing.


    Edward had been determined to come to New York. Even if the royal family pressured MU, he wasn¡¯t deterred. He told MU he didn¡¯t want to be treated any differently because he was a prince. He was an adult and would take responsibility for his own decisions. After realizing there were no other options, the Logistics Department arranged a senior investigator and an easy assignment for him.


    ¡°I want to follow Zong Yan.¡± Edward, who¡¯d been silent until now, suddenly said, ¡°Right now I¡¯m an investigator, not a prince.¡±


    ¡°Me¡­ me too! If my brother¡¯s going to save the world, I¡¯m going also.¡±


    Wang KeMing watched from behind as Zong Yan gave his speech. He made up his mind and clenched his fists.


    ¡°Good. It just so happens I agree.¡± Anastasia grinned and pumped her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m your team leader. If anything tries to hurt you, they¡¯ll have to walk over my dead body first.¡±


    Her voice coincided with the voice of the Night Watchman outside: ¡°Then let¡¯s march into New York!¡±


    ¡ª


    The Spire Council, meanwhile, was in the tower nervously waiting for the results of the vote.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good!¡± An investigator suddenly barged into the council chamber with a copy of the latest secret report. ¡°The ghouls in New York have begun to act in broad daylight. It¡¯s organized and premeditated. It looks like they¡¯re near the end of their summoning ritual.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the councilors exclaimed.


    ¡°This is a confidential report from the ninth Monarch. They just encountered a wave of ghouls.¡±


    The crowd drew a sharp breath. They opened a communications link with the Dragon Group.


    Si Yan stood on the roof of a tall building. Behind him were members of Dragon Team 7 and the Delta Force. All of them were looking down, and their faces were grim.


    In the street intersection below them, an enormous, deep hole suddenly opened up. Out of the black and bottomless abyss came a steady stream of ghouls, crawling upward, swarming over the abandoned streets and alleys of New York like a spreading tide. When they encountered a homeless person or an abandoned cat or dog, they revealed ferocious aggression. Pouncing forward with teeth bared, they removed the victim¡¯s head, then jumped back into the large hole.


    ¡°They¡¯re collecting heads.¡± The voice of the ninth Monarch was firm. ¡°The ghouls may be using them to fuel their ritual.¡±


    This scene wasn¡¯t broadcast only to the occult world. It was also transmitted live to a conference room in the White House in Washington, D.C.


    ¡°Oh God! Are those things zombies?¡± the Secretary of State exclaimed. She¡¯d never imagined that so many terrifying creatures lived below New York City.


    ¡°What¡¯s the status of the situation in the occult community right now?¡±


    ¡°It failed to pass. The tenth Monarch voted with the Conservatives. He still believes the occult world can overcome the crisis.¡± The assistant looked at the tablet in his hand and reported dutifully.


    ¡°I heard the tenth Monarch is a little kid under the age of eighteen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hmf.¡± The commanding officer sneered. ¡°If the occult community can¡¯t handle it, mobilize our space-based weapons.¡±


    ¡°Continue real-time monitoring with magnetic sensors and infrared. For the sake of the human race, we must prepare to give up New York.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Space-based weapons are a conceptual type of weapon launched from satellites. According to rumors, they¡¯re being studied by the United States. It¡¯s called ¡°the Rod of God¡±. The impact is comparable to nuclear weapons, scary stuff


    TL Notes:


    180-degree turn ¨C The author said ¡°360 degrees¡± which would put them back where they started, so I changed it


    staff officer ¨C ²Îı ¨C A staff officer is an officer who works for a commander or in the headquarters by ¡°planning, analysis, information gathering and relaying, coordination and supervision of execution of [the commander¡¯s] plans and orders specially in case of multiple simultaneous and rapidly changing complex operations¡± (Wikipedia, the weird grammar is all theirs)


    cowing his underlings into submission ¨C ÏÂÂíÍþ ¨C severity shown by an official on assuming office; putting on airs right at the beginning of one¡¯s office; severity and power displayed by an official upon taking office; initial show of strength


    Fox¡¯s series of movies about mutants ¨C ¸£¿Ë˹һϵÁкͱäÖÖÈËÏà¹ØµÄµçÓ° ¨C Most likely refers to the X-Men series


    brother (is going to save the world) ¨C ÐÖµÜ ¨C xi¨­ngd¨¬


    the Rod of God ¨C ÉϵÛÖ®ÕÈ ¨C Project Thor, AKA ¡°rods from God¡±, is an idea for a weapons system that launches telephone pole-sized kinetic projectiles made out of tungsten from Earth¡¯s orbit to damage targets on the ground. The idea was created by a science fiction author working at Boeing in the 1950s. (Wikipedia) The Wikipedia entry says the vertical projectiles would be difficult to defend against. On the other hand, China has publicly demonstrated weapons systems capable of taking out satellites


    commanding officer (the one who sneered in the White House) ¨C ˾Áî¹Ù ¨C commander; commanding office

 CH 72

    Zong Yan sat in the passenger seat. After hesitating for a long time, he chose to vote with the conservatives.


    The ¡¶Treaty of Seclusion¡· had been in force for almost three centuries. The reason it remained for so long wasn¡¯t just to protect ordinary people, but to protect the occult world as well. After all, there were only a handful of human beings with powers. Normal people might be defenseless against them, but there were only so many Awakened. It would be hard for them to overcome the lies and slander of the world if they were exposed.


    Zong Yan knew better than anyone how urgent the situation was right now. After all, he¡¯d been warned by an evil god that the Earth was facing imminent destruction.


    But that was exactly why Zong Yan felt so confident. He had more than one trump card in his hand.


    He had faith that humanity would survive. That was why he voted for the conservatives. In the long run, it was better for the occult world to remain a secret from ordinary people.


    In the tower of the Spire Council, the conservative councilors stood and applauded, taking off their hats to salute the radicals opposite.


    ¡°We thank the tenth Monarch for his vitally important and very wise decision! But, oh God, I really don¡¯t want to take a fourth vote anymore!¡±


    They shed tears even as they applauded. That was when the leader of the Council suddenly looked up and struck the back of the chair with his silver scepter.


    And that was when an investigator arrived with news from the seventh Monarch.


    Ghoul tide.


    The video projected on the screen made every council member¡¯s eyes widen.


    Ordinarily, a single ghoul was a D-rank mission. But if so many ghouls attacked together, even Monarchs would have a hard time escaping with their lives.


    ¡°Everyone, I must tell you that because of the latest news from the front line, we may not be able to conduct a fourth vote,¡± the council leader said with regret. ¡°All of us are investigators, an integral part of the occult world¡¯s strength. It¡¯s time for us to take up arms and go to New York.¡±


    ¡°Captain, are we¡­?¡±


    He Yuan led the soldiers over to gaze at the multitude of ghouls in the street below. Their faces were solemn.


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Si Yan took a cigarette out of his pocket.


    He Yuan endured a death glare from his captain to snag a cigarette as well. With a smile, he sparked a flame on one of his fingers and obediently lit the captain¡¯s cigarette.


    They were all standing on the roof of a building, looking down at the dense mass of ghouls below. No one spoke.


    In the face of such numbers, investigators were almost useless. There wasn¡¯t much they could do unless they flew fighter jets overhead and directly strafed the enemy.


    That was why Si Yan had transmitted a live feed to the White House. The planes were on standby and would arrive soon.


    The occult world wasn¡¯t fussy about using weapons other than Awakening abilities. They sometimes cooperated with the military to develop new thermal weapons, taking the initiative to actively incorporate alchemy.


    For higher-level otherworldly monsters, physical attacks were useless. But for low-level creatures, these kinds of weapons could be quite effective, which was why investigators were equipped with guns.


    ¡°Team leader, I think there¡¯s someone over there!¡± a member of the Dragon Team said with disbelief, pointing to the horizon.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Si Yan casually shook the ash from his cigarette and narrowed his eyes.


    Below them, a tightly-packed crowd of ghouls crawled out of the enormous black pit in the center of the intersection. They spread outward like a surging tidal wave.


    At the other end of the street, at the very limit of their vision, was a team of people who were obviously well-trained. They appeared to be armed and they were heading straight for the ghoul tide.


    ¡°That clothing and equipment¡­ From a distance, they look like American soldiers?¡±


    That¡¯s right, they had to be U.S. military. He Yuan inhaled deeply from his cigarette and hid his face behind the smoke.


    As he squinted and looked over, his heart suddenly leapt in his chest. He felt like he¡¯d just seen something familiar. ¡°Does anyone have binoculars?¡±


    A Dragon Group member behind him immediately handed them over. He Yuan raised the binoculars to his eyes and gazed at the far end of the street.


    The moment he got a clear view, He Yuan jumped to his feet. ¡°Damn it! Why is the Little Monarch here!¡±


    He¡¯d seen Zong Yan as the Night Watchman before, and he was certain it was Zong Yan he¡¯d just seen in the distance.


    An instant later, the binoculars in He Yuan¡¯s hand were rudely snatched away. Si Yan held the binoculars in front of his face with a black grimace. Then he squeezed the frame so hard it creaked.


    These were military-standard binoculars with better specs than civilian equipment, especially for Monarch-level Awakened, whose bodies were strengthened by their abilities and whose vision was greatly enhanced. Aside from that, Zong Yan was standing directly under the street lights. In the gloom of night it was like being lit up by a shining lamp in the dark.


    ¡°All teams, prepare for orders.¡± Si Yan tossed the binoculars to a team member behind him. His voice was low and scary: ¡°Another group of investigators is heading to our area. We¡¯ll now proceed to meet them from the air.¡±


    The Dragon Group and Delta Force team members behind him accepted the order in silence.


    As soldiers, obeying orders was a natural duty, not to mention that it wasn¡¯t a difficult task.


    Just as China had special operations forces composed of people with abilities, the United States had them too. The special operations unit of the United States was the Delta Force.


    Si Yan was the first of them to manipulate the wind and rise into the air. With a gun in his hand and goggles on his face, he killed his way through two city blocks. He Yuan and the other members of the Dragon Team followed close behind. Special operations members who didn¡¯t have air powers carried grapnels and iron hooks. They immediately began an exciting parkour session between the skyscrapers.


    One of the Delta Force members in back turned on the video equipment he was wearing.


    He needed to broadcast the entire battle live to the White House. In fact, the Dragon Group also had professional drone cameras, in addition to the satellites which were closely monitoring the area.


    In the meantime, one of the fighter jets had arrived. It flew in at supersonic speeds, producing a series of deafening sonic booms as it passed at low altitude.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d been spotted. He was standing under a dim street light with a black umbrella in his hand and a serious expression on his face.


    The soldiers behind him took high-powered searchlights from their vehicles and focused them on the shadowy, claustrophobic city block in front of them.


    Countless ghouls were headed for them. They moved with their heads hanging down, like a carpet of dense cockroaches leaping and scrambling over each other.


    They flooded the entire street level. The stench was indescribable, and an abhorrent hissing noise came from their throats.


    Ghouls were capable of communicating with humans. The ghouls in the Dreamlands occasionally invited MU students to explore the underground territories where they lived. But these ghouls were obviously unwilling to negotiate. Given their numbers, there was no way to establish communication fast enough.


    Zong Yan¡¯s team hadn¡¯t encountered that many surviving humans along the way. His inner foreboding grew stronger and stronger.


    ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± He swept a glance at the troops behind him.


    It was the first time these soldiers had faced an alien species, but their morale was holding steady. Their faces were a little disgusted, but they didn¡¯t look all that afraid.


    Ghouls could be killed by physical attacks.


    ¡°Why are there so many of them?¡± Wang KeMing shouted nervously. Among all the people present, he was the one who had the most trouble accepting the situation. His scalp tingled whenever he saw those ghouls shambling along like walking corpses.


    ¡°Some of the ghouls have been lurking underground in New York City from the beginning. Others were originally human. Actually, if the ghouls feel like it, they can transform all the people buried in cemeteries into ghouls. That means that as long as there¡¯s enough energy, any being that dies in this land can become one of them.¡± Anastasia condensed a chunk of ice out of thin air. The next moment it broke into countless pieces, and with the magic pattern at her fingertips, shaped itself into sharp blades that stabbed at the ghouls. ¡°Why, are you afraid?¡±


    The blonde beauty in the combat suit laughed. Suddenly she pulled out the knife strapped to her waist. After drawing a beautiful knife flower in the air, she rushed straight at a group of ghouls.


    ¡°Wow, that chick is bringing it.¡± The soldier didn¡¯t whistle, but he grinned as he loaded fresh rounds into his gun. ¡°I ain¡¯t afraid of anything a gun can kill.¡±


    The black muzzle of the gun instantly aimed at the hundreds of oncoming ghouls and opened fire with a roar.


    Strike Eagle fighter jets wove between the skyscrapers. A rain of shells fell into the streets and exploded, setting off roiling waves of heat.


    Obviously, in the face of this many ghouls, the U.S. authorities had their own decisions to make.


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to see fighter jets here¡­.¡± Edward intensified his flames and engulfed a ghoul. His expression was troubled. ¡°In my experience, all politicians are the same. If the situation really falls apart, they might do something desperate.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, do you mean something like the trolley problem?¡±


    The trolley problem was a famous dilemma in ethics. In one version, ten children are tied up on the left branch of a railway track, while one child is tied up on the right branch. A lever controls which branch the trolley will follow. If you don¡¯t operate the lever, the train will run over ten children. If you do operate the lever, an innocent child will die who wouldn¡¯t otherwise have to suffer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the same as the trolley problem. For politicians, if they can sacrifice a few people to serve the interests of the majority, they won¡¯t hesitate to do it,¡± Edward said. ¡°Time¡¯s running out. We have to act quickly. Otherwise, even if we tear up the covenant with the occult world, the United States won¡¯t stand by while the situation gets completely out of control.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The Night Watchman slightly raised the tip of his umbrella, and the shadows of the ghouls that were cast on the ground by the street lights began to shift and move like ghosts.


    The Night Watchman had the power to manipulate shadows. In a city that was covered in darkness like this one, that ability was enhanced to the maximum.


    The ghouls¡¯ shadows sprang up from the ground. Silently, they dragged their owners into the suffocating darkness of the night.


    In the midnight world of shadows, it was impossible for living creatures to survive. This was a technique that was unpredictable, mercifully quick, and beyond understanding.


    In seconds, an entire swathe of ghouls fell down like blades of grass.


    ¡°We can¡¯t delay. I want to go to the very center.¡±


    While Anastasia dealt with a group of ghouls. Zong Yan had a brief discussion with Edward, Wang KeMing, and the others.


    They¡¯d all seen the ghouls climbing out of the collapsed part of the road in the intersection. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the ghouls¡¯ city was somewhere below it.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Edward rejected the idea outright. ¡°And you¡¯d be alone. We wouldn¡¯t be able to help you. You can¡¯t forget, we¡¯re all members of the same investigation team!¡±


    The little prince¡¯s deep blue eyes stared at him in the dim light, full of sincere concern.


    The Night Watchman revealed a heartfelt smile and patted Edward on the shoulder. ¡°Of course I know that, but this is an emergency. Don¡¯t you two know what I¡¯m capable of? If the ghouls are willing to make such a big move, it means their summoning ritual is almost complete. If we don¡¯t stop it right now, the situation might become hopeless. Or maybe the politicians will decide to make a sacrifice, just like you said.¡±


    Edward began to mumble something, then faltered.


    He couldn¡¯t find a way to persuade Zong Yan.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t feel right. Look, we¡¯re friends, just like when we were in the tower of Buckingham Palace. Don¡¯t try to push me away.¡± The little prince snorted coldly. Finally, he softened his tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll watch your back.¡±


    ¡°Well, I promise to come back safely,¡± Zong Yan said seriously. He reached out his hand and placed it on the back of Wang KeMing¡¯s and Edward¡¯s hands, then pushed down heavily.


    Meanwhile, a fighter plane at high altitude was configuring its equipment to connect to the command channel. But since the communications ID was almost identical, the technician accidentally wrote down an extra digit. Unfortunately, no one noticed.


    At the same time, the White House was holding a press conference.


    ¡°Yes, of course, I want to assure you that the situation in New York is under control. A nuclear meltdown cannot defeat the United States of America. This is a land blessed by God.¡±


    The speaker stood before a podium with a speech neatly laid out in front of him as he answered questions from the press.


    ""


    ¡°Then what about the rumors of biological mutations in New York caused by the nuclear leak? How can the White House explain that?¡± A reporter threw out a pointed question.


    ¡°Well, of course I saw the video of that alien. I have to say Hollywood¡¯s special effects are getting more and more advanced these days. It¡¯s amazing how realistic they are.¡± The speaker laughed a bit, with a confident expression on his face. ¡°Right now we¡¯re going to connect to the fighters on the front line in New York.¡±


    In fact, the press had rehearsed their questions long ago. This was just a formality to shore up public opinion.


    The authorities had sent a fighter jet to the usual filming site in Hollywood. They set up a green screen on the ground to fool the public, just like the Apollo moon landing.


    A huge screen was unfurled on the wall of the press room. The media cameras focused on the screen one after another.


    The nuclear meltdown and the evacuation of New York City not only caused public demonstrations across the U.S., they also attracted a great deal of international attention. Today¡¯s scene was the result of careful preparation by the authorities. The most powerful special effects team had been mobilized. Every member of the team, as well as their families, signed a confidentiality agreement to ensure that nothing would go amiss.


    At first, the video flickered. The next thing they saw was a night-dark city with tall buildings.


    The lights from a fighter jet suddenly lit up the gloom.


    At that moment, the people watching the live broadcast all over the world saw a young man wielding a black umbrella like the sharpest knife, cutting through a sea of alien creatures like a god of death descending from the darkness.


    ¡ª


    TL Notes:


    (Ghoul) tide ¨C ³± ¨C tide, wave, surge ¨C A common way to describe an overwhelming flood of enemies


    (establish communication) quickly ¨C Ò»õí¶ø¾Í ¨C accomplish at one stroke; accomplish one¡¯s aim in one move; at one stroke; be done at one kick


    trolley problem ¨C Ìú¹ìÎÊÌâ ¨C railroad problem, track problem ¨C A thought experiment in ethics and psychology involving stylized ethical dilemmas of whether to sacrifice one person to save a larger number (Wikipedia) See pic below. People sometimes have an intuition that it¡¯s unethical to operate the lever and become responsible for the death of a person who wasn¡¯t otherwise in danger, while utilitarians believe it¡¯s best to save the most lives


    A lever controls which branch the trolley will follow.  ¨C I added this sentence and made other changes to hopefully improve clarity


    beyond understanding ¨C ººÓ¢´ó´Êµä ¨C Neither spirits nor devils may know of it ¡ª unpredictable; Even devils cannot circumvent.; Neither the spirits above nor the demons below will know anything about it.; so mysterious that even gods and spirits could not predict


    like blades of grass ¨C ¾ÍÈçͬ¸î¾Â²Ë ¨C like cutting leeks/chives ¨C A common idiom for things that are easy to chop down or harvest repeatedly


    fool the public, just like the Apollo moon landing ¨C ´òËãÏñµ±³õ°¢²¨ÂÞµÇÔ¼ƻ®ÄÇÑùÓÞŪһÏÂÃñÖÚ ¨C No idea if the author literally believes this or it¡¯s some kind of AU. Moon landing conspiracy theories claim that some or all elements of the Apollo program and the associated Moon landings were hoaxes staged by NASA. In 2012, images were released showing five of the six Apollo missions¡¯ American flags erected on the Moon were still standing. Belief in the conspiracy is more prevalent in certain countries (Wikipedia)

 CH 73

    If someone had to pick which student had the easiest winter break in all of Qingyang High School, Ye JingMing would probably end up in the top three.


    When the second semester of his senior year started, he wouldn¡¯t return to class. Instead he¡¯d switch over to the International Department of Qingyang High School.


    The International Department of Qingyang High School was a place where people could burn money while they studied. Ye JingMing was only there to go through the motions. He¡¯d already applied for the TOEFL. As soon as he passed, he¡¯d begin applying to colleges.


    Although Ye JingMing¡¯s performance in other subjects wasn¡¯t that great, his English was excellent. That was partly due to the fact that his father¡¯s import/export business frequently dealt with foreigners.


    Although the International Department and the general high school were built on the same site, the International Department was a world of its own. They didn¡¯t even share a cafeteria. The dining hall of the International Department was a high-end restaurant where students could order from a menu. Their dormitory was a single room in a villa. Their school uniforms were London-style plaid skirts with a shirt, or a Western suit and tie with black leather shoes. It was worthy of the high tuition fees.


    Given his situation, Ye JingMing didn¡¯t have to face the pressure of the college entrance exam. He was spending his time at home playing games every day, completely carefree.


    Of course, all the students knew Ye JingMing was headed to the international Department. His little brothers took great pains to organize a farewell party for him.


    Young Master Ye had attended Qingyang School from kindergarten through high school. He¡¯d been a school tyrant since junior high. During that time, he invited his classmates to dinner on weekends and paid bills costing tens of thousands with a generous hand. There were plenty of students willing to follow him.


    Class 3 of senior three had decided to go to a bar during winter break to hang out, but when Ye JingMing sent a message to Zong Yan the previous day, the other party said he was in the United States and might not be able to make it.


    ¡°Weird, what¡¯s he doing in the U.S.? That¡¯s not a good place right now.¡±


    Ye JingMing was lying on the sofa. The Filipina maid fixed him a glass of Coke with lemon and ice and set it on the coffee table. He turned on the TV while he played with his cell phone.


    His family¡¯s TV channel subscriptions were very much in line with the family business. They had all the international news channels.


    A moment later, Ye JingMing spat out the Coke in his mouth.


    There was no way he¡¯d mistake the face on TV.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Zong Yan?!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Ye JingMing. All over the world, wherever it was broadcast by the local media, everyone saw the video livestream from White House press conference.


    The gray-haired man in a top hat elegantly lifted his black umbrella. The next moment, an army of shadows rose up from the ground and transformed into glittering black spikes that stabbed into the oncoming wave of ghouls. In seconds, their heads were separated from their bodies with surgical precision. Body parts rolled to the ground with fractured bones visible and green blood splattering from the wounds, but not a single drop stained the hem of the Night Watchman¡¯s trench coat.


    His posture was elegant and graceful, like he was attending a courtly dance in the ballroom of a historic castle, instead of slaughtering his way through a night-dark city, surrounded by submissive shadows.


    The first reaction of everyone, including the news media: ¡°Did the White House just cut over to a Hollywood movie?¡±


    The second reaction: ¡°Ooh! That guy¡¯s so good-looking. Where did Hollywood find such a fresh-faced young actor?¡±


    A couple of minutes into the mix-up, the White House spokesman still hadn¡¯t realized anything was wrong.


    After all, he was standing in the front of the room. He couldn¡¯t violate protocol and turn his back to the entire world just to look at the screen.


    As for the personnel who¡¯d set up the video link, their only responsibility was connecting the livestream from the fighter jet to the projection screen.


    The fake broadcast was so classified that ninety percent of senior White House staff knew nothing about it, and the remainder had signed confidentiality agreements. Everyone knew the situation in New York was extremely damaging to the international image of the United States.


    That was also why, when the video was first broadcast, no one in the entire U.S. hierarchy thought anything was wrong. They all assumed it was part of the setup.


    The biggest names in American media, leaders from all over the world, and millions of ordinary people watched the live broadcast for nearly three minutes while the unknown person tore the creatures apart.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Did you accidentally switch to the wrong feed?¡±


    A few minutes later, a reporter in the audience cautiously asked a question that wasn¡¯t in the script.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    By the time the high-level personnel finally reacted and scrambled to cut away from the livestream, people all over the world were already replaying the video over and over again.


    Countless copies of the video were uploaded to YouTube. The hashtags on Instagram and Twitter began to trend, and the White House communications team suddenly had their hands full.


    Of course, everyone assumed the White House had switched to the wrong channel.


    But that scene just now was by far the greatest media accident of the year.


    For ordinary people, their first thought on seeing such a video wasn¡¯t that a superhuman being had appeared or that New York was under siege by aliens. The human worldview was too deeply rooted for that. Unless the occult world announced itself through national press and official news media, the average person¡¯s assumptions wouldn¡¯t change.


    Except for military traffic, all forms of communication with New York City had been cut off. The city was closed down. Nothing could escape detection.


    But those in the occult world, especially the MU investigators watching via an Internet feed to a projector screen in the conference room, understood what the video images meant.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the radicals lose the Spire Council vote?!¡±


    An investigator exclaimed, ¡°Quick, get in touch with the White House. What the hell are those people doing?¡±


    ¡°Damn it! When the Spire Council decided to terminate the vote, we rolled back all our plans to expose the occult world to the public. We¡¯re completely unprepared for this!¡±


    It didn¡¯t just stir up waves in the occult world. The communications team of the White House was frantic. The occult world tried to contact them, but so did dignitaries, prominent officials, and nobles in many other countries who were well aware of the existence of Awakened. Messages and telephones poured into the White House like snowflakes. The telephones of the Foreign Liaison Office kept ringing non-stop, and secure fax machines were transmitting documents one after the other.


    ¡°Damn it! Who was the idiot who connected to the wrong channel! The CIA, FBI, and NSA are calling too!¡± The head of the department was furious. ¡°Idiots! Idiots! What a bunch of idiots!!! What are they saying online right now?¡±


    The journalists at the press conference were all highly-trained. No matter how disorderly the situation, as soon as the press conference cut the video they immediately began trying to whitewash everything.


    ¡°Online they¡¯re saying¡­¡±


    Generally, when something like this happened, the authorities would approach the relevant social media companies and arrange to delete the posts and block them, ensuring no trace was left on the Internet.


    What they didn¡¯t expect was the response on Instagram and Twitter. It was beyond their imagination. Scores of melon-eating netizens were frantically retweeting and forwarding the clip, commenting wildly the entire time.


    GUYI: Oh dear god! That guy in the video is so hot!


    YEEEE: Did the White House accidentally show footage from a Hollywood blockbuster that hasn¡¯t been released? Ummmmmm maybe the AV tech switched to a screening for the MPAA film ratings board by mistake? It doesn¡¯t look like a clip from any movie that¡¯s already aired. Based on the level of rendering, it probably hasn¡¯t undergone much post-processing or had many special effects added.


    KU: New face, total unknown. Hahahaha, this actor¡¯s so lucky. His movie hasn¡¯t even come out yet and it has worldwide attention. I bet the box office will explode


    LShen: No idea what everyone else is talking about. Am I the only one who cares how cool that looked?? Just think about it, those aliens were so real! There¡¯s only a handful of companies that can produce a movie like that, so¡ªI hereby predict the Marvel Universe is about to add a new superhero!


    TU: That¡¯s just speculation¡­ Neither DC nor Marvel has ever had a character like that in their comics. It¡¯s probably from some other series like Terminator or Avatar


    After seeing so many netizens guess that the White House accidentally cut to a movie, the person in charge felt slightly relieved.


    ¡°Divert attention, divert attention! Talk about the movie! Don¡¯t bother with deletes and bans!¡±


    As he roared in his office, a team of programmers began to quietly contact Twitter and Instagram executives to control online public opinion.


    ¡°Mr. Lawrence, the NSA just called. The identity of the person in the video is the tenth Monarch of the occult world. He¡¯s a Chinese national, seventeen years old.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! A seventeen-year-old kid!¡± The person in charge pulled at his tie and shuddered as he thought of that teenager cutting up monsters like he was chopping vegetables. He couldn¡¯t help feeling a little scared. ¡°Does the NSA have a solution?¡±


    Although it was a serious accident, the situation didn¡¯t develop the way they would have expected. Online reactions were full of melon-eating netizens who were eagerly looking forward to the official release of the movie.


    ¡°What the NSA said was¡­¡± The department member covered the mouthpiece of his phone and hesitated before he spoke. ¡°They said that since everyone thinks it¡¯s a movie, we¡¯d better release one on schedule.¡±


    Sometimes, in order to cover up a lie, a lot more lies are needed.


    But for an unexpected emergency, that was the best possible outcome.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the United States government will put together the best director, special effects team, and superstar supporting actors for him, and we will faithfully recreate the scenes in today¡¯s leaked footage.¡± The man in charge mopped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°This movie will be tailor-made for him. No matter what it costs the U.S. Treasury¡­ This ¡®New York City vs aliens¡¯ war movie will be released on schedule.¡±


    ¡ª


    The Night Watchman was like a bow that skimmed gracefully over the strings of a violin, stepping lightly in the footsteps of death, disappearing silently into the shadows.


    Zong Yan was oblivious to the fact that his figure had been seen by the world.


    And he had no idea that he was about to be crowned as one of Hollywood¡¯s hottest up-and-coming actors, featured in the biggest productions ever filmed in the history of world cinema.


    Through the power of shadows, he¡¯d already infiltrated the enormous black crevice the ghouls had opened in the intersection.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: The destined star of the silver screen, here I come!


    ¡ª


    TL Notes:


    This needs another round of editing but I need to go lie down for a bit. mega headache rn


    school tyrant ¨C У°Ô ¨C xi¨¤o b¨¤ ¨C school bully, school oppressor ¨C This isn¡¯t the ¡°learning tyrant¡± or ¡°study tyrant¡± (ѧ°Ô) that gets good grades, this is the kind of tyrant that beats you up or trips you in the hallway


    young, fresh-faced ¨C СÏÊÈâ ¨C little fresh meat ¨C An internet buzzword in China used to describe handsome young males. It¡¯s most commonly used for celebrities, particularly a rising star (Wikipedia)


    melon-eating netizens ¨C ³Ô¹ÏÍøÓÑ ¨C Melon-eating is a common way to describe people who are just enjoying the show. In English we might say they¡¯re eating popcorn


    GUYI, YEEEEE, KU, etc. ¨C These netizen names are unchanged from the raw


    MPAA film ratings board ¨C µçӰЭ»áÆÀ¼¶ ¨C film association rating ¨C The MPAA, now known as the MPA, is the organization which determines the rating for a movie in the U.S. and its territories. The MPA rating system is a voluntary scheme that is not enforced by law (Wikipedia)

 CH 74

    The Night Watchman melted into the shadows, stealing ever closer to the bottomless black pit.


    In the city of New York where darkness never lifted, the movements of a single shadow went unnoticed by the ghouls. The creatures had no time to pay attention to such things. In all likelihood, their altar would be completed soon, and that was why they¡¯d launched such a suicidal attack. It was a tactic to delay the humans who were trying to stop them.


    So Zong Yan crept along the asphalt pavement. Then, without a backwards glance, he flung himself into the hole.


    As soon as he crossed the threshold, the temperature plummeted. The Night Watchman was dressed in many layers¡ªa trench coat, a three-piece suit with an undershirt, heavy Martin boots¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t avoid the deathly cold that drilled into his bones.


    It wasn¡¯t an ordinary cold. Normal cold only affected the surface of the body, but this type of cold penetrated deep into Zong Yan¡¯s bones and blood, circulating to all parts of his body.


    The Night Watchman¡¯s heart was gloomy.


    Thanks to the information he¡¯d received from several evil gods, he already knew what the ghouls were doing in New York.


    They were trying to leverage the return of the stars to summon the evil god they worshipped.


    It had to be admitted they were pretty good at planning. The chance their ritual would succeed was almost fifty percent higher than at normal times. If the ghouls weren¡¯t going to try it now, what were they waiting for?


    The name of the god they worshipped was ¡°Mordiggian¡±. Zong Yan had looked up this evil god in the MU app.


    Mordiggian was a Great Old One, but since he¡¯d lived on Earth so long ago, there weren¡¯t many records of him. Investigators only knew that he had several other names¡ª¡±the Charnel God¡±, ¡°the Great Ghoul¡±. There were also top secret investigation files that contained valuable information investigators had found in a ghoul city. According to the files, the Great Old One named ¡°Mordiggian¡± was one of the few higher-level beings who could understand and communicate with humans. Most of the time, he could be regarded as a rather benevolent evil god.


    But that wasn¡¯t very useful to Zong Yan.


    ""


    What the ghouls were trying to do was summon the actual body of the Great Old One Mordiggian.


    What was the fundamental truth about a Great Old One¡¯s body?


    By way of illustration, long ago on Earth, there had once existed several brilliant and magnificent civilizations which endured for countless centuries.


    Indeed, Earth¡¯s history had seen the rise of more than one civilization. According to the Mayans, there had been five Suns, or solar ages, on the planet. The fifth Sun was the modern era, the age of humans. It was once calculated that doomsday would occur in December 2012, but this date was later found to be incorrect.


    The Mayan civilization was the focus of a special research discipline at Miskatonic University. During their heyday, the Mayans were a society that combined magic and technology, both of which were hundreds of times more advanced than anything humans possessed today. They could accurately predict future calamities through changes in the stars.


    Fifteen billion years ago, Azathoth fell into a deep sleep, and from his dream, the universe was born.


    During the first solar age, the Earth was home to many evil gods: Cthugha, Chaugnar Faugn, Yidhra, Tsathoggua¡­ Numerous Great Old Ones once strode the surface of the planet.


    About 350 million years ago, an evil god named ¡°Cthulhu¡± arrived as well. At the time, the continents hadn¡¯t yet moved to their current configuration. The surface of the planet was almost entirely covered in a single vast ocean without much land. This Great Old One established a civilization and nation of his own upon the sea. Its name was R¡¯lyeh. Every being on the planet was subject to the great Cthulhu, and his clan spread throughout the world.


    Later, for various reasons, R¡¯lyeh sank beneath the ocean. Undersea volcanoes erupted all over the world. Eventually, through the erosion of time, the continental plates began to move.


    This was the era that coincided with the first solar age of the Maya. They predicted that the fifth solar age in which humans lived would end when the stars returned.


    With the sinking of R¡¯lyeh, Cthulhu was forever sealed beneath the sea.


    If the stars one day returned to their original places, this Great Old One would break free from the seal. His true body would return through the rift in space, and the world would be destroyed.


    Great Old Ones and human beings didn¡¯t belong to the same dimensional space. Even if the Great Old Ones didn¡¯t really intend to destroy the human race, the arrival of their true bodies would still cause the end of humanity.


    Like Mordiggian¡ªperhaps he was a more friendly and benign example of his kind. He might even be able to communicate with humans. But the moment he appeared, the Earth would be destroyed, which meant communication was essentially meaningless.


    Zong Yan had to prevent any of this from happening.


    The Night Watchman darted along the edge of darkness, flitting and falling through the shadows. His white-gloved fingers gracefully pierced the murky gloom and grasped protruding clumps of earth. He avoided the dense horde of ghouls that climbed upwards, casting himself deeper into the endless abyss.


    His night vision was superb. At long last, he suspended himself from a protruding rock and gazed down at the bottom.


    In the darkness, countless ghouls scrambled up the walls. When they opened their repulsive mouths, slimy, foul-smelling ropes of saliva drooled out, producing an indescribable stench.


    When Zong Yan looked down, all he saw was blackness in the center of a crevasse. The slithering sound of countless crawling creatures surrounded him, as did an even more bone-chilling sensation of cold.


    Black fog rose in billows into the air. Unless there was some kind of mistake, this had to be the source of the darkness over New York.


    The Night Watchman quietly broke off a chunk of stone and tossed it down. He didn¡¯t hear it land.


    The pit might be deeper than he thought.


    ¡°Not good¡­ There isn¡¯t much time.¡±


    He muttered to himself as he watched the amorphous black fog drift around the opening of the pit. Then he drew a deep breath, pressed the tip of the umbrella into the wall behind him with his spare hand, and loosened his grip on the rock.


    If a searchlight had been pointed this way, it would have revealed the Night Watchman like a moth approaching a flame. The dark gray trench coat fluttered behind his body, a razor-sharp knife piercing the night.


    He fell silently, with unparalleled confidence and the courage to throw everything away.


    Finally, Zong Yan stared at the scene below him with a grave expression. He saw¡ª


    A massive altar had been constructed at the very bottom of the pit. It wasn¡¯t easy to tell in the heavy, black fog, but it seemed to be exposed to the open sky.


    Lines of intricate black patterns were entwined around the surface of the altar. Its base was made of an unidentifiable material, carved in cold, hard angles that produced a feeling of nausea.


    Several ghouls with staffs in their hands clustered near the altar. They jumped and leaped around the altar while mumbling vague, obscure incantations.


    But it was the surface of the altar that was the most shocking of all.


    At its center was a strange, twisted sculpture, and every part of this bizarre, distorted shape was constructed of a dense mass of severed human heads.


    Every one of these heads showed a frightened expression. Their eyes were white and lifeless, and the center of the skull was hollowed out, leaving only the outer portion of the head. All of the contents had been removed to fill a hole in the middle of the altar.


    While the Night Watchman status was active, Zong Yan possessed immense mental fortitude, but the horrific, tragic scene disgusted him so much he wanted to vomit.


    He glanced at the altar and thought there must be thousands of heads down there. Presumably these were the sacrifices the ghouls intended to offer their evil god.


    But the strange thing was that Zong Yan didn¡¯t feel any fluctuations from souls.


    The Night Watchman persona had the ability to sense spirits. When Zong Yan first activated the card, he became aware that countless people had recently died in New York. A river of souls hovered above the city, howling, but he didn¡¯t detect any souls around the black pit or the altar.


    Unless¡­ the altar was feeding on the souls.


    A chill ran through his body. The temperature suddenly plunged.


    The Night Watchman reached into the gap in space and grabbed hold of another card.


    The Night Watchman wasn¡¯t powerful enough for this. Against a presence that was so obviously fueled by darkness, Zong Yan had another persona card that was much more suitable.


    The San cost of that card was halved in the dark. That was why Zong Yan was still able to use it after activating the Night Watchman card.


    Suddenly, the black, bottomless abyss erupted with golden light as dazzling as the sun.


    The light was incredibly bright, so bright that it immediately dispersed and destroyed the black fog, devouring it, creating a radiant path of light in the darkness.


    Clad in a white-gold robe, stepping barefoot on the air, the God of the Sun appeared with a lyre in his hand.


    His blond hair drifted around him, emitting a faint glow like a million golden threads. He wore a sacred crown of laurel branches and lotus leaves, unparalleled and divine.


    A blinding golden light surrounded him. Countless heavenly birds sang songs of praise, with a black harbinger bird hidden somewhere in the mix.


    ¡°7##$ubuibcano¡­ &!¡±


    ""


    The ghoul priest who was presiding over the ritual also sensed the blinding light. It suddenly raised its staff, and the black fog within the cave rose up as though answering its call. The fog condensed at the tip of his staff and surged towards the sun god.


    Sure enough, the ritual was coming to an end.


    After Zong Yan transformed into a god, he immediately sensed that something horrible was taking shape within the altar.


    Their god had been awakened. Right now he was closely observing his followers on this planet from billions of light years away.


    The bond between them had been established, and it could not be broken.


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart froze over. He took a deep breath, and then the lyre in his hand began to play music.


    In an instant, a mass of golden light gathered over his chest. Then the light soared up.


    Where the God of the Sun descends, darkness must retreat.


    ¡°What¡¯s that¡ª¡±


    Wang KeMing, who was fighting on the surface, shouted in alarm and pointed at the intersection in front of him.


    Golden light burst out from the pit and formed a pillar of blinding white that pierced the heavens.


    Everywhere the light touched, the black fog was torn apart, and the blue sky concealed behind the fog was immediately revealed.


    Every ghoul on the surface, as soon as they came into contact with the light, burst into particles of dust, instantly disintegrating.


    Edward and Wang KeMing looked at each other and understood at once.


    It had been a week since the sun had shone over New York.


    Anastasia, standing in the middle of the tide of ghouls, put away her knife and squinted her eyes at the sky.


    The crowd cheered, completely unaware of what was coming. Above the clouds, another, larger shadow was about to descend.


    TL Notes:


    Cliffhanger alert: If you want to avoid cliffs, let me quietly suggest stockpiling the next 3 chapters (75 ¨C 77)  (?? ? ?)?*:???


    I don¡¯t want to take a break in the middle, so I¡¯m going to take a day off tomorrow to prep the new arc which starts in Chapter 77.


    TY for reading! And thanks for the kind words and interesting comments. I love all the theories, I puzzle over the same things too!  ???©d¨v(?????)¨u???


    7##$ubuibcano¡­ &! ¨C Unchanged from the raw


    darkness must retreat ¨C from ºÚ°µÎÞËù¶ÝÐÎ ¨C ¡°there is no hiding place for darkness¡±


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Mordiggian ¨C Ī¶ûµÏ»ù°² ¨C M¨°¨§rd¨ªj¨©¨¡n ¨C A Great Old One. The Charnel God, The Great Ghoul, the Lord of Zul-Bha-Sair, Morddoth.


    Chaugnar Faugn ¨C ²ý¸ñÄÉ¡¤·½¸ý ¨C A Great Old One. The Horror from the Hills, The Feeder, Caug-Narfagn


    Yidhra ¨C ÒÁµÂÀ­ ¨C Y¨©d¨¦l¨¡ ¨C This is an Outer God, not a Great Old One. The Dream Witch, Yee-Tho-Rah


    Tsathoggua ¨C ÔýÌØ¹Ï ¨C Zh¨¢t¨¨gu¨¡ ¨C A Great Old One. The Sleeper of N¡¯kai, The Toad-God, Zhothaqqua, Sadagowah


    R¡¯lyeh ¨C À­À³Ò® ¨C L¨¡L¨¢iY¨¦

 CH 75

    The Sun God rotated his palm and made a lifting motion.


    Particles of light scattered into the sky like billowing golden dust. In an instant, a multitude of pinpricks pierced the heavy black bank of clouds, like a sieve dotted through with sunlight. Then the fog was shredded apart by golden rays. Light spread out across the formerly darkness-shrouded city of New York.


    ¡°New York¡­ Is the sun coming out?¡±  Someone in the distance looked up and saw the darkness that covered the city was finally gone.


    Thousands of fine beams of light streamed down from the sky, then gradually expanded. With a power that was gentle yet inexorably cruel the beams tore apart every ghoul that remained in the streets.


    Numerous investigators were on assignment in New York. Some were transporting homeless people, while others were guarding abandoned cats and dogs, crouching behind corners and halting ghoul attacks with their own bodies. But the moment the light pierced the black fog, none of them could tear their eyes away.


    Everyone stared up at a deep gash in the cloud covering of the sky, made by an immense pillar of light. The golden brilliance that streamed from the sky was like a miracle. When they saw it, they were filled with shock, unable to speak.


    The Dragon Group members who were traversing the city on the shoulders of skyscrapers immediately dropped down and returned to the empty streets.


    Si Yan controlled the wind and descended to the ground.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zong Yan?¡± He landed firmly on the asphalt. After asking the question he went over to the only Chinese present, Wang KeMing.


    Wang KeMing was startled. He recognized Si Yan immediately. ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    The ninth Monarch had been a popular topic of discussion before the tenth Monarch was crowned. After the announcement of the tenth Monarch, sadly, Si Yan lost the limelight.


    However, there were now three Monarchs in China alone. Every Chinese student studying at MU was able to stand tall. How was it possible for one of them not to recognize a Monarch from their own country?


    The problem was that Wang KeMing couldn¡¯t easily talk about what Zong Yan was doing right now. Wang KeMing regarded himself as Zong Yan¡¯s brother. He couldn¡¯t just expose his friend¡¯s whereabouts.


    During summer vacation in London, the three reached an agreement. Zong Yan seemed to have some mysterious powers which were far stronger than Awakening abilities. At the very beginning, Zong Yan revealed his Night Watchman power in order to save Wang KeMing and Edward. Since then, in all of Wang KeMing¡¯s classes at MU, he never heard of anything similar. He was worried that if he exposed what Zong Yan was doing, his brother would be captured and examined in a lab like in the movies. It was impossible for him to say anything right now.


    But Wang KeMing was a terrible liar, and the person he was standing in front of was a very big deal.


    ¡°He¡­ he ran into the zombie tide just like Team Leader Anastasia.¡±


    When Wang KeMing stammered, Si Yan immediately knew there was a problem.


    So the ninth Monarch stopped asking. He gave Wang KeMing a sharp look with eyes hidden behind his goggles, then turned and left.


    He Yuan, who was following closely, arrived just a little later. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Prepare for combat. We¡¯re going into the pit.¡± Si Yan gave the order in a crisp, clear-cut voice.


    Suddenly his fingers pulsed. Flashing arcs of electricity instantly hurtled towards ghouls that were still running around the street.


    Their team was close to the intersection when they rushed back to find Wang KeMing, and now they had to return to the pit. Fortunately, the black fog had been dispersed. Daylight gradually returned, and visibility began to improve.


    Right now the streets were empty. Not only had something extremely strange just happened, Zong Yan was nowhere to be seen.


    What did that mean? The answer was clear.


    The Little Monarch was good at everything, but sooner or later every investigator came to experience the brutal truth of otherworldly creatures.


    But Zong Yan wasn¡¯t even an adult. Not just in MU, but throughout the entire occult world, Zong Yan was the youngest of them all.


    And they knew Zong Yan was a good child with a kind heart.


    The last thing anyone wanted to see was a good, kind child facing danger alone.


    Sighing, He Yuan tried to conceal his anxiety. He drew a pair of long knives from their sheaths and raced ahead.


    ¡ª


    The pillar of light fell from the sky with incredible force. It was powerful enough to engulf a planet.


    The devastating momentum dispersed the black fog over New York and tore the ghouls into confetti. But the Sun God¡¯s brow was knitted into a scowl.


    There was one reason for this, and he was staring at it. When the pillar of light dispersed, the altar was still standing at the bottom of the pit.


    The ghoul priest to the side lifted his staff. The black fog that previously tried to attack Zong Yan returned to the altar, coiling and seething over its flat surface.


    It wasn¡¯t too surprising. The ghouls had been preparing for the summoning for a long, long time, much longer than the occult world could imagine.


    Among the thousands of severed heads on the altar, many belonged to homeless people who mysteriously went missing in New York.


    Serial killers liked to prey on those with low social status, like homeless people and prostitutes. They intentionally chose victims with no power. People who lived at the bottom of society had limited social means and were rarely missed. If one or two disappeared, the New York City Police Department wouldn¡¯t spend much time investigating, increasing their workload for no return.


    Ghouls weren¡¯t a stupid species. In this respect, they were extremely clever.


    In order to achieve their goal, they¡¯d even contacted cultists and magicians of other religions to help prepare the necessary materials to summon their evil god.


    They now had thousands of heads. They¡¯d been adding to their collection for a long time.


    During the process, they built an altar and began conducting their ritual deep below New York City. It was only when they were close to success that the black fog appeared over New York, exposing their plan.


    By then it didn¡¯t matter. They were less than a hundred heads away from their goal. The ghouls went on a murderous rampage through the streets and finally collected the remaining sacrifices. Today was the culmination.


    The moment these offerings opened the dimensional channel and connected to the great spirit of their god, it was impossible to disconnect.


    Zong Yan knew this as well.


    The light pouring down from the sky gradually lost its brilliance, and the ghouls that survived the terrible sunlight fled through the depths of the underground temple and prostrated themselves on the ground.


    With his foot on the wheel of the sun, surrounded by a nimbus of light, the Sun God lifted his head.


    His clear blue eyes reflected all things in the world, but they could also penetrate the fog of reality to perceive hidden truths.


    In the mythology of ancient Greece, Apollo wasn¡¯t merely the Sun God, he was also the god of medicine and prophecy.


    Zong Yan could now see fleeting glimpses of the future, foreseeing what was about to happen before it occurred.


    Out there, far beyond the Earth¡¯s atmosphere, in outer space or what might be called the wider universe, a section of space-time silently began to collapse.


    And a loathsome, confused mass of black mist poked its head out of the dimensional channel opened by the sacrifice.


    This mass of fog and energy was bone-chillingly cold and unutterably evil. The mere appearance of its head caused space to deform and collapse around it. It had no shape. It was nothing but a dense cloud without form or structure, and as it began to wantonly stretch out its body against the backdrop of the universe, its power was so terrifying it could destroy everything in sight.


    So far, only a tenth of its body had emerged from the rift in space.


    When the remaining nine-tenths crawled out, the black fog would form into an indescribable, appalling presence that would envelop most of the Earth.


    A black fog descended through the sky, bearing ice and snow. The temperature of the Earth plummeted twenty degrees at once. Millions of tropical creatures immediately died in the low temperatures. Everywhere the black fog swept through, every single blade of grass died. People who tried to flee were caught up in an instant and reduced to desiccated bones.


    But none of this happened because Mordiggian actively wanted to destroy all life on Earth.


    It happened simply because he answered the call of his believers to visit the planet.


    The true body of a Great Old One was both terrible and majestic. How much more terrible and majestic was the body of an Outer God, an entity that was even more powerful?


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t want to think about it. Even if he¡¯d wanted to, he didn¡¯t have time.


    As the god of prophecy, his instincts told him there were less than twenty seconds before all of this would happen.


    What could he do in twenty seconds?


    An instant later, the Sun God who stood on the sky transformed himself into a golden ray and hurtled out of the atmosphere at the speed of light.


    The ghoul¡¯s summoning ritual could no longer be stopped and Mordiggian was destined to reach Earth, but Zong Yan had to do whatever he could. No matter what, he needed to find some way to stop the evil god outside Earth.


    Otherwise¡ª


    The images the God of Prophecy had just foreseen would become real.


    The human race would be devastated. Not a blade of grass would be left alive on Earth. Extreme cold would blanket the planet, and all of life would be extinguished, leaving nothing but bones.


    ¡ª


    After the White House¡¯s recent embarrassment, it decided to send a combination of drones and satellites to monitor conditions in New York and guard against any further changes.


    The country¡¯s highest dignitaries were seated at a round conference table with the American Stars and Stripes in the center.


    Before them was a holographic projection, a real-time monitoring image which displayed the situation in New York with minimal delay.


    The occult world had taken a firm attitude throughout the crisis, which caused the United States to respond in kind. They coordinated with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and deployed drones throughout New York. The Air Force and Army were standing by.


    In the face of such a crisis, giving up the city was a last resort, otherwise known as Plan C. Plan A had already failed, so fighter jets had begun to enter New York, attempting to destroy the ghouls with physical means.


    As the seconds ticked by, the politicians anxiously awaited the results.


    The space-based weapon was on standby. The satellite carrying this terrifying weapon had just now moved into a specific orbit, aiming at New York City from high above the ground.


    If standard weapons were confirmed to be ineffective against the creatures in New York, the space-based weapon would be unleashed by a vote of the Chiefs of Staff.


    ¡°The black fog over New York has been dispersed?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s breaking up?¡±


    The news from the front line astonished everyone. They stared at each other in disbelief. Some began to make the sign of the cross, shouting, ¡°God bless America!¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve lost contact with the satellite!¡±


    Someone stumbled into the room. ¡°It¡¯s not just the satellite carrying the space-based weapon. Almost every satellite over the United States has stopped responding!¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± some of the dignitaries exclaimed. ¡°Contact the space station!¡±


    The conference room connected to the technical staff. Sophisticated instruments and top analysts in official uniforms continuously operated underground in another part of the United States.


    ¡°We¡¯ve lost contact with the space station as well¡­ Our preliminary judgment is that some kind of powerful electromagnetic field outside the planet is blocking all signals.¡±


    The technician¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. ¡°It¡¯s not just our country. Satellites of all nations are out of order. Just before we lost contact with the space station, they transmitted a blurry picture to ground control.¡±


    In the center of the image, with the vast universe as its background, two beams of light, one gold and the other black, struck each other with incredible force.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    This time, it really is Elder God vs. Great Old One in a head-to-head confrontation 2333


    There are rumors that the next chapter may have an Outer God participating in the battle. Also, the Earth seen today was a nuclear-flattened version of Earth


    Earth: What did I do to deserve this? confused cat.jpg

 CH 76

    As a god, Apollo was highly revered in Greek mythology. He enjoyed massive popularity throughout the world.


    It could even be stated that among the most well-known gods, he ranked in the top five.


    What did that mean? It meant that as long as Zong Yan fought on Earth, he would harvest a steady stream of faith bonuses.


    When Yun Zhong Jun had confronted the Lord of Tindalos and his many subordinates over Jiangzhou, his success depended on the regional bonus he received.


    This was the reason so many Elder Gods on Earth were able to fight against Great Old Ones and even Outer Gods, sealing Great Old Ones in various places around the planet. For example, Nodens, the Lord of the Dreamlands, had been able to defeat Nyarlathotep¡¯s avatar because his popularity was so much higher than Nyarla¡¯s.


    Faith was a far more powerful weapon than most people imagined.


    Unfortunately, in order to stop this specific Great Old One, the Sun God had been forced to take the initiative and meet his enemy in outer space. He gave up his home field advantage.


    That meant Zong Yan didn¡¯t have any bonuses. While fighting, the only power he could rely on was what came with his S-class daily disposable persona card.


    In order to save as many precious seconds as he could, the Sun God transformed into a golden beam of radiance and shot out of the atmosphere at the speed of light. An instant later, he crashed directly into the region of space beyond Earth that had already begun to splinter and collapse.


    Boom boom boom¡ª


    Space was disintegrating, imploding on itself.


    In the airless vacuum of the universe, sound couldn¡¯t be transmitted. That meant a collision of this magnitude didn¡¯t affect the Earth and could go unnoticed.


    The light of Apollo¡¯s incarnation slammed into the weakened section of space.


    Behind him, the bright star of the Earth¡¯s solar system gave him strength. Golden-red flames and thermal energy converged in the god¡¯s palm, which he formed into a sphere, condensing the magnificent light and heat into a weapon.


    ¡°What about that?¡±


    Elsewhere in outer space, a pair of evil gods were floating in the sea of stars, watching from a distance with great interest.


    ¡°It will be destroyed,¡± the Lord of Time and Space said indifferently.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see Zong Yan¡¯s present or future, he could see the future of the Earth.


    Mordiggian was fated to descend on the planet. Half of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans would freeze into vast glaciers. Eddies of snowflakes would fall. The freezing conditions and black fog were so extreme they¡¯d temporarily halt the rotation of the Earth.


    The advent of the true body of a Great Old One was no laughing matter. Only an advanced planet could withstand such a thing, and the Earth was by no means advanced. It was a 4.5 billion year-old baby ball.


    According to the timeline, its destruction was predestined.


    Under the eyes of the all-seeing, all-knowing god, 95% of timelines contained scenarios in which the Earth was destroyed.


    Mordiggian¡¯s arrival would cause Ghroth to approach the Milky Way from the other end of the universe. His grotesque song arrived with him, and every Great Old One buried on Earth woke up, destroying the planet from the inside.


    It could be said that Mordiggian was the first domino to fall. After he appeared, the galaxy would be destroyed.


    This described 95% of the timelines. Of the remaining five percent, one percent showed that Mordiggian suddenly felt grumpy and decided to turn around. His appearance was too brief to attract Ghroth¡¯s attention, and the Earth survived. This wasn¡¯t especially unusual. After all, whether an evil god showed up or not depended entirely on their mood, and the thousands of heads prepared by the ghouls were basically just an hors d¡¯oeuvre as far as Mordiggian was concerned. He might decide not to lower himself for the sake of a rather paltry appetizer.


    The remaining four percent of timelines were dark. Of them nothing could be seen. Yog-Sothoth didn¡¯t even need to speculate; he knew that Zong Yan was involved in them. The only futures that could escape the gaze of the all-seeing, all-knowing god were ones in which Zong Yan participated.


    But since he was able to distinguish these timelines from ones in which the Earth was destroyed, it was possible that Zong Yan managed to save the planet in those cases.


    The thoughts of the master of time and space were a bit idle as he dropped his gaze and stared at the void.


    He knew exactly what Nyarlathotep was up to.


    As Azathoth¡¯s crazed fanboy, Nyarla obviously wanted the Lord of the Universe to wake up. The Outer Gods existed above and outside the universe. If Azathoth awakened, it wouldn¡¯t affect evil gods of their level.


    Not to mention that Nyarlathotep was a fanatical believer. Even if his Lord annihilated him, Nyarla was still devoted to the glorious existence of his god.


    As for what Shub-Niggurath was thinking, Yog-Sothoth knew that as well.


    Shub didn¡¯t want Azathoth to awaken. The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young had a great deal of affection for the universe in general. Almost the entire pantheon of deities were descended from Shub devouring other gods and splitting to create offspring. If Azathoth woke up, these Great Old Ones would be the first to perish. Shub was a ruthless mother goddess of the highest order, but he didn¡¯t want his creatures to silently disappear. Shub wanted the toys he owned to remain under his control.


    So one of them told Zong Yan to use the card, and one explicitly forbade it.


    There was nothing the omniscient and omnipotent God couldn¡¯t see. Yog had watched coldly as his two fellow gods messed around.


    Of the three, he was the most indifferent.


    As for whether Azathoth woke up, it didn¡¯t matter much to Yog. He didn¡¯t thirst for trouble or excitement like Nyarla.


    He was just a little curious what Zong Yan would ultimately decide.


    Time was meaningless to evil gods, but the Lord of Time couldn¡¯t conceal his interest in Zong Yan.


    If Zong Yan used the Azathoth card again, he wouldn¡¯t get away unscathed. His human self would be extinguished. He¡¯d revert to a stream of consciousness and merge into the vast, magnificent mind of the Lord of the Universe, which would erase his personality. But if he did so, he would ensure the safety of the Earth and preserve the galaxy. For, although His Majesty Azathoth was blind and foolish, his taste in music fundamentally disagreed with Ghroth¡¯s. He hated Ghroth¡¯s nauseating singing and had banished him before. Ghroth wasn¡¯t permitted to set foot in the palace at the center of time and space or join the musical performance of the other Outer Gods. So if His Majesty¡¯s avatar showed up, Ghroth and Mordiggian would have to roll out.


    If Zong Yan didn¡¯t use the Azathoth card, it would be in accordance with Shub¡¯s wishes. Right now Zong Yan had the abilities of an Elder God and could travel at the speed of light. It wouldn¡¯t take him long to escape the galaxy. Even if Ghroth appeared, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much to harm Zong Yan. If Zong Yan decided to protect himself, it was only natural.


    ¡°And so, what choice will you make?¡± Yog asked in a low voice.


    His chaos-colored eyes were filled with hidden interest.


    Very few people had ever received this honor, but the all-seeing, all-knowing Lord was unable to see Zong Yan¡¯s future. That was what gave rise to such unique curiosity.


    If Zong Yan used the card of His Majesty Azathoth and returned to His Majesty¡¯s mind, and His Majesty woke up, that would be quite interesting.


    If Zong Yan didn¡¯t use the card, Yog-Sothoth wouldn¡¯t blame a pathetic human for saving himself, but his interest would end there.


    Zong Yan, who was in the spotlight at the moment, had no idea he was being watched by three Outer Gods.


    He didn¡¯t hold back his strength but struck with all the force he had. Gathering the light and heat of the sun, he punched the evil god who¡¯d just emerged from the spatial rift.


    ""


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you trying to block me?!¡±


    Mordiggian, who had just been summoned, was in a good mood. He lazily decided to answer his believers¡¯ call and opened a space channel to enter the galaxy.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that before a tenth of his body could emerge, he was suddenly attacked by the full strength of an alien god.


    Mordiggian was stunned for a moment, then automatically started to fight back.


    He lived in the Black Temple in a distant galaxy, and he only left his house every few hundred million years. Once in a while, believers sent him souls and corpses. He was basically a fat, reclusive evil god.


    A fat, nerdy evil god like Mordiggian obviously didn¡¯t have a terrible reputation throughout the universe like Nyarlathotep, let alone a bunch of grudges with other gods. After all, his personality was very Buddhist. To a certain extent, as long as an intelligent creature was able to withstand his divine nature and inherent aura of cold, he was quite willing to chat and be friendly. He wasn¡¯t half as aggressive as Cthugha, the evil god who tried to fight everyone he met.


    So the sudden punch left Mordiggian astonished.


    ¡°Sorry, you can¡¯t accept this summons.¡± Zong Yan heard his opponent¡¯s question, but his fist didn¡¯t stop. He continued to manipulate sunlight, capturing the black fog that was scattered throughout space and dumping it back into the spatial rift.


    ¡°Give me a reason, god of another world.¡±


    One could argue that Mordiggian had a good temper. Of course, the black fog on his body continued to struggle against the light. The black fog and the golden light blasted each other, throwing out shards of the purest energy, capable of destroying heaven and earth.


    If his opponent had been a tiny bug, Mordiggian would have squashed him without a glance. But since this was a being that could talk to him as an equal, he didn¡¯t mind spending a little time communicating.


    All evil gods were higher-dimensional beings, and only higher-dimensional beings were capable of speaking with them. In this form, at least, Zong Yan could attempt to talk to him.


    ""


    ¡°There¡¯s life on that planet. Many of those humans are my followers.¡± Zong Yan smiled faintly and began to lie. ¡°My believers asked me to protect their home.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± The terrible, amorphous black fog that had been rotating in front of the spatial rift suddenly paused.


    Mordiggian was aware of the inherent effects of the black fog that surrounded his body. He thought about the humble offerings prepared by those believers on Earth and his interest began to wane.


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure why, but as he faced this unknown god he felt remarkably agreeable. Obviously the other party¡¯s body was surrounded by light energy, while he himself was an eerie, dark, and cold god at the opposite extreme, but the heart-felt closeness he felt couldn¡¯t be faked.


    Zong Yan was on tenterhooks. Every single second of delay meant the stars got ever closer to returning to their original positions.


    He twisted sunlight, wrapping up all the space around the rift, trying to shove his opponent back into the crack.


    ¡°Well, in that case, the Great Mordiggian agrees to your request. But you have to make it up to me next time,¡± Mordiggian said slowly.


    Then he turned into a huge, eyeless giant and crept back into the rift.


    Zong Yan: ? ? ? You¡¯re leaving just like that? So casual, brother?


    The Sun God floated in the universe and watched this happen in astonishment, at a complete loss for words.


    ¡°Ghroth stopped in his tracks.¡± A little further away, Nyarlathotep said with great regret, ¡°It looks like the Earth won¡¯t be destroyed today. What a pity.¡±


    At first, when Ghroth sensed the signs of the return of the stars, he immediately crossed more than half the universe. But Mordiggian chose to return of his own accord, so the Harbinger Star of Death lost track for a while and remained in the center of the universe.


    ""


    Just a little closer, just a little bit more, and Ghroth¡¯s song would have reached the Milky way.


    Nyarlathotep, who was missing out on the entertainment he¡¯d expected, wanted to trick Ghroth into coming closer.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Yog-Sothoth said with significance.


    A moment later, the spatial rift that had just closed was suddenly torn open again. The large amorphous black cloud poked its head out and spoke to the Sun God who was still suspended in the void. ¡°I live in an underground temple on the continent of Zothique. I promise I won¡¯t hurt your believers, but in return you have to come over and hang out sometime.¡±


    It was that moment when Ghroth sensed Mordiggian¡¯s presence. The Harbinger Star of Death began to move once again.


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils constricted.


    He felt the pressure throughout his body in an instant, coming from a distant part of the universe. It was the force of a calamity that was about to end the world.


    The god of prophecy saw the collapse of the galaxy and the destruction of the planet. The Great Old Ones awakened from their slumber and broke free from their cages.


    And the Earth ceased to exist.


    It had finally reached this point.


    In the midst of panic and determination, the Sun God¡¯s slender fingers reached into the void and drew a card.


    At such a critical moment, there was no time to confirm which card it was. He crushed it immediately. But when he glanced down he was distracted, and only then did he realize the jagged crystal fragments scattering from his hand weren¡¯t the colorful remnants of Azathoth¡¯s card, but something else, dark green reflecting ominous light.


    When had he ever drawn a card like that?


    The Sun God¡¯s mind was filled with chaos. Emotions flooded through him, confusion, exhaustion, and powerlessness, and he sensed the coming destruction of the world.


    But¡ª


    He couldn¡¯t retreat.


    He was the only human being with enough power to stand against a being like Ghroth. If he retreated the Earth would no longer exist.


    Ghroth was coming.


    ¡°No¡ª!!! I¡¯ll bet against fate, bet against everything I have¡­ and you will get the hell off my planet!¡±


    In Zong Yan¡¯s mind the San value warning was flashing bold and red, and his fingers had stopped working. But he fought to take out the card that belonged to Azathoth. Without hesitation he crushed it.


    Even if it meant his death.


    ¡°As expected of you, Yog.¡±


    Fate returned to its rightful track. Nyarlathotep laughed a bit, put his hands behind his head and gazed at the scene before him in a good mood.


    ¡°I almost thought Ghroth wasn¡¯t going to come, but fate has a way of playing tricks on people. How funny. I guess it finally chose to play a trick on the Father God.¡±


    The massive Harbinger Star of Death moved through the cosmic void of the universe. From the perspective of an evil god, it was incomparably huge, half the size of a sun. The Earth in comparison was a grain of rice next to a soccer ball, tiny and insignificant.


    The moment Ghroth arrived, time stopped flowing.


    The Sun God whose feet were tinted with sunlight suddenly transformed. He became a brown-haired god in sackcloth with long hair scattered behind his shoulders.


    His eyes were lazy and relaxed, but when you looked closely, there was nothing in them, nothing at all.


    ¡®Third-rate musician, get out of here! You sound terrible!¡¯


    The moment Azathoth¡¯s eyes landed on Ghroth, the latter was banished to another dimension.


    At the same time, the spatial rift opened by Mordiggian was also closed. The two of them were sent away in a package deal on a one-way ticket to another dimension.


    Ghroth: ¡­?


    That was how he ended up banished. For singing too loudly, too badly, and disturbing people¡¯s sleep.


    But the entity he was dealing with was the Lord of the Universe and his immediate superior, so¡­ deal with it!


    And as a result, the stars that had begun to return paused for a moment, then moved back to where they¡¯d been.


    Everything returned to normal. Time resumed its flow. Despite encountering the true body of a Great Old One and an Outer God, the solar system was miraculously unharmed.


    ¡°Looks like the Father God is about to wake up. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Nyarla¡¯s heart was bursting with joy. He hadn¡¯t been so delighted in a very long time. He hastily tore through space and traveled directly to the palace at the center of time and space to await the awakening of the Father God.


    Meanwhile, the other evil god, with gray hair and golden eyes and a trench coat, continued to float in the void. In his eyes neither joy nor anger could be distinguished.


    Azathoth, hovering in the universe, seemed to sense it. He glanced over his shoulder and looked in that direction.


    The next moment, the avatar disintegrated against the star-strewn curtain of the universe, dissolving into stardust that dispersed, until nothing of him remained.


    Only the black-haired teen was left, floating among the stars. His breathing had ceased. His heartbeat stopped.


    This was a corpse.


    Zong Yan, a human being, died.


    A human body was weak and frail to begin with. It was a miracle it had been able to meet the arrival of three gods.


    His soul would return to Azathoth who slept at the center of the universe. This would become the catalyst for the Lord¡¯s awakening.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ Human life is just too fragile,¡± the Lord of Time and Space muttered to himself.


    He glanced at it without a trace of nostalgia.


    When a human body was exposed to vacuum, the fluid on the skin¡¯s surface and soft tissues would evaporate. Blood that didn¡¯t have time to vaporize turned into swollen bubbles inside the body, presenting quite a spectacle.


    Ugly.


    He didn¡¯t know what led him to do it, but he hooked his finger and the body was forced back in time. It slowly drifted before the Lord of Time and Space.


    ¡°It will make a good addition to my collection.¡±


    He lifted his finger and casually stroked the young man¡¯s face. With a mood he couldn¡¯t have explained, he put him into the deepest part of his storage box.


    Yog-Sothoth stored countless treasures in this box space. The human whose heart no longer beat was by far the weakest and most worthless thing inside it.


    He didn¡¯t even know why he did it. After all, the soul of the stream of consciousness hadn¡¯t perished. Zong Yan would merge with the flood of other streams of consciousness in Azathoth¡¯s mind. One might consider it a form of immortality.


    Perhaps it was because of those ordinary hours he¡¯d spent with the human. It made the Lord of Time and Space feel an interest he¡¯d never felt before. That was why he was merciful enough to treasure a worthless corpse.


    ¡®If the Father God awakens, a stream of consciousness will be nothing to him. I can ask the Father God to reincarnate him as a human.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s so ugly when it¡¯s dead. The priests of the great omniscient and omnipotent Lord would never accept such an offering.¡¯


    Yog-Sothoth thought these things to himself rather carelessly. The next moment, he stepped across the dimensions and arrived at the palace of the Lord of the Universe.


    There, the Lord of the Universe was sleeping quietly, weaving the beautiful dream of everything that existed.


    The three pillars of the original gods arrived one after another.


    The stream of consciousness had returned, and His Majesty Azathoth was about to awaken. His subordinates had come to welcome him.


    Then the omniscient and omnipotent Lord revealed an unexpected expression.


    He stared intently at the body of the Father God in the palace, then his eyes looked away. He began to trace the timeline.


    However, as this went on, Yog-Sothoth¡¯s expression got uglier and uglier.


    In all the timelines he could see, no future existed in which ¡°Azathoth awakened¡±.


    Did the stream of consciousness fail to return?


    He scrolled forward. In the past timelines, from any point of view he could name, Zong Yan experienced death in the human sense.


    He was dead. It was an irrefutable fact.


    The black-haired teen had died outside the Earth, but the Lord of the Universe didn¡¯t return.


    With his death he¡¯d escaped the control of the omniscient and omnipotent Lord, as if to mock the spinning threads of Yog-Sothoth¡¯s undefeated fate.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    The Sun God arc is over!


    The next arc is¡ªguess what!


    TL Notes:


    A human body was weak and frail to begin with. It was a miracle it had been able to meet the arrival of three gods. ¨C ÈËÀàµÄÉíÇû±¾À´¾ÍÙúÈõ²»¿°£¬Äܹ»Ó­½ÓÈý´Î·Ö/ÉíµÄ½µÁÙ¶¼ÒѾ­ÊÇÆæ¼£ÁË¡£- providing the raw bc this sentence was kind of vague


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    brother ¨C ´óÐÖ ¨C D¨¤xi¨­ng ¨C Big elder brother


    Zothique ¨C ×ôÏ£¿Ë ¨C Zu¨¯x¨©k¨¨

 CH 77

    Beyond the universe, at the center of time and space, there was silence. It was only after entering the palace that one would hear the monotonous, accursed whine of unseen flutes, the symbol of the Lord of the Universe who was immersed in his beguiling dream.


    Normally, a horde of Outer Gods danced outside the palace, and musicians held flutes and continually piped the sickening music day after day. And servants of the Outer Gods accompanied the dance day and night, and any intelligent creatures who heard it lost their minds.


    Today, all three of the original pillar gods had arrived, and the Outer Gods around the palace ceased their piping. Their indescribable bodies shrank, treading carefully on the ground in a form more convenient for walking.


    ¡®Is His Majesty Azathoth about to awaken?¡¯


    The Outer Gods¡¯ psychic tendrils covered the entire universe, and when Nyarlathotep, Yog-Sothoth, and Shub-Niggurath arrived, Outer Gods from all over the universe received the news and tore through space-time to come as well.


    The palace was full of indescribable colors, and malicious tentacles waved in the air, hovering unsteadily, weaving hypnotic, nauseating patterns.


    This was the center of time and space, the starting point of everything, and it could easily accommodate the true bodies of the Outer Gods. For example, the dancers circling the palace were the size of planets.


    This was a major event. What was about to happen? Was it possible that His Majesty was finally going to wake up?


    It was such big news that little by little the word got out, and many more evil gods arrived in person. Some of them came in their own bodies, which were incredibly vast, and the palace that could accommodate so many via spatial expansion eventually ran out of room.


    Everyone who entered the palace hesitated a little.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to come. It was just that they were afraid of the sound of His Majesty¡¯s flute, which had an unfortunate brainwashing effect on anyone who listened to it for a long time. Many of the evil gods that served in Azathoth¡¯s palace so conscientiously ended up staying because they¡¯d been brainwashed after hearing it too long.


    But if His Majesty wanted to wake up, his subjects had to be there. Anything else was an open declaration of disrespect. When His Majesty awakened, none of them would be able to escape, so everyone held their noses and showed up.


    They filed into the palace, and everyone said ¡°Huh¡± for a while and milled around.


    No one observed the three pillars of the original gods who also waited in front of the palace. Anyway, all they could do was wait.


    While the evil gods were standing by, a bright glow suddenly erupted in the center of the palace.


    Billions of brilliant spheres of light burst out in the middle, so glaring and bright that its radiance couldn¡¯t be looked at directly.


    Many evil gods recognized it as the true body of Yog-Sothoth, but that guy lived outside the universe. They didn¡¯t see him too often.


    ¡°The stream of consciousness didn¡¯t return.¡±


    For just a moment, the mass of glowing spheres contracted and collapsed, until it finally folded itself into a gray-haired man in a trench coat with a book in his hand.


    Yog¡¯s face was reserved. The words he¡¯d just spoken didn¡¯t fluctuate much.


    He¡¯d actually spent a lot of time searching. How could a human mind evade an Outer God? Not to mention, when the mental capability of the omniscient and omnipotent Lord was fully exerted, nothing in the eleven dimensions of the universe could escape his scrutiny.


    It was just that, in all timelines, Azathoth never woke up.


    How was that possible?!


    The Lord of Time and Space, who¡¯d never before experienced a miscalculation, felt incredibly displeased.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t return? How is that possible?¡± Nyarlathotep had been lounging to the side in a good mood, but now he straightened up and his eyes turned an eerie crimson.


    If the stream of consciousness didn¡¯t come back, it meant Azathoth wouldn¡¯t awaken.


    Before Zong Yan, Azathoth had never spawned a stream of consciousness. His mind was full of clutter and disordered thoughts, just like the evil gods he¡¯d generated.


    Now that a consciousness had finally been created, and voluntarily sacrificed itself, how could it not return to Azathoth?


    ¡°Oh, what a shame,¡± Shub said with a phony smile. He stood across from them, looking like he¡¯d just arrived from a movie set. His red eyes hidden behind sunglasses gave Nyarla a provocative stare. ¡°The Father God is happy with this universe. He doesn¡¯t want to wake up just yet.¡±


    ¡°Since His Majesty will not awaken, there¡¯s no point in staying here.¡± While Nyarla and Shub jabbed at each other, Yog spoke up.


    The man held an obscure book in one hand and had the other in the pocket of his trench coat. He looked calm and unperturbed.


    A moment later, space throughout the palace was turned upside down. Every irrelevant evil god was shoved out.


    Time rewound. Although creatures that existed above the dimensions weren¡¯t controlled by time, Yog-Sothoth reversed the time axis and forcibly sent them back to where they came from.


    It wasn¡¯t something an ordinary god was capable of doing. Among evil gods, there were very few who could control time. Only the Lord of Time and Space could do it easily, and this time the target consisted of dozens of powerful Outer Gods.


    But it wasn¡¯t that important in the end. It had been a long time since the Outer Gods had gotten together, but anyway it was just a mistake and His Majesty didn¡¯t happen to wake up after all. Someone gave them a ride home, so they yawned and went back to their own things. Once again, the indescribable piping of flutes could be heard outside the palace, and only the remaining three primal gods remained inside.


    The three of them existed at the same level, so they weren¡¯t affected by Yog-Sothoth¡¯s time reversal.


    ¡°My dear Yog, you don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood?¡± Of the three original gods, the cheeriest one was Shub.


    As he stared at the gloomy-looking Nyarla, Shub¡¯s irritation reduced quite a bit.


    Shub was the last person who wanted Azathoth to be resurrected. But that human had ignored his generous offer and used the card at the last moment, which really came as a surprise.


    Shub had no idea what went wrong after that. The thing he wanted to avoid didn¡¯t happen, and he was also able to taunt Nyarla about it, so his happiness couldn¡¯t be put into words.


    The Lord of Time and Space gave Shub a cold glance.


    The next moment, the Black Goat with a Thousand Young was shrouded in a web of dark spatial cracks. The timeline began to shift backwards out of control.


    If the blow had targeted any other type of creature, including a Great Old One, such an attack would have severed them from their body.


    Unfortunately, the three original gods were on the same level. If they had to compete based on strength, there was no real way to determine a winner.


    When the space around him began to shatter, the Black Goat with a Thousand Young revealed his own indescribable body. Thousands of tentacles waved in the air, and a sticky liquid dripped from countless mouths and fell into the void. The sudden change in mass deformed nearby space, so the attack didn¡¯t land.


    ¡°Ahh, it looks like you¡¯re in a really bad mood.¡± After the unnamable horror transformed once again into the Earth¡¯s most well-known international superstar, Shub casually brushed back his long, disheveled hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange that the stream of consciousness failed to return to His Majesty Azathoth. Didn¡¯t it die?¡±


    The palace was nearly empty. Nyarla and Yog had left long ago. Except for the ceaselessly irritating sound of a flute, there was no response to Shub¡¯s question.


    The Black Goat with a Thousand Young touched his chin, then ripped through space and departed. ¡°Forget it, who cares. I¡¯m just glad He didn¡¯t wake up.¡±


    Just how horrifying was the sound of His Majesty¡¯s flute? Even for the three proto-gods, if they listened to it long enough, it inflicted a kind of spiritual pollution.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan knew very clearly he was dead.


    The moment he used the Azathoth card, he felt as if he¡¯d been swept away by thousands of torrents, suddenly becoming the most insignificant grain of sand in the universe.


    It was an amazing sensation¡ªhe felt very clearly that his soul had broken away from the weight of his body, freed itself from its shackles, and drifted slowly in the void.


    He walked the star-strewn universe and saw stars wherever he looked. Although he was able to see, he couldn¡¯t influence where his soul went. He¡¯d lost control. He couldn¡¯t move at all.


    So¡ª


    Just like that, he was dead.


    He was floating gently in the starry void, and gradually, somehow, began to feel some regret.


    To die saving humanity was heroic and cool, of course, but he hadn¡¯t taken the college entrance exam yet. He hadn¡¯t been able to go to Tsinghua yet. There were goals in his life he hadn¡¯t achieved. Thinking about all those things, it was really a shame.


    Even worse, Zong Yan had finally managed to cram high school physics knowledge into his head thanks to the mental torture of Yog-Sothoth. That was more than a hundred hours of mental torture!! If he died like this and couldn¡¯t even take the college entrance exam, wasn¡¯t it a waste of suffering?!


    The more Zong Yan thought about it, the angrier he felt. Without his noticing, his body grew more and more transparent.


    The next moment, his vision went black. And he vanished.


    A dark green rift full of the unknown swallowed him up.


    The next time he awoke, Zong Yan felt like he was trapped in a narrow space. The air was full of the smell of seawater.


    His body was so heavy he didn¡¯t have any strength at all, and he was so drowsy it was difficult to open his eyes.


    That was when a cold and sticky object caressed his cheek, then jabbed itself down Zong Yan¡¯s throat without any explanation.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Vomit¡ª


    Whatever it was tasted really bitter and astringent. Not only did it have a disgusting fishy smell, it was as cold as an arctic glacier. To summarize, it didn¡¯t feel very good at all.


    But right now Zong Yan couldn¡¯t control his body.


    He felt like his entire frame was an ice sculpture without a trace of heat. Forget about trying to resist¡ªhe could hardly even crook a finger.


    The sticky thing pried open his mouth, passed deep into his throat through his esophagus without any obstruction, and began to secrete an indescribable fluid.


    As the disgusting liquid flowed inside him, Zong Yan felt a sensation of warmth in the very center of his body. It gradually increased in temperature, like an ice sculpture that was slowly reviving into a person.


    That strange and repulsive liquid was giving him vitality, sending him a constant flow of life energy.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but after a while Zong Yan felt like he¡¯d gradually gained some strength. He was able to twitch his fingertips and lift the tip of his tongue.


    ¡®Don¡¯t move. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡¯


    A cold voice appeared in his mind, loud as a thunderclap.


    Although the voice was low and gravelly, the concern it contained was absolutely genuine.


    Even to the extent that¡­ he didn¡¯t know why, but the moment the voice appeared, Zong Yan actually felt a sense of long-lost affinity and closeness from deep inside.


    So he forgot to struggle for a while, but slowly opened his eyes.


    This was a dark cave with a high dome, filled with seawater, unfathomably deep.


    Nameless tentacles coiled in the shadows, brutally occupying almost the entire cave.


    Within those shadows, an unsightly, octopus-like head was quietly regarding him.


    At the surface, on the border between the water and the air, Zong Yan was floating naked in the sea, covered only by ankle-length, dark green hair, staring into the four eyes opposite him.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    In his house at R¡¯lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.


    TL Notes:


    Welcome to the new arc! It continues through Chapter 92 (?? ? ?)?*:???


    In his house at R¡¯lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming. ¨C ÔÚÓÀºãµÄÕ¬Û¡À­À³Ò®ÖУ¬³¤ÃߵĿËËÕ³ºòÈêÈëÃΡ£ In Lovecraft¡¯s stories, R¡¯lyeh is referred to with the ritualistic phrase ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn¡± with the provided translation: ¡°In his house at R¡¯lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming¡±. The meaning of the author¡¯s version is very slightly different, but it seems to be the most common Chinese translation of this set phrase. The changes probably make it sound more poetic in Chinese

 CH 78

    Power.


    There was an endless flow of power coursing through his body.


    Zong Yan had never felt so much strength before. Even when using the Sun God and Yun Zhong Jun persona cards, he hadn¡¯t felt such an abundance of power. He felt a rich profusion of elemental water in the air. Even the water that covered his body conveyed a sense of submission. He could set off a tsunami with a single thought.


    He was still completely naked, held at the surface of the water by thousands of tentacles, looking up at an unidentifiable head near the ceiling of the shadowy cave.


    This new body had long, supple, and slender limbs; an inverted triangle figure with a golden ratio; thin, elegant fingers; and a pair of long, perfectly-proportioned legs. On visual estimation, the height was 1.8 meters. It was a standard, perfect male model body.


    Due to the usual lack of light, the skin was extraordinarily pale, like a vampire in European legends with a morbid pallor.


    And the face had an extremely sharp profile, a high nose bridge, and deep set eyes. The irises were an unsettling dark gold color, like a cold-blooded animal¡¯s, and at the corners of the eyes was a touch of demonic dark green.


    Then there was the long, curly dark green hair, spreading out like seaweed behind him, floating on the surface of the water. It was reminiscent of a siren from ancient Greek mythology, with a bewitching charm.


    Although the temperament and body were far from Zong Yan¡¯s own, the face was really about the same as his original face. But the change in temperament had made an earth-shaking difference. His appearance still possessed an indefinable youthfulness, but it was like a bottle of ¡°mature¡± dye had broken and been mixed into his body.


    At this point Zong Yan was also able to see what had been inserted into his mouth.


    It was a black tentacle, covered in mucus, with a slippery texture.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Not only that, his entire body was floating with writhing tentacles all around him, and an even bigger group of them circulated around the cave, emitting an evil, unsettling light. Each one had to be as thick as five or six fully-grown people. In comparison, the pseudopod in his mouth was rather gentle and slender.


    If such an indescribable thing had stuck itself into Zong Yan¡¯s throat at any other time, he would have struggled for his life. Not to mention the presence of an unknown creature, currently suspected of being an evil god.


    But right now all he felt was a sense of reassurance.


    Especially after hearing that cold voice.


    ¡®I will not harm you.¡¯


    It was so ridiculous.


    Zong Yan was in a daze, but he still tried to sit up, involuntarily lifting his shoulders, bending his knees, and trying to get up from the water.


    He wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes right now. He was completely covered by his long, dense hair. But his body had regained some strength and he wanted to figure out what was going on.


    Right before he¡¯d woken up here, he was a disembodied soul drifting through the universe. It wasn¡¯t clear why he came back from the dead moments later.


    Was there some kind of evil god who specialized in intercepting souls?


    The next second, a tentacle forty to fifty centimeters wide reached up from the bottom of the water, softly but forcefully entwined itself around his waist, and pressed him back down.


    Zong Yan felt the dense tentacle suction cups adhering to his skin. It was cold, like being covered in ice, but it wasn¡¯t painful.


    The tentacle in his mouth was still secreting mucus, which flowed down Zong Yan¡¯s throat into his empty stomach, delivering a constant stream of life energy and heat.


    He knew it was telling him not to move.


    So Zong Yan relaxed his body.


    To be honest, it was an incredibly bizarre scene.


    If a third intelligent creature had been here, they would have screamed.


    The young man with long, dark green hair lay on his back in the water. His face was demonic yet divine, his pale limbs were outstretched, and ugly tentacles entangled his entire body. It had intense visual impact, like a treasure imprisoned in the depths by an evil god.


    There was a sound of water dripping in the dark cave. In the bottomless depths of the water, dark green symbols emitted an eerie glow, and the refraction of light made the water look like sticky, poisonous slime.


    It wasn¡¯t until Zong Yan¡¯s body completely regained its strength and he was fully able to control his movements that the ice-cold tentacle slowly withdrew from his mouth. The crystalline liquid that covered it dripped onto his face, and a residual warmth spread through Zong Yan¡¯s body.


    The tentacles that were hooked around his waist slowly let go. Only then did Zong Yan begin to move his new body as he floated in the water.


    In fact, if he wanted to, he could stand up and walk on the surface of the water. His body was filled with so much strength and inexhaustible energy that he didn¡¯t even need to hook his finger to make the water submit to him.


    ¡­ But he wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes. To avoid any embarrassment, Zong Yan thought it was better not to stand up.


    As the young man floated in the water, his long, wet hair was pasted to his cheeks, and the trace of deep green in the corners of his eyes became even more enchanting.


    He lifted his head to look at the face of the evil god above him.


    The body of the evil god was enormous. It was just that the cave was so vast you couldn¡¯t see an end to it.


    Zong Yan visually estimated that a small mountain could fit inside the upper half of the cave, and an inland sea might fit below. There were inexplicable tentacles tangled everywhere, including deep underwater, densely packed around the body of the evil god.


    And there was no doubt this was an evil god.


    Don¡¯t ask Zong Yan how he knew. He¡¯d been in contact with too many evil gods. From the famous three original proto-gods to all kinds of Great Old Ones, he¡¯d probably seen more evil gods than any other human in the history of Earth, and probably more than all intelligent creatures in the universe.


    Only an evil god had so much power, and Zong Yan dared to guess that this power greatly exceeded that of his current Elder God persona cards. But compared to the Azathoth Outer God card, it was a lot lower, so the entity in front of him was most likely a Great Old One.


    It was then, while Zong Yan was pondering, that the evil god spoke to him.


    This time he didn¡¯t use the psychic link but spoke directly.


    ¡°O my second self¡­ Thou hast finally awakened from thy dreaming slumber.¡±


    The voice was low and gravelly, and the words didn¡¯t belong to any language known to humankind, nor could human vocal cords produce such sounds. But Zong Yan understood it easily.


    An incredible, almost unbelievable idea began to emerge within his mind.


    As if to echo his words, thousands of tentacles suddenly swam up from the depths of the water. The thickest one was bigger than a hundred Zong Yans. But these huge tentacles didn¡¯t approach him, but split into much more slender tendrils, hesitated a bit, then slowly twisted themselves around the young man¡¯s fair ankles and wrists. A single tentacle about the same thickness as Zong Yan remained suspended in the air.


    ¡¾This is a way of expressing intimacy¡¿


    Before Zong Yan quite understood what he was doing, his body grabbed hold of the tentacle that was suspended in the air, hugging it tight. The moment the soles of his feet left the water, he sat down, and his body rubbed itself against the tentacle.


    It was only after doing all this that he realized what he¡¯d done.


    When the youth approached him so closely, the evil god was obviously a bit surprised, but he also felt a certain degree of anticipation.


    All evil gods were higher-dimensional beings. It was impossible for them to innately understand human emotions.


    This included the evil god himself. He was great, he was evil, he controlled life, he ruled the oceans, but he¡¯d never once felt any soft emotions.


    He lifted up the tentacle which held the little man with a great deal of caution.


    But even if he was cautious, the evil god had a body like a mountain, and the young man with the long dark green hair was as small as a grain of sand, so tiny that the slightest touch might cause him to shatter.


    For the first time, the evil god felt an emotion similar to that of being overwhelmed.


    Any one of these tentacles could effortlessly set off a tsunami, or strangle the most powerful races and species in the universe in an instant. It could secrete enough poison to paralyze a person¡¯s mind.


    But right now, it was carefully holding a treasure and slowly lifting it up.


    He wasn¡¯t taking any liberties. They were each other¡¯s half-selves. It was fitting for them to be close to each other.


    ¡°I am Cthulhu, the Lord of R¡¯lyeh,¡± the evil god said after a while. ¡°You are the other self that was born with me. Because your body lacked strength, you have been dormant for billions of years. It is only today that you have finally been able to awaken.¡±


    That sense of familiarity that transcended his soul, an emotion that derived from deep within his blood¡ªZong Yan finally understood what it was.


    He tried to speak. ¡°¡­ Are you my elder brother?¡±


    As soon as he opened his mouth, he was startled.


    Because the language he spoke wasn¡¯t a human language. It might be more appropriate to call it the common language of evil gods.


    And Zong Yan had called him big brother.


    He¡¯d called an evil god ¡°big brother¡±?!!


    ¡°What manner of name is that? I seem to have heard it in the realm of human dreams. Is it a human social relationship term?¡±


    The Lord of R¡¯lyeh didn¡¯t care about this very much. He meditated for a moment. ¡°Thou art mine other self and shalt be like me, sharing my authority and power. As for my title¡­ Thou art an existence co-equal to myself. Do as thou wilt.¡±


    As he said this Zong Yan realized why he thought the name sounded familiar.


    Cthulhu, Cthulhu, Cthulhu.


    In biology class, this was one of the first Great Old Ones introduced by Mr. Darwin.


    It was also one of the most widely known Great Old Ones.


    According to legend, he was once the king of R¡¯lyeh, a city of the sea. 350 million years ago on Earth, he¡¯d built a glorious civilization. Every sea creature bowed down to him.


    But for an unknown reason, the civilization was destroyed in a war, and R¡¯lyeh sank to the bottom of the ocean. The great Cthulhu was sealed inside R¡¯lyeh and fell into eternal slumber.


    It was said that when the stars returned to their places, he would be able to wake from his long sleep, then drag the world into his dream and rebuild R¡¯lyeh.


    Zong Yan choked on his own thoughts for a moment. Then he slowly reached out and put his palm on the huge, ugly head in front of him.


    If something like this had happened before, he would have run away long ago, but now¡­ the feeling of affinity and closeness was too real.


    He had truly become a Great Old One, the younger brother of an evil god.


    It was absurd. Was there some kind of reincarnation function after death?


    What was even more absurd was that Zong Yan didn¡¯t feel any sort of inner rejection, just a faint but dawning happiness.


    It was like¡­ they had finally reunited after a long separation, and he was filled with heartfelt joy.

 CH 79

    ¡°You and I are one. You need not mind such trifles.¡±


    After they regarded each other for a few moments, the large tentacle slowly returned Zong Yan to the surface of the water within the cave.


    He wasn¡¯t sure exactly why, because there was no obvious indication, but Zong Yan thought the evil god might be a little tired.


    He remembered the tentacle that had secreted mucus into his esophagus just now. Although the liquid was fishy-smelling and unpleasant, it gave Zong Yan an incredible amount of power. The strength coursing through his body was proof of that.


    ¡°Is it because you spent too much power to wake me?¡±


    After a pause, Zong Yan decided to say what he was thinking.


    It wasn¡¯t possible to fake this kind of closeness and concern, so he decided not to worry too much.


    Silence fell in the darkness of the cave.


    And then a dark green light suddenly bloomed, illuminating the massive head and tentacles.


    All the indescribable things in the cave suddenly vanished. In their place, standing before Zong Yan, was a strange man with dark wheat-colored skin and a naked upper body.


    His face didn¡¯t resemble Zong Yan¡¯s in the slightest. While Zong Yan¡¯s hair trailed the ground, the man¡¯s hair only reached his chest. But the dark green color was the same, as were the dark golden eyes that resembled those of a cold-blooded animal.


    Even so, their temperament was very different.


    One was a beautiful teenager who carried a sense of youthfulness and even a kind of vaguely blurred gender, while the other was a king, evil and cold, who commanded submission with a glance.


    If he had to identify the greatest similarity between them, it was probably the strange, demonic green color at the corners of their eyes.


    As these thoughts ran through Zong Yan¡¯s mind, he finally accepted the feeling that the man before him wasn¡¯t just an evil god, but also his elder brother.


    ¡°Do not worry. It matters not.¡±


    Cthulhu hesitated for a moment, then with a somewhat unnatural gesture stretched out his hand and touched the top of Zong Yan¡¯s head.


    Zong Yan¡¯s body was 1.8 meters tall, but the evil god was half a head taller. He was probably more than 1.9 meters and sturdily built.


    Zong Yan stared at the striking contours of the other¡¯s body and the muscles that contained so much terrifying power. He inwardly thought the evil god¡¯s appearance was striking, a virile and masculine form of beauty.


    And when the other reached out his hand, Zong Yan unthinkingly rubbed against his palm.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    What kind of situation is this? His body reacted before his brain?


    Cthulhu frowned.


    A moment later, Zong Yan felt those powerful arms pass over his shoulders, and then a light fabric draped his body.


    He looked down and saw that he was clothed in a dark gray robe, embroidered with intricate and mysterious golden patterns, with jingling ornaments on the cuffs.


    The evil god lowered his head and clumsily tied the belt, then looked at his work with satisfaction.


    The youth with long, dark green hair tilted his head slightly to look up at him. His appearance was reflected in those dark golden eyes, like the stars in the night sky had been broken up and scattered, shining brightly.


    For some reason, the Lord of R¡¯lyeh felt a tightness in his throat.


    Evil gods paid no attention to familial relationships. Kinship was nothing to them. A mortal enemy was a mortal enemy, and it was absolutely impossible to show mercy for such a reason. For example, Cthulhu and his brother Hastur were sworn enemies, the kind who would seek to fight each other to the death whenever they met.


    Even Azathoth, the Lord of the Universe, and his ungrateful sons were no more to each other than a ruler and his subjects.


    Indeed, it was far more reliable to treat an evil god as a subject than try to restrain them with a familial relationship. At least they were willing to submit to an entity stronger than themselves. Otherwise, Azathoth wouldn¡¯t have become the leader of the Outer Gods.


    But the youth before him was different.


    This was his half-self, his second self, not a brother or a two-faced god. In other words, they should have been the same entity.


    No matter how confused an evil god might get, they would never be insane enough to attack themselves. Just like Nyarlathotep, who had so many avatars. No matter how bored he was, he¡¯d never fall to the point of letting one avatar kill another.


    So¡­ For him, this was a uniquely trustworthy, utterly one-of-a-kind existence.


    For an evil god who¡¯d never felt such emotions, it was a completely novel feeling.


    Cthulhu reached out automatically and touched a lock of the youth¡¯s dark green hair, pinning it behind his ear.


    The evil god¡¯s fingers were rough and full of calluses. When they brushed Zong Yan¡¯s face, there was a tingling sensation on his skin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He suddenly grabbed the youth¡¯s wrist and plunged into the water.


    Zong Yan: ¡°! ! !¡±


    Before he could react, his head was already submerged.


    Zong Yan was stunned. After a while, he realized he didn¡¯t have to breathe. Moreover, the water surrounding him was gentle and tame. If he felt the urge, he could control it however he wanted.


    No need to breathe¡­ It was an incredible sensation, but as a human who¡¯d lived and breathed for seventeen years, even if he no longer needed oxygen, he still instinctively twitched his nose.


    Which led to another issue. Only the evil god¡¯s shell was human. He didn¡¯t actually have any lungs, so he was reacting to nothing.


    Zong Yan was beginning to feel a bit pensive. He allowed his body to follow Cthulhu underwater while thoughts spun rapidly through his mind.


    He¡¯d obviously died, so what exactly was going on right now?


    Zong Yan concentrated on this question. Then a certain image crossed his mind, and he felt shocked.


    As he was facing Mordiggian in the void, Zong Yan suddenly realized Ghroth was about to come.


    An Outer God was approaching the Milky Way, and Apollo, the Sun God of Earth, naturally experienced a premonition. In an instant he saw an apocalyptic scene. Mountains and rivers collapsed, the earth roared, volcanoes erupted.


    An oppressive feeling crawled up his body like a carpet of insects with a shivery feeling of threat. It was certain¡ªGhroth was about to descend upon the galaxy. The situation was worse than anything Zong Yan had expected.


    So he made an instant decision. He reached his hand into the glittering gap in space and grabbed Azathoth¡¯s card.


    The situation was urgent. Zong Yan took out the card and crushed it automatically. But as a result, a bunch of dark green crystalline fragments with a mysterious demonic glow scattered in front of him. He was stunned for a moment, but the situation was so dangerous he didn¡¯t have any time to think.


    He quickly drew the card again, and that was when he transformed into Azathoth.


    But the question remained, what was that dark green card?


    Zong Yan hid his hand behind his back, trying to sneak into the gap in space so take out the card again.


    There was a certain guess in his mind. Maybe that dark green card was responsible for his current situation.


    It must be a daily disposable persona card! If he was right, the card was probably related to Cthulhu. Maybe Cthulhu was a different type of evil god. Unlike the King of Clouds and the Sun God, he was an evil god who actually existed, and that was what created this half-self situation.


    But even as he thought this, his fingers grasped nothing at all.


    Zong Yan froze for a moment. He instinctively looked down.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    In this short space of time, they¡¯d swum to the bottom of the shadowy cave.


    On the seafloor was a huge altar made of an unknown type of mineral, painted with glowing, dark green runes. This was the source of the light that dyed the entire cave an eerie vegetable juice color.


    When the evil god looked at him, Zong Yan reflexively shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    But his hands hanging at his sides began to tremble.


    Drawing cards from the void was Zong Yan¡¯s superpower, an ability he¡¯d possessed since childhood, something he was born with. He¡¯d always been able to use it, no matter where he was, at any time. Even when his San value was negative, he could easily open the multi-colored space that was uniquely his own.


    But now¡­


    He was in the dark.


    He¡¯d learned the language of the evil gods without any kind of aid, and the color of his hair and eyes had changed. Even his face didn¡¯t look quite like his own. If he appeared in front of Wang KeMing or Edward in this form, they wouldn¡¯t recognize him at first glance.


    Admittedly, there was a great deal of power surging through his body, but the fact there was no blood beneath his skin told him he¡¯d become an evil god, a Great Old One.


    In this form he couldn¡¯t take the college entrance exam, and he couldn¡¯t go to MU. He wasn¡¯t even human anymore.


    And right now Zong Yan didn¡¯t know whether the superpower he¡¯d had since birth was gone for good.


    He felt lost.


    After all the excitement of saving the world, Zong Yan was a teenager who wasn¡¯t yet eighteen.


    He could feel overwhelmed. He could feel sad and afraid.


    But he would never feel regret.


    Ahh, I just don¡¯t know if I can find a solution before the college entrance exam! Otherwise won¡¯t it be a waste of all that physics tutoring?


    Zong Yan sighed to himself. At the same time, the luminous green runes on the floor began to glow more brightly, and a strange formation spread over the entire cave.


    A spatial transfer array had been activated.


    The scene in front of Zong Yan changed in a flash.


    He reappeared in a magnificent palace.


    The palace was dark green in color, just like its owner¡¯s hair, and it glowed with an ominous light. The air inside was murky, but there were random shapes strewn on the ground like large chunks of jade.


    The palace didn¡¯t follow any recognizable architectural style. Even the carving and the delicate, magnificent reliefs had a sense of strangeness.


    What Zong Yan didn¡¯t realize was that if a human laid eyes on this scene, the only thing they would feel was disgust.


    Because the entire palace, not just the angles of the structure itself, but its styling and decorations, deviated from the principles of Euclidean geometry.


    It had been built by higher-dimensional beings.


    Cthulhu naturally took his hand and led him outside the palace.


    They walked barefoot on the cold stone floor. Of course, Zong Yan¡¯s body no longer dreaded heat or cold.


    Zong Yan walked past the ornate, gorgeous sculptures, the exquisite decorations, the pillars standing on either side, and finally passed through an archway to the outside.


    The sky overhead was blue and clear, and the sunlight streamed onto his face.


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°O great father and savior, eternal master of R¡¯lyeh, we hail you!¡±


    They stood above the city, looking down at the endless urban landscape below.


    The palace overlooked the center of the city, surrounded by the other buildings like stars surrounding the moon.


    How big was it? Even the legendary Atlantis might pale before this city. Its size was shocking.


    And in the streets, thousands upon thousands of otherworldly creatures knelt towards the palace with faces full of worship.


    From their appearance, Zong Yan knew they were members of Cthulhu¡¯s clan.


    ¡°They are Deep Ones and Star-spawn and shoggoths. Lesser beings.¡± The evil god swept a careless glance at them, and his dark golden eyes were full of indifference. When he lowered his head, his expression remained the same, but his tone softened. ¡°This is R¡¯lyeh.


    ¡°Our R¡¯lyeh,¡± he added after a moment of thought.


    At that point, Zong Yan realized the underlying inconsistency that kept bothering him.


    According to the records of the occult world, R¡¯lyeh sank beneath the sea hundreds of millions of years ago.


    For millions of years, Cthulhu¡¯s followers had tried to return the city to the surface.


    And now¡ª


    It stood in the middle of the ocean in all its magnificent glory and splendor, without any trace of having sunk.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Now I¡¯m a person with a background!


    Let¡¯s talk a little about the family relationships of the evil gods. Lovecraft didn¡¯t specify the parents of Cthulhu. Later people came up with two different versions.


    How should I say this¡­ I¡¯m going to blur this setting a bit. The story won¡¯t mention Cthulhu¡¯s parent god, because for evil gods, kinship really doesn¡¯t mean anything. It¡¯s fine for people to play around in the comment section, just know that I won¡¯t mention this aspect in the story.


    Azathoth is the father god of the three original pillar gods, and I¡¯ll mention the relationship between Cthulhu and Hastur, but aside from that, don¡¯t pay attention to other kinship relationships. They won¡¯t be covered in the story.


    ¡ª


    TL Notes:


    I¡¯m not sure if the author changed their mind later or is scamming us, but contrary to this author¡¯s note, the parent god of Cthulhu is named in a later chapter. Maybe the author just means she isn¡¯t going to follow the usual mythology or something, idk. I mention this because I felt so amazed and betrayed (¡­ jk ofc). It¡¯s not super important. I¡¯m just mentioning it so you won¡¯t look at me later like, ¡°Confectioner, what is this?¡± I don¡¯t know either. (¤Ã???)¤Ã ?


    Cthulhu¡¯s ¡°clan¡± ¨C ¾ì×å ¨C ju¨¤nz¨² ¨C family members, family dependent clan/race/nationality


    a person with a ¡°background¡±  ¨C ºǫ́ ¨C backstage ¨C background, backing, support ¨C Basically, a person with a family or allies to back them up


    R¡¯lyeh:


    Image source: Richard Benning ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    Image source: Walter Brocca ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 80

    What kind of a city was this?


    Words alone could never describe its grandeur and magnificence.


    The city was a deep, incomparable dark green in color, shaped like a disc, ruling over the South Pacific Ocean. In the center, a divine tower stretched up from the fish-scale patterned walkways, ominous and strange.


    The place where they stood was the highest and most central point in all of R¡¯lyeh, separated from the rest of the city by a wide but delicate bridge. Looking down, they could see into the endless depths of seawater that lapped against the palace walls. If someone were to fall from here, they would plummet the height of a mountain before they reached the water.


    Looking further out, almost half of R¡¯lyeh existed underwater. All that was visible above the sea were the spires of towers like a magnificent forest of stone, layers upon layers receding into the distance. The end of them couldn¡¯t be seen at a glance. A multitude of creatures floated on the water in dense masses, bowing their heads to the central palace to express their absolute submission.


    Any other intelligent creature that approached the city would immediately detect the heavy, unclean odor that pervaded the air. But Zong Yan only thought the city was beautiful. Although many of the patterns and styles were strange, they revealed an unparalleled skill of craftsmanship that left him amazed.


    This wasn¡¯t a city that humans could have built. Every structure revealed angles that were impossible in the three-dimensional world.


    Its aesthetics was far from the mainstream conception of beauty as humans perceived it. The construction materials weren¡¯t readily available on land. They¡¯d been collected from different planes and galaxies by the clans that worshipped the evil god, offered as rare and valuable gifts to their master.


    The Deep Ones were a lowly servitor race, regarded as terrifying and ugly by other species. They had fins on their backs; huge, protruding eyes; webbed membranes on their hands; and fish-shaped heads with humanoid bodies. They were one of the most common otherworldly species encountered by investigators on sea or underwater missions. Years ago, the small town of Innsmouth in the United States was home to a nest of these creatures until it was sealed off by MU investigators. Zong Yan was familiar with them.


    The Star-spawn resembled octopuses in appearance and had densely-packed tentacles. These hideous, unsightly creatures favored the deepest underwater trenches. It was said the U.S. once sent a deep-sea submersible to the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Deep underwater, it was attacked by Star-spawn, and no one returned alive.


    As for the shoggoths who¡¯d been enslaved since ancient times by other species, Zong Yan knew them all too well. After all, he¡¯d once torn apart a shoggoth in the haunted house of Qingyang High School.


    None of the clans dared to make a sound. Their eyes were fixed on the high platform with obvious fanaticism.


    No one risked challenging the authority of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh, and no one spoke up to ask why a second man stood beside the king.


    Because Cthulhu wasn¡¯t just their king. He was their religion.


    If a god wanted to do something, would he explain himself to others?


    ¡°Dagon,¡± the evil god said carelessly.


    ¡°Your Majesty, your subordinate is here.¡±


    A column of water burst out from the abyss beneath the palace, steadily lifting up a creature.


    Its body was huge, and its green skin was mottled as though it were riddled with noxious tumors, somewhat like the skin of a toad.


    But Zong Yan felt slightly connected to it.


    To put it another way, Zong Yan sensed he was the master of this creature called ¡°Dagon¡±. If he wanted to, he could destroy Dagon¡¯s body and soul with a thought.


    ¡°This is my subordinate god. I have given it supremacy and granted it permission to attend to internal matters in R¡¯lyeh.¡±


    Perhaps the evil god had noticed Zong Yan¡¯s slightly puzzled eyes, so he paused and explained with a serious expression.


    It was obvious that Zong Yan didn¡¯t regard Dagon with much approval¡ªbut that was because he was looking at an extremely ugly monster, not for any other reason. Dagon¡¯s appearance was just a bit too shocking for his eyes.


    Cthulhu misunderstood the expression of his other self. He frowned and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, there is no need for it to exist.¡±


    In the language of the evil gods, ¡°he¡±, ¡°it¡±, ¡°she¡± and ¡°He¡± were all pronounced differently.


    Obviously, ¡°it¡± was the lowest, most contemptuous appellation.


    Dagon might be a god, but in the eyes of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh, it was still insignificant, a piece of worthless trash.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just a little curious.¡± Zong Yan blinked his eyes and hastily looked away from Dagon.


    At this point, the evil god remembered that although his second self had been born alongside him, he had also been asleep for billions of years without interruption.


    While Zong Yan was sleeping, Cthulhu had placed him within his own body to protect him.


    Many times Cthulhu thought the other party would never wake up. After all, he¡¯d waited many years, but his half-self never showed any signs of life.


    Although evil gods were born with an inherent wisdom superior to all other intelligent creatures, there were still areas that needed to be supplemented.


    His half-self probably felt that R¡¯lyeh was unfamiliar and strange.


    The Lord of R¡¯lyeh thought he was being incredibly attentive. It was a complete reversal of his usual cold and merciless personal style.


    ¡°This is our R¡¯lyeh. You are my other self and will share authority with me,¡± Cthulhu said. ¡°All things are subservient to me, and all things are yours.


    ¡°He is me, as I am him.¡±


    These words weren¡¯t heard only by Zong Yan. They filtered into thousands of psychic links, spreading into the ears of all of Cthulhu¡¯s subservient clans, declaring the supreme will of the god.


    The king with his bare upper body took Zong Yan by the hand and slowly led him from the platform.


    They strolled leisurely through the air without any assistance, supported by the ubiquitous water element in the air.


    The kings inspected their territory and their slaves. The enslaved creatures bowed their heads in trepidation, trembling with fear of incurring the wrath of the gods.


    ¡°Where do you wish to go?¡±


    The evil god patrolled the skies with his second self, taking him all over R¡¯lyeh, patiently explaining everything he saw.


    As Dagon followed, his eyes almost popped out of his head.


    Dagon was a subordinate god of Cthulhu and the elder of the Deep Ones. As the number one servant who¡¯d always followed the Lord of R¡¯lyeh, Dagon understood exactly how cold-blooded and ruthless the evil god really was.


    But right now, the brutal and merciless king actually had a kind and benevolent expression on his face, calmly describing everything to the person next to him. It was so striking that the elder Deep One was almost blinded by the sight.


    Cthulhu wasn¡¯t born on Earth. He came to Earth from the binary star of Xoth.


    At the time, the Earth had just experienced a terrible earthquake. The Earth was essentially a water planet in earlier years, but after the earthquake, several continents were exposed by the sea. Therefore, Cthulhu chose one of the continents and built his city on it, R¡¯lyeh. From then on, sea creatures ruled the Earth.


    Under the power of the evil god, all aquatic organisms on the planet were subjugated. Apart from sea creatures, there was also a city called ¡°Atlantis¡± located in the Atlantic Ocean that submitted to the rule of the Great Cthulhu.


    Zong Yan inwardly drew a sharp breath.


    Atlantis still existed¡­.


    A vague but terrifying suspicion began to arise in his heart.


    ¡°Where else would you like to go?¡±


    The Lord of R¡¯lyeh turned his head, and a strand of his hair brushed Zong Yan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just walk around.¡±


    Zong Yan felt incredibly confused, but he knew he couldn¡¯t show it. Beneath his robe he pinched his palms, forcing himself to calm down.


    So they traveled all over the Earth, from the floating glaciers of the Arctic Ocean to the dense rainforests of the equator, from the beautiful blue Mediterranean to the endless expanse of ice and snow in the Antarctic.


    Zong Yan gazed at the planet beneath his feet. There was no sign of human existence. Even the shapes of the continents were completely different from what he¡¯d learned in high school geography.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be said that humans didn¡¯t exist.


    On the edge of the Atlantic Ocean near the Mediterranean, there were several large and small city-states.


    Zong Yan gazed at them for a long time from afar. The inhabitants were making incredibly advanced plasma beam weapons. Their faces were completely different from the humans Zong Yan knew. They were taller, stronger, full of power. Their culture and technology were far more advanced.


    They weren¡¯t like the humans that Zong Yan knew.


    He suddenly recalled the Mayan civilization told of several solar ages. The occult world had uncovered a great deal of evidence that Earth had given rise to several brilliant civilizations before the rise of humans. Unfortunately, all of these civilizations were eventually destroyed.


    Zong Yan was finally able to conclude that this Earth wasn¡¯t the Earth of the modern, 21st-century civilization he remembered.


    He¡¯d arrived 350 million years earlier, to a prehistoric time when the Earth was still ruled by the Lord of R¡¯lyeh.


    Zong Yan felt a bit bewildered as well as sad.


    He eventually began to calm down and decided to treat this accident as a rebirth situation.


    To be honest, being reborn was a genuinely good thing for Zong Yan. Even if he couldn¡¯t use his superpowers, even if he was no longer human and had become an evil god, even if he¡¯d appeared in prehistoric times for unknown reasons, it could be regarded as a kind of payback for what he¡¯d done.


    After all, he¡¯d saved the lives of seven billion people, and he was paying such a small price for it. In that sense, he was extremely lucky.


    But if he wasn¡¯t a human being anymore, didn¡¯t that mean a lot of things had suddenly become meaningless?


    Or¡­ maybe he should learn to adapt and accept his new identity.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s my name? Do I have to share my name with my elder brother?¡±


    When the youth with dark green long hair walked around, the ornaments on his robe jingled and swayed like bells.


    ¡°No lowly being may call a god by name indiscriminately, or it will suffer my wrath,¡± the evil god said as a matter of course.


    That was fine, but Zong Yan didn¡¯t want to be called ¡°Cthulhu¡±.


    Then Cthulhu¡¯s low voice added, ¡°But if you wish, you can choose a name  for yourself.¡±


    Choose his own name?


    Zong Yan inexplicably felt a little sad.


    ¡°Then call me Zong Yan,¡± he said softly.


    ¡®After all, my name is all I have left.¡¯


    ¡°Zong Yan?¡±


    The name sounded strange in the language of the evil gods. It was more like the language of lower-dimensional creatures.


    But Cthulhu didn¡¯t delve into it. He touched the dark green hair of his other self, and said, ¡°It¡¯s a good name.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Miserable, Bubbles is miserable.


    ¡ª


    TL Notes:


    unparalleled skill ¨C ïÎÔ²ÃÔÆ ¨C engrave the moon and cut out clouds ¡ª a skilled work of art or literature


    the Antarctic ¨C The author actually said ¡°±±¼«¡± (North Pole / Arctic Pole) here, but I think they meant Antarctic because the Arctic was already mentioned once. As a side note, 350 million years ago the Mediterranean didn¡¯t really exist, refer to Wikipedia articles on Gondwana and Pangaea


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Deep Ones ¨C ÉîDZÕß ¨C An ocean-dwelling race described as having grayish green, slippery skin, and white stomachs. They have scaled, ridged backs; webbed and clawed hands; and gilled necks. Their heads are similar to that of a fish, with mouths filled with sharp teeth and eyes incapable of blinking. One of the main characters in Hellboy, Abe Sapien, is described as being one of them (H.P. Lovecraft Wiki)


    Star-spawn ¨C ÐÇÖ®¾ì×å ¨C Also known as the Cthulhi or the Xothians, a species that physically resembles the Great Old One Cthulhu, although of much smaller size. Initially described as ¡°a land race of beings shaped like octopi and probably corresponding to the fabulous pre-human spawn of Cthulhu,¡±(HPL: ¡°At the Mountains of Madness¡±) the Star-Spawn are also described as being ¡°composed of matter widely different¡± than what is native to our universe. Their bodies are so malleable they might almost be called shapeshifters. (H.P. Lovecraft Wiki)


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Dagon ¨C ´ï¹± ¨C D¨¢g¨°ng


    Xoth ¨C ¿ËË÷˹ ¨C K¨¨su¨¯s¨©


    Deep Ones:


    Image source: Call of Cthulhu, French version ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    ¨C


    Star-spawn / Xothian / Cthulhi:


    Image source: Call of Cthulhu, French version ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    ¨C


    Dagon:


    Image source: Doom2018 ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 81

    Fortunately, Cthulhu didn¡¯t delve into it.


    Zong Yan was a little scared of the other party¡¯s reaction, but he wasn¡¯t especially afraid of being found out. After all, according to the timeline, animals like apes didn¡¯t even exist yet. The only people on Earth right now were amphibious creatures and the Atlanteans, and their languages were completely different from the profound and elegant Chinese. There was no reason to worry about revealing the truth.


    It was just¡­ Do I really have to be an evil god from now on?


    Zong Yan was a bit depressed.


    But now that he couldn¡¯t use his superpower anymore, he didn¡¯t have much choice.


    Compared to other people who¡¯d lived and died, Zong Yan¡¯s experience in the afterlife was reasonably similar. It was just that he¡¯d avoided the process of drinking Meng Po soup, still retained the memories of his past life, and avoided the process of being judged in the Ten Courts of Hell.


    ¡®For me, the college entrance exam, school, being MU chief¡­ they¡¯re all things from my old life.¡¯


    He secretly clenched his hands.


    In the past, Zong Yan was a straight man of the science track. These kinds of thoughts never would have crossed his mind. But this was obviously different. After all, he was now a person who¡¯d died. It was normal to grieve things that were gone.


    So¡­ It turned out the ancient Chinese myths and legends were correct. It really was necessary to drink Meng Po soup in the underworld to reincarnate, otherwise a person would go through all sorts of unnecessary trouble, just like Zong Yan.


    Miskatonic University had been invaded left and right by evil gods. They probably never expected their chief would defect too.


    I fought evil gods every day, but I never thought I¡¯d become one. Nietzsche¡¯s words really didn¡¯t lie ah. You gaze into the abyss, and the abyss gazes into you.


    Everything was meaningless now.


    350 million years in the past, the human species didn¡¯t exist. What was the point of talking about the college entrance exam?


    Zong Yan suddenly began to feel depressed.


    ¡®Hey, hey, of course no one wants to die. It¡¯s normal to be a little sad about it, right?¡¯


    At that moment, the evil god who was silently holding his hand swept him a glance.


    Cthulhu was puzzled.


    He sensed very clearly that his other self wasn¡¯t in a good mood.


    Why was that?


    If an evil god was in a bad mood, it was usually the result of anger. For example, whenever Cthulhu met his mortal enemy Hastur, his mood would plummet instantly and he¡¯d launch endless attacks.


    Aside from that, evil gods were quite stable emotionally. It was rare for their moods to fluctuate very much.


    The longer they lived, the truer this became, just like Cthulhu. Time was meaningless to an evil god. No evil god would remember his birthday like a human, let alone celebrate it. Over such a long existence, their emotions were smoothed out. It was actually difficult feel such a thing as ¡°interest¡±.


    Therefore, many evil gods found things for themselves to do.


    Nyarlathotep, for example, loved being entertained and liked to set up enemies for himself. Meanwhile, Cthulhu had built a city when he was bored.


    Of course, it was difficult for human beings to understand the mind of an evil god. They were limited to using words like ¡°boring¡± or ¡°interesting¡± to try to understand them.


    According to this logic, Zong Yan, who¡¯d been able to arouse the interest of Yog-Sothoth, was relatively impressive.


    After all, the Lord of Time and Space was an all-knowing, all-seeing god who could observe all the rivers of time. Among the three original proto-gods, he probably had the weakest desire.


    Zong Yan was immersed in his thoughts, and it took him a while to return to himself.


    When he raised his eyes to look at his new elder brother, he was caught in the act¡ª


    The other party was looking back at him with a slight sideways glance.


    Those dark golden eyes were originally full of cold tyranny, but now he was standing in front of his own half-body, and his emotions were a bit restrained.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a bad mood. Why?¡±


    The Lord of R¡¯lyeh had never been the type of person to evade an issue. He was a god, he was the king, and everyone should obey him.


    A god wouldn¡¯t bother to try to understand a mortal. Of course, that didn¡¯t apply to his second self.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± For a rare moment Zong Yan was at a loss. He gazed at that pair of dark golden eyes with vertical pupils. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a little confused because I just woke up.¡±


    The evil god pondered for a little while.


    Then he grasped Zong Yan¡¯s hand and took a seemingly random step.


    The next moment, the scene around them turned upside down, and they moved directly from the cold Arctic Circle to the sparkling, breezy Mediterranean coast.


    In the future this would become the famous Strait of Gibraltar. Above it was the Iberian Peninsula, which belonged to Spain. Of course, right now it was the territory of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh, including the island that stood nearby in the Atlantic.


    That famous city rose from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean like a pearl.


    Zong Yan had passed by this place with Cthulhu not long ago, but at the time he had something on his mind, so he only glanced at it.


    Now that he was an evil god, his body was enhanced in unparalleled ways, including his vision. If he chose, he could see into the submolecular level. Similarly, he was able to see much farther away. Gazing across thousands of kilometers was a routine operation for an evil god.


    So this time Zong Yan took a closer look at the inhabitants of Atlantis.


    These people were very tall, and the power and intelligence of their bodies far exceeded modern humans. They had a third eye on their forehead, a bit like Erlang Shen, which shed its own light.


    The architectural style of the city of Atlantis was drastically different from R¡¯lyeh. The city of Atlantis consisted of concentric circles, divided into an inner and outer city, with a palace in the center. R¡¯lyeh, on the other hand, exuded an unpleasant atmosphere and was structured with three levels. On the first level was an eerie palace, the middle layer contained tall towers and other city buildings, and the third level was below the sea and provided dwelling places for Cthulhu¡¯s clan members.


    Right now, all the inhabitants of Atlantis seemed to have come out of their houses. They stood outside, looking toward the center of the city.


    What were they doing?


    Zong Yan was confused. He wanted to take a closer look, but then he heard the cold voice of the evil god.


    ¡°Such arrogance.¡±


    Zong Yan froze for a moment. Then he realized Cthulhu wasn¡¯t talking to him.


    ¡°I slept for hardly a moment. I didn¡¯t expect that in the meantime¡­ They would dare to create something that rivalled the gods.¡±


    The voice of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh was laced with an endless amount of fire as well as ice. Zong Yan almost thought the hand that was holding his had turned into a cold and sticky tentacle.


    This time there was no mistake. Displeasure was written all over the evil god¡¯s face.


    When he sensed the body of his second self was about to wake up, Cthulhu had activated the spell formation in his palace and went to the dark cave beneath R¡¯lyeh.


    In order to awaken Zong Yan, Cthulhu expended a great deal of effort, power, and time.


    Time wasn¡¯t important to an evil god, but things were different for humans.


    Previously, Atlantis had just been built, and the king of Atlantis led his subjects to submit to the rule of the Great Cthulhu.


    Unexpectedly, in the time it took Zong Yan to awaken, they had a change of heart.


    Zong Yan had just acquired the body of an evil god. He was like a child with a treasure he didn¡¯t know to use. Cthulhu¡¯s control of power was naturally far superior.


    ¡°Something that rivals the gods?¡± Zong Yan was astonished.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The evil god¡¯s face revealed his displeasure. ¡°Only R¡¯lyeh possesses an eternal energy source. It serves as the core of the entire city and will power the incantations engraved on the city¡¯s base indefinitely.¡±


    Naturally, R¡¯lyeh wasn¡¯t an ordinary place. As the city of an evil god, every one of its buildings, including its shadowy base, was densely covered with magic patterns. This was what kept the city suspended over the sea and provided light as well as heat. The basis for its operation was an energy core in the center of the palace.


    Cthulhu had brought this object from another galaxy. Hastur¡¯s City of Carcosa had one, so Cthulhu went and got one too.


    ¡°These humans are now trying to build an imitation with the technology and magic they learned from R¡¯lyeh.¡± Cthulhu¡¯s tone was filled with the utmost contempt. ¡°They are mere ants, and yet they try to touch the realm of the gods¡­¡±


    Zong Yan was silent. After he heard Cthulhu speak, a strange feeling of indignation rose up inside him too.


    There weren¡¯t many things that could anger an evil god, but the instance before them was undoubtedly serious, like someone dancing on a minefield.


    No evil god could tolerate such a provocation.


    ¡°Well, it may be a good thing.¡± The Lord of R¡¯lyeh suddenly revealed an extremely cruel yet satisfied smile. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in a bad mood just now?¡±


    Zong Yan suddenly had a nasty premonition. Sure enough, he heard Cthulhu say¡ª


    ¡°I hope the blood of these tiny ants will please you, Zong Yan Didi. If so, their lives are not completely worthless.¡±


    When he said Zong Yan¡¯s name, the evil god¡¯s tone completely changed. It was obvious he was trying to reproduce the Chinese pronunciation in the language of evil gods.


    The bare-chested man casually hooked his finger.


    A moment later, terror descended on the city.


    The sky had been clear and cloudless, but now it was overcast. Terrible lightning rolled through the dark clouds.


    The volcano on the seabed suddenly erupted, and the ocean, which had no waves for kilometers around, was lifted up by an invisible force, setting off a tsunami almost a hundred meters high.


    The earth began to shake, visibly shattering and collapsing.


    ¡°My lord¡ª! We meant no offense!¡±


    The Atlanteans panicked. The third eye set in their foreheads opened, and they tried to use their technology and magic to stop the sudden disaster.


    But it was no use.


    The wrath of the evil god couldn¡¯t be nullified so easily.


    Only blood and souls could wash it away.


    Fiery red magma flared up from the earth and scattered down in flurries, leaving scorched bones as the only testament.


    Other Atlanteans struggled and drowned in the cold water, or fell into dark crevices of the earth.


    The great lord of R¡¯lyeh revoked the rewards he¡¯d given his followers. The Atlanteans weren¡¯t able to breathe underwater. The moment they fell into the sea, they were dragged into the eternal nightmare of the evil god. They stopped struggling and slowly sank to the bottom, as still as statues. Their faces were frozen in terror.


    The earthquake weakened the base of the continent. The entire foundation of the island of Atlantis broke apart and began to tumble into the sea.


    An indescribable tentacle emerged from behind Cthulhu. It slammed down hard, splitting the sea in two, leaving a deep trench in the ocean floor.


    Atlantis slid into this trench and sank to the bottom.


    Fiery red flames mingled with the deep blue sea and those desperate cries, and one by one, lives were extinguished by the god¡¯s wrath.


    A civilization that had developed for countless years, with technology and magic far beyond that of modern humans, ceased to exist in a moment.


    To make things even worse, everything that just happened matched what Zong Yan learned in his ancient culture course at MU.


    The historical Atlantis sank to the bottom of the sea after an earthquake and tsunami.


    With this tragedy as a background, the Lord of R¡¯lyeh leisurely stroked Zong Yan¡¯s hair. ¡°How is that, feeling better?¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: The way evil gods comfort people is really¡­ unique


    ¡­


    The humans of Atlantis aren¡¯t the same species as our modern humans. You can treat them as an alien species


    So don¡¯t scold me for moral reasons 55555! Absolutely no misconceptions! The author is a good flower raised under the red flag!! It¡¯s absolutely not a case of ¡°three views are incorrect¡±!!


    In the original work, Cthulhu¡¯s favorite hobby is to drag people into a dream and drive them crazy. Don¡¯t talk about morality with evil gods. Look at my desire to to survive (holds head and cowers)


    TL Notes:


    ¡°profound, elegant¡± Chinese ¨C ²©´ó¾«Éî ¨C broad and profound; have extensive knowledge and profound scholarship; extensive and profound


    Meng Po ¨C ÃÏÆÅ ¨C The goddess of forgetfulness in Chinese mythology who serves soup on the Bridge of Forgetfulness or Nai He Bridge (ÄκÎÇÅ). This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of the previous life (Wikipedia)


    Ten Courts of Hell ¨C Ê®µîÑÖÂÞ ¨C In Chinese mythology, the realm of the dead (¡°Diyu¡± ¨C µØÓü) is typically depicted as a subterranean maze with various levels and chambers to which souls are taken after death to atone for the sins they committed when they were alive. The exact number of levels in Diyu and their associated deities differ between Buddhist and Taoist interpretations. Some speak of three to four ¡°courts¡±; others mention ¡°Ten Courts of Hell¡±, each of which is ruled by a judge (collectively known as the Ten Yama Kings); other Chinese legends speak of the ¡°Eighteen Levels of Hell¡±. Each court deals with a different aspect of atonement and different punishments; most legends claim that sinners are subjected to gruesome tortures until their ¡°deaths¡±, after which they are restored to their original state for the torture to be repeated (Wikipedia)


    grieve things that were gone ¨C ÉË´º±¯Çï ¨C grieve over the passing of spring or feel sad with the advent of autumn; shed tears over the changes of seasons


    invaded left and right ¨C ³ÉÁËɸ ¨C turned into a sieve ¨C pierced through with a lot of holes


    gaze into the abyss etc. ¨C ÄãÄýÊÓÉîÔ¨£¬ÉîÔ¨Ò²ÄýÊÓÄã ¨C Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, Aphorism 146: ¡°He who fights with monsters should take care that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.¡±


    Erlang Shen ¨C ¶þÀÉÉñ ¨C A Chinese god with a third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead. He may be a deified version of several semi-mythical folk heroes who helped regulate China¡¯s torrential floods dating variously from the Qin, Sui, and Jin dynasties (Wikipedia)


    Three Views ¨C Èý¹Û ¨C A concept in Chinese thought which originally referred to a person¡¯s outlook on the world, life, and values. The modern update, announced in 2007 by the PRC Ministry of Education, emphasizes the ¡°new¡± three views of ¡°career, work, and achievements¡± which is promulgated in ideological education. The ¡°three views are not correct¡± (Èý¹Û²»Õý) is a popular phrase in Internet forums, describing something that subverts or corrupts one¡¯s values and world outlook (Wikipedia)


    holds head and cowers ¨C ±§Í·¶× ¨C If you google the Chinese you¡¯ll find lots of moe anime examples


    55555 ¨C Chinese internet slang. 555 (w¨³w¨³w¨³) represents ÎØÎØÎØ (w¨±w¨±w¨±) the sound of tearful crying, but it¡¯s more pitiful than sad (Wikipedia)


    Cthulhu:


    Image source: Xardwen ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 82

    Everyone was on standby. Throughout the White House, people were staring intently at the big screen before them.


    On the streets of New York City, investigators were mopping up the remaining ghouls that hadn¡¯t been destroyed by the sunlight.


    Edward had a gun in one hand and a brightly glowing magic pattern in the other. A golden flame burst out from the pattern, burning to ash the head of a ghoul that had fallen to the ground. Wang KeMing was following, providing cover. Magic patterns were ready to go in both of his palms.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Wang KeMing swallowed nervously and looked at the street before them.


    They¡¯d witnessed everything firsthand.


    At first it was like the sky had been torn apart. Thousands of beams of light descended from the heavens and pierced into the earth like iron nails. In just a few seconds thousands of ghouls were torn apart, as easy as cutting chives.


    That wasn¡¯t all. After that, a column of light, brighter than anything else, tore through the atmosphere and hurtled upwards. It was like a wildfire engulfing most of the sky.


    That was¡­


    Wang KeMing and Edward exchanged a glance, their faces solemn.


    During the battle, Edward did his best to keep an eye on Zong Yan, but Zong Yan had activated his Night Watchman status. That meant he had the ability to melt into shadows. He could disappear in an instant and no one could follow.


    Without putting it into words, Edward knew Zong Yan¡¯s powers were far stronger than anyone realized. Just like the Night Watchman¡¯s ability to pass through shadow, something no one had ever heard of before. Zong Yan could battle A-rank monsters on even ground. It wasn¡¯t a problem for him to fight these ghouls.


    Edward couldn¡¯t have said why, but he suspected the light pillar that burst from the pit just now was also related to Zong Yan. In addition to that, the captain of Dragon Team 7 had just come over to ask them about it, which made him even more certain of his guess.


    ¡°Come on! We¡¯ll go take a look!¡±  The little prince swept a glance at the wreckage of the deserted street, grabbed Wang KeMing¡¯s arm, and ran forward.


    Members of the Dragon Group had already reached the center of the intersection.


    Si Yan was dressed in a stark black combat suit. After nodding to He Yuan, he unleashed the magic pattern in his hand and smashed it into the bottomless pit.


    A moment later, he lowered his hand and pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s about a hundred meters deep.¡±


    They¡¯d encountered a wave of ghouls just now, and the entire street was a mess. There were toppled telephone poles and concrete posts everywhere. All the shop windows on both sides of the street were broken. Scattered fragments of glass littered the ground, reflecting the golden light.


    ¡°Are we certain the Little Monarch is down there?¡± He Yuan¡¯s face was equally serious, and his eyes were grave.


    Reports were coming in from other Dragon Group teams on his headset. Everyone said the same thing¡ªno one saw anyone resembling Zong Yan in the vicinity.


    Where had he gone? After an unknown entity intervened, the battle had ended, and the chaos throughout the surrounding area subsided. In the aftermath, investigators began to squat down and take samples. Except for the bottomless pit in front of them, there was no trace of Zong Yan anywhere.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± On the other side, Anastasia casually tossed her knife in the air, then sheathed it.


    There was no time to discuss anything in detail. Si Yan just said, ¡°Cover me,¡± in a cold voice. Then he drew the alchemically-modified Beretta from the holster on his waist. Without the slightest hesitation he jumped into the pit.


    ¡°The tenth Monarch Zong Yan is missing.¡± He Yuan nodded at the senior investigator and pressed his headset with one hand. ¡°Wait¡­ We¡¯ve lost contact with satellites worldwide?¡±


    These days, countless satellites circled the Earth, not just those of the United States, but also ones belonging to the former Soviet Union, the European Union, and China. It could be said that many of the most powerful countries had their own satellite systems.


    Satellites didn¡¯t just provide convenient services to average citizens. They were also an important strategic resource. In the event of a third World War, satellites would be the first to bear the brunt. Anti-missile technology based on satellites was very mature at present. For example, if the United States launched a missile from its mainland toward Asia, the missile might be detected by a satellite system and shot down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. As long as a nation mastered this technology, its enemies wouldn¡¯t be able to get a missile into its territory.


    But if satellites couldn¡¯t be contacted all over the world¡­


    He Yuan drew a cold breath.


    He remembered the speculation from before.


    ¡°The ghouls in New York City were performing a summoning ritual. The evil god they worship is Mordiggian, the famed King of Ghouls. If the summoning is successful, the evil god himself will descend from outer space¡ª¡±


    The investigators¡¯ pupils shrank.


    According to secret case files and documents stored in MU, there was evidence that evil gods could cause devastating damage and disturbances to the Earth¡¯s magnetic field.


    Especially the true body of an evil god.


    Mass was a constant throughout the universe. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its gravitational force.


    A paper had been published by a great Miskatonic mathematician about the effects the body of an evil god would have if it arrived on Earth.


    The first of these effects was on the magnetic field. An object with enough mass could cause the collapse of the magnetic field of the Earth.


    The people on the ground looked up. Their faces were pale.


    This was the real and genuine fear that humans felt in the face of irresistible power.


    In the White House there was silence.


    After a long time, the man in charge said, ¡°Well?¡±


    It was a scene that might go down in history. But the situation was so urgent no one was thinking about that now.


    The leaders of the world¡¯s most powerful countries were gathered together, using holographic projections and teleconferencing to facilitate  face-to-face communication.


    With all satellites out of action and even the space station unable to be contacted, humankind had finally realized something was terribly wrong.


    In addition to the leaders of various countries, senior members of the occult world also participated in the meeting.


    ¡°Right now, any time we try to send an electromagnetic signal from the planet, it disappears like a stone sinking into the sea.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve lost contact with our fighter jets!¡±


    ¡°We received a message from the observatory that they¡¯re being hampered by weather conditions.¡±


    ¡°Then use a different observatory! Contact one in a different country!¡±


    Every nation was pressed for time. Commands were issued one after another.


    ¡°Report¡ªThere are strange movements in the South Pacific!¡±


    ¡°Unidentified organisms have appeared in Severn Valley, England!¡±


    One piece of bad news came in after another. The atmosphere in the conference room of Miskatonic University was gloomy.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. We have records of all those sites. They¡¯re most likely the sleeping places of Great Old Ones¡­¡±


    The expression on their faces wasn¡¯t good.


    Investigators of the occult world knew better than anyone what those disturbances meant.


    ¡°The time has come for the stars to return to their places.¡±


    Even Chancellor Flamel, who was always asocial, emerged from his laboratory with a worried face.


    ¡°Try this.¡± The old Chancellor held a blood red stone in his hand. He gave it to the investigator standing to the side. ¡°If we unleash our ultimate alchemical weapon, the rest is up to fate.¡±


    The philosopher¡¯s stone£¡


    All the investigators in the conference room revealed astonishment.


    It was well known that Chancellor Nicholas Flamel and Vice Chancellor Paracelsus were holders of the fifth element, the philosopher¡¯s stone. That was what had allowed them to live for so many years, effectively immortal.


    The foundations of modern alchemy had been passed down from ancient Egypt. The philosopher¡¯s stone was the closest thing humanity possessed to the divine alchemy of the gods.


    It was the final weapon of Miskatonic University, the ultimate alchemical array. And its core power source was the philosopher¡¯s stone.


    The investigators stood up and removed their hats in respect.


    This was a battle for all of humanity. The future of the Earth itself was at stake.


    ¡°Recall all investigators to the Gate of Truth. Set up new transmission sites in New York City immediately.¡±


    Paracelsus also stood up from his seat. There was a scarlet glow in his eyes. ¡°If something happens to the Earth, we are the last spark of the human race.¡±


    MU had previously made a pact with Nodens, the Lord of the Dreamlands. Only Awakened people were allowed to enter the outskirts of the Dreamlands through the Gate of Truth. Ordinary people would be stopped outside. That was why investigators had brazenly opened the Gate of Truth in Westminster Abbey, a famous tourist spot in Britain.


    The realm of dreams wouldn¡¯t be affected even if the Earth were destroyed. The human race would come to an end, but people with awakening abilities could still escape to the Dreamlands. In the face of such a grave disaster, they had to prepare for the worst.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The people in the conference room dispersed in silence, leaving to open gates from New York as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Investigators stationed in New York, you have new orders. Proceed to the center of each area as quickly as possible. You have fifteen minutes. A temporary gate to the Dreamlands will be opened. You must evacuate immediately.¡±


    Every investigator in New York heard the orders in their headsets. He Yuan, pacing anxiously in place, connected to the Dragon Group¡¯s internal channel. ¡°Captain, please hurry! We have to evacuate! If the Little Monarch isn¡¯t here, we might find him at the gathering place after he hears the news!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one down here.¡± Si Yan¡¯s face was calm. Electricity pulsed in his hand and easily sliced off a ghoul¡¯s head.


    The altar inside the deep cavern had been destroyed by the pillar of light. It was now buried in a mud of blood and flesh.


    The light summoned by the sun god had been too powerful. All remaining ghouls were either dead or wounded. The darkness over New York had been lifted.


    ¡°Did you see a human down here?¡± With a grim face, he put a knife to the chest of a surviving ghoul elder. His voice was deep and low.


    Ghouls could communicate with humans. But they weren¡¯t always willing.


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Yes.¡±


    Clearly, the altar had been activated. The Lord had answered their call, but the process was interrupted somewhere in the middle.


    The ghoul elder was grieving. He knew they¡¯d been rejected by the god.


    ¡°Not long ago, a man jumped down here. He resembled the sun we hate most. After that, after that, he suddenly burst out of here and went into the sky.¡±


    A second later, the ghoul¡¯s head rolled to the ground.


    Si Yan looked at the green blood dripping from the tip of his knife and clenched his fist.


    Their worst suspicions were verified.


    They¡¯d all seen the sun.


    Not just the investigators in New York, almost everyone in North America had seen it.


    Night had lifted, and a new sun rose.


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 83

    This place was beyond the dimensions, beyond all time and space, beyond the end of the universe.


    Here, a sea of stars glittered. Wisps of radiance trembled in the darkness like a candle flame in a lantern, swaying but never extinguished.


    Few intelligent beings ever reached this place, including evil gods. And evil gods who weren¡¯t powerful enough had to abide by the same restrictions.


    To be honest, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to get here. But you had to pass through the Gates of the Silver Key, then be recognized by the ancient and immortal keepers before you¡¯d be permitted to enter the Ultimate Gate of the Universe.


    Beyond the Ultimate Gate, the true body of the Lord of Time and Space stood firmly above the universe, looking down on everything that existed. Nothing could escape his sight.


    As it should be.


    But this axiom, which was stronger than the three laws of the universe, had just been refuted.


    A figure clothed in glowing light slowly walked through the Gates of the Silver Key.


    Beyond the gates was a huge stone pedestal, engraved with a dense series of enigmatic magic patterns.


    In this place, under the blessing of the Lord of Time and Space, time itself was meaningless. To sit here for a moment was the same as sitting for a century. What significance did it have? Time was meaningless to an evil god. Things that actually were meaningful to them were so rare and few in number they weren¡¯t worth mentioning.


    All the ancient keepers sitting below the throne stood to pay the greatest homage to the figure.


    ¡°Hail to the Lord on his return, under the Great Reign of Yog-Sothoth.¡±


    They watched over this place, guarding the gates of eternity and knowledge, but the ancient ones knew they were no more than slaves of the Lord of the Gate.


    They dwelled under the reign of Yog-Sothoth, one of the three pillars of the original gods; the Supreme Master of Time and Space; the Lord of the Gate; the great deity of the Trinity of the Gate, the Key, and the Guardian of the Gate; the Opener of the Way.


    The gray-haired, golden-eyed evil god didn¡¯t give them a single glance. He took one light step and the next moment he appeared before the Ultimate Gate.


    Unlike the monolithic pedestal, the Ultimate Gate had no patterns inscribed on it. It was exceptionally simple, flat, and uncomplicated.


    It towered over heaven and earth, an endless expanse of a structure stretching further than the eye could see. It was like a giant mantle that stood in front of the final abyss of the universe.


    No one had visited this place in many years. Let alone humans, countless intelligent species found it difficult to reach.


    The last occurrence could be traced back to the previous century as humans reckoned it. A tiny human, an investigator named Randolph Carter, had pleased the Lord of the Gate, so the Lord granted an exception and allowed the human to pass through the Ultimate Gate and peer into the true nature of the universe behind it.


    Unfortunately, Randolph Carter had lost himself in an endless parallel dimension. Whether he lived or died was unknown. However, the Lord of the Gate didn¡¯t revoke his reward. Instead, he promised that if the man someday reached the Gates of the Silver Key again, the Lord would grant him the supreme honor of becoming a god of the ancient ones.


    ¡®You cannot reach the Gates without the Silver Key.¡¯


    The ancient ones were silent. They were well aware of the evil god¡¯s malevolent intentions.


    Sure enough, in the years that followed, no one resembling Randolph Carter ever visited this place again.


    Tawil¡¯s face had no expression. He simply looked at the gate that represented the ultimate wisdom of the universe, and the stone door silently opened under the eyes of the evil god.


    The door obeyed its master.


    Behind the stone gate was a space that had no name. A sea of stars drifted in the silence, and disorderly fragments of space and time bloomed and were rapidly extinguished. Each fragment represented the final disappearance of a civilization in the long river of time.


    If another intelligent creature had been present, it wouldn¡¯t have been able to see any of this. Their minds would have been invaded by the chaotic fragments of space-time, and they¡¯d eventually lose themselves in different mazes of thought, a state otherwise known as madness.


    Only an evil god could gaze upon this sight. To be more specific, only the Lord of Time and Space could do so.


    But that wasn¡¯t the most fascinating thing about this place.


    The most fascinating thing was, of course, the billions of glowing spheres that surrounded those chaotic fragments, a billion glorious spheres of light that were constantly splitting and merging.


    This was the true body of Yog-Sothoth. Although the mass and volume of an Outer God¡¯s body didn¡¯t have definite values, at a rough estimate, the volume of a single one of these spheres was equal to tens of billions of black holes, while the mass of a black hole was tens of billions of times that of the sun. But the laws of modern physics were useless when it came to black holes, so it wasn¡¯t possible to compare their mass or volume in straightforward terms.


    And these spheres, which were constantly rupturing and converging, could also be numbered in the billions.


    That was why the Lord of Time and Space had placed his body here.


    If he went out into the universe, no celestial body could endure his mass. He would only leave behind collapsed dimensions and obliterated galaxies along the way.


    Tawil strode forward with a cold face. He walked across this space as if it were flat and paused at a distance roughly equal to his true body.


    A dimensional space was quietly sliced open, like lifting the lid of a box.


    This box space was the treasure chest of the Lord of Time and Space. Inside it was the Lord of the Gate¡¯s collection.


    Yog-Sothoth would occasionally store things in here that he found interesting. For example, a turquoise stone containing millions of souls after the destruction of an advanced civilization, or the stardust created from the explosion of a large celestial body, or a crystal generated in the center of a galaxy after millions and millions of years¡­. Naturally, things that could be admired by the Lord of the Gate were far from ordinary.


    But in the midst of all these treasures lay the lonely body of a low-intelligence creature.


    The evil god crooked his finger. A moment later, the body was removed from the space.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely clear what was on the evil god¡¯s mind. He¡¯d frozen time for this body and moved it back in the timeline.


    The black-haired teen was suspended in the void. His eyes were tightly closed, his eyebrows were knitted together, his thin lips were gently pursed.


    His appearance was outstanding for a human. Whenever he was on the street he attracted countless stealthy glances from others of his kind. Unfortunately, Zong Yan had the mind of a totally oblivious straight man. He didn¡¯t pay the slightest bit of attention to other people¡¯s stares, nor did he care if he ended up lodged in someone else¡¯s daydreams.


    The body was suspended at the moment Zong Yan had crushed the Azathoth card, determined to give up his life. That explained why the black-haired teen¡¯s expression was so stern, like he was ready to die.


    Yog-Sothoth knew without looking that the body in front of him had lost its soul forever.


    The young man¡¯s skin was pale and cyanotic. The blood in his veins and arteries no longer flowed, but was miraculously frozen in his body.


    This lifeless appearance was unbearably ugly.


    The soul was originally a stream of consciousness belonging to the Lord of the Universe. After it was freed from this body through a voluntary sacrifice, it should have returned to the torrential mind of the Lord of All.


    But no.


    He¡¯d escaped the control of the omniscient and omnipotent god.


    The gray-haired, golden-eyed evil god lowered his head, and his long, pale fingertips gently traced the face of the black-haired teen.


    ¡®Ugly.¡¯


    He smoothed the young man¡¯s brow and straightened the tense corners of his mouth. No one could have imagined the Lord of Time and Space would have such patience.


    Right now Yog-Sothoth¡¯s mood was very complex: half-filled with anger that his prey had escaped his grasp, half-filled with the sudden rise of strong, intense interest.


    And there was something even more subtle, an emotion which joined the anger he felt at the sight of this dead and lifeless body.


    ¡°How could you escape my grasp¡­¡±


    With a terse sigh, he fiddled with the young man¡¯s silken black hair.


    The all-seeing, all-knowing Lord had never experienced a situation he couldn¡¯t observe.


    If Yog chose, he could even observe the actions of the other three original proto-gods, who were at the same level as himself. It only took a thought.


    He knew all things. There was nothing he couldn¡¯t master, and nothing he couldn¡¯t grasp.


    It was difficult to put his emotions into words.


    In the end, this tiny ant was different.


    The vast body was quietly fissioning and fusing in the void, and part of his vision was focused on the floating body of the young man.


    From the very beginning, Yog-Sothoth hadn¡¯t been able to see into the present or future of this human. He¡¯d followed the short seventeen years of the black-haired teen¡¯s life like a spectator and found nothing worthy of being the choice of the Lord of the Universe. It was all too ordinary.


    What was the difference?


    The evil god pondered for a while but couldn¡¯t explain it to himself.


    Yog would generously reward any being who could please him with knowledge or gifts, but evil gods didn¡¯t provide after-sales service, and he actually enjoyed seeing intelligent creatures go completely insane when they aspired to huge amounts of knowledge they couldn¡¯t handle.


    That had always been the case before, but Yog had actually taught Zong Yan seriously. The young man was the first intelligent creature in many years to not have his head explode.


    The evil god had even wanted to accept Zong Yan as a follower.


    As was well-known, the mighty Lord of Time and Space had many believers, but he had very few subordinate gods, let alone priests.


    If a follower continued to please his Lord, it wasn¡¯t impossible to be elevated to the rank of deity. Yog-Sothoth had always been a generous god.


    Yog thought these things a bit dispassionately, and his fingers accidentally left a scratch on the black-haired teen¡¯s eyelid.


    He immediately frowned and rewound time. Then he pushed the black-haired teen into the middle of the billions of glowing, brilliant spheres that were constantly melding and fracturing.


    A thin line slowly appeared on the surface of a sphere. Finally, the largest and brightest orb swallowed the teen.


    Yog decided to carefully examine the future timeline again.


    The only being who stood eternally outside the dimensions of the universe was Azathoth. Since the stream of consciousness wasn¡¯t with His Majesty, it meant Zong Yan had to exist somewhere inside the universe.


    Tawil stepped forward. The next moment, his body suddenly disappeared and he merged into the largest sphere.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. No matter where you escaped to, you can¡¯t escape these all-knowing, all-seeing eyes.¡¯


    In the void, Yog-Sothoth lifted the corners of his mouth.


    ¡ª


    ¡°R¡¯lyeh has gone to war with the Byakhee of Carcosa before. It isn¡¯t clear how the enemy learned His Majesty was sleeping. But now that the two sires have awakened, the time is right for R¡¯lyeh to counterattack¡­.¡±


    Zong Yan was reclining on the throne, listening. He suddenly looked up as if he felt something.


    The young evil god was lazily supporting his head, and his long, dark green hair fell past his shoulders to the ground, like tendrils of the finest seaweed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what is your command?¡±


    Dagon, who was in charge of the briefing, was startled. He hurriedly knelt down for fear of angering the evil god.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Zong Yan waved his hand, but the next moment he stroked his eyelid with a faint feeling of surprise.


    Strange¡­ He thought he¡¯d felt a vague tingling there just now.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Oh, you ignored my love at the beginning, but now you come crawling back!


    TL Notes:


    ancient keepers ¨C The raw just calls them ¡°ancient immortal ones¡± or ¡°ancient people¡±. It was pretty vague and I felt the need to call them something.


    come crawling back ¨C µÄÎÒÈÃÄã¸ßÅʲ»Æð ¨C I can¡¯t afford you / I¡¯ll make you climb high ¨C meaning ¡°You spurned me before, but now that you want me, I won¡¯t easily accept you¡±


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Byakhee ¨C °ÝÑÇ»ù ¨C B¨¤iy¨¤j¨© ¨C Interstellar predators with webbed feet and membranous wings that travel the vacuum of space at a speed faster than light.


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Your Majesty ¨C ×𾴵ıÝÏ ¨C Z¨±nj¨¬ng de b¨¬xi¨¤


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 84

    Although it wasn¡¯t unusual for a human to feel a tingling in their eyelid, it was very unusual for an evil god.


    Zong Yan had previously tested it out. In his current evil god body, the entire concept of pain had been stripped away.


    To put it simply, he could cut off any part of his body if he felt like it, and not only would he feel no pain, he¡¯d shed no blood, and he could regenerate the part with a thought.


    Compared to lower beings, evil gods existed in more dimensions and were more highly evolved. ¡°Pain¡± was useless for them, so their bodies didn¡¯t have nerves that sensed pain.


    It was up to each evil god to decide whether they wanted to feel pain.


    They had mastery over every part of their bodies. They could divide themselves into smaller pieces and use them as secondary identities, and they could split their minds into multiple strands. Zong Yan could even transform himself into a giant tentacle monster, otherwise known as his true body.


    But that kind of thing was way outside the limits of human aesthetics. Normally, Zong Yan and Cthulhu weren¡¯t that similar in appearance, but their true bodies were carved from the same mold. When Zong Yan saw his own gigantic reflection in the sea, his eyes rolled up and he almost passed out. Meanwhile the inhabitants of R¡¯lyeh fell to their knees in awe, fervently worshipping the body of the evil god.


    And Zong Yan experienced many other things he¡¯d never encountered as a human. In a word, it was incredible.


    Only now did Zong Yan understand why, when the three original pillar gods looked at him, they treated him like a toy.


    To be honest, if Zong Yan didn¡¯t still have his human memories, he would have behaved exactly like a second Cthulhu. He too would have become a standard-issue arrogant evil god. After all, the instant he was born, he stood above all other creatures. There was no higher form of existence.


    Because in the eyes of an evil god, everything else was trivially small. This viewpoint didn¡¯t apply only to humans.


    The young evil god sat on his throne.


    This was the high palace in the center of R¡¯lyeh. Originally it only contained one throne, but after Cthulhu returned from his tour of the world with Zong Yan, the craftsmen of R¡¯lyeh skillfully added a second kingly seat.


    Now, on the top floor of the high palace, a pair of thrones studded with emeralds stood side by side. The upper half of each throne was covered with ferocious fangs, and the material from which the thrones were carved was unusual in itself. When the light shone through it, a dark red glow spilled across the floor like a layer of blood, as though the two bone seats were floating in a sea of viscous gore. The color dyed Zong Yan¡¯s beautiful, somewhat androgynous face a gorgeous crimson.


    Forget it. Since he had no idea what caused it, he wasn¡¯t going to think about it.


    Zong Yan carelessly lowered his hand from his eyebrow and waved the question to the back of his mind.


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    After he gave the order, Dagon trembled and immediately resumed his report on political matters.


    ¡°While the two sires were sleeping, the vile barbarians of Carcosa launched a surprise attack on R¡¯lyeh from the air. Byakhee¡ªthey¡¯re a lowly type of creature with sharp, hooked claws¡ªcame flying out of the sky carrying Lloigor soldiers. Fortunately, Your Majesty, you reinforced the runes of R¡¯lyeh twice before your slumber. That¡¯s how we were able to hold off the attack.¡±


    The Elder of the Deep Ones continued respectfully, ¡°There aren¡¯t many Star-spawn in the city. You sent most of them to the outer planets years ago. This made it difficult for us Deep Ones to withstand Carcosa¡¯s aerial attacks. However, now that you¡¯ve awakened, the time is ripe for R¡¯lyeh to strike back.¡±


    Carcosa£¿


    Zong Yan was taken aback. He recalled the memories of London from his past life.


    The city of Carcosa belonged to another Great Old One¡ªthe Lord of Interstellar Spaces. It was the domain of Hastur, the King in Yellow.


    Just as Cthulhu was the king of R¡¯lyeh, Hastur was the king of Carcosa.


    Humans were familiar with both of these Great Old Ones. Both had created kingdoms for themselves to rule over, and the traces of the former glory of these kingdoms could still be found by modern archaeologists in the 21st-century.


    Like R¡¯lyeh, for example.


    Currently, R¡¯lyeh controlled the oceans of Earth, and oceans made up more than ninety percent of the planet. The continents weren¡¯t yet fully formed. Carcosa seemed to exist in another dimension and didn¡¯t overlap much with Earth. Unless Zong Yan was missing something¡­.


    He wouldn¡¯t have guessed these two Great Old Ones were deadly enemies.


    Zong Yan really had no idea. After all, no matter how powerful Miskatonic University was, there was no way for them to understand the relationships between evil gods. Investigators on assignment frequently never managed to figure out which evil god was working behind the scenes. Most of the time Nyarla was responsible, and he was notorious for his trouble-making. That was why every investigator had to memorize the summoning and banishing spells of Nyarlathotep¡¯s enemies before they joined the investigator organization of the Spire Council, just in case of emergencies.


    He quietly sank into his thoughts.


    After Cthulhu¡¯s casual destruction of Atlantis, they¡¯d retrieved the imitation perpetual power source constructed by the Atlanteans.


    Since it was a copy, it was nowhere near as good as the genuine article in R¡¯lyeh. At best it was a substandard counterfeit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We shall return.¡±


    The evil god didn¡¯t spare a single glance for the land below, which was engulfed in calamity and despair.


    Fire rained down from the sky and lava poured into the cold sea. When the searing heat engulfed a human body, a bitter, fishy smell rose from the water, extinguishing the red magma but also burying those who¡¯d lost their lives.


    The earth collapsed, the mountains and rivers fell, and a city¡¯s utter destruction was just a whim in the mind of an evil god.


    It was a power so incredible it made Zong Yan shiver inside. He frowned slightly, lowering his gaze, and his long eyelashes dropped like crow feathers, sweeping the thoughts from his mind.


    There were no grounds for Zong Yan to intervene. He had no standing, no reason to stop any of it.


    Atlantis deserved to be destroyed. It had offended the authority of the evil god.


    In another part of his mind, thoughts belonging to an evil god stirred and swayed, floating in the sea of his consciousness, constantly whispering to him.


    He turned his head away and said lightly, ¡°I feel much better. Thank you for the gift, gege.¡±


    ¡­


    When they returned, Cthulhu stroked Zong Yan¡¯s head and told him he was leaving to deal with a few insects, and Zong Yan should feel free to roam R¡¯lyeh at will. If he got bored, he could go to a nearby galaxy and wander around a bit.


    So Zong Yan stayed behind.


    Cthulhu didn¡¯t conceal from Zong Yan where he was going. It seemed the evil god was planning to return to his homeworld, the binary star of Xoth, which contained a huge planet hundreds of millions of light-years from Earth. It was said that many Great Old Ones still lived there, and it was also Cthulhu¡¯s birthplace.


    Even for an evil god, it took time to travel back and forth. Cthulhu didn¡¯t have the ability to control space, so he couldn¡¯t just open a gate and traverse vast distances like Yog-Sothoth.


    But it was clear the Lord of R¡¯lyeh was a bit worried about his new brother. He¡¯d left in such a hurry that he didn¡¯t know Carcosa, his nemesis, was on the move.


    It wasn¡¯t clear how Carcosa got the news. Perhaps it was just that the clans on both sides had been at odds for so long they were eager for war.


    There hadn¡¯t been many occasions when Hastur and Cthulhu had clashed directly. After all, if these two beings fought, they would likely destroy the Earth or at least a continent. Moreover, they¡¯d restrained themselves before and hadn¡¯t bothered with sneak attacks. In past days when they used to fight each other constantly, it was usually a straightforward collision between their true bodies. They fought whenever they ran into each other around the universe.


    But now¡ª


    It was clear this was something new and unexpected.


    ¡°When will Carcosa attack?¡± Zong Yan interrupted, calmly evaluating the situation.


    He jumped down from the throne and stepped barefoot on the smooth green onyx floor. His long, dark green hair swept back from his shoulders, trailing and twisting on the ground. The ends of his hair were dotted with crystal droplets of water like gemstones adorning a forest, deep and beautiful.


    ¡°Maybe, perhaps¡­¡± The elder froze a moment, then his expression changed. ¡°It¡¯s now.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Zong Yan said, nodding. He descended the lapis lazuli stairs step by step, as if he were taking a leisurely stroll through the cold, magnificent palace, permeated with an aura that was eerie and unclean.


    Since he was now one of the kings of R¡¯lyeh, Zong Yan was obligated to protect the city before Cthulhu returned.


    ¡°Mobilize R¡¯lyeh¡¯s troops and prepare for battle.¡±


    The eyes of the young evil god were an alien shade of dark gold. As he walked, the jagged hem and sleeves of his lightweight, dark gray robe fluttered in the air behind him. Exquisite gold pendants inlaid with emeralds tinkled with a series of soft, metallic notes.


    Although they were the same god, the two masters had very different temperaments.


    Cthulhu liked to exhibit his powerful body. He was a cold and decisive king who killed in an instant.


    The new king, named ¡°Zong Yan¡±, had a face so beautiful it could be called demonic, and in every gesture and manner he was noble and reserved. In that sense he was strangely similar to the king of the city of Carcosa. The Lord of Interstellar Spaces was also aloof and remote and a lover of art.


    Dagon quickly cast aside his traitorous thoughts. Trembling, he took out his staff and lightly tapped the air.


    The young king walked through the palace gates.


    Outside, a forest of stone and statues stood silent on the surface of the sea, and a throng of Deep Ones floated in the water in dense masses, raising their harpoons high in the air. The Star-spawn retreated from the atmosphere, and the shoggoths shouted ¡°Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!¡±.


    These voices disappeared the instant Zong Yan stepped forward.


    They lowered their heads in absolute silence to demonstrate their devotion.


    The young evil god lifted his gaze. In the distant sky there loomed a tower, and its highest reaches were concealed by white mist.


    He¡¯d been to Carcosa, the country of the dead. He knew the spire belonged to Carcosa¡¯s castle.


    Countless Byakhee surrounded the mist-wrapped tower, guarding it, and the ragged King in Yellow gazed down coldly from the sky.


    War was imminent.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Brother soldiers, we go to battle! Although gege isn¡¯t here, you can rely on didi! Charge!


    TL Notes:


    mountains and rivers ¨C ɽºÓ ¨C This is also an idiom meaning ¡°the land of a country¡±


    demonic (face) ¨C ħ÷È ¨C m¨®m¨¨i ¨C devil, magic charm


    Glossary of world terms¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Lloigor ¨C ÂÞÒÁ¸ñ¶û ¨C Lu¨­y¨©g¨¦¨§r ¨C Vortices of living power completely invisible except on occasions when they appear reptilian


    Byakhee:


    Image source: Call of Cthulhu, French version ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    ¨C


    Lloigor:


    Image source: Call of Cthulhu ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 85

    Before the highest and most central palace in R¡¯lyeh, Zong Yan gazed silently upwards.


    The Great Old One Ithaqua was dutifully following the floating city of Carcosa.


    The weakest of the Great Old Ones, also called ¡°Wendigo¡±, he was a subordinate god of the King in Yellow, just as Dagon was to Cthulhu. The two evil gods seemed to be engaged in an unspoken rivalry. Whatever one did, the other immediately copied.


    In London, Zong Yan fought the Death-Walker, Ithaqua¡¯s incarnation. He never thought that through a quirk of fate they¡¯d meet again, though Zong Yan had now become an evil god himself, while Ithaqua had switched to his true body.


    Not only that, this was the second time Zong Yan had encountered the city of Carcosa, including the King in Yellow.


    Only now did Zong Yan realize how many evil gods he¡¯d met. Whether it was their avatars or true bodies, it was like he was a magnet for them.


    But it was still a bit unfair.


    On Carcosa¡¯s side there were at least two Great Old Ones, while R¡¯lyeh just had one. Cthulhu was away and Zong Yan hadn¡¯t fully mastered an evil god¡¯s power. The situation was grim.


    But it was important not to show the slightest hint that anything was wrong.


    Inside, Zong Yan felt a little uncertain. In the past he¡¯d had a trump card called Azathoth. On some level, it gave him a sense of security and confidence, so he¡¯d never felt too anxious going into a fight. He knew he could always take down an enemy, even if it meant sacrificing himself. But his superpower hadn¡¯t responded in a long time. If things went south, like he suspected they might¡­ he didn¡¯t know if he could win.


    Anyway, there was no point in worrying about it now.


    Zong Yan silently called out to his other self for help, but he didn¡¯t know if his big brother was too far away. The message sank like a stone in the sea without a response.


    He made himself calm down. ¡°Prepare for battle. Victory belongs to R¡¯lyeh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! Victory to R¡¯lyeh!¡±


    ¡°R¡¯lyeh¡¯s glory will last forever!¡±


    The Deep Ones raised their harpoons high, and the sunlight left mottled patches on the uneven texture of their skin.


    The shoggoths waved thousands of tentacles that stank like tar, rotating and gyrating their bodies like an irregularly-shaped ball of dough, forming themselves into a wall to serve as R¡¯lyeh¡¯s first line of defense. In R¡¯lyeh there were ancient ones who specialized in the enslavement of these shoggoths. The shoggoths hadn¡¯t yet undergone a transformation, so nearly a hundred million more years would pass before their first rebellion. By that time, R¡¯lyeh would have sunk beneath the sea. Today Zong Yan didn¡¯t have to worry about whether these shoggoths would obey their orders.


    The Star-spawn were floating in the sky. They were the only air power R¡¯lyeh possessed.


    The true body of the great king of R¡¯lyeh resembled an octopus, which affirmed Cthulhu¡¯s inherent mastery over water. The Deep Ones and shoggoths were also creatures with affinity for water, and R¡¯lyeh itself was incomparably rich in aquatic resources. In the past few days Zong Yan had tried a lot of interesting and delicious seafood snacks.


    According to the historical timeline, amphibious life on Earth had just evolved. Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure if it was because so many evil gods had bathed the Earth in cosmic rays while visiting, but the native marine life in the sea rivalled whales in terms of size.


    A few days ago, Zong Yan had watched the Deep Ones hunt a rare type of fish. They took a thin knife and cut its flesh across the grain of the muscle, then respectfully presented it to their Lord.


    ¡­ It actually tasted pretty good. Sure enough, the imagination of intelligent creatures was boundless. They¡¯d come up with a way to eat sashimi on Earth 350 million years ahead of schedule.


    While Zong Yan was thinking, the high-altitude city of Carcosa finally emerged from the mist and revealed its magnificence.


    The highest reaches of its tower appeared above the clouds. Instead of being austere or gothic in appearance, its architecture was full of the elegant exuberance of ancient Rome.


    Like R¡¯lyeh, Carcosa violated Euclid¡¯s laws of geometric angles, but while R¡¯lyeh made people feel disgusted and unclean, Carcosa gave them a sense of holiness and purity, like they were gazing at heaven.


    Who would have thought the king who lived in this city was also an evil god?


    Zong Yan sighed to himself.


    He finally understood why Hastur, the Lord of Interstellar Spaces, had so many believers.


    This guy wore a ragged yellow robe year-round, and while his posture was incomparably graceful, his face was completely hidden, which made him seem aloof from the world. For an evil god, he was very fond of art, not just opera or musical instruments, but also architecture and aesthetics. Hastur was millions of light-years ahead of his evil god peers in terms of style. He was a genuine trendsetter and might even be called a fashion demon.


    If you compared such an aesthetically pleasing evil god side-by-side with a tentacle monster like Cthulhu, it was clear at a glance who¡¯d have more followers.


    Zong Yan, in modern times, had never heard of any Cthulhu devotee who wanted to return R¡¯lyeh to the surface, even though a crowd of talented but crazy artists had created works with the theme of deep sea cities. Meanwhile, the King in Yellow and his Order of Feasters was in full swing in the U.K. And not only did they have their own website, their high priest also regularly livestreamed his sermons on YouTube. From the British royal family to ordinary people, Hastur had untold numbers of followers.


    Really¡­ If Zong Yan were forced to choose, among all the evil gods he¡¯d met, in his opinion Hastur was the easiest to deal with.


    Hastur had given Zong Yan an artistic ability that didn¡¯t make his brain explode, and he¡¯d also agreed to Zong Yan¡¯s request and released Edward, his sacrifice destined from birth, without even asking for payment. In Zong Yan¡¯s internal ranking of favorability for evil gods, Hastur took first place.


    But now¡ª


    Given the relationship between Cthulhu and Hastur, a truce was obviously out of the question.


    The moment the city of Carcosa appeared in the sky, a swarm of dark yellow Byakhee veered down from the clouds, with sharp, hooked claws and fangs stretched wide, sounding the horns of the first wave of attack.


    These Byakhee had bat-like wings similar to those of nightgaunts. Their bodies had other traits that resembled birds and insects. At first glance they were ugly, but no matter how ugly they were, they were extremely capable in combat. When flying at full speed, they could reach hundreds of times the speed of light. One by one, the Byakhee dove through the air. On Earth, where the laws of physics were enforced, this was equivalent to a series of nuclear blasts.


    ¡°Deploy R¡¯lyeh¡¯s shield¡ª!¡±


    At the Deep One elder¡¯s command, a dark green glow began to rise from countless towers and temples in the second level of R¡¯lyeh. One after another, runes inscribed on the stone pillars lit up with a strange and unsettling light.


    The glow converged over R¡¯lyeh all at once, as if someone were holding a mirror in mid-air to reflect the light. In the places protected by the shield, no intruder could set foot.


    The Byakhee plunged down at the speed of light, and a series of loud booms rang out from the protective cover. As a result, these creatures were contaminated by the green venom that coated the shield. They fell from the air with a scream. A flurry of scarlet blood rained down, which was immediately devoured by the shoggoths stationed on the surface of the sea. The creatures danced wildly as the blood entered their gelatinous mouths.


    The city of Carcosa had air superiority, which made it difficult for the more passive R¡¯lyeh to fight back from sea level.


    But thanks to the alchemical array that Cthulhu had scavenged from higher civilizations in the universe, together with the power of the evil god and various precious energy sources, the base of the city was protected.


    Unfortunately, Carcosa had come prepared.


    During previous raids, the other side invaded through a spatial rift. This time, the entire kingdom had moved into the clouds, and the King in Yellow was personally in charge. They certainly hadn¡¯t come for a chat.


    Speaking of which, Hastur and Cthulhu had a long-standing grudge.


    Cthulhu had moved to Earth from his home planet. Unfortunately, the Earth happened to be where Hastur had set the spatial coordinates for Carcosa. Of course, Cthulhu was deliberately making trouble. A fight was inevitable.


    The first few attacks were just exploratory, but this time they were serious.


    The Lord of Interstellar Spaces stretched out a pale hand from beneath his ragged yellow robe. The tip of his finger lightly touched the air, and the terrifying force of a thousand tons tore apart the unbreakable shield.


    This was the power of a Great Old One.


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes darkened. At the same time, the towering anger of an offended evil god welled up inside him.


    Persona cards could influence the user¡¯s mood and ways of thought. Zong Yan had confirmed this countless times.


    As the Child of the Wind, Zong Yan dared to leap from the roof of buildings; as the Night Watchman, he possessed the reserved elegance of an aristocrat in the foggy city; as the King of Clouds, he was noble and remote; as the Sun God, he was passionate and fearless; as Azathoth, he was mentally vacant.


    This card was no different. Probably the foremost trait he¡¯d inherited was the arrogance of an evil god.


    Zong Yan lifted his hand and a violent storm erupted on the sea. Thousands of high-pressure water funnels rose into the sky from the ocean, piercing the bodies of countless invading monsters.


    With an evil god¡¯s power, wasn¡¯t dealing with these creatures all too easy?


    The young king of R¡¯lyeh raised his head and his long, deep green hair streamed behind him. His dark golden eyes were full of fierce tyranny, like a raging star that never dimmed.


    Obviously, an evil god¡¯s nature was inherently cold, but it could also blossom into red-hot heat and seize the light.


    In an instant he surged up from the majestic palace. Thousands of chaotic, sinister shadows manifested behind him. Without the slightest hesitation he collided with the detestable King in Yellow.


    Of course, the Lord of Interstellar Spaces couldn¡¯t be defeated with so little power.


    As the Lord floated in his ragged yellow robes, countless shadows appeared behind him too. His eyes that were fixed on the sky seemed to fall at last on the young god.


    ¡°You are not Cthulhu.¡± His words were simple, concise, and astonishing.


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart leaped. He forced himself to pretend to be calm, saying coldly, ¡°Really? You¡¯re wrong¡ªI am Cthulhu. It¡¯s impossible to distinguish between us. We¡¯re half-selves of each other.¡±


    It was the first time anyone had so bluntly pointed out to him the difference between a persona card and the original. In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Zong Yan¡¯s mind, but in the end, he just clenched his fists in his long sleeves. His fingertips were white.


    Had this person seen through him?


    Then even this identity was¡­ It hadn¡¯t been easy to come back to life. Would he have to do it all over again as someone else?


    Despite his calm exterior, Zong Yan felt like he¡¯d been stabbed in the chest. A tide of confusing, complex emotions flooded his mind.


    Because Zong Yan had known for a long time¡ªhe wasn¡¯t actually the grandson of Grandma Zong. He was just an orphan, a child who¡¯d been picked up. Even his surname ¡°Zong¡± had been given to him by his grandma. He hadn¡¯t known about it at first. It was only later, after his grandma passed away unexpectedly and he was taking inventory of her things, that he found the adoption certificate.


    It was hard to describe Zong Yan¡¯s feelings at the time. He knew she¡¯d done it out of good intentions, but humans weren¡¯t creatures who were good at controlling their feelings. Discovering the truth only made him more solitary and lonely.


    ¡°No.¡± A soft laugh came from the impenetrable hood of the King in Yellow. ¡°You are not Cthulhu¡¯s half-self. You¡¯re mine.¡±


    He lifted a finger and pointed directly at the center of Zong Yan¡¯s forehead. Only then did Zong Yan remember this was the place that had been touched by one of Hastur¡¯s indescribable tentacles.


    ¡°Here¡­ You bear my scent.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Feeling surprised? Caught off-guard?


    Two evil gods fighting over a half-self while another evil god is on the way. Here comes the Bai Xue scene


    TL Notes:


    take down an enemy even if it meant sacrificing himself ¨C Óñʯ¾ã·Ù ¨C jade and stone burned together; A fire knows no moral; destruction of good and bad alike


    Bai Xue scene ¨C °×ѧÏÖ³¡ ¨C ¡°White Analysis scene¡± ¨C This term refers to the 2D game White Album 2 (JP ¨C ¥Û¥ï¥¤¥È¥¢¥ë¥Ð¥à2 / CN ¨C °×É«Ïಾ2) which features a chaotic love triangle that has been endlessly analyzed by fans. If you¡¯re familiar with the term ¡°Shura field¡±, this is similar, but it refers more to a scene where one party suddenly discovers the existence of the love triangle, or sees the other two together, and experiences intense and intricate feelings


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 86

    Thanks very much to an anonymous reader for the ko-fi! ? ?(???)?


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    What the hell? I know you guys are mortal enemies. I know one of you built Carcosa and the other built R¡¯lyeh in response. I know you two don¡¯t see eye-to-eye, but digging under the wall of someone else¡¯s half-self is going a bit too far, right?


    ¡°Watch what you say. Such words are the greatest provocation to me,¡± Zong Yan said coldly.


    He raised his hand and another massive water curtain rose up from the ocean, rolling towards the sky with a deafening roar.


    After a few such attacks, the sea level nearby had lowered. So much water was pumped out so fast that there wasn¡¯t time for more water to rush back from a distance. The ocean¡¯s surface was dotted with spinning eddies, generated by the collision of large and small currents.


    Zong Yan¡¯s mind, which was almost in a panic, finally calmed down.


    At first he was flustered, worried he¡¯d somehow revealed the secret of the persona cards. He almost scared himself to death, but it turned out to be a false alarm. He was relieved.


    The King in Yellow didn¡¯t respond. The shadows behind the evil god quietly hovered in the air. Without a trace of difficulty, Hastur pushed away all the high-pressure waterspouts.


    He was a Great Old One of vast experience with unfathomable power. There was no way he could be compared to a counterfeit goods second self like Zong Yan.


    But Hastur wasn¡¯t angry at Zong Yan. On the contrary, he extended his hand in a pleasant gesture.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to mistake my own scent. You carry my blessing.¡±


    The blessing of the Lord of Interstellar Spaces didn¡¯t leave a mark, but it was imbued with his aura. No one else but him could feel it.


    There was another reason Hastur was so certain.


    Essentially, he and Cthulhu had been born together. They might even be called fraternal twins, though evil gods didn¡¯t recognize such a concept.


    Before they were even born they¡¯d begun snatching power from each other. After birth, this pattern continued. So if Cthulhu claimed to have a half-self or brother or something of that kind, Hastur certainly had a share.


    As it so happened, the King in Yellow recalled that Cthulhu¡¯s behavior had been sneaky and somewhat unnatural when he was born. Additional conspiracy theories brewed from there.


    Did gods even have half-selves?


    Of all the Great Old Ones, Elder Gods, and Outer Gods that Hastur knew, this was the first time he¡¯d heard of such a thing. But the young evil god in front of him truly did possess Cthulhu¡¯s power, and not only that, he possessed a scent unique to Hastur.


    Therefore, according to logic, the most likely scenario was that this evil god was their common half-self at the time they were born, or a third evil god who¡¯d lacked power and fell into a deep sleep. But he¡¯d been hidden by that despicable villain Cthulhu all these years.


    In any case, the above was speculation. The most important thing was that when Hastur gazed upon this young evil god, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of disgust. On the contrary, there was a faint but discernible feeling of closeness and affinity that arose within his soul. It was completely different from the deep, inherent revulsion he felt from Cthulhu.


    ¡°You must have just awakened.¡± The King in Yellow was in a good mood. ¡°The power of an evil god is not used in such a way. It seems Cthulhu didn¡¯t teach you this. He really is a poor guide.¡±


    The Lord of Interstellar Spaces had already built a chain of logic in his mind.


    Cthulhu, that despicable god, concealed their common half-self for so many years, and even poured his own power into him in an attempt to make him belong only to Cthulhu. Today Hastur caught him red-handed.


    ¡®Not bad, his appearance and attire are very much to my liking. Far better than that barbarian Cthulhu.¡¯


    He unobtrusively surveyed the young evil god in front of him, and his admiration grew stronger and stronger.


    ¡®It¡¯s just that he received an infusion of Cthulhu¡¯s power. That dark green color is hideous.¡¯


    ¡®But it doesn¡¯t matter. After I bring him back to Carcosa, I¡¯ll have time to remove that deep-rooted, ugly green color.¡¯


    Obviously the King in Yellow¡¯s thoughts were unknown to Zong Yan. Right now the young evil god was burning with anger.


    The power of an evil god isn¡¯t used in such a way. That sentence made the cold-blooded part of Zong Yan¡¯s mind, the part that belonged to an evil god, rise up in fury.


    For an evil god, those words were an insult. It was similar to a human saying, ¡°you¡¯re incompetent¡±. They were statements that expressed disbelief in a person¡¯s ability.


    It was impossible for any arrogant evil god to enjoy that kind of evaluation, okay?


    So Zong Yan¡¯s temper got the better of him.


    He gave a cold smile. ¡°Then how about this?¡±


    The next moment, dark clouds instantly covered the sky, and lightning flashed within the gloom. Bolts of electricity as wide as saucers flickered and disappeared, then crashed down into the sea, throwing a massive wall of waves into the air. On the seafloor, a volcano detonated under the powerful force. The sea parted at the evil god¡¯s command, and hot magma shot into the air. The sky boiled, forming a barrier of white mist which converged into heavy rain.


    The figure of Zong Yan vanished, replaced by a huge, bloated form surrounded by eerie, ice-cold tentacles.


    Along with the tentacles, a bank of green fog appeared, speckled with wisps of mysterious colors. The fog drifted into the rain clouds and mist, tainting them the same unnatural hue. The instant a living creature encountered the fog, its body would corrode, leaving only a stinking green skeleton behind. It was as if a dusty, ancient tomb had been unearthed after thousands of years, spilling its miasma onto everything in sight. The abomination of the evil god¡¯s true form loomed within the fog, veiled yet horrifying, like the specter of the god of death.


    It wasn¡¯t clear how many clansmen of the King in Yellow were obliterated in just a few seconds.


    The Byakhee fell from the air with a scream. Ithaqua¡¯s freezing storm barely managed to protect the city of Carcosa. The Lloigor, those invisible creatures from the stars, grew horrible fangs and quickly transformed into pure energy.


    Even so, they couldn¡¯t escape the corrosion of the poisonous green fog. The evil god¡¯s noxious, terrifying murk wasn¡¯t just a gaseous cloud, it was like a form of cold and sinister plasma energy, or a gelatinous substance.  The slightest contact would contaminate and corrupt.


    As Zong Yan gazed at this shocking, terrible scene, his face hidden in the fog didn¡¯t waver at all. He looked cold and grim. With a single glance, the poisonous fog began to disintegrate the encircling forces of Carcosa.


    This attack had been inspired by the sinking of Atlantis, and now he put what he¡¯d learned to use.


    Meanwhile, the King in Yellow continued to hover in the air. His robes hung down below him, and his manner was indifferent.


    His pale, bony hands were crossed in front of his chest, and he didn¡¯t say a word. He might have been a patient adult watching a child at play.


    Those dark yellow robes were clearly enveloped in the poisonous fog, but they remained unaffected, as if he somehow belonged to a separate division of space.


    This type of fog really couldn¡¯t touch him at all.


    He even showed an expression of appreciation, which angered Zong Yan so much that he manipulated his true body to collapse space itself. Thousands of tentacles writhed, the sky collapsed and the earth fell, like the end of the world was imminent.


    He was really furious, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been willing to reveal his ugly body while fighting.


    ¡°Your strength is a little lacking, but still you have a lot of talent after just waking up. Truly worthy of being my half-self.¡±


    In the confined space surrounded by tentacles, the King in Yellow suddenly removed his hood.


    It was well-known that the human form of the Lord of Interstellar Spaces didn¡¯t have a face. That part of his body was blank, like white paper.


    But that was because the King in Yellow, whose sense of aesthetics was far superior to lower creatures, thought the face was the ugliest part of the human body. If someone tried to peek under his hood, they would have been dragged into the abyss by an indescribable scene.


    But the truth was Hastur really did have a human form.


    His curling, snow-white hair fell over his shoulders, the same length and texture as Cthulhu¡¯s, and his face went beyond the limits of human imagination. His features possessed a beauty that was male as well as female, permeated with compassion and divinity. The corners of his eyes were marked with a demonic red line, and his dark golden irises were filled with an eerie, morbid darkness.


    From the standpoint of genetics, Zong Yan actually noticed strange similarities between that face and his own as an evil god. Both approached a perfection of beauty that blurred the lines of gender, while in comparison, Cthulhu¡¯s appearance was strictly masculine and rugged.


    But his amazement only lasted for a moment.


    The thin lips of the Lord of Interstellar Spaces curved slightly, and countless abominable and terrifying shadows emerged from beneath his ragged yellow robe.


    Overwhelming power.


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted.


    It took less than a second for those shadows to destroy the cage of fog that Zong Yan had so carefully built.


    What was even more frightening was that Hastur skillfully avoided harming the young evil god, but directly broke through Zong Yan¡¯s shadows and imprisoned him in his own cage.


    Zong Yan only knew that he had crashed into a magnificent sea of stars. Immersed in absolute power, he couldn¡¯t even catch his breath. He was dragged from his own conscious mind and shoved into the domain of the Lord of Interstellar Spaces.


    The stars followed their own trajectories with an inexplicable metallic splendor, an icy glow that rotated with mysterious colors and brilliance.


    Under this suppression Zong Yan resumed his human form. Those evil and horrible tentacles were retracted again as he floated in a sea of stars.


    Are those lights?


    No, they¡¯re not.


    A moment later, the stars merged into a stream of consciousness that hurtled with lightning speed towards the center of Zong Yan¡¯s forehead.


    The young man with long, dark green hair fell onto his back, and his dark golden irises were instantly muted by the colors of the stars. He floated in the air like a lifeless puppet, drowning in a sea of consciousness.


    Some of the roots of his hair began to turn as white as snow.


    The white-haired, yellow-robed king smiled and stepped forward to take his half-self in his arms. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and gentle. ¡°Welcome back, my second self.¡±


    At that moment, something new erupted.


    Space was suddenly pierced by a tougher, colder energy. The stars shattered into glittering dust, annihilating the universe of consciousness.


    The Lord of R¡¯lyeh arrived, stepping on shadows and white bones, with a cruel and tyrannical expression on his face. When he saw Hastur, his dark golden eyes were cold as ice.


    ¡°Return him to me.¡±


    Cthulhu¡¯s anger reached a new height, and the shadows brewing behind him condensed into material form. Each one carried heaven-destroying force.


    ¡°Oh? When you hid him in the first place, you should have expected this day would come.¡± Hastur sneered, and with one hand he casually summoned a star to send Zong Yan, who was lying in his arms, into a separate dimension.


    ¡°Stop! That¡¯s my half-self!¡±


    That was when the Lord of R¡¯lyeh noticed the change to Zong Yan¡¯s hair. Without any more hesitation he attacked.


    His enemy dared to pour his power into Cthulhu¡¯s own half-self¡ªit was unforgivable.


    ¡°He belongs to me.¡±


    The King in Yellow laughed coldly and met him without fear.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: I became an evil god and still got beat up. It¡¯s so hard for me ah


    The persona cards are the root of the problem. A half-self means a lot to an evil god.


    Anyway¡­ The next update will reveal secrets about the persona cards!


    TL Notes:


    The author¡¯s note is kind of vague. To clarify, the next few chapters have more discussion about persona cards and how they work. Of course, a lot of mystery remains


    digging under the wall ¨C ÍÚǽ½Å ¨C undermine the foundation; cut the ground from under sb.¡¯s feet; sabotage. To undermine / to let someone down / to seduce someone away from something


    sea of consciousness ¨C Òâʶº£ ¨C The author has used this phrase a few times, like when Bubbles was teaching physics. It doesn¡¯t seem to be a commonly used term. A little later in this chapter, Cthulhu butts in and it¡¯s stated that he obliterated the ¡°universe of consciousness / conscious universe¡± (ÒâʶÓîÖæ). I¡¯m not quite sure what that means, but it sounds violent (????) Evil god smash!


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 87

    The concept of a ¡°half-self¡± held a lot of significance for an evil god.


    First of all, a half-self was different from a split consciousness that an evil god might send out on its own. A second self didn¡¯t reduce the power of the evil god by half, nor did it share the evil god¡¯s memories, personality, or internal stream of thought.


    For an evil god, no one could be trusted. Not siblings, not parents, not subordinates or dependents. Of course, subordinates and dependents were classified as ants. An evil god didn¡¯t treat them as equals.


    But a half-self was different. A half-self was technically the same being, but through some unknown twist of fate, a second copy was created. It wasn¡¯t possible to fake the unfaltering closeness an evil god felt when meeting another copy of himself.


    An evil god and his second self would never attack or kill each other, unless they were extremely bored and wanted to play around with their own essence. A half-self was an incredibly precious thing.


    But none of that was very important. The most important thing was the feeling of closeness.


    Evil gods didn¡¯t have many ¡°feelings¡± to begin with.


    To put it in other terms, what they lacked was feelings of belonging and warmth. Of course they could feel displeased and angry, though those two specific words were the product of subjective human psychology. At any rate, evil gods never experienced emotions like ¡°love¡± or ¡°familial affection¡±.


    But Zong Yan did.


    He made both Cthulhu and Hastur feel close to him.


    This feeling of ¡°closeness¡± was extraordinarily unique. For an evil god it was an incredible experience.


    Human nature was inherently good¡ªhumans didn¡¯t need a reason to be kind to others. But evil gods were inherently evil. They could inflict malice on the smallest creatures for no reason at all, and as for goodwill¡­? To give an example, if a lower creature pleased the Lord of Time and Space, he might receive a reward with enough knowledge to make his head explode. And an evil god would consider that a rare kindness.


    This was what made Zong Yan such a hot commodity.


    He was like a blank sheet of paper which an evil god could paint with whatever colors he chose.


    A newborn evil god who would never betray you, who made you feel close to him¡ªwhat was more fascinating than that?


    The Lord of R¡¯lyeh didn¡¯t waste much time on words. He immediately unleashed his true body. Thousands of tentacles covered in malevolent slime shaped themselves into dangerous spikes, stabbing at the King in Yellow.


    Beneath Hastur¡¯s ragged yellow robes, his fingers were pale. His form slightly shivered in the air, then he too transformed into a massive, slimy primordial abomination.


    Hastur and Cthulhu didn¡¯t get along, but their bodies were carved from the same mold. After all, they were brothers. Both were tentacle monsters, but one had dark green tentacles while the other¡¯s were dark yellow.


    Boom¡ª


    After the sudden extrusion of the god¡¯s true body, gravity roared up in an instant. A dark and overwhelming power swept across the two opposing armies. Nearby, numerous celestial bodies collapsed, turning into huge imploded planetary chunks floating in a vacuum.


    Cthulhu¡¯s wrath reached new heights. All his attacks aimed to kill.


    The indescribable octopus-shaped head covered the sky, blotting out the sun, and the space behind him was partially ripped open, revealing a towering wall of water.


    Hastur and Cthulhu fought on a frequent basis, but among evil gods, fighting was also a way of expressing intimacy in a relationship. Therefore, these two rarely used their true bodies in such collisions. Neither wanted to disgust themselves.


    But given the intensity of the current conflict, there wasn¡¯t the slightest possibility of that kind of entanglement. Cthulhu tore space apart and used a large part of his strength to pour half of the ocean into the dimension controlled by Hastur.


    He could set everything else aside, but this¡­ he couldn¡¯t bear it.


    He¡¯d worked so hard for so many years, pouring his strength into his half-self to warm it and breathe life into it, and after all those years, his second self finally woke up. And what happened then? He took a trip to his home planet, and when he came back he found his nemesis had come over to dig under his wall. It was beyond endurance!


    This wasn¡¯t just about his face as an evil god. It was about the ownership of his second self.


    After a moment, space shattered with a bang. The two evil gods reappeared above the planet.


    They¡¯d both revealed their original bodies, like two formidable mountains poised in the sky. The surface of the ocean was painted with uncanny shadows.


    The bodies of the evil gods weren¡¯t made of pure matter or pure energy. They could switch between different forms and even different dimensions, passing through the gap between reality and consciousness at will. Their bodies were closer to a gelatinous substance, soft and malleable, but inside was an unbelievable profusion of evil power. Every evil god was an ¡°anomaly¡±, a being that shouldn¡¯t exist.


    Just how huge was the true body of an evil god? A single tentacle stretched for kilometers, not to mention the enormous head. If someone looked up and saw this, they would only fall to their knees and cry out that the end of days had come.


    As the saying goes, when gods fight, little goblins suffer.


    As Cthulhu and Hastur battled in the sky, the fight between R¡¯lyeh and Carcosa on the sea and in the air accelerated into white-hot intensity.


    The Deep Ones threw their harpoons and pierced the Byakhee in mid-air. The Lloigor turned into their pure energy forms and tried to avoid attracting attention, but moments later were forced into physical form by Dagon¡¯s poisonous fog. Shoggoth tentacles danced wildly on the surface of the ocean. At any given moment, large sections of flesh would be torn apart by the sharp claws of the Byakhee and thrown into the sea. The writhing tentacles pinwheeled as they fell, then disappeared into the whirlpools that dotted the water.


    The battle was now in full swing. After the two evil gods began to fight, they reversed the weather, and air currents in the upper-level of the atmosphere began to rotate. Cthulhu¡¯s usual attack methods used water, while Hastur was an expert at manipulating wind. In a short time several massive water tornadoes appeared on the ocean, and the rain came pouring down.


    ¡°Defend the city!¡±


    Dagon, who was fighting Ithaqua, raised the point of his staff at the risk of losing his arm. He activated the remaining protective runes to re-establish R¡¯lyeh¡¯s protection.


    The battle between the gods accelerated so quickly that the surviving soldiers on each side had no choice but to retreat. They returned to their own camps and stood ready.


    If Cthulhu and Hastur really wanted to fight, they wouldn¡¯t spare a thought for the life and death of their tiny ant clansmen. In previous bouts they¡¯d destroyed entire cities and rebuilt them.


    The sky and the earth began to dim and darken.


    The sunlight that fell on the blue planet was eclipsed by an even larger and more terrifying existence. A tangled mass of shadows occupied the entire sky above the Pacific Ocean, stretching from one end of the horizon to the other.


    Sea water was continuously pumped from the ocean to the sky, then scattered by the violent wind. Raindrops pelted down like pebbles, then formed thunder and lightning in the clouds.


    ¡°I told you, that¡¯s my half-self.¡±


    Cthulhu didn¡¯t care at all about his severed tentacles. His mental powers were operating at peak condition. Like a madman, he no longer cared what he would lose.


    ¡°Have you forgotten we are brothers?¡± Hastur¡¯s dark golden eyes had turned completely scarlet, which accentuated the deep red in the corners of his eyes. ¡°If you have a half-self, I should have one too.¡±


    There was nothing inaccurate about this statement. The two of them were originally twins, and as twin evil gods, they¡¯d fought each other to a standstill when they were born. Neither could entirely defeat the other. Of the two, the King in Yellow had the worst temper, and new grudges piled onto the old. Not only had Cthulhu moved from Xoth to Earth just to make trouble, he¡¯d also concealed the existence of such a good half-self for so long.


    The moment the stars pierced through Zong Yan¡¯s forehead, Hastur sensed how the power of that body had been overrun by Cthulhu.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. Hastur had plenty of time and patience to slowly strip away that sickening dark green color from his half-self, a little at a time.


    ¡°Get out of here! You don¡¯t have a fcking half-self! Only Laozi has one.¡± The Lord of R¡¯lyeh was half-dead with rage. Thousands of his tentacles flooded through the air as highly toxic mist.


    The gods battled each other.


    But even as they fought, they avoided the Earth and the Milky Way galaxy, and managed to avoid accidentally wiping out innocent species.


    ¡ª


    At the same time, Zong Yan was surrounded by the light of thousands of stars, a starlight that penetrated his forehead and brain. He wasn¡¯t feeling too great.


    Hastur¡¯s and Cthulhu¡¯s power were complete opposites, unrelated in any way.


    Zong Yan had been bathed in the power of R¡¯lyeh for hundreds of millions of years, and the energy in his body couldn¡¯t be eradicated easily. The most obvious thing was his hair, half white and half green. It looked like the semi-finished product of a hair dyeing failure.


    The two forces were engaged in a fierce confrontation within his body. Zong Yan knew that while the two gods were nominally brothers, in every other aspect they were opposites. One might say they were natural enemies.


    And Zong Yan was suffering for it.


    One power was struggling with another, and he couldn¡¯t intervene in any way, but it was happening inside his body. He couldn¡¯t even wake himself and regain control of his arms and legs. All he could do was watch from within the sea of his consciousness.


    It was only when he reached the center of this sea that Zong Yan felt like he¡¯d returned to himself. He found that he¡¯d broken into a cold sweat.


    So, then, what exactly was a daily disposable persona card?


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Zong Yan had thought about this question.


    He¡¯d always interpreted daily disposable persona cards as a magic prop, a costume that he was able to transform into at any time or place, just like changing his shell. But that explanation no longer seemed to fit the facts.


    In the past this explanation was reasonable because all of the personas were based on the body of ¡°Zong Yan¡±. But now the body of ¡°Zong Yan¡± was confirmed dead. The only thing that remained was a soul, and yet he was still able to exist as a different persona. And¡­ the persona card had actually given him a new, perfect, and flawless body.


    This led to a terrifying conjecture.


    The Child of the Wind and the Night Watchman didn¡¯t seem to have any kind of separate existence. But Apollo and Yun Zhong Jun were both genuine gods that existed in the mythological records of Earth. And he was never prompted to name these persona cards like he was with the A-rank cards. Instead, he was told the name immediately.


    In the past, Zong Yan thought the persona cards were simply a form of borrowed power. But now that he¡¯d transformed into an evil god, that clearly wasn¡¯t the case.


    Now it seemed more likely that these daily disposable persona cards corresponded to the gods themselves. Otherwise, it was impossible to explain why his personality changed when he used the cards, and why all the cards were so perfectly logical and self-consistent.


    And most importantly¡­ The three original pillar gods all firmly believed he was the avatar of Azathoth.


    Zong Yan had never taken this seriously before. But when he thought about it now, chills ran through his body.


    And now¡­ He¡¯d lost his superpower, and he didn¡¯t know if it was gone forever.


    While Zong Yan was contemplating, he didn¡¯t notice that a streamer of multi-colored light had appeared at the end of his fingertips, then vanished.


    350 million years later in the timeline, a gray-haired evil god in a white robe suddenly lifted his head. His golden eyes were full of determination.


    ¡°Found you.¡±


    He hooked the corners of his mouth.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Here comes Bubbles¡ª


    TL Notes:


    When gods fight, little goblins suffer ¨C ÉñÏÉ´ò¼Ü£¬Ð¡¹íÔâÑê ¨C When high-ranking people vie for power, it¡¯s often the low-ranking people who suffer


    peak condition ¨C ¼«Ö ¨C ultimate attainment; highest achievement; highest degree


    Laozi ¨C ÀÏ×Ó ¨C father / daddy / ¡°I, your father¡± (in anger, or out of contempt) / I (used arrogantly or jocularly) ¨C An extremely arrogant way to refer to oneself


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 88

    Why were they all so obsessed with the idea that he was the avatar of Azathoth?


    Zong Yan was lost in thought.


    A frightening guess came to mind, but he immediately waved it away.


    Zong Yan had clear memories of every part of his life since he was a child. There was absolutely no possibility of memory loss or forgery, and there weren¡¯t any magical scenarios like turning into someone he didn¡¯t know.


    Besides, he still had human emotions. How could he be an evil god?


    As these thoughts ran through his mind, his racing heart calmed down a little.


    Zong Yan always felt that the biggest difference between evil gods and humans was that humans were bound by the emotional constraints of morality. They had a sense of right and wrong. Evil gods, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have virtuous feelings, and they certainly weren¡¯t restricted by morality or conscience.


    Just like this time¡­


    After Zong Yan became an evil god¡¯s half-self, he began to think about things like an evil god. He instinctively approached problems from an evil god¡¯s perspective.


    For example, when Atlantis was destroyed, Zong Yan looked on with indifference and didn¡¯t say a word. He thought Cthulhu¡¯s behavior was appropriate. After all, the Atlanteans had offended a god¡¯s authority. They deserved to pay the price.


    For example, when R¡¯lyeh and Carcosa went to war, the King in Yellow offended Zong Yan with just a few words. The part of Zong Yan¡¯s mind that belonged to an evil god was immediately ready to fight. He loudly proclaimed his anger.


    For example, when Zong Yan was fighting with Hastur, he didn¡¯t even think about the consequences of displaying his true body, and the poisonous fog immediately spread to R¡¯lyeh. Somewhere deep inside, he probably understood that even if R¡¯lyeh sank, Cthulhu wouldn¡¯t be angry with his half-self over the death of a few ants. After all, under Cthulhu¡¯s rule, R¡¯lyeh had been destroyed and rebuilt several times.


    He¡¯d changed so much, but while he wore the shell of Cthulhu¡¯s half-self, he hadn¡¯t even noticed. It was only now, after his mind was dazed and the two evil gods were clashing, that Zong Yan calmed down enough to think about things more carefully and broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡®If this continues¡­ If I can¡¯t use persona cards anymore, will I have to stay in this body?¡¯


    ¡®If I remain in this body, someday my mind and personality might be swallowed up by the mindset of an evil god.¡¯


    While he was thinking about this, the two forces within his body finally determined a winner and a loser.


    Zong Yan¡¯s hair changed from partially white to wholly dark green again, but the aura belonging to the King in Yellow didn¡¯t fade.


    The young evil god sat up inside the small dimension. He tentatively stretched out his hand to try to cut through.


    But then, a second later, his fingers opened a long gap in space.


    The gap didn¡¯t display a view of the world outside. Instead there was a luminous riot of multi-colored light that Zong Yan knew so well.


    He began to tremble, then reached his hand into the gap. His fingers completely submerged into the cold space.


    Several cards lay quietly in his hand.


    The Astrologer, the Night Watchman, the King of Clouds, the Sun God, Azathoth¡­ And an unknown, dark green card with the markings of an SS-rank daily disposable persona card.


    Zong Yan picked out the dark green card and placed it at the front of the stack. The effects of the card were immediately relayed to his mind.


    SS-rank daily disposable persona card: the Lord of R¡¯lyeh


    The young evil god depicted on the card was wearing a cold frown. He stood atop the majestic palace in the center of R¡¯lyeh with his long, dark green long hair scattered behind him and an incomparably sinister black iron crown on his head.


    At the Lord of R¡¯lyeh¡¯s feet, his numerous subjects bowed and knelt. The forbidden black tower of the evil god rose above the surface of R¡¯lyeh, glowing with a deep green light. In the distance, Atlantis collapsed and sank, and volcanoes erupted, like the end of days.


    Apart from the crown, everything else matched Zong Yan¡¯s current appearance.


    Sure enough, the daily disposable persona card confirmed Zong Yan¡¯s suspicions. Everything agreed with his current identity as an evil god. As for the incident with Hastur, it might have happened because Zong Yan received the King in Yellow¡¯s blessing in modern times. Or maybe it was because of Cthulhu¡¯s kinship with Hastur.


    The return of his ability gave Zong Yan a shot of energy. It also soothed the fear and tension he¡¯d felt before.


    He wasn¡¯t completely powerless.


    The young evil god clenched the card in his hand.


    Even if his identity was no longer his own, even if he¡¯d been suddenly transformed into someone else, his superpower had followed his soul. No matter if he was a human or an evil god, it was the one thing that would never change.


    But why had this persona card brought Zong Yan 350 million years into the past?


    He rubbed his fingertips against the card, then applied some force.


    ¡¾Your SAN value is insufficient. Activation of this persona card has failed¡¿


    ¡¾Warning. Your SAN value is insufficient. Activation of this persona card has failed¡¿


    ¡¾Attention. When your SAN value is too low, the card may not work properly¡¿


    A mysterious, mystical consciousness fed this message back to Zong Yan through the vast psychic sea.


    No wonder he couldn¡¯t even open the space before. It was because of excessive San consumption.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry.


    He did some calculations and figured that while he was using the Sun God persona, he¡¯d accidentally crushed the card of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh. The Lord of R¡¯lyeh card was SS-rank. Zong Yan took a look at it and saw it cost 100 San points to use.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. After that, he used the Azathoth card whose San cost was a total mystery. That card had no obvious rule for its San consumption at all.


    Anyway, every time Zong Yan used that card he went through the fearsome side effects of his San value emptying out. After those two actions, his San value not only hit zero, it turned negative.


    Counting with his fingers, Zong Yan had lived in R¡¯lyeh for a few months. During that time, his San value recovered day by day. Maybe it wasn¡¯t until today that his San value returned to a normal range and he was able to access his superpower space again.


    The logic couldn¡¯t be faulted. Zong Yan looked at the bright and shiny gauge that showed there were only seven points of San remaining. He was already convinced of his theory.


    Wait¡­ Seven points of San.


    A flash of light went through his mind.


    According to logic, after using the card of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh, Zong Yan should have been able to maintain that form for only a limited period of time. But obviously, for some reason, he¡¯d maintained the persona for several months. Not only was the San cost not deducted, his San points even began to recover a little every day.


    Combined with his previous theorizing, he came to a terrible realization.


    Then¡­ These persona cards all had their own separate bodies?


    If that was the case, his other persona cards weren¡¯t ordinary transformations either. The cards literally changed one body for another.


    In fact, there was an easy way to test this theory.


    Nothing could be simpler.


    Zong Yan put down the dark green card and picked up a different one.


    All of his persona cards changed his hair and clothes and gave him new abilities, with one exception.


    The black-haired, dark-eyed teen was wearing the school uniform of Qingyang High School, and one hand was in his trouser pocket while the other held a mysterious crystal ball.


    E-rank daily disposable persona card¡ªthe Astrologer.


    This persona card was based entirely on ¡°Zong Yan¡±. In other words, this card was the closest to Zong Yan himself. It didn¡¯t change his clothes when it was used, nor did it affect his will or emotions.


    Coincidentally, it was an E-rank persona card that only cost five San points to activate.


    And he had seven points right now.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s find out. Does it work the way I think it does?


    When he used this persona card, would he return to his ordinary high school student self?


    Zong Yan muttered quietly. He crushed the persona card without hesitating.


    Power couldn¡¯t compensate for some things, like justice, like ties of blood that couldn¡¯t be extinguished, or the lives of human beings he would always protect, even if it cost his life.


    Maybe for an evil god, emotions were a weakness, so these higher-dimensional creatures didn¡¯t hesitate to abandon their feelings.


    But for humans, emotions were the most beautiful and sacred part of their species.


    ¡®It¡¯s true, compared to being an evil god, I¡¯d rather be a flesh-and-blood human being.¡¯


    Before his vision plunged into darkness, Zong Yan revealed a reluctant smile.


    But he had absolutely no idea he was about to crash into the lair of an evil god.


    ¡ª


    How many days did the battle between the Lord of R¡¯lyeh and the Lord of Interstellar Spaces last? No one knew.


    As a species, evil gods were unaffected by time. They had a long, long lifespan and would continue to exist as long as the universe itself was not destroyed. If something happened to them, they could only be sealed away, not killed, and even then, they could still make trouble. For example, when Cthulhu was sealed he still appeared in the dreams of humans with high insight ability, and Hastur continued spreading his faith and making waves in London after he was sealed away.


    But they were eventually forced to stop their battle.


    A far more terrifying being, one who transcended the realms of existence, intervened.


    The Lord of Time and Space ripped through space-time from the distant future and emerged in prehistory.


    The moment he arrived, a vast and terrifying evil force swept through the entire time node, forcing all of time to freeze.


    Everything was comically suspended in place. Only the evil gods weren¡¯t affected.


    The two evil gods who were burning with anger were forced to stop fighting. They returned to human form.


    This was fcking embarrassing.


    The gray-haired, golden-eyed evil god was wearing a white robe. After calmly stepping through the spatial rift he lifted an eyebrow.


    It was true that evil gods didn¡¯t attach much importance to familial relationships, but¡­ If only from the perspective of kinship, Cthulhu and Hastur really were related to Yog-Sothoth.


    After all, when the universe was first created, only the three original primal gods existed, and just after they were born, their relationship was strained. They fought continually, and they occasionally scattered energy from their true bodies as a result. This energy gave birth to new evil gods. In addition to Shub-Niggurath, Nyarlathotep and Yog-Sothoth also produced their own descendants through an asexual process of fission.


    ¡°Father God.¡±


    Hastur was the first to speak. He put away the bone spike in his hand and nodded to the Lord of Time and Space to show his respect.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    The evil god community is a mess!!!


    According to the second version of August William Derleth¡¯s setting, Hastur and Cthulhu are brothers. According to Clark A. Smith¡¯s second setting, Mr. C is Bubbles¡¯ son. Combining these two theories leads to an amazing result 233333


    TL Notes:


    233333 ¨C Internet slang for laughter, refer to the note in Ch. 75


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    August William Derleth ¨C °Â¹Å˹ÌØ¡¤ÍþÁ®¡¤µÂÀ×˹ ¨C ¨¤og¨³s¨©t¨¨ W¨¥ili¨¢n D¨¦l¨¦is¨© ¨C A writer best known as the first book publisher of H.P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the cosmic horror genre. Sometimes criticized for introducing a good vs. evil dynamic to Lovecraft¡¯s strictly amoral continuity


    Clark A. Smith ¨C ¿ËÀ­¿Ë¡¤A¡¤Ê·ÃÜ˹ ¨C K¨¨l¨¡k¨¨ A. Sh¨«m¨¬s¨© ¨C A writer, poet, and major contributor to Cthulhu Mythos stories


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 89

    Zong Yan was waiting anxiously.


    He¡¯d just used the Astrologer persona card, and he was about to find out if he¡¯d guessed correctly.


    If he was right, after he used the card he might immediately return to his human body. After all, the Astrologer persona was based on Zong Yan, the human being who attended Qingyang High School, not any other mythical creature or transformed being.


    Success or failure would be decided in one move.


    Of course, it was a dangerous guess. If Zong Yan¡¯s theory was incorrect, there was a very big chance he¡¯d never return.


    Right now he was 350 million years in the past. There was no way to know if he even existed in the future of this timeline.


    Even after so many years, time was an obscure and unsolved problem for human science. With the addition of relativity, the puzzles became even more difficult to solve.


    If time was always flowing, it meant that while Zong Yan was experiencing the passage of time 350 million years in the past, time continued to flow in modern times 350 million years later. A few months had passed since he arrived. In modern times, the college entrance exam might already be over. If Zong Yan had already missed the exam, forget about Tsinghua University, he wouldn¡¯t even be accepted by a diploma mill. After he returned he¡¯d only be able to study at Miskatonic University.


    What a painful realization.


    But that was a much better scenario than some of the alternatives. If modern time was still flowing and no one had collected his body, he might still be floating in the vacuum of space¡­. He might even collide with the space station or something, giving rise to a global sensation of a horror story. In vacuum, the human body would be squeezed out of shape by the lack of air pressure. His corpse might not even look human.


    If his body disappeared or no longer existed, what would the Astrologer card do? Create a new body for him?


    Zong Yan was a bundle of nerves. He just hoped that wherever he ended up, not much time had gone by. Otherwise, not even the gods could save him.


    Darkness. The darkness was overwhelming.


    Zong Yan slowly regained consciousness. He felt the same as when he¡¯d arrived in the underground cave in R¡¯lyeh. He couldn¡¯t even open his eyes, let alone move a finger.


    But it wasn¡¯t the first time Zong Yan had experienced something like this, so he was more relaxed about it now. Reborn once, reborn twice, not a big deal.


    He couldn¡¯t move his body yet, but he didn¡¯t feel any discomfort or pain, and there was no sign of any missing arms or legs. If anything he seemed to be in perfect condition.


    Zong Yan felt a surge of relief.


    So he settled down to wait.


    As time went on, Zong Yan managed to detect more and more about his surroundings.


    First of all, the temperature felt normal. Also, judging from the lack of pressure on his body, he seemed to be floating.


    After he went to R¡¯lyeh, did his original body remain in outer space?


    Zong Yan¡¯s doubts were growing. He even began to wonder if one of the three pillars of the original gods had felt merciful enough to collect his corpse. Maybe he was in a hospital morgue right now, lying next to fellow investigators who¡¯d died gloriously defending New York. He couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that one of the evil gods had kept his body to reuse it for some reason. For example, the Bloated Woman¡¯s favorite meal was fresh human brains.


    Zong Yan let his mind drift. When a person is bored, they always find something to distract themselves. Since he couldn¡¯t move or jump around, all he could do was imagine possibilities.


    First of all, Shub-Niggurath wasn¡¯t on the list. Zong Yan had given Shub a severe slap in the face after his repeated warnings and promise that ¡°as long as you don¡¯t use that card, I¡¯ll consider making you my family¡±.


    At this point Zong Yan had experienced the arrogance of evil gods from the inside. If the Black Goat with a Thousand Young got his hands on Zong Yan¡¯s body, he¡¯d probably grind it into dust.


    As for Yog-Sothoth, he was the evil god that Zong Yan had the most contact with, but their relationship wasn¡¯t close. Facing him was even more stressful than facing Nyarlathotep.


    So if an evil god really had taken care of Zong Yan¡¯s remains after death, the only possibility was Nyarlathotep. Of course, it was far more likely that none of them had bothered with a gnat like him at all.


    In the midst of these thoughts, his body finally regained its strength. By the time Zong Yan realized he was able to open his eyes, he could already control every part of his body. He felt a stream of astrological power within him.


    So he opened his eyes.


    And he saw a billion luminous lights that shone bright enough to dazzle him.


    How could this brilliance be described?


    It was like they formed a being of infinite existence, an entity that contained the whole knowledge of the truth of the universe. This divine being transcended time and overshadowed space itself. Even if this being existed outside the universe, beyond the reach of intelligent creatures and almost all evil gods, he could discover with ease every secret in existence¡ªif he cared to.


    Of course, his true body wasn¡¯t the disgusting or repulsive form possessed by most evil gods. The physical self of the omniscient and omniscient Lord was described as ¡°holy¡± even by other evil gods.


    Yes, ¡°holy¡±, how ridiculous. But it was true for him.


    This entity who was composed of billions of spheres of light, luminous orbs that constantly divided and merged, was suspended in this boundless space. A myriad of mysteries and the most ancient laws of the universe swirled around the glowing spheres in a chaotic, patternless dance, like subjects hurrying to attend an audience with the king. No matter how wild or turbulent the temporal forces were, in this place they were obedient.


    Zong Yan was inside the largest sphere. As he pushed upwards and looked around in confusion, he was dazed by the brilliant light. He overturned in the center of the orb. In a panic he watched himself tumble out of the big round ball.


    Just as he was about to hit the inner surface of the sphere, Zong Yan shut his eyes in fear.


    He didn¡¯t know where he was or what was going on with the strange orbs in front of him, but he could sense the majestic power around him, the aura of an evil god.


    He¡¯d just escaped one evil god¡¯s lair, and now he¡¯d ended up in another?!


    Zong Yan was frantic.


    Hmm?


    At first Yog-Sothoth didn¡¯t notice what was going on with the supposed corpse inside him. At any given moment, his true body dwelled outside time and space, coldly overlooking the timeline of the entire universe.


    His avatar had traveled to the temporal location where he¡¯d detected the soul of Zong Yan. He remained there, calmly and leisurely watching the drama unfold without any trace of alarm.


    And then¡­ he was surprised.


    While the newly awakened human was still confused and didn¡¯t understand what was going on, multiple spheres gathered around him like a crowd of stars surrounding the moon. They caught the young man before he could fall.


    With a dumbfounded expression, the black-haired teen rolled out from the largest sphere. The shirt of his school uniform became untucked, revealing the slender waist and tender white skin beneath. His hair was a mess, sticking up like a chicken¡¯s nest, and his face was full of confusion and dismay. His black eyes held a layer of watery mist like he¡¯d just woken up.


    Zong Yan¡¯s face froze into panic. He found himself rolling out of the largest sphere, greeted by millions upon millions of other spheres, large and small, occupying his entire field of view.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Because he hadn¡¯t spoken in so long, Zong Yan¡¯s voice was a little raspy. He coughed, then pursed his lips.


    He was now sitting on top of one of the smaller orbs with several other spheres squeezing close around him. Each of the glowing orbs somehow gave Zong Yan the feeling he was about to be swallowed into its belly.


    Damn, this was tricky. After using the Astrologer persona card, Zong Yan only had two San points left. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to protect himself, let alone escape.


    Last time he became the half-self of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh. Was he about to become the half-self of a bunch of bubbles?


    ¡°Who am I, you ask?¡± Yog-Sothoth was in an incredibly good mood. He didn¡¯t care at all about the black-haired teen¡¯s somewhat rude exclamation.


    His question wasn¡¯t vocalized, Instead it was projected directly into Zong Yan¡¯s mind.


    Inexplicably, Zong Yan seemed to hear a hint of teasing banter in those words.


    He drew his eyebrows together in a frown, and as he stared at the sphere that was closest to him, he had a sudden flash of realization.


    He¡¯d seen that color before.


    The sphere wasn¡¯t the usual shade of a standard beam of light. Rather, it was an aggregate of all the light in the entire spectrum of the universe.


    Zong Yan had indeed seen such a color before. At the time¡­ he felt as though he¡¯d faintly glimpsed, through an evil god, the underlying reality of the world.


    But the light was too strong for Zong Yan, who was still in a human body. He stared for less than a minute, but it was too long for his eyes to bear. As a result, the light burned through his corneas and even reached the inner lens.


    Zong Yan was too anxious, too distracted. By the time he noticed what had happened, the billions of brilliant lights were like sharp thorns piercing his eyes.


    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± The black-haired teen instinctively cried out in pain and shut his eyes.


    Scarlet blood seeped out from the corners of his eyelids, beneath the eyelashes that were as long as crow feathers, a shocking color against his strikingly pale skin.


    ¡°Are you¡­ Yog-Sothoth? His true body?¡± In pain, Zong Yan ducked his head and covered his face.


    His eyes were probably blinded by now, but he didn¡¯t care. Shock and confusion overwhelmed him.


    To tell the truth, Zong Yan had never imagined that Yog might have his body.


    The Lord of Time and Space was too deep and mysterious, and he had the ability to peer into reality like he was reading an open book. Zong Yan mostly tried to avoid him. He didn¡¯t understand why the evil god would get involved. The only thing Zong Yan could think of was the physics tutorial, but that was pretty ordinary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    The next moment, Zong Yan felt something cold pressed against his eyelids.


    The pain subsided like a tide pulling back.


    Yog-Sothoth lowered his newly materialized hand. His true body contracted and collapsed, and he changed into human form.


    Then he reversed time and restored Zong Yan¡¯s eyes to their undamaged state.


    But the evil god had no intention of saying this to the black-haired teen. Instead he slowly said, ¡°Indeed, what you just saw is my true body.


    ¡°So¡ªto avoid burning your fragile human irises again, it¡¯s best you close your eyes.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: Don¡¯t open your eyes (so I can do bad things)


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 90

    Zong Yan absolutely, 100%, hadn¡¯t expected things to go this way.


    How risky was it to close your eyes in front of an evil god, let alone one of the foremost evil gods?


    The feeling of a ruptured lens and corneal burn was pretty terrible, so Zong Yan didn¡¯t have much choice but to accept the evil god¡¯s dishonest advice, despite how uneasy he felt.


    The black-haired teen had no expression on his face, but his softly trembling eyelashes and slightly pursed lips clearly betrayed his emotions.


    ¡®This appearance is so much more appealing than when he was floating lifeless and soulless in the void.¡¯


    The evil god¡¯s eyes darkened.


    As this inexplicable thought occurred to him, the evil god finally understood: the thing he cherished and was interested in had always been the insignificant soul of a tiny ant.


    Something had changed.


    If Zong Yan¡¯s death was a seed, the seed had now quietly sprouted from the soil and begun to grow branches and leaves.


    Yog-Sothoth could only stare at him intently. For the first time, the god¡¯s chaotic eyes reflected the tiny figure of a human.


    What was it that had changed?


    Even the great and all-knowing, all-seeing god, the omniscient master of knowledge, could feel confused at times.


    But since he was genuinely confused, he separated a wisp of divine consciousness from his true body, compressed time around it, and sent it to an unexplored and undiscovered timeline to ponder the matter for hundreds of millions of years. And he still didn¡¯t reach a conclusion.


    When the fragment of consciousness returned, a feeling of loneliness and absence came with it. The wisp vanished inside the evil god¡¯s vast spiritual sea, but it left an indelible mark.


    Yog-Sothoth had never felt anything like this before. He was always the one who laughed last.


    For him, everything was worthless. There were very few things in the universe he would ever call ¡°valuable¡±.


    Of course, a being that could please him was valuable in itself.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t hear the evil god speak for a long time, but his sixth sense was acutely aware of looming danger.


    So he cleared his throat and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why do you have my body?¡±


    His mind was spinning rapidly. First of all, Yog-Sothoth¡¯s attitude was ambiguous. He wasn¡¯t like Nyarlathotep, who really wanted Azathoth to awaken, or Shub-Niggurath who didn¡¯t want Azathoth to wake up ever. The Lord of Time and Space had never expressed a position from beginning to end.


    If Zong Yan fell into the hands of Nyarlathotep, that crazed fanatic might have observed that Azathoth was still asleep and decided to give Zong Yan a complementary knife, point first; if he fell into Shub-Niggurath¡¯s control, Zong Yan might get a proper bruising.


    All things considered, Yog-Sothoth was the best choice.


    Besides, since Yog-Sothoth hadn¡¯t taken a side, their interests didn¡¯t conflict. Since there was no conflict of interest, it was possible to achieve a state of friendly coexistence while they interacted.


    So Zong Yan asked.


    Because he couldn¡¯t open his eyes, he didn¡¯t see the deepening gaze of the Lord of Time and Space.


    The evil god didn¡¯t answer. Instead, almost playfully, he threw out a question. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me where you went this time?¡±


    After he confirmed that Zong Yan¡¯s body was dead, Yog-Sothoth spent a considerable amount of effort searching for him.


    He investigated very carefully, almost turning modern Earth upside down. After that, he looked through the timeline of the past from the rise of human civilization, then went through the future when human beings left Earth and set out for the universe. He didn¡¯t find the slightest trace.


    However, Yog-Sothoth had previously left a mark on Zong Yan¡¯s soul. Whenever the black-haired teen used his strange ability to draw cards from the void, the Lord of Time and Space could trace his time coordinates.


    To his surprise, those coordinates came from 350 million years ago on Earth¡¯s timeline.


    In fact, given enough effort, Yog-Sothoth would have been able to find Zong Yan in the vast axis of time eventually.


    But he¡¯d only inspected the era after the emergence of human civilization, never thinking the other party would end up in prehistory.


    The most frightening thing was that from beginning to end, Yog had never considered a certain possibility. Rather, he¡¯d ignored one particular issue¡ª


    That Zong Yan might be dead.


    The real kind of death. Flesh no longer alive, soul scattered in heaven and earth.


    The evil god placed his pale, cool fingers on the black-haired teen¡¯s white neck in what seemed like a careless action. He gently rubbed that portion of skin with his fingertips, feeling the sensation of his nails against the pulsating heartbeat below.


    Dangerous. Dangerous in the extreme.


    Zong Yan felt apprehensive.


    ¡°I, uh, I went on a trip to Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago.¡± The black-haired teen scratched his head.


    It wasn¡¯t some unspeakable secret that could never be told. Anyway, the evil god knew all about his superpower, and Yog-Sothoth was omniscient. There was no point trying to hide or conceal anything.


    Of course, Zong Yan had no idea that the other party¡¯s ¡°all-seeing, all-knowing¡± power didn¡¯t apply to him. In order not to be exposed by the evil god on the spot, Zong Yan began to relate a dry and unexciting version of his tale.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what happened. Before I used the card of the Lord of the Universe, I accidentally drew a card I¡¯ve never seen before and crushed it. After that, I felt my soul floating in the universe. When I woke up, I was 350 million years in the past.¡±


    The black-haired teen looked bewildered and spoke without embellishment.


    In fact, this remained a point of confusion for Zong Yan. His other persona cards had never caused the timeline to change. This was the only card to do so. If the omniscient, omnipotent Lord could clarify things for him, wouldn¡¯t that be good?


    ¡°Then I became the half-self of an evil god.¡± Zong Yan made a gesture.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Yog gave a light hum. He didn¡¯t state his opinion.


    His fingertips were pressing on the main artery in the black-haired teen¡¯s neck. Beneath the skin, he felt the vibration of Zong Yan¡¯s blood, a clear, interwoven melody of life.


    The evil god didn¡¯t care too much about Zong Yan¡¯s words. He was a bit distracted at the moment, absently feeling the silken touch under his fingers. His thoughts began to turn.


    Look how fragile a human life was. It was so fragile that the slightest touch of his finger could separate this beautiful body from its head, turning it into a dull and lifeless corpse again without any warmth at all. Blood would splash everywhere, and the sticky crimson liquid would leave a shocking stain on that white shirt, but it would also become the most beautiful stroke of color surrounded by a thousand points of light¡­. The young man¡¯s eyes would open in surprise, despite the risk of having his corneas burned again.


    The sudden agony would make the young man furrow his beautiful brows. His ink-colored eyes would faithfully display the fading of his life force, and the light would disappear little by little, changing from a pair of glittering stars to fathomless black pits. And after the last bit of light dispersed, the fatal beauty of death would be revealed.


    In his last moments of life, the black-haired teen would speak, asking the evil god ¡°Why?¡±, just like the genie who trusted the fisherman, foolishly believing in a miracle.


    The blood gushing out from the young man¡¯s nose and mouth would erase the evil god¡¯s reply.


    By then, Yog-Sothoth would surely wear a pleased, superior smile, and he would casually wipe the bloodstains from his fingers, or bring them to his lips to smell the rusty scent of human blood, as if he were tasting a delicacy of the highest order, then mock him openly:


    ¡®Because I am an evil god. Why does an evil god choose to do anything?¡¯


    From the perspective of most creatures, evil gods were an aggregate of malice, malevolent by their very nature. Evil gods didn¡¯t need a reason to destroy the world, and they didn¡¯t need a reason to kill. They were so incredibly powerful they could kill as they pleased, anyone or anything at all. Weaker creatures couldn¡¯t even speak out in defiance, because they were dead and buried before they could even make a sound.


    But Yog wouldn¡¯t. He would not kill Zong Yan.


    It was true the great Lord of Time and Space could kill the black-haired teen if he chose. Time and space were under his control. He could reverse time again and again and bring the dead back to life.


    But he wouldn¡¯t.


    For a type of being that by its very nature was born amoral and free, lacking any fetters at all, it was a terrible conundrum to discover he suddenly had a weakness.


    Would a high and superior evil god ever allow himself to have a weakness?


    No, he would not.


    Or, to put it another way¡ªan evil god who had such a weakness could no longer be called an evil god. Only good gods could love.


    Love was something an evil god could never understand. An evil god would destroy the source of his weakness without hesitation. After all, the lives of evil gods were too long-lasting. No matter how stunning a jewel might be, it wouldn¡¯t make the slightest ripple in an evil swamp. All an evil god might do was swallow up the gem in his malice and become one with it forever.


    And yet it happened.


    The foremost existence among evil gods, the ruler of the cosmic order, the Lord of Time and Space, the all-knowing and all-seeing Lord of the Gate, Yog-Sothoth.


    Somehow a seed had been planted in the midst of this silent, evil-filled, barren earth. Gmbling with everything that was most precious to tiny humans¡ªits very life¡ªit had slammed into the eyes of the highest evil god and sprouted like a thorn.


    He would never willingly admit that a human emotion like ¡°reluctance to part with someone¡± existed within his lofty intellect.


    He merely thought to himself that the dead version of the black-haired teen was far uglier than the living one, and such a fragile human being couldn¡¯t bear the pain of death. Blood and tears were boring things to evil gods, but on the body of this young man they stung his eyes.


    He seemed to be saying these things to himself.


    This tiny human was obviously insignificant and not worth mentioning, but he could still influence the god¡¯s emotions.


    He influenced the evil god¡¯s emotions, but the evil god still tolerated him. Without realizing it, the Lord of Time and Space had reached a staggering level of tolerance for the black-haired young man.


    As Yog-Sothoth thought with great concentration, his hands roamed freely between the youth¡¯s cheeks and neck, like an evil god patrolling his territory.


    He was the master of knowledge, and he refused to be denied an answer.


    The Lord of Time and Space suddenly remembered the divine consciousness he¡¯d split off from himself. The moment it returned, perhaps he felt some kind of hidden premonition.


    Far more than answers, Yog-Sothoth enjoyed the process of exploration. He was eager, and he was excited.


    He didn¡¯t realize that when the answer came, he would willingly wear the noose called ¡°emotional ties¡±, and openly claim a thing he¡¯d once considered worthless.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    ¡°If you intend to love someone, you should think carefully whether you¡¯re willing to give up your godlike freedom of mind for her, and from then on agree to be fettered.¡±


    ¡ª Fitzgerald¡¶The Great Gatsby¡·


    This chapter was impossible. Oh, Bubbles, the author suffered for you.


    TL Notes:


    the genie who trusted the fisherman ¨C ħ¹íÐÅÈεÄÓæ·ò ¨C According to Baidu, this refers to a story from the Arabian Nights (Wikipedia). A fisherman frees a genie from a bottle, and the genie immediately threatens to kill the fisherman. The fisherman then tricks the genie back into the bottle and eventually extracts a reward. I can personally think of other fables I think work better here (the Scorpion and the Frog? the Farmer and the Viper?) but whatever it¡¯s all good


    reluctance to part with someone ¨C ²»ÉáµÃ ¨C not willing to give up, not willing to part with, not willing to run around and desert¡­


    The Great Gatsby quote ¨C I provided an English translation of the Chinese that appears in the raw (¡°Èç¹û´òËã°®Ò»¸öÈË£¬ÄãÒªÏëÇå³þ£¬ÊÇ·ñÔ¸ÒâΪÁËËû£¬·ÅÆúÈçÉϵ۰ã×ÔÓɵÄÐÄÁ飬´Ó´ËÐĸÊÇéÔ¸ÓÐÁËî¿°í¡£¡±) The closest thing I could find in the original The Great Gatsby is this: ¡°He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God.¡± On Baidu a Chinese netizen asked for the source of the Chinese version and was pointed to the same line I found


    You can find the master list of transliterated names and titles in Chapter 0 ¨C TL Notes. New in this chapter:


    Fitzgerald ¨C ·Æ´Ä½ÜÀ­µÂ ¨C F¨¥ic¨ªji¨¦l¨¡d¨¦


    Gatsby ¨C ¸Ç´Ä±È ¨C G¨¤ic¨ªb¨«


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 91

    ¡°Which evil god did you become?¡± Yog-Sothoth asked. He was in an excellent mood.


    The mighty Lord of Time and Space never feared a challenge, or, to be more precise, nothing had ever challenged him. From the very beginning of his existence he¡¯d been equipped with the ultimate cheat, the ability to see and know everything. There were no questions in the universe Yog-Sothoth couldn¡¯t find or questions the answers to.


    But this¡­ was just so interesting.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Zong Yan coughed lightly. ¡°I became the Lord of R¡¯lyeh. I don¡¯t know how it happened. I woke up as his half-self.¡±


    Half-self?


    The man¡¯s long, golden eyes narrowed slightly. A strange gleam of light flickered inside.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on. I returned to this body after I used a card.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes were closed. He was in the dark and there was an inexplicable hand that kept making trouble on his face, but he tried to ignore his feelings of insecurity. ¡°It¡¯s possible that in a few hours the time limit for this persona card will run out, and I¡¯ll go back to that body.¡±


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure why, Zong Yan had a vague hunch that when the Astrologer card¡¯s three-hour time limit passed, his soul would exit this body and return to the Lord of R¡¯lyeh in the distant past.


    The knowledge was like a warning bell constantly reminding him: you¡¯re not an ordinary human anymore.


    You¡¯re an evil god, an evil god with weak emotions; an evil god who¡¯s evil by nature, one of the lords of R¡¯lyeh.


    You should relinquish everything that¡¯s human¡­.


    There¡¯d never been an evil god with as many unnecessary feelings as Zong Yan.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The Lord of Time and Space nodded slightly and secretly sent a message to his other avatar, then smiled without saying a word.


    Yog-Sothoth hated when other people meddled with his things, even if the other party was his son in terms of kinship.


    Evil gods didn¡¯t recognize such relationships with each other, unless it was the Lord of the Universe who wielded absolute power over all other Outer Gods.


    The only eternal truth was power.


    The space suddenly grew quiet again, returning to its normal state of utter silence.


    Yog didn¡¯t think there was anything unnatural about the quiet. The end of time and space was always still and tranquil. There was only the occasional soft sound of one timeline colliding with another.


    The probability of a collision was extremely small, but when it happened, there was a possibility that a displacement might occur between the timelines. Many intelligent creatures had been forced to make a fantastic and thrilling journey across time as a result.


    It wasn¡¯t especially rare. In the history of Earth, people from the 19th century had suddenly appeared in New York in the 1950s. In addition, an American plane from 1955 once landed in 1990, thirty-five years after its disappearance. The passengers on board thought it was a normal flight. When the plane landed, they met their relatives only to discover that their baby had grown into an adult, and their wife or husband had grown old. There were also cases during WWII when pilots flew missions that mysteriously traversed time and space.


    As for why these misadventures were so thrilling, it had to do with Yog-Sothoth¡¯s enemy, the Tindalos clan. Their favorite activity was hunting time travelers and catching them one at a time: crunch crunch R.I.P. Without the slightest intervention from the Lord of Time and Space, the timeline was restored to its previous condition.


    The Lord of Time and Space¡¯s fingertips drifted across the corners of the black-haired teen¡¯s mouth. The latter was startled and instinctively took a step back.


    The gray-haired evil god¡¯s eyes deepened a few shades, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Instead he withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°What are your plans now?¡±


    Zong Yan felt a little flattered.


    The mighty Lord of Time and Space had always been a dictatorial evil god. Whether it was deciding to give Zong Yan a tutorial or moving into the same house, he never asked Zong Yan what he thought.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention something.¡± While the black-haired teen¡¯s eyes were closed, Yog could easily read Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts from his expression. ¡°When you traveled to prehistoric times, modern time continued to flow. However, the rate at which time flows is not the same.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils shrank. ¡°What?! Then my college entrance exam¡ª¡±


    He¡¯d spent months in R¡¯lyeh. Was the college entrance exam already over, like he¡¯d feared???


    Zong Yan almost couldn¡¯t catch his breath. His chest heaved violently up and down.


    Yog: ¡°Let me see. It seems your winter vacation is about to end.¡±


    The next sentence almost made Zong Yan leap into the air.


    ¡°Do you want to return to modern times?¡±


    At first Zong Yan wondered if he was hallucinating. It was true that the evil god in front of him possessed the most beautiful and stylish true body in a crowd of evil gods who all had hideous tentacles, but that didn¡¯t change the fact Yog-Sothoth was an evil god by nature!


    How could any evil god be so kind as to do charity? Zong Yan had never seen or heard of such a thing, especially since this was Yog-Sothoth, the evil god who once pressed down his head and forced him to learn physics.


    ¡°¡­ At what price?¡±


    The temptation was so heavy that Zong Yan pressed his lips together and began to consider what he might have to give up to please the all-knowing and all-seeing Lord, so as not to miss his scheduled college entrance exam.


    He wasn¡¯t a child anymore, and evil gods had no conception of mercy. As long as the request didn¡¯t touch his bottom line, Zong Yan told himself, he¡¯d ruthlessly agree to anything.


    ¡­ Even if the other party took advantage of a difficult situation and made him join his cult. Zong Yan would put up with it for the sake of the college entrance exam. In order to succeed a grown man sometimes had to swallow his humiliation and shoulder a heavy burden. It might be a little awkward for a cultist of Yog-Sothoth to be the chief of MU, but who hadn¡¯t done a little betraying or informing before?


    The gray-haired evil god hooked the corner of his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s no price.¡±


    No price?


    Zong Yan thought he¡¯d heard wrong. ¡°No price? What do you mean?¡±


    He instinctively opened his eyes, only to be forced to close them again by the millions upon millions of brilliantly glowing lights. Tears automatically streamed from his eyes, meandering down his cheeks.


    ¡°If you wish it, the Lord of Time and Space will not deny any of your requests.¡±


    The evil god¡¯s cold fingers touched the corners of his eyes. Slowly, almost compassionately, he traced the tail of Zong Yan¡¯s eyes, sliding from the hollow beneath his eyebrow down to his eyelids, wiping away the tears that had escaped, as if he were playing with a work of art.


    Zong Yan could hardly believe it, but when he thought about it he decided that those who were barefoot had nothing to fear from people who wear shoes. If Yog was really up to something, there was no reason for him to say a bunch of nonsense here. After deciding this, Zong Yan felt more at ease.


    ¡°O! Almighty Lord of Time and Space, thank you for your amazing generosity and compassion. Your radiance illuminates the Earth like the sun, bringing solace and warmth to my long dried-up and desperate heart.¡± Zong Yan delivered a few insipid, cultist-inspired lines, then asked apprehensively, ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    Yog gave an inscrutable smile. ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡±


    ¡ª


    Time passed quickly. After half an hour, Zong Yan felt a familiar pulling sensation in his body.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± he finally said.


    He couldn¡¯t have said why, but his mood was a bit complicated.


    He¡¯d given himself a lot of mental training and reinforcement to accept his new identity as an evil god.


    After all, what reason did he have to be dissatisfied? When other people died, they were really dead. At least he got to continue on with a new identity.


    Shouldn¡¯t that be enough? It was like reincarnating without drinking Meng Po soup¡ªit was good just to be alive.


    But it was still a little sad. An evil god might be incredibly powerful, long-lived, and good-looking, but Zong Yan still preferred to be an ordinary human.


    If he¡¯d wanted to remain an evil god he wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk of using the Astrologer card. He would have continued to live as the king of R¡¯lyeh 350 million years ago¡ªeating well, sleeping well, living forever, and never aging.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t have what he wanted.


    Then, just as Zong Yan was ready to accept his fate and new identity, Yog-Sothoth told him he could bring him back to modern times.


    Zong Yan had no reason to doubt him. The other party was the Lord of Time and Space. For him it was a trivial problem.


    It was just that¡­ There was no reason for it, right? How could you possibly explain why an evil god would suddenly find himself in a good mood and decide to be merciful and do charity?


    This time darkness surrounded Zong Yan, but not because he couldn¡¯t open his eyes. The darkness of having his soul drawn away swallowed him up again.


    Perhaps because he¡¯d experienced two trips across the timeline, Zong Yan adapted more quickly this time. His mood and expression were calm.


    By the time Zong Yan was able to move his body again, he looked up and saw the stars were still shining.


    When he looked down, he saw his dark gray robe. The gold ornaments on the hem mingled with his long, dark green hair.


    The colossal feeling of power surged through his bones and blood, chilling yet familiar, spreading and extending its tendrils into every corner of his body.


    This was the power of an evil god, and it was very different from that of the Astrologer.


    He¡¯d returned to the past, 350 million years ago.


    It was almost like using the Astrologer card, and his short journey to the ends of time and space, had been a dream.


    Ah¡­ He¡¯d forgotten to ask why his body was inside Yog¡¯s.


    Zong Yan froze for a while, then sighed.


    It wasn¡¯t that he thought the evil god was lying, exactly, but when a hero suddenly turns into an evil dragon himself, his feelings about evil dragons will become complicated.


    For example, Zong Yan had come to understand, to some extent, the evil god perspective on tiny ants.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if what Yog said is true. If it¡¯s really possible to go back, I still want to be a human.¡±


    The young evil god with long, dark green long hair reached out his hand. He attached a little divine power to the tip of his finger and sliced through the dimensional barrier in front of him.


    A rupture immediately appeared, created by the evil god¡¯s power. Outside was an endless expanse of vivid blue sky and ocean.


    Zong Yan walked out barefoot, stepping onto nothingness.


    Was the war between R¡¯lyeh and Carcosa over? Who won, Hastur or Cthulhu? Which of them would he see when he went out?


    And then he saw him.


    An evil god with gray hair, wearing a trench coat, hovered outside the rift in space. On his face was his usual faint smile.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate extended his hand to Zong Yan, and the vast and mysterious axis of time suddenly emerged from the void, creating thousands of brilliant streamers of light beneath them.


    The timeline under Zong Yan ended right at Yog-Sothoth¡¯s feet.


    TL Notes:


    difficult situation ¨C ³Ã»ð´òÌú ¨C strike the iron while the fire is burning, take advantage of the fire


    betraying or informing ¨C from ¶þÎå×Ð ¨C two five sons ¨C Cantonese slang for informers or betrayers. Previously noted in Ch. 45


    those who were barefoot had nothing to fear from people who wear shoes ¨C ×Ô¼º¹â½ÅµÄ²»Å´©Ð¬µÄ ¨C A common saying: People who have nothing aren¡¯t afraid of a person who has a lot. A person with nothing to lose has nothing to fear and will usually win in a conflict


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 92

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    The gray-haired evil god extended his hand towards Zong Yan, and his brilliant golden eyes were filled with a faint smile.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure why, but the sight somehow made him feel his eyes were hot.


    It was like all the grievances he¡¯d felt but no one understood or cared about had emerged from the center of his body.


    He¡¯d always been alone. Even if he was surrounded by the warmest, most radiant sunlight, he walked alone, and when he shot from the surface of the Earth into its atmosphere, the rest of the human race was dreaming in their beds. He gave his life to stop the attack of an Outer God and a Great Old One and saved this beautiful blue planet, but he¡¯d been alone.


    Then Zong Yan went back 350 million years into the Earth¡¯s past. In that unfamiliar prehistoric era, he became an evil god with his own domain. He witnessed the fall of Atlantis.


    His greatest sorrow was that while he had the body of an evil god, he also had a living, beating human heart.


    It was this heart that kept Zong Yan from forgetting his humanity and being invaded by the callous mindset of an evil god, but it was also a heavy burden.


    Throughout the entire journey, he was alone.


    It seemed that for a long, long, time, he¡¯d had no one else around him.


    His memories from elementary school were vague. He liked to live in his own world, and he helped his grandmother earn money with her letter writing every day. He didn¡¯t think about his situation very much. In junior high school, his grandma¡¯s health gradually began to deteriorate. Zong Yan had to run between school and the hospital almost every day. If he went home from school at noon, he had to make his own meals and send them over. By the time he reached high school¡­ Grandma was really gone, and then Zong Yan was completely on his own.


    In recent years, because of issues at home, Zong Yan hardly made any friends. He didn¡¯t have time to spend on socializing. He ate meals alone and he went home alone after school, but his days didn¡¯t feel too boring. He helped the grandmas and grandpas in the tube building run errands, or he went to the second-hand bookstore to read books for the day. But after all, he had a superpower. As long as he had his power, he was like a poor man with a treasure. Just thinking about what he had could make him feel satisfied and happy.


    But now everything was different. Now he was completely separated from human existence.


    That feeling of loneliness welled up from the corners in his heart where it had been deliberately buried, and every trace of it was bitter. Especially after he¡¯d decided to live on as an evil god.


    ¡®Think about it. At least an evil god has a long lifespan. After Carcosa and R¡¯lyeh have their fight, I can find a cave under the sea and go to sleep for 350 million years. When I wake up it¡¯ll be time to take the college entrance exam.¡¯


    But then Yog-Sothoth arrived.


    From the end of time and space, from far beyond the dimensions.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know what the evil god was smoking, but if he really brought Zong Yan back to modern times, Zong Yan decided he¡¯d carve the evil god ¡®s name on a wooden plaque, build him a memorial tablet, burn incense and light a fire as an offering.


    ¡°Hold on.¡± He took a few steps forward, about to take the evil god¡¯s hand, but then he paused as if suddenly remembering something. ¡°What about R¡¯lyeh? And Carcosa?¡±


    Zong Yan knew that before he was captured by the Lord of Interstellar Spaces, R¡¯lyeh was fighting Carcosa. The sky was thundering and the sea was raging like a scene from the end of the world.


    The important thing was that, after Zong Yan was struck by starlight, Cthulhu had answered his call. He immediately tore through space to return from across the universe. So Zong Yan knew he¡¯d avenged. His gege, his half-self, would take care of everything.


    But now the young evil god turned slightly to the side. His eyes fell on the sea in the distance.


    The weather was quiet, and the warm sunlight poured down, glittering like gold on the sparkling deep blue sea, like a sapphire banner embroidered with gold thread.


    Above the clouds, the city of Carcosa had long disappeared, but R¡¯lyeh stood further in the distance. With Zong Yan¡¯s enhanced sight he was just able to see the palace and towers in the center of R¡¯lyeh. They were like a forest of black steel lances held by a troop of medieval knights, with their points aimed at the sky.


    ¡°They¡¯re still fighting,¡± Yog-Sothoth said lightly. It seemed he didn¡¯t care to discuss this topic.


    But a hesitant, struggling expression appeared on Zong Yan¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯d like to say goodbye.¡±


    The influence of a half-self cut both ways. Cthulhu and Hastur felt close to Zong Yan, and Zong Yan felt the same. There were very few people Zong Yan felt this way about. In fact, there hadn¡¯t been anyone since Grandma.


    It had felt really good to have a gege. Even if his brother was an evil god and expressed his affection in a clumsy, evil god way that human beings couldn¡¯t agree with.


    When Zong Yan left, he would immediately cross through 350 million years. It felt wrong not to say a word before he vanished.


    While Zong Yan was lost in thought, the gray-haired evil god observed his face, catching all his expressions, and narrowed his eyes in displeasure.


    ¡°Cthulhu and Hastur are brothers,¡± Yog-Sothoth said in a cold voice. ¡°As their direct Father God, I can tell you in all seriousness that when they were born, there was no such thing as a half-self.¡±


    The Lord of Time and Space found that he greatly disliked Zong Yan¡¯s long, dark green hair. Rather than an evil god, Yog much preferred his appearance as a human.


    Humans were as fragile as dodder flowers. The slightest touch would cause their destruction, but it was this fragility that made them more precious and beautiful.


    The words contained so much information that Zong Yan didn¡¯t respond at first.


    ¡°Then¡­ You mean my persona card¡ª¡±


    A terrible conjecture arose in his mind.


    When Zong Yan thought it through before, he concluded that persona cards essentially gave him a new body, extracting the soul from one body and putting it into another.


    He had a vague suspicion that the bodies he used for these persona cards, the ones with clear names, like Yun Zhong Jun and Apollo, probably had previous owners. But for some unknowable reason, these Elder Gods eventually disappeared in the long river of history. Eventually Zong Yan, as their successor, enjoyed their afterglow in the form of his superpower.


    As for the evil god Cthulhu, from the standpoint of the timeline, he had a lifespan that was unbroken since birth. When Zong Yan activated the Cthulhu card, his superpower would naturally make use of the nearest substitute, his half-self.


    But Yog¡¯s words had shattered this hypothesis.


    Did that mean his persona cards were actually ¡°creating something out of nothing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have time later to continue this discussion.¡± The Lord of Time and Space switched to another topic. ¡°R¡¯lyeh will sink, and the city of Carcosa will disappear behind the stars. Cthulhu will be sealed, as will Hastur.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes widened.


    Right, that was what he¡¯d learned from his professor in the history of Earth class he took at Miskatonic University.


    Sometime in Earth¡¯s prehistory, a great upheaval had taken place. What exactly happened wasn¡¯t understood, and the cause was unknown.


    About 300 million years ago, as a result of this upheaval, R¡¯lyeh sank and the great Cthulhu was sealed forever beneath the South Pacific. The city of Carcosa was hidden in the stars, and the Lord of Interstellar Spaces was sealed on a planet in the Pleiades star cluster.


    At the time the Earth hadn¡¯t yet given rise to humans, and the Elder Gods had not yet entered the stage of history. The beings who dominated the planet, summoning the wind and calling the rain, were Great Old Ones who came from other planets. Therefore, Miskatonic scholars who specialized in the study of Earth¡¯s history speculated that this change was the result of internal turmoil among the Great Old Ones. Another possibility was that an even more powerful being had sealed the majority of Great Old Ones in various corners of the universe.


    ¡°These are historical events that cannot be altered in the timeline.¡± The gray-haired evil god casually straightened the cuffs of his trench coat with an elegant gesture. ¡°Just as you yourself are an anomaly that doesn¡¯t exist within the timeline. Your existence is like a butterfly that causes a storm according to the human theory. You may have an incalculable impact on the future of Earth. Not to mention your status as the Lord of R¡¯lyeh.


    ¡°Every time traveler is either disposed of by the Tindalos Hounds or creates a new timeline. This newly born time axis forms a parallel universe, ultimately leading to a completely different future with an inherent risk of collapse.¡±


    There were plenty of examples. For example, one lucky man once crossed from modern times to ancient Egypt and happened to be dressed like a powerful high priest.


    In some dynasties of ancient Egypt, the priests were even more powerful than pharaohs. This time-traveling soul from modern times had mastered numerous magic tricks, and eventually became a veritable spokesman of the gods.


    The time traveler built a number of massive monuments in ancient Egypt and taught the people of the country how to make iron. He supplemented that with the techniques of later generations, centralizing power and modernizing military command. He became the pharaoh himself and completed the unification of divine and royal power.


    The ultimate consequence was that ancient Egypt conquered almost every country in the Mediterranean, and its territory eventually extended into Mesopotamia.


    In that timeline, Alexander the Great of Macedonia never conquered ancient Egypt.


    Because of this little time joke, the time traveler indirectly affected the history of the planet for later generations, created a multitude of other branches in the timeline, and even had a tendency to contaminate parallel dimensions.


    In the end, Yog-Sothoth stepped in and sent the ancient ones to the corresponding time node, assassinated the high priest when he was about to ascend the throne, and snuffed out the altered timeline at the source.


    ¡°If you stay here, there¡¯s a good chance R¡¯lyeh won¡¯t be destroyed. If R¡¯lyeh¡¯s rule continues, there will be no way for humans to evolve on Earth.¡± Yog sharply pointed out the problem. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see the struggling expression on Zong Yan¡¯s face. ¡°Besides, this concept of a half-self never existed before. It¡¯s just your wonderful¡­ little trick.¡±


    Zong Yan pulled the corner of his mouth. He couldn¡¯t have explained his mood.


    The Lord of Time and Space spoke again, lowering his voice like an enchantment, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry. When we return, I¡¯ll personally erase this error from the timeline.¡±


    At this point, it would have been unreasonable for Zong Yan to refuse again.


    Besides, this person had already agreed to help him. If he tried to haggle and insisted on seeing his gege, there was no guarantee the impatient evil god wouldn¡¯t give him a live performance of an evil god changing his mind.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t notice the other party was deliberately guiding his thoughts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    During all of this, the Lord of Time and Space never lowered the hand he¡¯d extended. Zong Yan hesitated for a moment, turned back again, and gazed at the whole vast scene of Earth.


    That¡¯s right, he didn¡¯t belong here. There¡¯d never been a half-self. Everything came from the persona card.


    Once you learn you¡¯re a guest in a dream, the dream begins to feel a bit empty.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡±


    The young evil god finally made up his mind, reached out and gently placed his fingers on the pale and slender hand.


    The curve of the latter¡¯s mouth became more and more obvious. He tightly closed his fingers, wrapping Zong Yan¡¯s hand with unyielding firmness, and tightened his grip on the other party¡¯s hand.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    In the original story, Lovecraft never explained ¡°why R¡¯lyeh sank¡±, so I won¡¯t add anything about it in my story. It¡¯s true I could send an Outer God to make trouble, but I prefer to leave it blank. As for why the Great Old One was sealed and how R¡¯lyeh sank, I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination~


    TL Notes:


    And that completes the arc! We¡¯re now 2/3rds of the way through this novel, which means there¡¯s an entire 1/3rd left to enjoy! And the romance is starting to ramp up. A bunch of fun things are ahead! (¤Ã???)¤Ã ?


    (I¡¯m continuing to do some line editing and will remove this text when I¡¯m done)


    Some housekeeping items:


    1) Daylight savings time is ending in my area in a few days. You may notice a change to my posting time. Or not. It depends where you are. Anyway the reason is because the clocks changed ?


    2) Update schedule: The holiday season is approaching in the Western hemisphere where I live. In upcoming weeks I may need to travel to visit family. Also, I mentioned back in Chapter 61 (it feels like yesterday¡­) that someday I would start a new project and perhaps dial back on update frequency for this series. Well, that day is here.


    Therefore I intend to update 5x per week for this project. The new schedule will start next week, not this week. I take occasional days off anyway so I was probably only updating 6x per week before.


    I¡¯m currently thinking Tuesday and Wednesday will be ¡°off¡± days, but it doesn¡¯t matter a whole lot. If you have a preference lmk. Of course RL always takes precedence. If something happens and my schedule changes I¡¯ll let you know (?? ? ?)?*:??? ?


    3) End of the arc / day off from posting tomorrow: I managed to do some preparation ahead of time, but I still need to take a day off tomorrow to prep the upcoming arc. However, in future arcs I shouldn¡¯t need to take an additional day off.


    Sorry for the wall of text! Thank you for reading!


    ¨C Confectioner aka Gao Dian Shi (¸âµãʦ)


    almost every day ¨C ÈýÌìÁ½Í· ¨C every two or three days; almost every day; every other day or so


    dodder flowers ¨C ÝËË¿»¨ ¨C Also known as cuscuta, a genus of parasitic plants which generally depend on their host plant for nutrition (Wikipedia)


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Pleiades star cluster ¨C êÄËÞÐÇ


    Macedonia ¨C ÂíÆä¶Ù


    Alexander the Great ¨C ÑÇÀúɽ´ó´óµÛ¿É


    Egypt ¨C °£¼°


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 93

    Zong Yan felt slightly ill at ease.


    Yog¡¯s hand was incredibly cold, and his touch made Zong Yan tremble inside, with an unexplainable suffocating feeling almost like he was being held captive. Those fingers were long and vigorous and could easily wrap up Zong Yan¡¯s hand inside their grip. It was like being entangled by something that was both paranoid and malicious, sending a puzzling current up his spine.


    Even if Zong Ya had a low EQ, he knew the significance of holding hands in a human relationship.


    It was something you¡¯d only do when you were intimate.


    Besides, it was strange for two grown men to hold hands.


    Zong Yan automatically struggled a little, but he didn¡¯t manage to break free. Instead the Lord of Time and Space gripped him even tighter.


    ¡°Hold still, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    The gray-haired evil god tightened his fingers, and Zong Yan obediently relaxed.


    The vast timeline suddenly rushed towards him from the void, covered with arcane and unfathomable colors. The surface was dappled with an incredible panoply of swirls and dappled specks.


    When they stood outside of time and space, Zong Yan¡¯s eyes had been blinded by the staggering light shed by billions of brilliant spheres. He didn¡¯t have a chance to see what the timeline really looked like. But now he could finally see it in its entirety.


    ¡°What are those bright spots on the surface?¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s attention was diverted, so he stopped paying attention to other things.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a time node,¡± Yog-Sothoth said lazily. ¡°If the light snuffs out, it means something in that node has changed.¡±


    While the two gods were talking, the timeline began to glow with a spectacular light. The flat surface extended far beyond Zong Yan¡¯s reach, transforming into a flowing galaxy of stars, like the Milky Way laid out at their feet.


    ¡°! ! !¡± Zong Yan was astonished, but his hand was still clutched by the Lord of Time and Space. All he could do was instinctively squint his eyes.


    By the time he could see clearly again, the dazzling, cloudlike scene around them disappeared, replaced by a sprawling, empty void.


    The timeline suddenly folded upward. The arch quickly extended to the ground on one side and the sky on the other, revealing glimpses of different scenes from every part of the universe.


    Zong Yan and Yog stood in the middle of this shining band of light. The glowing silver river washed over their feet and gently caressed their ankles. The bottom of the river was lined with fine particles of glowing, pure white sand.


    The long, dark green hair of the young evil god scattered behind him, falling into the river of time that glittered like it was filled with stardust. Zong Yan casually took a lock of his hair to inspect it, but found no trace of water at the end.


    ¡°The river isn¡¯t a physical liquid. Rather, it consists of temporal energy that¡¯s been converted into a kind of torrent.¡±


    Yog-Sothoth, who was in a good mood, explained this to him, and his other hand naturally grasped a strand of Zong Yan¡¯s dark green hair. His eyes were unreadable and deep.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t notice the expression on the gray-haired evil god¡¯s face. He stared at the mysterious space around them with immense curiosity.


    The curved and folded timeline was rendered like a painting on both sides of the long river of time. Fantastic, unbelievable images arose one after another, unrolling like a picture scroll for the master of time to view.


    ¡°These are histories that have happened or will happen in the future.¡± The Lord of Time and Space released the strand of hair and looked over at him, patiently explaining. ¡°If you want to see the history of the past, look back. To see the history of the future, simply look forward.¡±


    Zong Yan nodded. He began to search for things he was interested in.


    He saw a great number of otherworldly species developing in the axis of time before they were destroyed. There was also a race with huge bodies, like a spinning barrel. Based on their appearance, they were very similar in structure to the insects of Earth.


    The Elder Things?


    Zong Yan had encountered this unique, subordinate-level independent race on R¡¯lyeh. Now he was lucky enough to watch the rice of this species in the timeline. They had an advanced civilization with a clear division of labor and a political system that was similar to socialism.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel curious, so he looked back at the earlier sections of the timeline.


    Around a billion years ago, the Elder Things had come to Earth. The Elder Things were the first species to discover the value of this aquamarine planet. They built large cities beneath the sea and developed complicated trade systems. They enslaved shoggoths to build their infrastructure.


    Later, the great Cthulhu arrived on Earth. He brought with him his own clans, the Deep Ones and Star-spawn. Cthulhu also established his domain in the sea, which led to a territorial dispute with the Elder Things. R¡¯lyeh and the Elder Things fought a protracted war. In the end, they were enslaved by Cthulhu and settled down in the city of R¡¯lyeh.


    But the Elder Things would never give up so meekly, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have been classified by Miskatonic University as an independent race. Later, when the unknown calamity occurred on Earth, the Elder Things probably engaged in various overt or covert actions. After Cthulhu and his clans were sealed in the South Pacific, the Elder Things re-established their own communities.


    Unfortunately, even though they¡¯d possessed a mysterious technology capable of creating life when they landed on Earth a billion years ago, time didn¡¯t grant them eternal glory. By the 20th century, the Elder Things had long disappeared from Earth, and only the faintest remnants of their ancient cities remained in the untamed mountains of Antarctica. If you were forced to identify the most amazing thing they left behind, it was probably an uncanny gate through time and space located in a certain mountain range in China.


    Yog-Sothoth led the young evil god hand-in-hand slowly through the long river of time. Faint images from history flashed by them like smoke and fog. In a flash, Zong Yan saw the end of the long history of the Elder Things and the first stirrings of the Stone Age in which human civilization first began.


    By the time they finally looked away from this fascinating sequence, they¡¯d been walking through this void space for quite a while.


    Of course, that was Zong Yan¡¯s subjective opinion. They were walking outside of time, so the duration of this experience wasn¡¯t actually part of time¡¯s axis. For example, Zong Yan didn¡¯t see himself in the timeline.


    Speaking of which, he looked back as if he suddenly remembered something.


    By now they¡¯d traveled a little distance, so when Zong Yan turned back he could only catch a glimpse.


    ¡®In the endless void of the universe, countless evil gods have spawned. Just like this section of the timeline, where a pair of dark green and yellow energies meet. Aside from those two colors, there¡¯s nothing else.¡¯


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils shrank slightly. The glow in his dark golden eyes slowly dimmed.


    He figured that Yog-Sothoth was right.


    The daily disposable persona cards didn¡¯t let him take over an existing identity. They created new identities out of thin air.


    The Night Watchman and the Child of the Wind were identities the cards had created, while the Sun God Apollo and Yun Zhong Jun were identities they¡¯d borrowed.


    Just like Cthulhu, the Lord of R¡¯lyeh.


    From beginning to end, Cthulhu had never possessed anything like a half-self. It was just that Zong Yan had drawn a card. That was how the concept came into being.


    The young evil god frowned a little and sighed.


    He suddenly recalled his first year in Qingyang High School. The boys gathered around to discuss the latest AJs while the girls were chattering and starting to use cosmetics.


    Almost everyone in the class had gathered into small circles to talk. He was the only one sitting by the window with his eyes downcast, holding a copy of ¡¶The Outsider¡·.


    ¡°Are we at human civilization already??¡± Zong Yan returned to himself and smoothed away the expression that had leaked onto his face.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    As if in response to these words, a matriarchal culture arose and cavemen emerged from the depths of the earth. They began to paint stripes on their bodies and shed their ape-like features.


    Then, under Zong Yan¡¯s watchful eyes, the Mesopotamians raised the torch of the city-state, and the Epic of Gilgamesh was written and passed down.


    A thousand years later, the two evil gods slowly passed the ancient Egyptian solar barges, and magnificent pyramids were constructed in the distance.


    Many more years passed, and in another mysterious Eastern land, a mystical celestial bird descended bearing the immortal grass, and a tribe named ¡°Shang¡± was quietly born.


    Time is merciless. The elder brother, ancient Babylon, was the first to fall. The Macedonian cavalry completely flattened ancient Egypt, followed by ancient India.


    In the late Spring and Autumn period, around the time of the birth of Lao Tzu, a kingly six-tusked white elephant flew into the body of a queen, and Gautama Siddhartha was born in the kingdom of Kapilavastu in the Ganges River Valley. The prince had another, more legendary name: Shakyamuni.


    It was also during this time that philosophers in ancient Greece on the edge of the Aegean Sea, dressed in robes, engaged in heated arguments under the watchful eyes of two evil gods who traveled through time and space.


    Then a virgin gave birth to a child. The baby was wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger.


    From then on, the year in which this baby was born was defined as 1 A.D.


    This was followed by a long series of feudal dynasties. The ancient dynasties of the East changed continuously, while the West experienced a long, silent medieval period.


    Finally, the Renaissance ignited its first flames in Florence, Leonardo da Vinci dropped another spark, and his ideas lit a brilliant fire from the darkness of ignorance.


    Then came the Golden Age of Navigation, when ships and cannons were launched by European lords who still ruled over an agrarian economy.


    Elizabeth I funded pirates, completely preempting the opportunities of the New World, and sent Great Britain on a journey to become an empire where the sun never set.


    A new type of performance using music and singing to tell a story arose quietly in Italy; the royal guards unsheathed their short swords in the night, and their eyes were like knives.


    Finally, steam engines were loaded onto ships. The first electric lights were lit in laboratories.


    The unprecedented increase in human productivity fueled vigorous ambition.


    In two World Wars, corpses were strewn across the earth, and blood spilled everywhere.


    Zong Yan tried to avert his eyes. Yog kindly fast-forwarded the scene, which let him breathe a sigh of relief.


    They roamed the long river of time, taking in the whole of human history.


    This was far more interesting than reading a history book. The timeline revealed history with its most real, most brutal truths.


    History was written by the victors, but time would always be a silent witness.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Are we actually experiencing the past?¡±


    Zong Yan, who¡¯d looked away, returned to his senses. His face was shocked.


    When they stood in the desert of ancient Egypt, Zong Yan really felt the heat of the sun on his skin. When they saw the expedition led by Magellan, he could taste the salt in the sea breeze.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t very familiar with his evil god body, so the smoke and blood of war burrowed their way into his nose.


    That was because, even though he was now an evil god, Zong Yan firmly believed he¡¯d one day return to a human body. Until that day came, he always reminded himself to breathe. Otherwise, he worried that when he became human again, he¡¯d suffocate in his sleep in the middle of the night.


    Yog-Sothoth managed not to laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t see us.¡±


    The Lord of Time and Space had noticed Zong Yan¡¯s interest in history. He didn¡¯t seem to care that much about the prehistoric era, but when they reached human civilization, he watched it frame by frame, occasionally accompanied by Yog-Sothoth¡¯s explanations.


    Of course, the Lord of Time and Space¡¯s version of history had its own unique style.


    ¡°There was a certain dynasty in ancient Egypt in which Nyarlathotep pretended to be a Pharaoh. He went to his own timeline to amuse himself a while, and as a result, the entire planet became a carnival of chaos. It completely collapsed after his avatar departed.


    ¡°Oh, and there was a period in which Queen Cleopatra contained a wisp of Shub¡¯s divine consciousness. It seems that Henry VIII was also a fanatic believer in the Black Goat with a Thousand Young.


    ¡°Incidentally, your human nuclear weapons are also the result of that guy Nyarlathotep infiltrating the Manhattan Project.¡±


    Yog-Sothoth spared no effort to make his colleagues look bad.


    He was the master of time and space. Aside from Zong Yan, there wasn¡¯t a single thing in the universe that could escape his attention. Nyarlathotep probably didn¡¯t even know how many incarnations he had. If Yog began to count them, a minute later he¡¯d create another one.


    They watched the end of World War II.  The Axis countries raised the white flag, Hitler shot himself, the Cold War collapsed, and when the world was once again at peace, the march of the timeline suddenly slowed down.


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes widened.


    He saw himself.


    Yes, this was himself. From a babbling toddler he gradually grew into a little boy. Finally, he went through the growth spurts of adolescence and became a student at Qingyang Senior High.


    In the twinkling of an eye, the scene shifted to the classroom Zong Yan remembered so well.


    The teenager sat by the window while his distant classmates were chattering away.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t know why he remembered this scene so vividly. Maybe it was because his grandmother left him during this time period. The last thing she said to him was to study hard, make more friends, and live a good life.


    Maybe it was because his grandmother told him this that the idea of ¡°making friends¡± occurred to him.


    Unfortunately, this idea was strangled in the cradle before he could put it into practice.


    This time, from the perspective of a complete bystander, Zong Yan noticed something new.


    Those students stood far away from him, but no matter whether they were girls or boys, their eyes occasionally drifted over.


    Back then, Ye JingMing still treated Zong Yan like a thorn in his side. From time to time, he glanced at the rear of the classroom, measuring the reaction when he deliberately pitched his voice to talk about where he recently went to play or what luxury goods he¡¯d bought. And when the girls got together to chat, Zong Yan surprisingly heard his own name.


    ¡°Eh¡­ Zong Yan is reading again ah? Let¡¯s stay away or we¡¯ll disturb him.¡±


    ¡°Let me see what book it is¡­. The cover seems to be in French. I don¡¯t really know what it says?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s reading the original French?! That¡¯s amazing! And he¡¯s really handsome, too. Even better looking than a hero in a drama.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know, right¡­¡±


    The teenager in the white shirt sat there with calm eyes and a cold expression on his face. A breeze came through the window, blowing away the bookmark that was on his desk, but he didn¡¯t notice.


    It was like something from a painting.


    You were looking at the scenery in a book, not realizing that other people were looking at you.


    Zong Yan had never realized it before.


    It wasn¡¯t just about how lonely he was, it was about how he stubbornly pushed everyone away.


    From the very beginning, he¡¯d been out of step with the world.


    The young evil god stood in front of the school desk. He bent down to pick up the bookmark and gently placed it on the black-haired teen¡¯s desk.


    The teen who was reading seemed to notice something. Out of the corner of his eye he looked at the bookmark that suddenly appeared on the desk, then stared straight ahead.


    For a moment, Zong Yan thought his past self had caught a glimpse of him in the future.


    He almost saw a faint, dark green reflection in the dark eyes of his other self.


    But a second later, the scene dissolved into thousands of fragments, transforming to the next stage of his life.


    Yog-Sothoth still held the young man¡¯s hand, leading him to the end of time.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    You stand on a bridge admiring the scenery,


    While a sightseer on a balcony watches you.


    ¡ª¡¶Fragment¡· by Bian Zhilin


    I¡¯ve evolved! I¡¯ve become a sweet YaYa!


    TL Notes:


    Chapter 94 will be up in about an hour! (?? ? ?)?*:??? ?


    AJs ¨C ¡°Air Jordans¡±, a high-end brand of sneakers by Nike. According to Baidu, these legendary shoes are/were highly prized by teenage boys


    immortal grass ¨C ÏÉ²Ý ¨C Said to be guarded by four great beasts, one of which is the celestial black bird also mentioned


    Shang ¨C ÉÌ ¨C A Chinese dynasty that existed in the second millennium B.C., the earliest dynasty firmly supported by archaeological evidence. According to the founding myth, the second wife of the emperor swallowed an egg dropped by a black bird and miraculously gave birth to the ancestor of the Shang kings (Wikipedia)


    Spring and Autumn Period ¨C from ´ºÇï ¨C A period in Chinese history from approximately 771 to 476 BCE, marking the erosion of Zhou dynasty authority. The Warring States period followed, which eventually led to the Qin dynasty, the first unified Chinese empire (Wikipedia)


    Lao Tzu ¨C ÀÏ×Ó ¨C L¨£oz¨« ¨C ¡°Old Master¡±, an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer born circa 571 BCE. He was the founder of Taoism and the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching


    ¡°Fragment¡± ¨C ¶ÏÕ ¨C A well-known poem by Bian Zhilin. The English version used here is modified from a translation attributed to Yang Xianyi. Here is the full poem:


    You stand on a bridge admiring the scenery,


    While a sightseer on a balcony watches you.


    The bright moon adorns your window,


    While you adorn someone else¡¯s dream.


    Bian Zhilin ¨C ±åÖ®ÁÕ ¨C A 20th-century Chinese poet, translator, and writer


    Glossary of world terms¡ªin this chapter:


    Elder Things ¨C ¹ÅÀÏÕß ¨C Also known as the Older Ones or the Elder Ones, they have the appearance of a huge, oval-shaped barrel with starfish-like appendages at both ends. The top appendage was a head adorned with five eyes, five eating tubes, and a set of cilia for ¡°seeing¡± without light. They also had five leathery, retractable wings, and five sets of tentacles that sprouted from their torsos. (They were briefly mentioned in Chapter 80 & 85, but I translated the term there as ¡°ancient ones¡±. I¡¯ll go back and fix it shortly)


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Mesopotamia ¨C ÃÀË÷²»´ïÃ×ÑÇ


    Gilgamesh ¨C ¼ª¶ûÙ¤ÃÀʲ


    Babylon ¨C °Í±ÈÂ×


    Ganges River ¨C ºãºÓ


    Gautama Siddhartha ¨C ÇÇ´ïĦ¡¤Ï¤´ï¶à


    Kapilavastu ¨C ÔÚÁËåÈÅþÂÞÎÀ¹ú


    Shakyamuni ¨C ÊÍåÈĦÄá ¨C ¡°Sage of the Shakyas¡±


    Ancient Greece ¨C ¹ÅÏ£À°


    Aegean Sea ¨C °®ÇÙº£


    Florence ¨C ·ðÂÞÂ×Èø


    Leonardo da Vinci ¨C ´ï·ÒÆæ ¨C D¨¢f¨¥nq¨ª


    Elizabeth I ¨C ÒÁÀöɯ°×Ò» ¨C Y¨©l¨¬sh¨¡b¨¢i I


    the New World, the Americas ¨C дó½


    Great Britain ¨C ´ó²»Áеß


    Italy ¨C Òâ´óÀû


    Cleopatra ¨C °£¼°ÑÞºó


    Henry VIII ¨C ºàÀû°Ë


    Manhattan Project ¨C Âü¹þ¶Ù¹¤³Ì¼Æ»® ¨C Manhattan Project Program


    Hitler ¨C Ï£ÌØÀÕ


    Cold War ¨C ÀäÕ½


    Elder Things:


    Image source: Call of Cthulhu, French version ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 94

    The scenes flashed by, whether Zong Yan remembered them clearly or not, until he found the black notebook, entered MU, traveled from London back to Jiangzhou, and finally arrived in New York.


    The two stood side by side on the streets of New York City.


    After such a tumultuous event, much of the infrastructure in New York as well as many buildings had been extensively damaged. Toppled utility poles abounded on the streets, and the windows of skyscrapers had shattered into pieces. Much of the glass had been destroyed by fighter jets, while other damage was caused by sonic booms and high pressure air currents.


    They hadn¡¯t yet reached the end of the timeline.


    The gray-haired evil god still held the hand of the younger evil god, strolling leisurely through the city. The light was warm and yellow, like that cast by a paper lantern.


    As they walked, the intersection that had been torn apart by a large pit was leveled and filled in by fire trucks; the asphalt streets were repaved, and the smashed shops were cleaned up and put back in order. The formerly deserted Fifth Avenue returned to normal. People from all over the world arrived once again with luxury shopping bags in hand.


    White collar workers in Queens hurried to the subway; Brooklynites gathered on corners to smoke illegal cigarettes; upper class ladies in Manhattan sat in fancy cafes with little poodles on their laps, talking to each other about the season¡¯s new arrivals.


    It was still winter in New York. Heavy snow fell down like goose feathers, and the ground was covered in a layer of white frost.


    The two evil gods didn¡¯t step down from the river of the timeline, nor did they leave any footprints in the snow.


    Everything was beautiful.


    Humans were good at rebuilding after a disaster. Even if this species encountered a world-class calamity, they didn¡¯t give up hope.


    For humans, hope would blossom in the ruins.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    When they reached the door of the world-famous Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue, the Lord of Time and Space came to a halt.


    Zong Yan looked up. He could see the classic robin¡¯s-egg blue jewelry boxes through the window of Tiffany¡¯s. Audrey Hepburn once stood here wearing a little black dress with a piece of bread in her hand, looking forward to the day she could live a life of high society luxury.


    ¡°What time is it?¡±


    He realized they didn¡¯t seem to have arrived just after Mordiggian and Ghroth retreated. Looking at the speed of the reconstruction, it appeared some time had passed.


    ¡°It¡¯s been half a month since you left. Your high school classes seem to have resumed.¡±


    Vacation for senior three students was supposed to end earlier than that of ordinary freshmen and sophomores, not to mention that Spring Festival came early this year, in January. It made sense that winter break had already ended.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zong Yan was surprised. ¡°Then I¡¯ve been missing for half a month?¡±


    ¡°Logically, that¡¯s the case,¡± said Yog. ¡°The time you experienced in prehistory must be exchanged with time in the modern era. The rate at which time flows isn¡¯t equal, therefore it¡¯s necessary for you to lose this half month of time. Otherwise it will lead to the collapse of your personal timeline.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Zong Yan pressed his lips together.


    Going missing for half a month was a big deal, especially at such a critical moment.


    There was no way Mordiggian or Ghroth would have retreated without a good reason. He didn¡¯t know if MU would link their departure with his disappearance.


    But¡­ no one would ever believe an ordinary high school student had saved the world from an unspeakable evil god, right?


    The young evil god thought rather guiltily.


    After reaching the end of the correct timeline, the gleaming river beneath their feet began to slowly melt away.


    Luminous points of light surrounded them.


    Time was an inherent property of space, and it penetrated both ancient and modern times.


    Suddenly Zong Yan had an idea.


    Since he could see the past, couldn¡¯t he also see¡­ the future?


    He followed his thoughts automatically, gazing into the far end of the time axis.


    There was a deep, unfathomable fog, as if someone had cast a magic spell that shrouded everything.


    Zong Yan had no idea that even the great Lord of the Gate couldn¡¯t see his future. Like a normal high school boy, he was overwhelmingly curious about the most basic aspects of his future life.


    Then he saw it.


    His dark golden eyes pierced through the fog that even Yog couldn¡¯t probe, and quietly peeked into the future of ¡°Zong Yan¡±.


    Thanks to the superb eyesight of an evil god, he was able to see everything in the dark room.


    The black-haired teen was lying down in the darkness, with a head of ink-black hair fanned out behind him. A few drops of sweat clung to his white skin, combined with the bright red of skin that couldn¡¯t stop flushing, like the shadow of the serpent in the Garden of Eden that breathes scarlet words of seduction, tempting innocents into the abyss.


    ¡°Ah, softer¡­ softer¡­¡±


    The young man lifted his head, his neck curving like a swan, and his spine arched gracefully.


    Tears were already seeping from the corners of his eyes, and his lips and teeth were slightly open, like a weakened fish gasping for water.


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    The eyes of the other evil god slowly darkened. He threaded his fingers with those of the teen, and slowly and methodically sank himself down.


    Evil gods couldn¡¯t experience the physical sensation of pleasure. The Lord of the Gate just liked to see his human reveal this confused, disheveled expression.


    In the middle of this maneuver, the gray-haired evil god suddenly lifted his eyes. He stared directly back at the dark golden gaze peering at him from the ¡°past¡±.


    He hooked the corners of his mouth.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    To respond to the comment section discussing why Bubbles suddenly became enlightened, please note what happened previously. Bubbles split a sliver of his divine consciousness, and thought about the problem for a few hundred million years.


    If after billions of years he still can¡¯t figure it out, he¡¯d better just give up, there won¡¯t be any CP _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_


    TL Notes:


    A little late, but it¡¯s a double update!  ???©d¨v(?????)¨u???


    (I know I promised before, I didn¡¯t forget)


    This chapter is a little shorter, but the previous chapter was a little longer, so it evens out


    I have a little more line editing to do and will remove this sentence when it¡¯s done (¤Ã???)¤Ã ?


    leveled again and filled in by fire trucks ¨C Ïû·À³µµÄÌî²¹Ö®ÏÂÖØлָ´ÁËƽÕû ¨C I¡¯m not sure what the author had in mind. This isn¡¯t something people do with fire trucks afaik (speaking as the daughter of a firefighter)


    with a piece of bread in her hand ¨C ÊÖÀïÄÃ×ÅÃæ°üÕ¾ÔÚÕâÀï ¨C This is from the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany¡¯s


    he¡¯d better just give up ¨C from ÄǵkÒ²¾Íϴϴ˯°É ¨C ¡°then He will wash up and sleep ba¡°


    CP ¨C ¡°couple¡±, a romantic pairing


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Tiffany ¨C µÙܽÄá ¨C D¨¬f¨²n¨ª


    Audrey Hepburn ¨C °Â÷ìÀö¡¤ºÕ±¾


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 95

    When Zong Yan returned to modern times, there were a lot of things he had to deal with. He was busy non-stop for a few days and didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else.


    First of all, he had to disguise himself. He found a random barbershop in New York City, dyed his hair, and cut it back to its original length.


    The strange thing was that before he even completed this disguise, the barbershop owner blurted out that he¡¯d seen Zong Yan on TV.


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    The level of excitement was a little high, so Zong Yan casually hypnotized the owner.


    His current appearance was too conspicuous. Not only was he more androgynous and alluring than before, his face looked like it had gotten a tune-up at a plastic surgery clinic.


    Zong Yan was good-looking to begin with. Now, although his facial features hadn¡¯t changed that much, at a glance he looked different from before. His appearance was several degrees more stunning.


    Let¡¯s put it this way. Shub-Niggurath was known as the most perfect man in the world because his face had 360 degrees without any dead angles. Even if different people had varying opinions on aesthetics, Shub¡¯s face fell dead-center within every human¡¯s beauty admiration hot spot, slaying both men and women, young and old, at a stroke.


    Zong Yan¡¯s current face wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as the Black Goat with a Thousand Young, but he wasn¡¯t that much worse. He¡¯d reached the level where not wearing a mask on the street could turn heads at a success rate of almost eighty percent.


    To be honest, Yog-Sothoth and Nyarlathotep both had the same level of face value as Shub. However, they were able to control their sense of presence at will and were skilled at distorting reality. Ordinary humans didn¡¯t focus on them too much. Besides, for either of these evil gods, strolling around MU or the White House was like visiting their own backyard. They could discard their current identities and create a new one with the twitch of a finger.


    As for Cthulhu-mode Zong Yan, as an evil god-in-training he couldn¡¯t even attempt something with such a high degree of difficulty. The only option he had was to hypnotize the barbershop owner.


    Mental suggestion wasn¡¯t difficult for him. After all, Cthulhu was famous for his ability to communicate with the world¡¯s highest-insight humans and drag them into his dreams.


    Zong Yan originally wanted to ask Yog-Sothoth if the great Lord of Time and Space could help him find a way to replace his body.


    But after that incident of peeking into the future, Zong Yan just wanted to hide on the other side of the planet. There was no way he¡¯d voluntarily send himself to Yog-Sothoth¡¯s door.


    Because Zong Yan felt that his three views were on the verge of breaking down.


    It was something neither Miskatonic University nor the occult world had managed, but a fragment of the future accomplished it with ease! How did that work?


    And that was the reason Zong Yan hadn¡¯t been feeling well the past few days. He used every possible method to avoid Yog-Sothoth, because whenever he saw the Lord of the Gate he couldn¡¯t help but think of that scene.


    Although New York was saved, the Gate of Truth remained in Boston. Zong Yan identified himself and returned to MU through the Gate, agreeing on the spot to be evaluated by a group of senior investigators.


    Strangely enough, although everyone kept giving him weird looks, they didn¡¯t seem to view him with any wariness or suspicion. It was more like admiration and disbelief, like they¡¯d just witnessed someone cheat death. Zong Yan was bewildered.


    He¡¯d made a big splash in the occult world as the youngest Monarch, but this had to be something else, right?


    Unfortunately, time was running short, and Zong Yan didn¡¯t have another mechanism to contact the outside world. His cell phone was still with his original body, and his body remained inside Yog-Sothoth¡¯s body. And whenever he thought about that name, his temples started to spasm, so he didn¡¯t have another way to leave the United States. There was no other choice but to contact MU.


    That was why he still couldn¡¯t go back to Qingyang High School to study properly. First he had to explain why he disappeared for half a month.


    As for why there was such a big fuss about it, Miskatonic University had seen its share of investigators go missing. Once, an investigator had disappeared for a long period of time. After he came back, they discovered he¡¯d secretly joined a cult and only returned to MU as a spy. Zong Yan understood the reason for it and cooperated fully.


    With a pen in his hand, the lead investigator turned over the pages before him and got ready to start the recording.


    They were sitting at a high bench like in a Western-style courtroom, overlooking a group of people in the middle of the room. Zong Yan sat at the center of the bench, the focus of everyone¡¯s attention.


    Recently, Zong Yan had put in a lot of hours practicing mind control, trying to prevent people from automatically paying attention to him.


    But his operating technique still wasn¡¯t very skilled. While it was true that he could mass mind control all the investigators present, he couldn¡¯t guarantee whether he¡¯d inadvertently reveal himself somehow or send everyone to the mental hospital.


    After weighing the pros and cons, Zong Yan decided to use his own nonsense fabrication methods and try to muddle through.


    But the investigator¡¯s first sentence totally bewildered him.


    ¡°Mr. Zong Yan, please state your Chinese citizenship ID number, your original home address, and the names of any of your classmates in junior high.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    In a daze he did as he was told, and everyone¡¯s attention shifted back to the lead investigator.


    The lead investigator had a face like an enemy, and his eyes were like a falcon¡¯s, trained on the pages of his notebook. He finally let out a deep sigh. ¡°Identity confirmed.¡±


    He immediately closed his notes, took off his hat and bowed slightly in respect. ¡°Welcome back, Monarch Zong Yan.¡±


    The investigators in the surrounding seats also stood up, clapping and doffing their hats in salute. The thunderous applause lasted nearly a minute.


    ¡°Thank you for saving the world.¡±


    They all came out of their seats, spontaneously formed a line, and came over to shake Zong Yan¡¯s hand one at a time. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the occult world¡¯s astronomical observation array in Greenwich, which detected the fluctuations of your alchemical signature, we might never have known about your selfless dedication. Your actions exemplify the greatest glories of human nature.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir, for everything you¡¯ve done for the occult world and humanity.¡±


    In the back, an elderly investigator more than seventy years old began to wipe his tears. ¡°No one heard from you for half a month. We were all worried you¡¯d suffered an accident. We even held a grand funeral for you in the central auditorium of the college.¡±


    ¡°Thank God you¡¯re all right. This is the best news I¡¯ve heard all year!¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Huh???


    Stunned, he shook hands with the investigators one by one, and then the professors took him to MU¡¯s central conference room.


    The projector in the conference room was already activated, displaying several faces. Among them were people whom Zong Yan often saw on international news, including heads of state.


    Their response was the same as the MU investigators¡¯. They sent their sincere thanks to Zong Yan on behalf of their respective countries.


    Among them, the U.S. spokesman said they¡¯d reached an agreement with the occult community. It seemed that because of some kind of operator error, a video of Zong Yan fighting ghouls in New York had been circulating wildly on the Internet. The occult world had thought Zong Yan was dead for the past two weeks, but the enthusiasm of netizens continued unabated. They¡¯d even posted a video of Zong Yan¡¯s performance on stage from the recent New Year¡¯s ceremony of Qingyang High School. It wasn¡¯t understood why none of the videos had audio, but people eating melons online didn¡¯t care. As long as they could lick a handsome face, they were happy.


    The leaked video of Zong Yan had spread far and wide, causing a sensation. In addition, U.S. officials doubled down on the problem by confirming that they¡¯d accidentally switched to a memory storage card with footage from an unreleased film. Everyone had gotten more and more excited to see the movie.


    Originally, after the tenth Monarch of the occult world went missing, the U.S. authorities planned to find a body double to shoot some symbolic footage in an attempt to skate past the problem. But as it turned out, Zong Yan was just fine, and they were in a much better situation. That meant the movie was back on the agenda.


    This was by no means a joke. If the public¡¯s first instinct hadn¡¯t been that they were watching a movie, rather than witnessing a live revelation of a person with superpowers, America¡¯s global reputation would have tanked. Putting aside the reaction of other countries, the American public would be the first to rise up and march in the streets, and the government¡¯s credibility would have fallen into the gutter.


    So this was something they absolutely couldn¡¯t let go of.


    The government would arrange for the best director and special effects team, and pay Zong Yan the highest salary, to get this movie released.


    Zong Yan, who was suddenly scheduled for a movie shoot: ?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the team we got is top-notch. We¡¯ve done our best to recreate the situation in New York and the scene depicted in the video. By the way, we¡¯ve also brought in several international stars to co-star with you, including the world-renowned Shub-Niggurath¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Zong Yan said quickly. ¡°Everything else is fine. Please donate all the money from the movie to my home country in my own name. Finally, as long as Shub-Niggurath doesn¡¯t participate, I¡¯ll consider doing the movie.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh. Well, of course we can accommodate such a small request.¡±


    The spokesman was a little confused, but he¡¯d gotten instructions from the top. As long as their bottom line wasn¡¯t crossed, they¡¯d agree to other conditions without quibbling. So he promised right away.


    It was only when the projection screen was turned off that Zong Yan began to feel a sense of unreality.


    After disappearing for half a month and coming back, not only had he revealed one of his identities, he¡¯d also become a great hero who saved the world. Besides that, he was popular all over the world, had countless fans, was about to participate in a unique large-scale production in Hollywood, and countless film emperors were going to be his supporting actors. He was basically debuting at the peak of fame, right?


    Zong Yan never thought he¡¯d reveal himself by using an alchemical magic pattern.


    Alchemical magic patterns were mysterious things. Every person¡¯s patterns had a trace of their own exclusive aura. This signature was recorded in the archives of the Spire Council, a little like how magic wands were traced in Harry Potter, forbidding underage wizards from using magic outside school.


    The world was really amazing.


    Zong Yan had no idea what kind of sensation would erupt when he went back to Qingyang High School¡­ Obviously, he just wanted to be an ordinary high school student and prepare for the college entrance exam in peace and quiet!!!


    While he was stressing about this, a shadow crossed over from a distance and the light before his eyes suddenly darkened.


    The evil god had changed his appearance. He was no longer the image of a scholar wearing a trench coat and a monocle. He was now the avatar of the Great Old One, with gray hair, golden eyes, and white robes.


    Meeting Zong Yan¡¯s frozen stare, the ends of his eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°You have been avoiding me.¡±


    It was a declarative sentence.


    TL Notes:


    his face had 360 degrees without any dead angles ¨C ÊÇÒòΪËûµÄÍâòÈý°ÙÁùÊ®¶ÈÎÞËÀ½Ç ¨C This means you can take a picture or look at him from any angle and his appearance is always good (unlike people who always try to angle their face towards the camera the same way for the best look)


    evil god-in-training ¨C Õâ¸ö°ë·³ö¼ÒµÄаÉñ ¨C evil god who became a monk ¨C °ë·³ö¼Ò means to become a monk or nun late in life; switch to a job one was not trained for; switch to a new profession; without solid foundation or training


    hide on the other side of the planet ¨C ¶ã¶Ô·½¶¼À´²»¼° ¨C it¡¯s too late/there¡¯s not enough time to do anything but hide from the other party


    weighing the pros and cons ¨C ȨºâÀû±× ¨C weigh advantages and disadvantages; weigh the advantages and disadvantages; weigh the pros and cons


    nonsense fabrication methods ¨C ºú±àÂÒÔì´ó·¨ ¨C manufacture indiscriminate Dharma


    try to muddle through ¨C ÃÉ»ì¹ý¹Ø ¨C slip by [through]; slip away unpunished; bluff it out; get by; get by under false pretenses; gloss over one¡¯s faults; sneak away in the confusion; muddle through by glossing over one¡¯s mistakes


    Monarch Zong Yan ¨C ×ÚÑܸóÏ ¨C Z¨­ng y¨£n g¨¦xi¨¤ ¨C Typically g¨¦xi¨¤ would become ¡°sir¡± or ¡°Your Excellency¡± (for the MU school chancellors), but ¡°Monarch¡± seemed more appropriate here


    eating melons ¨C ³Ô¹Ï ¨C A common activity for unrelated bystanders who just want to enjoy a show or are enjoying a spectacle. In English we might say they were eating popcorn


    lick a (handsome) face ¨C ÌòÑÕ¾Í ¨C ¡°Licking the screen¡± is said to be a common activity for netizens who spend their time appreciating handsome or beautiful people


    fallen into the gutter ¨C µøÆƱùµã ¨C below freezing


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 96

    Zong Yan¡¯s whole body froze.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± With a stiff neck he stubbornly refused to admit it.


    What nonsense¡ªeven if Yog-Sothoth had changed his face, this was still the Lord of Time and Space he was talking to.


    ¡°Hmm? Is that Professor Tawil and the chief?¡±


    People were streaming in and out of the auditorium. After suddenly becoming famous, Zong Yan had gained a great deal of respect and acclaim. As he stood in the corridor of the auditorium, the professors and students who passed by swept him admiring glances, openly or otherwise.


    ¡°They say the event in New York was resolved by the chief. Worthy of being the youngest Monarch¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, I saw that video too. It was so cool!¡±


    ¡°The tenth and seventh Monarchs? Ah, yes, I remember. Before the tenth Monarch had his Second Awakening, the seventh Monarch was his mentor.¡± One of the old professors lifted his eyeglasses and said to his pupil, ¡°The disaster from before is still fresh in my mind. Go back and write another third-level paper on alchemical magic patterns. Even the Monarchs are studying hard. Why should you take it easy?¡±


    The people in the crowd had varying expressions on their faces, but Zong Yan was on pins and needles. His eyes were glued to the ground, nose almost lowered to his chest.


    The corners of the young man¡¯s eyes still held a trace of dark green. Although his hair color had returned to black thanks to human hair coloring techniques, it was possible the colorist hadn¡¯t been very skilled. A small section of hair at the top of his head had a slight dark green tinge. Somehow it was a little cute.


    From this vantage point, the gray-haired evil god easily perceived the young man¡¯s slightly trembling eyelashes and the strained expression he couldn¡¯t completely hide.


    What had he been up to lately?


    For a rare moment, Yog-Sothoth pondered this question seriously. A sequence of complex calculations followed his impulse, but nowhere did he discover a probability that exceeded the lower bound of significance.


    The black-haired teenager was evading him, and the reason was unknown.


    The Lord of the Gate¡¯s interest level increased even more. He suddenly remembered yesterday in New York, when they were about to exit the time axis. At the last moment, the young evil god had raised his eyes to look at the far end of the timeline.


    Yog-Sothoth couldn¡¯t see Zong Yan¡¯s future.


    To put it another way, in this universe there were only two futures the Lord of Time and Space couldn¡¯t see: his own and Zong Yan¡¯s.


    He was only able to see Zong Yan¡¯s past and present.


    Was it possible the other party had seen something in a fragment of the future?


    The master of time and space keenly grasped this point.


    For Yog-Sothoth, this human was different.


    After thinking about it for hundreds of millions of years, the evil god still didn¡¯t quite understand, but he knew Zong Yan was different.


    The Lord of the Gate once entertained the idea of making this human his priest, but now¡­ he didn¡¯t want that.


    The followers of an evil god believed in him with all their heart and soul, and priests were humans that an evil god found slightly interesting. Even so, there wasn¡¯t a single evil god who cared about his followers.


    It was only after the Lord of Time and Space realized something was different about Zong Yan that he lost this insignificant status in the evil god¡¯s eyes.


    The Lord of Time and Space now harbored an unparalleled interest in the human before him. Unless Zong Yan intentionally looked for trouble on his own, there was absolutely no possibility that any kind of accident would happen to him.


    For an evil god with an inherently evil nature, making such a commitment was on the same level as declaring the outbreak of a major cosmic war.


    So what was going on?


    Yog had always been an evil god who explored the unknown to the furthest extent. And right now he was incredibly curious about the future that Zong Yan had seen but he could not.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back now.¡± Zong Yan ducked his head, turned around hastily, and scooted away.


    ¡°Did I give you permission to leave?¡±


    Zong Yan barely managed half a step before he almost bumped into the white robe of the gray-haired evil god.


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils immediately shrank. He retreated a bit more.


    ¡°I still have to turn in material proof to support my identity, go to the Logistics Department to get tickets for tonight¡¯s flight, and check in with my friends before I leave. I have to go back to Jiangzhou to study for my senior year of high school, and I have to take the college entrance exam. I¡¯m really busy.¡±


    A few people in the corridor of the auditorium were already paying attention to them. In such a public place, Zong Yan had to give his advisor some face.


    ¡°Material proof?¡± Yog lifted his lips mockingly. ¡°Then you really don¡¯t know.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Miskatonic University secretly made a decision,¡± the evil god said. ¡°The core review group led by Paracelsus intends to extract a sample of your blood for research.¡±


    Zong Yan was shocked.


    His current body wasn¡¯t human. If someone insisted on giving him a physical examination, his blood would be the first thing to expose him.


    After all, evil gods didn¡¯t have blood.


    It was only now that Zong Yan realized something he¡¯d overlooked.


    Heroes might receive a lot of admiration and reverence, and they were loved by the vast majority of people.


    But at the same time, a hero would receive endless suspicion and pressure from all sides, as well as tireless underhanded tactics from conspiracy theorists.


    Was Superman from DC Comics a hero? Yes, he had virtues that surpassed those of a human being. But even he had enemies who opposed him, like Lex Luther. After all, it wasn¡¯t a good thing for anyone to have too much power, especially when that power had reached the point that it could fight a Great Old One and even repel an Outer God.


    Fear. Mysterious power led to fear, and fear led to prejudice and malice.


    That was why Zong Yan had never wanted to reveal himself.


    But now the bell had been rung, and it was useless to talk about it. Even if he¡¯d known he was going to reveal himself, Zong Yan still would have done the exact same thing. He still would have rushed into outer space without hesitating.


    While Zong Yan was trying to think of a countermeasure, Yog said something that astonished him.


    ¡°I already handled it for you. They¡¯re just a few ants.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    The black-haired teen¡¯s pupils quaked.


    The Lord of the Gate admired his surprised look, secretly recording it in his mind so he could decide later which of the other party¡¯s facial expressions pleased him more. ¡°Incidentally, Paracelsus is a firm believer in Cthulhu.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    He felt like his three views were about to implode.


    ¡°The Paracelsus you mentioned¡­¡± he said with difficulty. ¡°Is it the same person I¡¯m thinking of?¡±


    That¡¯s the vice chancellor of MU! The vice chancellor!!! If even the vice chancellor was an infiltrator sent by a cult, Miskatonic University wasn¡¯t the cradle of all investigators, it was more like a reserve division of cultists!


    The Lord of Time and Space sneered. ¡°His qualifications weren¡¯t sufficient to refine the philosopher¡¯s stone on his own. It was just that he received the favor of Cthulhu.¡±


    Zong Yan felt like he¡¯d heard this story before. He began to wonder if the screenwriter of the Avengers series was another cultist who came up with the villainous S.H.I.E.l.D. organization after being inspired by MU.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. The strangest thing was Yog-Sothoth¡¯s attitude.


    He was so helpful and friendly, like he¡¯d been possessed by a benevolent angel.


    Yog was able to distort reality and drag human cognition into a void with the snap of his finger, but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d volunteer to help a human who was on the same level as an ant.


    ¡°Well then. I thank the great Lord of the Gate for giving me a little hint,¡± Zong Yan said in a dull voice. ¡°If that¡¯s everything¡ª¡±


    ¡°Want to be human again?¡± Yog smiled slightly and threw out a topic Zong Yan would never be able to refuse. ¡°Your human body is still with me.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re the human whom the evil god is most interested in. Whatever you wish for, the god will always agree.¡¯


    The Lord of the Gates¡¯ tranquil smile had a hint of something sinister. ¡®Of course, this time you¡¯ll pay a price.¡¯


    ¡®Unfortunately¡­ as you are now, you can¡¯t pay the price the evil god wants.¡¯


    ¡ª


    In the end, Zong Yan agreed.


    Once again he followed Yog-Sothoth beyond time and space.


    This time Yog didn¡¯t crudely cut through space. Instead he took Zong Yan through the first Gate of the Silver Key.


    The ancient ones rose from their places around the throne and knelt down in respect.


    Recently the Lord of Time and Space had passed through this door several times. In the past, billions of years might go by without the mighty Lord of the Gate ever traversing the Ultimate Gate. But this time he not only returned, but also brought with him¡­?


    Even the eldest of the ancient ones had never been led through the Ultimate Gate by the Lord of Time and Space himself.


    In the past there had been beings who¡¯d pleased the Lord of the Gate and been allowed to pass through the Ultimate Gate. Some were lost forever in the ocean of time among parallel dimensions. A very few joined the ranks of the ancient ones, becoming subordinate gods of the Lord of the Gate, guarding the gate beyond the universe where time didn¡¯t flow.


    The ancient ones didn¡¯t look up until the Lord of the Gate disappeared behind the Ultimate Gate with the other young evil god. Only then did they dare to exchange surprised glances with each other.


    ¡°They were surprised.¡±


    Ever since becoming an evil god with dominant psychic abilities, Zong Yan had been sensitive to the mood changes of intelligent creatures, not to mention the fact that the ancient ones weren¡¯t able to perfectly hide their emotions.


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the only human to enjoy such a privilege.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate waved his hand carelessly, and the body that was enfolded by a billion spheres of light slowly floated towards them through the void, surrounded by a soft glow.


    For the first time, Zong Yan looked at his former body from the outside. He couldn¡¯t help thinking it was incredible.


    ¡°Have you decided?¡± Yog asked casually.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡±


    He took a deep breath. Without hesitating, he took out the Astrologer¡¯s card and crushed it.


    A second later, Zong Yan¡¯s vision suddenly shifted from up high to parallel with the void. A sudden feeling of weakness passed over him, an instant reminder of the fact ¡°you have returned to a human body¡±.


    The Astrologer stood under the glow of the timeline and the stars in the sky. An SS-rank Great Old One persona card was clasped between his fingers.


    Returning to his original body was simple.


    All he had to do was destroy the daily disposable persona card he¡¯d drawn.


    The gray-haired evil god watched this scene with considerable interest.


    On one side, a formidable evil god. On the other, a human too weak to even truss a chicken.


    A gap in space was sliced open once again. This time it didn¡¯t reveal the multi-colored splendor that appeared when Zong Yan was drawing cards. Instead there was a cold, dead, black void.


    Zong Yan referred to it as ¡°black space¡±. Usually it just served as a trash can. Whenever Zong Yan drew a waste card, he would toss it into the black space to be destroyed a second later.


    This time, the card in his hand was SS-rank, but Zong Yan didn¡¯t waver. He relaxed his fingers.


    The card was swallowed by the darkness.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve returned to a human body, shall we talk about the price?¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Previously, the evil god had brought him from ancient times to the modern era, something that required the Lord of Time and Space¡¯s personal effort, but he hadn¡¯t asked for a price. He didn¡¯t have a reason to charge him for getting back his human body, right?


    But Zong Yan was short of options. Now that he was human, his strength was utterly incomparable to the Lord of the Gate. Aside from using the Azathoth card in an act of self-destruction, any other form of resistance would be in vain.


    Zong Yan took a deep breath. ¡°All right. What do I have to pay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±


    The evil god curved the corners of his mouth, but this smile gave Zong Yan such a fright he almost fell over.


    When Zong Yan had peeked into the future, the Lord of Time and Space revealed an identical enigmatic smile.


    The memories he so desperately wanted to avoid stirred and clamored in his mind.


    ¡°Let me see what you¡¯re trying so hard to conceal.¡±


    Something cold suddenly pressed against the center of Zong Yan¡¯s forehead. A clammy tendril of mental power looped around his ankles, and the fragile black-haired teenager was instantly dragged to the bottom of a lightless abyss.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Bubbles: So curious, what exactly did he see in the future!


    TL Notes:


    the bell had been rung ¨C ľÒѳÉÖÛ ¨C the wood is already made into a boat¡ªwhat is done cannot be undone


    benevolent angel ¨C ³ãÌìʹ ¨C seraphim, blazing angel


    act of self-destruction ¨C Óñʯ¾ã·Ù ¨C jade and stone burned together; A fire knows no moral; destruction of good and bad alike


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    DC Comics ¨C DCÂþ»­Àï


    Superman ¨C ³¬ÈË


    Lex Luthor ¨C À³¿Ë˹¡¤Â¬Éª


    Avengers ¨C ¸´³ðÕßÁªÃË


    S.H.I.E.L.D. ¨C Éñ¶Ü¾Ö


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 97

    To be fair, although Yog-Sothoth lacked certain emotions, he had a deep appreciation for Zong Yan.


    Zong Yan had surrendered an unimaginable, unobtainable amount of power without a second thought. Not everyone had such determination.


    Moreover, the power of an evil god was a world away from a human being. Like the difference between clouds and mud, it was a level that couldn¡¯t be reached no matter how one strived. A human who wanted to explore the power of the gods would only lose themselves in the cracks of reality and fall into madness.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly easy to possess the power of an evil god.


    Power is addictive. Power dominates everything. Turning clouds into rain with the wave of a hand, wielding absolute power over the life and death of all things.


    If Zong Yan hadn¡¯t given up this power, sooner or later he would have been influenced by the evil impulses inherent to his body. Eventually he would be assimilated by the thoughts that pervade the minds of evil gods, abandoning those weak emotions that belong to human beings. His humanity would be completely extinguished, his original personality would be subsumed, and he would become in all respects a cold and ruthless evil god.


    There was nothing surprising about this process. The reason evil gods were called evil was because of their deep-rooted amoral tendencies. The spiritual pollution that came attached to their bodies was horrific in itself, and the souls of weaker intelligent creatures had no way of resisting this corrosion.


    This was something Yog-Sothoth had never concealed from Zong Yan.


    In a sense, the Lord of the Gate admired Zong Yan most when he was human, struggling with the dazzling, brilliant hope that burst out from despair.


    Human lives were limited to a century and unbelievably fragile, but it was because their time was so short that made it precious.


    Zong Yan had lived as an evil god for a considerable amount of time, but he gave it up without any hesitation or reluctance, and his soul didn¡¯t show any signs of being bewitched by power. It revealed a level of tenacity and mental strength that made the Lord of the Gate turn his head.


    An ink-black layer came out of nowhere and suddenly blanketed this place, located outside of time and space. A cold, clammy shadow wrapped around Zong Yan¡¯s ankles and yanked the black-haired teen straight down into darkness.


    He¡¯d just given up the power of an evil god and returned to his original body. His reaction speed was slow. He felt incredibly weak.


    Every time he underwent a soul transformation, he experienced similar after-effects. Like when he first became the half-self of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh, or when he returned to his own body stored inside the Lord of Time and Space. At first he couldn¡¯t even open his eyes, let alone twitch his fingers.


    Zong Yan hadn¡¯t expected Yog-Sothoth to catch him off guard like this. Maybe his defenses had been lowered by the Lord of Time and Space¡¯s recent friendly behavior, so much so that all Zong Yan was able to do right now was jump up and down in his own sea of consciousness in a state of total anxiety.


    ¡°Let me see what you¡¯re trying so hard to conceal.¡±


    Zong Yan forced himself to calm down. He recalled what the Lord of the Gate said just now, and his heart turned a hundred somersaults.


    Since when was he concealing something? Zong Yan felt completely innocent. As if he¡¯d dare hide anything from the all-knowing, all-seeing Lord. Was he tired of living?


    No¡­ wait¡ª


    There actually was something he was trying to avoid.


    Zong Yan gulped nervously, and his eyes revealed the grief of a heart in utter despair. The next instant, he was wrapped up in the darkness like a package and his brain completely halted.


    In his last second of consciousness, Zong Yan prayed from the bottom of his heart that the other party wouldn¡¯t uncover a certain fragment of the future in his memory.


    Because it was really¡­ too embarrassing.


    ¡ª


    In spite of Zong Yan¡¯s breathless horror, the matter disappeared without a ripple.


    After getting his original body back, Zong Yan gingerly departed from the end of time and space. Along the way, he cast several unobtrusive, measuring glances at the Lord of the Gate.


    The other party¡¯s face was unperturbed and calm, but every time Zong Yan peeked at him, the evil god¡¯s eyes met his with perfect synchronization.


    Everything really seemed to be okay?


    The more Zong Yan thought about it, the more he decided the future he saw in the timeline was utterly ridiculous.


    As many people were aware, there were a countless number of parallel dimensions in the universe. The one he saw probably came from the most outrageous, least probable future. Besides, look how frigid and indifferent these evil gods were. They didn¡¯t have any kind of desires or needs when it came to such things.


    Zong Yan had been an evil god himself. How could he not be clear on that? Evil gods reproduced by fission. Despite the ¡°evil¡± label on their heads, in this respect their hearts were pure and passionless. They didn¡¯t care at all how lower-level intelligent creatures reproduced.


    So Zong Yan managed to put his mind at ease.


    He pushed through the door of the Ultimate Gate and left, quickly walking past the ancient ones who now had surprise written on their faces.


    The ancient ones had never heard of the Ultimate Gate opening from the inside, not to mention the fact that the being who emerged belonged to an ordinary, inferior race, although its appearance was oddly similar to the evil god who was brought inside before by their superior.


    When Zong Yan returned to MU, the first thing he did was go to the Logistics Department.


    His cell phone had been irreversibly damaged by radiation in outer space. It was almost impossible to turn it on.


    The Logistics Department gave him a new phone and a full set of travel gear. Lastly, he was told that because there weren¡¯t any flights available that night, the college planned to make an exception and directly link him to the spatial coordinates of Miskatonic University in Jiangzhou.


    Amazing, it was practically state guest treatment.


    Under the admiring eyes of everyone in the Logistics Department, Zong Yan hurriedly bowed his thanks, grabbed his phone, and ran away.


    It wasn¡¯t that Zong Yan had never noticed the way people stared at him before, but he didn¡¯t fully understand his own hardware specs, so he¡¯d never paid attention. But now it had reached level. He was now famous. Wherever he went, fellow students might come over to ask him to sign an autograph. It made for quite a spectacle.


    That wasn¡¯t all. After he finally managed to log into the MU app, the top post obviously hadn¡¯t been updated yet.


    ¡¾Deep condolences: The tenth Monarch died heroically to save the world. A memorial service will be held in the auditorium of Miskatonic University on the 15th of this month¡¿


    Okay, fine.


    Zong Yan began to think that if he¡¯d come back any later, people wouldn¡¯t have thought he was a fake dead man, instead they might be screaming about a ghost.


    Another message on the app forum attracted his attention.


    ¡¾Unusual changes reported in the South Pacific, but no signs the stars are about to return. Coastal residents have found the bodies of a large number of unidentified creatures¡¿


    The South Pacific!


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart almost seized. He quickly scanned the item.


    Although Zong Yan had never quite adapted to being an evil god, Cthulhu really hadn¡¯t treated him poorly.


    Even though he was a fake.


    ¡¾Main content: image, image¡¿


    ¡¾Recently, otherworldly creatures caught along the coast of Pohnpei Island were reported to the relevant official agency and were turned over to the Spire Council for evaluation¡¿


    The contents of the two photos were painfully familiar.


    Ugly skin like a toad, a fish-like head with a humanoid body. They clearly belonged to the most renowned subordinate race of the Cthulhu clan, the Deep Ones!


    ¡°Whew¡ª¡± he sighed.


    The original Zong Yan had catapulted Ghroth to an extremely distant galaxy. Unless some kind of accident took place, the stars weren¡¯t going to return for as long as the Earth existed.


    If the stars didn¡¯t return to their original positions in the sky, Cthulhu couldn¡¯t awaken from the eternal sleep of R¡¯lyeh.


    Zong Yan told himself there must be a mistake. Yog-Sothoth took care of it himself. Everything should be back on track.


    Cthulhu wouldn¡¯t remember that he once had a second self, or that he¡¯d spent billions of years guarding his half-self until he awakened.


    When the Lord of R¡¯lyeh woke up, his wrath which had been sealed away for millions of years would sweep across the Earth, dragging all intelligent creatures into Cthulhu¡¯s world of dreams, and R¡¯lyeh¡¯s reign of terror would resume.


    Evil gods were inherently ruthless. From the perspective of Zong Yan, who was now a human, the best choice was for Cthulhu to continue his long sleep indefinitely.


    Zong Yan¡¯s mood was slightly complex. He knew the Spire Council wanted to find out exactly what he¡¯d done to force back a Great Old One and an Outer God, and he knew the Vice Chancellor, whom he thought was a good person, was also a secret Cthulhu cultist. It was more than a little shocking.


    Zong Yan thought about it over and over. In the end he decided it was better not to beat the grass and scare the snake.


    It was possible the strange situation in the South Pacific was the long-cherished goal of Cthulhu¡¯s cult. Paracelsus was probably heavily involved. When the time came, he would certainly give himself away.


    ¡°Are you Mr. Zong Yan?¡±


    The plane was parked in a private airfield in Boston. The captain and a flight attendant in a sheath dress stood at the entrance, waiting politely.


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    He gave his luggage to the flight attendant, nodded to the captain, and walked onto the plane first.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why, but after returning from outside time and space, Zong Yan¡¯s muscles were aching all over. His whole brain was a little dizzy.


    So he didn¡¯t say much. As soon as he got on the plane, he asked for an eye mask and a quilt, and then he rolled into bed. The next second he sank into a dark, sweet dream.


    By the time the plane landed, everything would go back to normal.


    He¡¯d return to Qingyang High School and spend his last few tense but unexciting months in senior three.


    As for everything that happened before, it was all just a dream.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan slept peacefully. He didn¡¯t even turn over or open his eyes until the plane landed.


    What he didn¡¯t realize was that a trace of the evil god¡¯s divine consciousness remained deep in his unconscious mind.


    The gray-haired evil god roamed the sea of Zong Yan¡¯s consciousness like a mist. All around him were drifting fragments, entangling the evil god in the spiritual sea.


    He searched for the thing he wanted to see inside these memories, until he finally found the answer in a secluded nook the owner obviously wanted to abandon.


    In a fragmentary vision of the future, the black-haired teen¡¯s dark eyes were heavily misted over, incomparably dazed, and the corners of his eyes were stained with a matchless crimson blush.


    As his mouth opened in a gasp, his lips were as delicate and charming as drops of blood, his body rose and sank, and his neck was incredibly slender.


    Yog-Sothoth¡¯s eyes deepened with a sudden realization.


    He¡¯d found at last the most fitting, perfect expression for the face of that black-haired young man.


    TL Notes:


    without a second thought / without a ripple ¨C Çá¶øÒ×¾Ù ¨C be an easy job to; as easy as ABC; can be done in a slipshod way; can be easily done


    the grief of a heart in utter despair ¨C °§Äª´óÓÚÐÄËÀ ¨C Nothing is more lamentable than a dead heart; Despair is the greatest sorrow; Nothing gives greater cause for sorrow than despair; There is no grief so great as despair


    breathless horror ¨C ÌáÐĵõµ¨ ¨C be always on tenterhooks; be filled with anxiety [fear]; be haunted with fear; be in a blue funk; be in great terror; breathless with fear; have a thrill of horror; have one¡¯s heart in one¡¯s mouth; have one¡¯s nerves kept on tenterhooks


    Cthulhu really hadn¡¯t treated him poorly ¨C ¿ËËÕ³¶ÔËûÊÇÕæµÄû»°Ëµ ¨C ¡°Cthulhu really had nothing to say to him¡± ¨C Providing the raw bc this was super vague


    more than a little shocking ¨C ÕæÊÇÈÃÈ˵øËéÑÛ¾µ ¨C makes people break their glasses, what a shock, eye-opener


    beat the grass and scare the snake ¨C ´ò²Ý¾ªÉß ¨C beat the grass and frighten away the snake ¡ª act rashly and alert the enemy; beat emptily upon the grass, and the snake will be frightened; beat the grass and drive the snake away; beat the grass and the snake will be startled; let sleeping dogs lie; arouse suspicions


    give himself away ¨C Âí½Å ¨C horse¡¯s foot ¨C sth. that gives the game away, cloven hoof, let the cat out of the bag


    walked onto the plane first ¨C ÂÊÏÈ×ßÉÏÁË·É»ú ¨C At least in Western etiquette, it¡¯s more usual for the VIP to board last. Last on, first off bc it saves time for the ¡°most important¡± person


    his mouth opened in a gasp ¨C ËûµÄ¿Ú³Ý¿ª¿ªºÏºÏ ¨C his mouth opened and closed ¨C I may not always note this kind of thing, but I¡¯ll occasionally make choices that in effect ¡°ramp up¡± the language slightly to get the idea across. Otherwise things can sound really mechanical and strange


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Pohnpei Island ¨C ²¨ÄÉÅ嵺 ¨C Formerly known as Ponape or Ascension Island, one of four states in the Federated States of Micronesia


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 98

    Only half a month had passed, but it was enough for some earth-shaking changes.


    For example, Edward and Wang KeMing initially blamed themselves when Zong Yan disappeared. Eventually they leaked a bit of information about him.


    When the incident was over, there were reports that a senior member of the British royal family had been in danger. Then the world discovered the British king was hospitalized and in ill health.


    As crown prince, Edward saw through the smoke and mirrors.


    According to rumors, by now the old king was hanging by a thread. Edward¡¯s older brother and sister knew he wasn¡¯t in the country and began thinking certain thoughts they shouldn¡¯t have. They made a concerted effort to get rid of the crown prince.


    At that point, the occult world intervened. Because the country of Great Britain was now under martial law, certain forces secretly stepped in and tried to drag Edward back to the United States. If they had their way, Edward wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to return until the ashes of the funeral were cold.


    But it seemed that Edward somehow found his own way back.


    Of course, he faced incredibly difficult circumstances on his arrival. Edward and the Spire Council reached some kind of agreement. Neither Zong Yan nor Wang KeMing were able to contact him, so all they could do was wait anxiously for news.


    Aside from that, Zong Yan once again resumed his ordinary high school life on campus.


    If you had to point out the biggest difference, it was probably that whenever he walked around the school, an increasing number of students followed him around and came up to him asking him to sign things.


    The Internet was crawling with marketing materials about the new special effects-packed Hollywood blockbuster. Everyone firmly believed that Zong Yan was going to shoot a movie after graduation and become the next person to break into Hollywood. They all wanted to get the autograph of the future superstar.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    These days Zong Yan was busy. He reported to his superiors, and then the American side sent a film crew and said they wanted to shoot the posters. As soon as he went back to school, he was running all over Jiangzhou shooting on location.


    The movie couldn¡¯t be delayed. It was February now, and after Zong Yan finished the college entrance exam in the first week of June, he had to join the movie set immediately. They said the supporting actors had already begun to film. When the time came, all he had to do was shoot his own scenes.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. After he finished verifying his identity with MU, he also had to return to the Dragon Group in China.


    And this time He Yuan and Si Yan were especially irate. The latter had always been bad-tempered, but now even He Yuan, a pleasant-natured man who liked to smile, revealed his anger.


    ¡°I know you have ability and a terrifying level of talent, but you¡¯re still a kid.¡± He gazed steadily at Zong Yan for a long time. In the end he couldn¡¯t say much about Zong Yan¡¯s behavior and just let out a sigh. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do something dangerous, you have to tell us.¡±


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t sure exactly how the Lord of the Gate had tampered with reality. The entire occult world knew Zong Yan possessed staggering abilities, the kind that were powerful enough to tear an Elder God apart.


    But the Lord of Time and Space¡¯s distorted reality was in force. Not a single person went after Zong Yan or even treated him with fear.


    Such an incredible amount of power would normally inspire suspicion, wariness, and intense surveillance. It wouldn¡¯t end just with drawing his blood like in MU. They¡¯d try to perform experiments on him.


    Zong Yan wouldn¡¯t ever regret saving the world, but he might feel a chill from some of his fellow citizens¡¯ behavior.


    Fortunately, the Lord of Time and Space had no intention of letting his human be subjected to the dark side of certain people.


    He personally stepped in and modified reality.


    When Zong Yan noticed this, he had mixed feelings about it.


    Lately Yog had been helping him too much. It wasn¡¯t just bringing him back to modern times and helping to preserve his body. The evil god also helped Zong Yan by changing reality. He felt a little flattered.


    But he wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled, either, and the reason was the future he¡¯d glimpsed in the timeline.


    That was why, after returning to Jiangzhou, Zong Yan never went back to the small villa. Partly, he wanted to avoid Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath. He¡¯d rather commute a bit farther and use the Dragon Group apartment, standing on the subway for part of an hour every day, traveling to and from school.


    Curiosity really killed the cat, he thought wearily to himself.


    In addition to these tasks, there were miscellaneous things to do.


    He visited his grandma¡¯s grave in the countryside to sweep her tomb, then went back to the tube building again.


    He didn¡¯t know how the Dragon Group handled the aftermath of the incident in New York. The grandparents in the tube building all thought he was adopted by people in the community. They didn¡¯t know anything else.


    Although he had a lot of things on his plate, they didn¡¯t occupy much of his mind. Most of his focus was on the college entrance exam.


    He¡¯d wasted his entire winter vacation.


    All the other students put in long hours during winter break, cramming for their classes, using this short period of time to overtake the curve.


    But Zong Yan was a bit different. He hadn¡¯t even touched his winter homework, but that wasn¡¯t all. He traveled to another continent to save the world, signed up for a movie, and spent countless months on a limited prehistoric evil god world tour.


    By the time he returned to class, he was grieved to discover he¡¯d forgotten a lot of knowledge points.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t include physics. Yog-Sothoth¡¯s forced teaching methods were really too profound. After all, not everyone was able to experience the pain of suspending time for almost a hundred hours just to get a perfect score on a physics practice test.


    Time was running out. Zong Yan spent the entire month of February going over what he¡¯d forgotten.


    By that point, he reviewed pretty much all the subject areas he¡¯d mastered before. But he still had trouble with some small areas where he wasn¡¯t especially solid. There were even signs of losing ground.


    He¡¯d missed the monthly exam, but the second mock exam was on its way.


    The second mock exam was the most difficult of the three mock exams in senior year. The second exam was generally used to combat the self-confidence of senior three students. The difficulty was much higher than the college entrance exam.


    Because the pain was fresh in his mind, when Zong Yan got to the science exam, he went through the physics questions swish swish swish. For the very first time he was able to fill in the answers from beginning to end without any sign of faltering.


    This time the physics teacher happened to be proctoring the exam. When Zong Yan turned in his paper, the teacher couldn¡¯t help but take a look.


    But this time the test paper wasn¡¯t blank like usual. Instead there was a dense sequence of logic written all over it. Even the last question was filled out.


    Mr. Liu just glanced at it roughly. He remembered the answer to the final question and unexpectedly found that Zong Yan¡¯s result actually looked right.


    ¡®That kid, did he finally have a change of heart? He went to a secret cram school during winter break?¡¯


    He turned his head and watched as the black-haired teen, who¡¯d turned in his test paper, quickly sorted out the document folder on his desk. He picked up his school bag from the back then walked out slowly through the far classroom door. From the back he looked relaxed and elegant but lonely.


    In the second semester of senior three, Ye JingMing transferred to the International Department of Qingyang High School. The International Department was across the street from the regular high school. Class times there were extraordinarily relaxed, and when school let out it was still early. After Zong Yan returned, Ye JingMing mysteriously found him and invited him to a meal at the food stand down the street, dancing around excitedly the whole time.


    ¡°No one else knows, but I know. It¡¯s your superpower!¡± Ye JingMing chortled a bit. ¡°Man, I already got an offer. As soon as the TOEFL¡¯s over I¡¯ll head over. When you get to the U.S. you have to contact me, Mr. Movie Star.¡±


    Zong Yan carried his school bag. He glanced outside and didn¡¯t see a lot of people, so he quickly took a mask out of his pocket and put it on.


    School was dismissed a lot earlier than usual because of the afternoon exam. After Ye JingMing transferred, and after Zong Yan stopped living in the villa, he no longer had a buddy to walk home with. But that was normal for Zong Yan. He didn¡¯t feel lonely by himself.


    The second mock exam was over and tomorrow was the weekend. School ended early today, so Zong Yan thought about going back to the cottage.


    He¡¯d lived there for a long time at the beginning, long enough to buy a full set of household goods and school supplies. The location was a lot more convenient than the Dragon Group apartment, not to mention the fact the villa contained some of Zong Yan¡¯s clothes as well as his homework problem sets.


    That was the most important thing.


    The head teacher advised them to make a ¡°wrong answer¡± problem book. Zong Yan did this too, but he was lazy and usually just cut and pasted the incorrect questions directly from the test paper. That list of questions was like a treasure. It was too big a loss not to get it back.


    These days Zong Yan didn¡¯t encounter any otherworldly monsters or evil gods in Jiangzhou.


    It seemed that with the departure of Ghroth, extra-dimensional creatures had slowly disappeared from the city, returning to its previous low-key state.


    As for evil gods¡­ Aside from Yog-Sothoth, the other two pillar gods probably still assumed Zong Yan was dead. Although Nyarlathotep had a lot of avatars, he wouldn¡¯t waste time doing things that were meaningless after Zong Yan¡¯s death was confirmed. As for Shub-Niggurath, he¡¯d pretty much disappeared from entertainment news recently. He might be so infuriated he went to some unlucky region of outer space to destroy a galaxy or two.


    As for the Lord of Time and Space¡­ after leaving through the Gates of the Silver Key, Zong Yan hadn¡¯t seen him either.


    After thinking about it a long time, he decided to risk going back.


    The black-haired teen in the mask sneaked past the crowd and walked to the villa.


    He still had the key to the door. If he checked it out tonight and there were no evil gods, it wasn¡¯t impossible to consider moving back in.


    In the second semester of senior three, evening self-study hours had been added. The evening study session didn¡¯t end until after nine o¡¯clock, and Zong Yan took the subway back to the Dragon Group dormitory and didn¡¯t arrive until just before ten. Then he still had to do whatever homework he hadn¡¯t finished during evening self-study. It was a human tragedy.


    The Black Goat with a Thousand Young certainly wouldn¡¯t remember that he owned such a property, and Nyarla and Yog wouldn¡¯t be bored enough to come back. What did that mean?


    It meant Zong Yan had a three story villa all to himself¡ªempty, silent, and godless¡ªwell-decorated and equipped with all appliances. An entire villa with a private garden and absolutely reliable security, located in the city center, in an elegant and secluded environment.


    This plot of land was something Zong Yan wouldn¡¯t be able to afford in three lifetimes. But now he could have it for free, wasn¡¯t it beautiful?


    He already had a plan. Today he¡¯d test the waters and make sure there wasn¡¯t a problem. After he was certain, he¡¯d secretly move back in.


    ¡°Ker-klunk¡ª¡±


    Zong Yan carefully opened the door and reached over to turn on the lights.


    Pressed the switch, no response.


    ¡°Strange, what happened? Did the light bulb go out?¡±


    He put his school bag on the floor and stood on tiptoe, reaching up to remove the cover of the light fixture to check it, until he was surprised by a voice from the darkness.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because you haven¡¯t been back for so long. The electricity bill wasn¡¯t paid, so the power is out.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate floated in front of the entrance door. There was the shadow of a smile on his face.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Door ¨C to ¨C door  delivery


    This time it¡¯s the real cohabitation life¡ª


    TL Notes:


    ashes of the funeral were cold ¨C »Æ»¨²Ë¶¼Á¹ ¨C daylilies were cold


    dancing around excitedly ¨C ÊÖÎè×㵸 ¨C dance with joy [excitement]; cut a caper; dance for joy; gesticulating with hands and feet; gesticulate merrily; jump about joyfully; shake one¡¯s hands and stamp one¡¯s feet; wave one¡¯s arms and stamp one¡¯s feet in joy


    offer ¨C This word was in English in the raw


    Mr. Movie Star ¨C ´óÓ°ÐÇ ¨C big movie star


    test the waters ¨C ̽·ç ¨C explore the wind ¨C inquire about sb./sth.; make discreet inquiries about sb. or sth.; fish for information


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 99

    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He instantly reached into the gap in space and touched a card. His hand was half stretched out before he remembered the other party was, in a sense, on his side. His hand stopped in mid-air.


    Damn, damn, damn!


    He couldn¡¯t describe the feeling of shock.


    One minute you thought you were about to take possession of a three story villa, enjoy your own private garden, soaring to the peak of life, and then you¡¯re suddenly found out by the rightful owner.


    Wait, he couldn¡¯t say this was the rightful owner. This villa was technically owned by Shub-Niggurath.


    It was just that the evil god standing in the foyer was the very one Zong Yan was trying to avoid.


    Zong Yan: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Yog-Sothoth asked rhetorically. ¡°In fact, if I want to, I can change the name on the house property certificate immediately.¡±


    The evil god¡¯s tone was bland, as if he were stating a simple fact with no intention of joking. Zong Yan didn¡¯t hear a trace of emotion in his voice. It was indeed a trivial matter for an evil god to arrange.


    Zong Yan sputtered for a moment. To avoid embarrassment he hastily changed the subject. ¡°Why is the electricity turned off?¡±


    The Lord of the Gate gave him a deep look. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t come back.


    ¡°And evil gods don¡¯t need electricity.¡±


    In all honesty, Yog¡¯s appearance right now could be regarded as terror-inducing.


    He was using the gray-haired, white-robed physical form of Tawil. As he floated in the air, his white robe hung down eerily below him, and his golden eyes were emotionless. He was backgrounded by the pitch-black, electricity-free darkness of the villa¡¯s interior with just a fraction of moonlight to illuminate him. He looked like something from The Ring.


    Zong Yan was speechless for a moment.


    He began to form a vague suspicion.


    This sudden encounter might not be an accident. The other party had been waiting for him.


    No way, Zong Yan had returned to Jiangzhou almost a month ago. Why would the Lord of Time and Space ever have the patience to sit here for a month doing nothing?


    ¡°I just came back to get something. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    Zong Yan hurriedly looked away, then tried to pass the other party to go upstairs. Yog-Sothoth moved forward without any warning and blocked his way.


    ¡°This is closer to your school. Why don¡¯t you choose this place?¡±


    The evil god looked down, and strands of gray hair like woven moonlight almost brushed Zong Yan¡¯s face.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Always aim straight for the sore spot ah? Like I¡¯d dare to admit I¡¯m trying to avoid you? Like I¡¯d dare!


    ¡°Because¡­ Because there¡¯s no electricity in the villa.¡±


    Zong Yan immediately felt nervous, like a fever had ignited in his brain. But he got the sentence out and his tone of voice was firm and reasonable.


    The moment the words left his mouth, he was aghast at himself.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yog had a good-natured smile on his face, a smile that was full of significance.


    A second later, behind the evil god who was suspended in the air, a flash of light from a billion brilliant spheres suddenly flared and faded, and he gently snapped his fingers¡ª


    In an instant, all the electronic devices in the villa, as long as they somehow incorporated a light source, lit up with a ¡°Ding¡ª¡±, filling the entire hallway with light.


    ¡°There.¡± The evil god gave him a kind reminder, ¡°You can stay here now.¡±


    Zong Yan choked.


    He suddenly thought coming here tonight was the worst decision he¡¯d ever made.


    ¡ª


    Therefore, thanks to Yog-Sothoth¡¯s unrepentant prodding, Zong Yan once again held his nose and moved into the villa.


    It wasn¡¯t like it didn¡¯t have its benefits. In fact, the benefits were enormous.


    Since Nyarlathotep no longer occupied the living room, Zong Yan inherited a screen that took up almost the entire wall. He could play games there during the weekend.


    At this point it was necessary to admit that Nyarla really knew how to enjoy himself. Although he was no longer present, his gaming equipment remained. And while Nyarlathotep liked teasing humans, he recognized their technology was at a certain level, so the games he played were from the Great Race of Yith, or holographic programs developed by other advanced civilizations in the universe.


    Zong Yan had never played any online games before. After randomly trying a holographic game he was hooked.


    Of course, he had to make sure his grades didn¡¯t fall into a cliff dive from excessive play, so he gave himself a strict rule that he could only play games on the weekend.


    Another advantage was that living here saved Zong Yan almost an hour of sleep.


    That was a relief in itself.


    When he lived in the Dragon Group dormitory, he had to get up before dawn, grab his school bag, and go to school. The problem was that evening self-study ended late at night. When he returned to the apartment at ten o¡¯clock, he did homework until midnight, then took a shower at one o¡¯clock. His average daily sleep was less than five hours. After a month of this, Zong Yan felt like his soul was adrift. He couldn¡¯t tell whether he was awake or in a trance.


    The downside was that he had to get along with an evil god every day.


    This time things were a little different.


    In the past, Nyarla would wake him up in the morning and occasionally eat with him if he was in a good mood. It was just that Zong Yan would have a meal while the Bloated Woman ate human brains dripping with ketchup.


    While he interacted with Nyarla¡¯s countless avatars, during last semester¡¯s cohabitation life, Zong Yan didn¡¯t have much contact with Yog.


    But now the villa contained one human and one god. Zong Yan never knew what shadow Yog would suddenly appear from.


    For some reason, Zong Yan always got an unsettling feeling of foreboding, and the arrow of this foreboding pointed directly at Yog-Sothoth.


    He was beginning to suspect the other party was up to something big. The way the evil god looked at him lately made Zong Yan feel a little shaky.


    But he didn¡¯t put anything into action, and Zong Yan was able to overlook it.


    To put it bluntly, he no longer had any secrets from Yog. The Lord of the Gate not only knew about his superpower, he knew Zong Yan wasn¡¯t dead. It could be said that he knew everything about every aspect of Zong Yan, which was more than a little frightening in itself.


    Aside from that, Zong Yan was riding a wave of success at school.


    In the physics portion of the second mock exam, he scored first in the grade and was one of two perfect scores in Jiangzhou. It was a show of force that amazed everyone.


    The difficulty of the second mock exam was extremely high. Apparently, the other full score belonged to a student who¡¯d already been guaranteed a place at Beijing University and only participated in the mock exam to earn face for their school. Also, the teacher who graded the exam said Zong Yan¡¯s answers were clearer and more rigorous than the other full score, and his logic was impeccable.


    Thanks to the improvement in his physics score, Zong Yan¡¯s overall ranking soared to incredible heights. Most of his missed points came from some simple omissions in biology.


    At the second pep rally for the senior three students, the physics teacher praised Zong Yan to the sky, saying that as long as he could stabilize his score and make up for the missing points, Tsinghua was definitely in the picture, which earned a lot of admiring stares from his classmates.


    Studies so well and stars in an international movie after graduation¡ªlet other people live, okay!!!


    Because of his outstanding results in the second mock exam, Zong Yan was chosen to give a speech under the national flag on the flag-raising platform. Using himself as an example, he talked about making his sudden comeback from a score of thirty points to a perfect score in physics.


    ¡°Nothing is impossible for those who have determination. I used to be a science student who couldn¡¯t pass physics to save my life, but after cramming over winter break, and with the kind help of my tutor, I finally broke through this difficult barrier, smashing the obstacles in front of me, and successfully overcame physics.¡± Zong Yan said eloquently, ¡°Of course, the most important thing in all of this is perseverance. Only if we persevere can we seize victory.¡±


    The audience applauded. After class, several students came up to ask him who his physics tutor was and where the class was held. Could he please introduce them?


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°Sorry ha, my teacher doesn¡¯t give lessons anymore.¡±


    Even if he started teaching again, you need to know that he¡¯s an evil god. Do you dare go to one of his classes? Dare you? Dare you!


    Resolving his problem with physics also gave Zong Yan a lot more free time. Previously, he had to spend hours going over his wrong answers, struggling to understand where he went wrong and repeatedly pondering the subject matter. Now his physics score had vaulted to the top, standing shoulder to shoulder with his math score.


    With the extra time he was able to brush up on other subjects, do more homework problems, or anything else he wanted.


    Aside from that, he hadn¡¯t stopped paying attention to what was happening at MU.


    The Spire Council attached high importance to the disturbance in the South Pacific. The occult world was fully aware of and had pinpointed the location of a sealed relic of a Great Old One in that location. Zong Yan had learned about the history of R¡¯lyeh¡¯s rule in his history class at MU. The matter was immediately classified as orange level, just one notch below the previous situation in New York.


    In general terms, the corpses of Deep Divers washing up on shore spoke for itself.


    The Spire Council quickly formed a joint investigation mission and a scientific research team and sent them to Pohnpei Island together. Zong Yan took special note of the public membership list. Not surprisingly, Paracelsus¡¯ name was on it as the leader of the team.


    The fox was finally about to reveal himself.


    With almost a month to go before the scientific research team left for the South Pacific, Zong Yan thought about taking advantage of Paracelsus¡¯ absence to go to Miskatonic University and bring in some help. But according to Yog-Sothoth, there were more than a few infiltrators in MU. How much hope was there for a school where the current vice chancellor was a cultist?


    Lost in thought, Zong Yan bit down on the cap of his pen. His eyes were worried.


    In a month it would be time for the Qingming Festival. In senior three, students were rewarded with three days of leave for Qingming. He didn¡¯t know if that was enough time for a trip to and from the South Pacific.


    If Yog-Sothoth was willing to help, Zong Yan thought, maybe he could make it.


    While he was thinking, he began to feel a little sleepy.


    Last night Zong Yan hadn¡¯t slept well. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but in his dream he seemed to be pressed down by something so heavy that he tried to turn around and run away. But he was trapped in a shadowy abyss and couldn¡¯t escape.


    Eventually he managed to find a spot of light. He ran toward it like he¡¯d lost his mind, but a cluster of shadows suddenly surrounded him like they¡¯d been lying in wait, coiling around his wrists and ankles as if to tease him, dragging him into the darkness little by little.


    Finally, after reaching his limit, Zong Yan fell asleep at his desk.


    A second later, the evil god suddenly appeared from the darkness. He glanced at the black-haired teen lying on the desk, and without disturbing him, an air current carefully lifted him up and floated him over to the bed, pausing time along with it.


    Then Yog-Sothoth¡¯s eyes fell on the essay that Zong Yan hadn¡¯t finished writing.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan, the next day: Who helped me finish my homework?!


    TL Notes:


    something from The Ring ¨C ¿´ÉÏÈ¥¾ÍÏñ·­°æµÄÎçÒ¹Ð×Áå ¨C looked like a replica of The Ring


    always aim straight for the sore spot ¨C Äĺø²»¿ªÌáÄĺø ¨C lit. mention the pot that doesn¡¯t boil (idiom); to touch a sore spot / to talk about sb¡¯s weak point; One speaks only of another¡¯s shortcomings or weak points


    a relief in itself ¨C лÌìлµØ ¨C Thank heavens! / Thank goodness that¡¯s worked out so well!


    riding a wave of success ¨C ´º·çµÃÒâ ¨C The spring breeze has obtained its wish ¡ª One has attained a success and is well-contented; ride on the crest of success; extremely proud of one¡¯s success; gain senior official position


    show of force ¨C Á¦¿ËȺÐÛ ¨C outstanding heroes prevail with difficulty


    amazed everyone ¨C ¼¼¾ªËÄ×ù ¨C skill startled everyone present


    reveal himself ¨C ¶³öÂí½Å ¨C show the cloven foot [hoof]; betrayed by a slip; give oneself away; let the cat out of the bag; show feet of clay; show one¡¯s true colours


    Qingming Festival ¨C ÇåÃ÷½Ú ¨C Also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English, a traditional Chinese festival that takes place after the Spring Equinox. Traditionally, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings (Wikipedia)


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 100

    Zong Yan held the homework sheets in his hands, his fingers trembling.


    He hadn¡¯t tried to stay awake last night because he knew he had self-study in the morning. If he hurried, he could still finish the rest of his homework before it was due.


    What he wasn¡¯t expecting was that when he got to the classroom and looked at his homework, it was already covered with words.


    And when Zong Yan took a closer look, the handwriting was identical to his own, one and the same, but Zang Yan had a clear memory of how much he hadn¡¯t written before he fell asleep.


    Especially for the eight hundred-character essay. Zong Yan only started on it yesterday, and barely wrote two or three hundred characters. The remaining half of the paper wasn¡¯t filled in. How could he possibly wake up today and find the rest of it already completed?


    Was it possible to imagine things in your sleep?


    As Zong Yan rubbed his temples an absurd idea occurred to him.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one in the house. There was also a god.


    Which led to the question, would an evil god help him with his homework?


    But it was easier for Zong Yan to believe he¡¯d forgotten how much he wrote. He couldn¡¯t imagine the great Lord of Time and Space would help him with his homework.


    ¡­It¡¯s such a fantastic image I don¡¯t even dare to think about it.


    But the truth soon came to light.


    In his afternoon Chinese class, the teacher was so amazed at Zong Yan¡¯s essay that she read it to the class.


    ¡°The starry sky is vast and profound, and a multitude of races and far more superior species exist throughout the universe. Therefore human beings should not be arrogant and proud, but examine themselves with full awareness of their utter insignificance¡­.¡±


    The Chinese teacher spoke eloquently, reading from the essay in her hand. The classroom was silent. The students turned to stare at Zong Yan sitting in the back of the room with admiring expressions.


    Their Chinese teacher was a bit of a maverick. High school essays generally followed a formula: state a thesis, add supporting arguments, then conclude with a summary. After a while, most students wrote essays according to a template, relying on a standard set of arguments and ideas to score points.


    Although the Chinese teacher taught the class how to write good high school essays according to the accepted formula, she privately detested this model and encouraged them to state their own opinions in their homework assignments.


    ¡°This essay, if it were written for the college entrance exam, might not even score thirty points. But in my mind, it will always be a perfect essay.¡±


    The teacher concluded with such a high evaluation, and the classroom was suddenly filled with half-suppressed laughter.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was now completely certain that such a sweeping and painful literary critique of the entire human race could never have been written by a science track student like himself.


    If he hadn¡¯t written it, the only possible culprit was Yog-Sothoth.


    Who would ever imagine something like that?!


    Zong Yan took his workbook back with complicated feelings. As he looked at the handwriting that matched his own, his mood was extraordinarily difficult to put into words.


    Lately the Lord of Time and Space was being a little too nice to him.


    Not only did he not actively persecute Zong Yan, the evil god even helped him do his homework. Two days ago Zong Yan woke up late. Yog patiently suspended time to let Zong Yan sleep in. What was even more frightening was that a few days ago Zong Yan forgot to buy groceries. When he opened the refrigerator in the evening, he found it empty. Just when Zong Yan was feeling frustrated and decided to order some takeout, the gray-haired evil god glanced at the empty shelves and snapped his fingers. A moment later, the refrigerator was filled with unknown alien food ingredients.


    ¡®Maybe he still thinks of me as the Father God?¡¯


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but remember Nyarlathotep¡¯s attitude. In the end, he couldn¡¯t think of another explanation.


    After all, if it weren¡¯t for Azathoth, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t imagine why an evil god would consider him worth thinking about.


    Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out, he put it aside. Zong Yan opened his collection of incorrect chemistry problems, abandoned all the other nonsense, and once again dove into the ocean of learning.


    ¡°Zong Yan, someone¡¯s asking for you.¡±


    Just when he managed to clear his mind, a classmate came over to his desk, hesitated, and whispered at him.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zong Yan stopped writing. He casually slid a bookmark into his book and set it aside.


    By the time he reached the hallway, Zong Yan realized something was wrong.


    The corridor was densely packed with people who were whispering to each other, and they were saying things that didn¡¯t make much sense to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they said on the forum, and the flower of the sophomore class is really here ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, right, that¡¯s it. She just asked a classmate to go in and get Senior Zong.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow, then it wasn¡¯t just a crazy rumor on the forum? Here it comes! The star of the show is here!¡±


    The moment Zong Yan walked out from the classroom, the people in the corridor fell silent. The students who were gabbing suddenly closed their mouths.


    Maybe it was a side effect from wearing the shell of an evil god for so long. Zong Yan might have returned to his human body after being the half-self of Cthulhu, but his aura had undergone a radical change.


    The black-haired teen stood in the doorway with an indifferent expression. A few overgrown strands of dark hair fell on both of his cheeks. His eyes were cold and aloof, and under the incandescent lights his pale skin seemed to fuse with his white shirt.


    Clearly he was wearing the standard school uniform of Qingyang High School, just like everyone else. Some students privately had their school uniforms altered to make them look better, but Zong Yan¡¯s uniform was the conventional version. Still, when he stood in the hallway, it somehow felt like he was the only one under a spotlight.


    Frowning, Zong Yan swept a glance outside.


    People were lined up on both sides of the corridor, but they were all leaning against the handrails or the wall. No one seemed to have any intention of coming over.


    Only one person was standing in the middle.


    It was a girl wearing a Qingyang High School uniform skirt. On her feet were a pair of small high-heeled black shoes. Her hair swept down her back, her lips were a little red, and there were dark smudges on her eyelids with a slight shimmer beneath her eyes.


    If Zong Yan had been slightly less of an ignorant straight male, he would have noticed more.


    For example, the length of this girl¡¯s skirt was much shorter than the other girls. Most girls wore skirts just above the knee, but hers ended at mid-thigh. At a glance, her school uniform had been altered. For another thing, Qingyang High School required girls to wear black leather shoes without heels, but she was clearly clomping around in a pair of thick-heeled shoes that qualified as high heels. Also, her lips weren¡¯t red, the smudges on her eyelids weren¡¯t from lack of sleep, and the sparkle under her eyes wasn¡¯t a trick of the light. That was lipstick, eye shadow, and highlighter.


    But he was a straight man, and straight men would only see one thing, which was¡ª


    The school didn¡¯t allow girls to wear their hair loose. But not only didn¡¯t she have her hair tied back, she¡¯d also seemingly dyed it brown and permed it with a wave.


    Zong Yan waited patiently for a while, but no one spoke. The girl just kept staring at him mysteriously, so he said, ¡°Is there something wrong? If there¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ll go back and work on my paper.¡±


    Hiss! What a cold and ruthless man!


    The male onlookers trembled inside.


    The girl standing in the hallway was the sophomore-class school flower of Qingyang Senior High. On the forum, people often compared her with Xia KeYan, secretly poking each other to compete over her.


    This girl had a powerful background. Everything she wore bent school regulations, but one of the school managers was related to her father, so she usually did as she pleased. Her temperament was incredibly bold. She always spoke her mind.


    Although she had a domineering personality, she was extremely good-looking. And she was clearly standing here for a reason. To not give this girl some face was just too inhumane.


    Many of the male students were immediately filled with righteous indignation.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    This class flower had lost a bet with some people on the forum. She was here for a dare.


    According to the dare, she had to send a love letter, but this class flower wasn¡¯t afraid. She¡¯d begun going to nightclubs with her friends in the third year of junior high. Her favorite activity was club dancing. When it came to puppy love and defeating rivals, she was an expert.


    But for some reason, as she stood there opposite the black-haired boy, meeting his cold gaze, she flushed with nervousness and instinctively twisted the item she was holding.


    ¡°?¡± Zong Yan responded to her with a puzzled look.


    Only then did she seem to wake up. ¡°Clomp, clomp, clomp¡±, stomping on her high heels, she shoved the item in her hand directly at the black-haired teenager.


    ¡°Here¡­ Here you go!¡±


    She stammered and immediately turned around and left. From behind, she almost seemed to be desperately fleeing.


    The crowd of onlookers: ? ? ?


    Fck, was that the same sophomore flower who was normally so fierce and in everybody¡¯s face?!


    Zong Yan quizzically looked down for a moment, then glanced at the end of the hallway where the girl had already disappeared. Finally he returned to class.


    Although quite a few girls had a crush on him over the years, he wasn¡¯t sure why, but for some reason they almost never confessed.


    Maybe it was because they thought Zong Yan had an innate sense of alienation from others, which made him difficult to approach. In addition, Zong Yan¡¯s movements were generally elusive. He disappeared after school, which meant no one could find him. In short, Zong Yan had rarely experienced this kind of thing. He was like a flower high up in the mountains, distant and unreachable.


    Also, the love letter he was now holding didn¡¯t look like a love letter at all. It was in a plain white envelope. So Zong Yan didn¡¯t think about it much. He casually put it aside and picked up his pen to continue working on chemistry problems.


    After this incident, several students in the class looked at him and gossiped.


    They¡¯d all witnessed the scene just now. The class flower didn¡¯t give her target an opportunity to refuse or accept. In full view of everyone, she shoved the love letter directly at him. This inspired all sorts of gossip from the crowd.


    What happened next was up to Zong Yan and his reaction.


    In the end, they were all disappointed. Zong Yan really seemed to push the incident out of his mind. The poor simple love letter ended up in a random corner of his desk between the homework sheets and books. No trace of it was visible.


    Zong Yan literally forgot all about it.


    However, the envelope got wedged inside one of his books. After evening self-study, he wasn¡¯t paying attention when he packed his school bag, so it went home with the rest of his things.


    Today he didn¡¯t have much homework. For once Zong Yan managed to finish everything during evening self-study. He stayed late, and when he finally got home, he tossed his school bag away without even opening it, and went straight into the bathroom.


    The sound of pattering water came from the shower.


    The gray-haired evil god stepped slowly out of the darkness. His golden eyes casually swept across the dimly-lit living room, and suddenly stopped on Zong Yan¡¯s schoolbag.


    The next second, a white envelope silently appeared in his hand.


    He glanced carelessly at it, and a cluster of flame sprang up from his fingertips, burning it into nothingness.


    A rare hint of displeasure flashed through Yog-Sothoth¡¯s mind.


    The tiniest of ants had actually tried to get its hands on the Lord of the Gate¡¯s property?


    You must be dreaming.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    A hundred chapters!! Love you!!!


    TL Notes:


    maverick Chinese teacher ¨C No gender was specified, I picked one


    school essay stuff ¨C I tried to make sense of this, I¡¯m not familiar with how Chinese high school essays work and some of the wording was confusing


    (abandoned) all the other nonsense ¨C ºú˼ÂÒÏë ¨C make blind and disorderly conjectures; be lost in various fancies and conjectures; be moved by confused, foolish reflections; entertain all sorts of ideas


    school flower ¨C У»¨ ¨C a school beauty (female), school beauty queen, campus belle. The male equivalent is ¡°school grass¡±.


    star of the show ¨C Ö÷µ½ ¨C main man, master


    school flower undereye stuff ¨C Currently it¡¯s considered beautiful to have ¡°lying silkworms¡± (ÎÔ²Ï) under your eyes. Of course, these aren¡¯t dark circles or eye bags that people tend to get when they¡¯re old. Lying silkworms are a small band of tissue near the eyelash line on the lower eyelid. It¡¯s especially visible when you smile, and it¡¯s said to make people look friendly, beautiful, and young. One makeup technique is to add highlighting eyeshadow or glitter to this part of the eyelid to attract attention to it


    did as she pleased ¨C ºá×Å×ß ¨C walked sideways ¨C To walk sideways like a crab means to be rampant and domineering or unreasonable


    bold personality ¨C ÆÃÀ± ¨C rude and unreasonable; shrewish; vixenish; fierce and unreasonable


    always spoke her mind ¨C ˵һ²»¶þ ¨C mean what one says; He is a man of his word; He is as good as his word; never make a promise one cannot keep


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 101

    Zong Yan had no idea the Lord of the Gate had secretly burned the love letter in his school bag.


    He was taking a shower in the bathroom, lifting his head to let the hot water from the shower stream over his face.


    Warm steaming mist wrapped around the teen¡¯s trim, slender body, condensing into water droplets that slid down his pale skin.


    He turned off the hot water, put the bath towel to the side, shrugged into his bathrobe, and walked out.


    A moment later Zong Yan received a meaningful stare from the Lord of the Gate.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    His hand, which was rubbing his head with a towel, stopped. With a puzzled face he turned on the hair dryer and aimed it at his hair.


    Tomorrow was the start of a free weekend, which he hadn¡¯t had in a long time. He was able to finish up his homework during evening self-study today, which meant he had two full days of rest.


    For a senior three student, two days was a precious resource. All the students in Senior Class 3 who planned to take the college entrance exam paid for tutors on the weekends. There was no shortage of one-on-one teaching by famous tutors who charged four figures an hour.


    Zong Yan was the only maverick who stood alone. That was because he was poor.


    But he had money now. Zong Yan earned a decent sum by completing tasks during the previous incident when creatures were appearing in Jiangzhou. For his senior year, he was completely free from worries about making ends meet.


    So¡ªwhat was he going to do tomorrow?


    Zong Yan picked up his phone and looked at it. There was no news.


    He¡¯d recently asked Wang KeMing to keep an eye on MU¡¯s internal affairs. If anything happened, he¡¯d make sure to report it to Zong Yan.


    After a few offhand question-and-answer sessions, Zong Yan learned from the Lord of Time and Space why Paracelsus had gone to Miskatonic University to become the vice chancellor.


    During the previous century, MU organized a scientific research team to journey deep into the South Pacific. Their target was R¡¯lyeh, the city which sank 300 million years ago.


    The research team was said to be composed of the most famous senior investigators of the time, all of them able to shred otherworldly creatures with their bare hands.


    They set sail on a ship and arrived at Pohnpei Island, a state of the Federated States of Micronesia.


    It was believed that Pohnpei Island was the closest island to the sunken R¡¯lyeh.


    This was the conclusion investigators had reached after covertly installing tracking devices on Deep Ones.


    The entire occult world took the scientific research expedition to the South Pacific seriously, because the possibility of uncovering the history of R¡¯lyeh was a rare opportunity for humankind. Investigators went on to discover a period of history in which the Earth was ruled by a Great Old One, knowledge they obtained from the mysterious ¡¶R¡¯lyeh Text¡·.


    Studying history was incredibly useful for the occult world.


    The magic patterns passed down to modern times were actually extracted from ancient magical formations. These ancient characters were then aggregated and converted for use in combat. Every archaeological discovery meant a possible increase in investigators¡¯ strength.


    Unfortunately, only one of the senior investigators who joined the research mission came back alive.


    The sole survivor fell into a fit of madness, mumbling, ¡°The time of terror has come¡­ He will surely return to the Earth¡±. No one could get another word from him.


    But it wasn¡¯t completely fruitless.


    The insane investigator brought something back with him¡ªa piece of broken dark green jade, densely covered with mysterious writing. When experts with high insight took a single look at it, they were overwhelmed with feelings of disgust and nausea that dominated their minds. For years, the jade piece was sealed in MU¡¯s largest storeroom. A series of linguistically gifted investigators struggled to decipher it.


    In the end they concluded the jade piece was most likely the key to unlocking R¡¯lyeh.


    Thanks to Yog-Sothoth¡¯s relentless revelations, Zong Yan knew that Paracelsus was a fanatical believer in Cthulhu, probably a high-ranking member of his cult, most likely a priest. Given such a dignified position, there was no need for him to lower himself playing Mission Impossible spy games at MU. The most probable conclusion was that the university contained something coveted by Cthulhu¡¯s believers.


    Given this speculation, Zong Yan asked Wang KeMing to check on what was happening with the storage room every day after class.


    MU was an enormous complex of buildings. They¡¯d leased the entire border region of the Dreamlands, and the Spire Council had moved over its headquarters in recent years. The storeroom was heavily guarded with layer upon layer of alchemical magic formations. Paracelsus, as one of the leaders of MU, might end up trying to steal what he was supposed to safeguard.


    At the moment, the sky was high but the emperor was far away. With the Gate of Truth currently in Boston, Zong Yan¡¯s biggest problem was that he wasn¡¯t close enough to rush to the scene if something happened.


    And until something happened, Zong Yan couldn¡¯t just run over and accuse Paracelsus of being a cultist. Probably no one would believe him.


    It was a dangerous situation, and unless Cthulhu¡¯s followers took the initiative, Zong Yan was restricted to playing defense. All he could do was wait.


    Forget it¡­ Tomorrow I¡¯ll check the MU app to see if there are any otherworldly creatures in Jiangzhou. Earn some money to buy round-trip plane tickets to the United States. The rest is up to fate.


    The black-haired teen sighed, turned over in his bed, locked the screen, and sank into a dark, sweet reverie.


    It was a dreamless night.


    ¡ª


    Zong Yan rolled over. He suddenly felt like he¡¯d collided with a lump of something cold.


    By reflex he opened his eyes. Although he was startled, his face was still sleepy and dazed.


    A second later, Zong Yan saw a magnified face up close and personal.


    To describe it more accurately, the face was covered with golden eyes, but there were no other human organs visible. It was like the legendary hundred-eyed ghost from urban legends, a blood-curdling sight.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡± Instantly awake.


    Zong Yan: ¡°Ahhhhhhhh, a ghost!¡±


    He reflexively ducked out of the quilt and retreated away, his face filled with blind panic.


    The problem was that the bed wasn¡¯t very big. Zong Yan scooted back so fast he almost landed on the floor.


    The evil god frowned. Just as Zong Yan was teetering with empty space behind him, about to fall out of bed, he was pulled forward by a strong force. Like a ball bouncing off an invisible wall, he rolled back into the cold embrace of Yog-Sothoth.


    In an instant, the face of the Lord of Time and Space, which had been densely covered with eyes, returned to normal, becoming his usual handsome, ascetic self.


    ¡°What are you doing!!!¡± Zong Yan almost stopped breathing. His voice choked in his throat, his chest heaved up and down, and his eyes were wide as saucers.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The gray-haired evil god lowered his head and lightly glanced at him.


    Because of the sudden struggle just now, the loose t-shirt Zong Yan wore was hanging loosely on his body.


    Yog hardly needed to look down to see an unrestricted view of the young man¡¯s bare chest through his open clothes, the slender, graceful limbs, and the two sweet red spots that dotted his pale skin.


    The Lord of the Gate frowned.


    He hooked his finger, and a set of clothes Zong Yan had stored in the closet floated out, from tops to pants to underwear, with nothing missing.


    Then Zong Yan watched in horror as the T-shirt he was wearing suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°W-W-W-W-What are you doing!!!¡±


    For Zong Yan, the scene instantly triggered certain images from the fragmentary future he¡¯d seen before. He screamed, instinctively backed up and covered his chest with both arms. He stared at the gray-haired evil god with the expression of someone who was looking at a beast.


    ¡°Get dressed.¡± The evil god gave him an unfathomable look. His words were concise.


    Zong Yan¡¯s heart was pounding. ¡°Then turn around!¡±


    Yog-Sothoth gazed at him steadily, and those golden eyes were filled with deep, obscure, chaotic emotions. Just when Zong Yan thought he might have offended the other party, the god stood up from the bed and neatly turned his back.


    ¡­Just like that?


    Zong Yan warily lowered his hands, then picked up the clothes from the bed and quickly put them on.


    He was so nervous when changing his underwear that he shrank into the blankets.


    He didn¡¯t know why but he felt a constant chill on his skin.


    Meanwhile, the Lord of Time and Space, who¡¯d turned his back, withdrew his gaze without a flicker of expression.


    There was nothing an evil god couldn¡¯t see if he wanted to.


    Yog connected to his true body, opened the eyes that were distributed throughout the third dimension, and spent a lot of effort to locate this position in time and space. Then he observed the entire process of Zong Yan changing his clothes from every conceivable angle.


    The Lord of the Gate was now a bit confused.


    He didn¡¯t know why the black-haired teen had reacted so strongly a moment ago.


    He pondered it for a moment, and after not locating an answer in his evil god data bank, loaded another set of human behavioral models.


    After forming a vague hunch, the great Yog-Sothoth made a special trip to the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. He spent a few seconds scanning every traditional paper book inside it with the vast psychic capabilities of an evil god.


    Among all the countless species throughout the universe, whether it was a race on the occult track or a race on the technological track, whenever a civilization made a bit of progress, the first thing they abandoned were paper books. This form of recording information was universally recognized as the most backward form of information storage.


    Under normal circumstances, the Lord of the Gate would never lower himself to such an extent.


    But now¡ª


    The face of the gray-haired evil god might be expressionless, but In fact his brain¡¯s CPU was scouring in search of the answer he desired, all while he was slightly distracted watching Zong Yan change his clothes.


    ¡°I¡¯m dressed.¡±


    The instant Zong Yan finished putting on his socks, Yog turned around without a word.


    Zong Yan: Intuitively I sense something¡¯s wrong, but I¡¯m not quite sure what it is. Contemplating.


    ¡°You came to see me early in the morning. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t think of the answer, so even if Zong Yan really didn¡¯t want to, he got straight to the point.


    ¡°Something happened at MU,¡± Yog said slowly. ¡°The little fat man you ordered to keep an eye on things isn¡¯t very reliable.¡±


    Zong Yan leaped up from the bed. ¡°What?!¡±


    The thing he was worried about last night¡ªhow come the instant he woke up, it suddenly came true?! He didn¡¯t even have a chance to book a ticket yet!


    Just as Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts were dancing like ants on a hot pan, a rail-thin hand appeared before his eyes.


    He was suddenly reminded of the moment in prehistoric times when he¡¯d stepped through space. Just like now, the gray-haired evil god had stood before the void, offering him his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the Lord of the Gate said indifferently. ¡°By the way¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Caught off guard, Zong Yan blinked his eyes, and his gaze suddenly crashed into the radiant golden irises of Yog-Sothoth.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how it happened, but they were now standing closer together, so close that Zong Yan could see the Lord of the Gate¡¯s incredible god-made skin, without the slightest hint of pores, as perfect as a mannequin, and a hundred million points of light lurking in those golden eyes, quietly peering into the greatest mysteries concealed within the depths of the universe.


    ¡®Don¡¯t look directly into the eyes of an evil god. The eyes of an evil god represent his truest self, and if he wishes, at any moment you might lose yourself in the light emanating from his true form, and fall into perpetual madness and confusion.¡¯


    In a trance, the black-haired teen¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the words Yog once said to him.


    Then he heard the evil god before him say, ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide yourself from a god. As higher-dimensional beings, we don¡¯t have uncontrollable sexual impulses like inferior creatures such as humans.¡±


    His tone was flat, like he was talking about the weather.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    YaYa: Bubbles, that¡¯s not it¨C! (super loud)


    TL Notes:


    the sky was high but the emperor was far away ¨C Ìì¸ß»ÊµÛÔ¶ ¨C The heaven is high and the emperor is far away ¡ª there is no help for it.; lawlessness. Originally referred to remote places where the power of the central government could not reach


    up close and personal ¨C ºÁÎÞËÀ½Ç ¨C without blind spots, no dead ends, no dead angles


    hundred-eyed ghost ¨C °ÙÄ¿¹í ¨C b¨£i m¨´ gu¨« ¨C hundreds-of-eyes demon ¨C According to Baidu, this creature originated from either European or Japanese myth. The European version is a female banshee with eyes all over her body who seduces men to steal their eyes for her own use. The Japanese version is a young girl who stole things and eventually grew eyes all over her body


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Mission Impossible ¨C µúÖеý


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 102

    In China it was nine in the morning, while in the United States, on the opposite side of the planet, it was exactly nine P.M. Night had just fallen.


    In an alley in Boston, space itself was quietly torn open, revealing something shadowy inside it.


    A gray-haired evil god in a dark khaki trench coat slowly walked out. He was holding the hand of a black-haired young man.


    The street lights were dim, and the warm yellow light from above haloed Zong Yan¡¯s head, gilding his hair with a layer of gold, making his dark eyes shine with a starry glow.


    Yog casually took his other hand and stepped forward. A second later, the cold and deserted street around them changed dramatically again.


    For a moment Zong Yan thought he¡¯d seen a multi-colored streamer of light flicker and fade away.


    Wait, multi-colored light¡­?


    On some level he thought it was familiar and wanted to think about it more, but the little flash of inspiration passed him by too quickly, and he couldn¡¯t catch it.


    The scene around him changed too rapidly for him to concentrate. Both sides of the street transformed from modern minimalist architecture to baroque medieval spires. Steam rose vigorously from a peak above the central auditorium. A tangle of massive gears turned inside the mechanism, and the grooves in the central cogwheel interlocked and slowly rotated.


    Once again they¡¯d traversed the dimensions, easily crossing the threshold of the Gate of Truth, entering the border of the Dreamlands where Miskatonic University was located.


    Most of the time, MU matched the time zone of the city where the Gate of Truth was located. It was night time in Boston, so it was also dark inside MU.


    The young investigators who graduated from MU every year were always in demand. It was said that graduates were not only sought after by the Spire Council and various national organizations. The world¡¯s cults also actively recruited fresh underlings.


    Right now, the cradle of investigators and cultist double agents was silent under the night sky, as quiet as a statue standing in the dark.


    Zong Yan¡¯s premonition that something was wrong grew stronger and stronger.


    It was really too quiet, so quiet it felt eerie.


    It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d never toured MU after dark. He used to wander around in the middle of the night with his Night Watchman persona. He wasn¡¯t afraid of being caught by the professor on night patrol. After all, he could hide in the shadows whenever he wanted. It was simply a must-have ability for home robbery and arson.


    MU was built on the ocean shore of the Dreamlands. Ghouls were active at night, but the ghouls in the Dreamlands weren¡¯t the same as the ghouls who made trouble in New York. The Dreamlands ghouls believed in Nodens, were law-abiding, and maintained a friendly relationship with MU. Occasionally, the ghouls would make arrangements with the nightgaunts to play exciting high-altitude disco games in the middle of the night. In short, it was rare for MU to be so quiet.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Has the jade piece of R¡¯lyeh already been stolen?¡± Zong Yan blinked in surprise, glanced over and asked.


    The black-haired young man didn¡¯t realize that after encountering something strange, his first instinctive reaction was to turn to an evil god.


    He¡¯d unknowingly developed an emotion similar to ¡°dependence¡±.


    The Lord of the Gate didn¡¯t overlook this detail. With pleasure he crooked the corner of his mouth. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Zong Yan gave him a puzzled look.


    ¡°But it will happen soon.¡±


    Yog said nothing more. Instead he pointed a distance away and signaled for Zong Yan to look straight ahead.


    Almost immediately after these words left the mouth of the all-knowing, all-seeing god, the long toll of a bell echoed through the campus.


    Between the auditorium and the cafeteria of Miskatonic University was a long walkway known as the atrium.


    In the middle of the atrium stood a tall, golden alchemical clock. It was said to be a magical artifact recovered from an ancient ruin, and it could accurately predict the approach of major disasters. It was called ¡°Cassandra¡±, named after the priestess of the Sun God from ancient Greek mythology.


    Cassandra was one of the greatest treasures of MU. When the university was still located in the United States, it was attacked multiple times by cultists. MU was always able to prepare in advance because of this alchemical warning system.


    Later on, when MU moved to the border of the Dreamlands, they naturally relocated Cassandra as well.


    The Dreamlands contained a high concentration of magical power. When professors from the Department of Alchemy were bored and ran out of things to do, they decided to make Cassandra the focus of a large alchemical formation constructed on the ground. Supposedly, one of the graduation tests for each class of MU students was to help reinforce this alchemical array.


    Dong¡ªDong¡ªDong¡ª


    The distant sound of the bell resounded under the otherwise silent night sky. Magic patterns on the walking paths that were normally invisible lit up one by one, glowing with a mysterious, arcane light in the darkness.


    In the residential area, the villa windows that had been dark began to light up one by one.


    Professors and students struggled out of their blankets and hurried into their clothes.


    During the previous incident in New York, MU performed regular emergency drills. Each time, everyone woke up in the middle of the night and was forced to assemble in the open space in front of the school. So this time everyone still reacted quickly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Paracelsus, he¡¯s inside the auditorium,¡± Yog-Sothoth advised him kindly. ¡°Perhaps I should mention, when I altered reality before, I twisted it a bit¡­. You can use those little cards of yours at will. No one will notice anything wrong.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    At the moment, the Lord of Time and Space gave him a surprising feeling of reliability.


    Zong Yan: ¡°But Paracelsus is in the auditorium, not the central storeroom. It¡¯s pointless to go find him. Maybe I should just start a fight?¡±


    It was an awkward situation. Zong Yan was the only one who knew that Paracelsus was a villain.


    And Paracelsus was in a powerful, prestigious position. Even if he tried to pretend he didn¡¯t have any infiltrator friends in MU, Zong Yan wouldn¡¯t believe it for a second. If Zong Yan hurried over and tried to arrest him, the end result would be embarrassing.


    Wait. Zong Yan suddenly thought of something.


    He reached into a gap in space, took a card from a glittering seam in reality, and crushed it without any hesitation.


    When the card shattered into fragments, a deep blue mist billowed up, filling the air.


    A man in a crane cloak with scattered ink-black hair stepped out from the obscure, murky cloud. In his hair jingled a gold ornament in the shape of a moon and the stars. His face was cold and his eyebrows were lifted high. Everything about him was noble, inviolable, and detached.


    This face was completely different from Zong Yan¡¯s youthful high school student face. Not just the temperament but even the contours of his face were completely different.


    ¡°If I use this persona, I can just beat him up directly, right?¡±


    The voice of the King in the Cloud was glacially cold, but his words left the evil god speechless for a moment.


    The more Zong Yan thought about it, the more sense it made.


    People in the occult world might be able to guess about the persona card of Apollo, the Sun God. But aside from saving Jiangzhou in the past, Zong Yan had basically never used the persona card of Yun Zhong Jun again in public.


    That meant he could activate the Yun Zhong Jun persona card, throw caution to the wind, hunt down Paracelsus the cult leader, and beat him senseless. As the saying went, catch the ringleader before the other thieves. After Paracelsus was captured, his henchmen probably wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish much.


    Besides, Yun Zhong Jun was a genuine Elder God, more than capable of fighting the Lord of Tindalos. This was the same as a dimensionality reduction strike against a human. No need to worry at all.


    Zong Yan admired the brilliance of his own idea, then quickly activated the clouds around him and vanished.


    The gray-haired evil god in the trench coat didn¡¯t move.


    His hands were in the pockets of his trench coat, and his golden eyes glittered with continual flashes of light.


    Yog-Sothoth hadn¡¯t told Zong Yan that Paracelsus transferred R¡¯lyeh¡¯s jade piece long ago.


    Paracelsus had been dormant in Miskatonic University for a very long time, long enough to become an honorary member of the Spire Council. Most of the time, Chancellor Nicholas Flamel didn¡¯t bother with university business. Paracelsus had become the primary leader and decision maker.


    Moreover, Paracelsus was a genius gifted in alchemy and medicine. He¡¯d even been involved in the most forbidden field of alchemy¡ªhuman alchemy¡ªand succeeded in creating new life out of nothingness.


    However, his talent wasn¡¯t great enough to refine the philosopher¡¯s stone on his own. There had been many legendary figures throughout the ages. Nicholas Flamel learned how to refine the philosopher¡¯s stone after receiving a dream from an angel, and Paracelsus followed his example. He searched ancient books and performed secret rituals, hoping the angel would also teach him how to make the philosopher¡¯s stone.


    In the end he got the recipe, but the being who taught him was an evil god.


    In exchange for immortality he traded away his soul.


    Later, Paracelsus infiltrated MU and waited for the great Cthulhu to recover.


    As for the jade piece of R¡¯lyeh, he stole it long ago. The point of today¡¯s business was to make a show.


    ¡®We¡¯ll wait for the appointed people to arrive and discover the jade piece is missing. Then we can start the full-scale operation.¡¯


    The red-haired alchemist stood in the center of the auditorium, gazing up at the alchemical symbol of an eye in the ceiling.


    He¡¯d been alive for many years, from the Renaissance to the discovery of the New World, from the Age of Steam to the Age of Electricity, to the Information Age of today.


    Paracelsus had lived a very long time, and the longer he lived, the greedier he became.


    He knew that only by reviving the evil god could he reach the pinnacle of alchemy. As a man who¡¯d sold his soul, he had no choice.


    ¡®All we need to do is wait until tonight. When the jade of R¡¯lyeh descends into the South Pacific¡­ You will finally awaken from your long, healing slumber, O Lord.¡¯


    Paracelsus¡¯s eyes were filled with a frenzy of excitement. He¡¯d planned this for so many decades, and now he was even more determined to win.


    Then¡ª


    He was suddenly punched across the auditorium.


    And it was a punch to the face.


    Paracelsus: ? ? ?


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Evil gods have hit me so many times with dimensionality reduction strikes, I finally learned to do the same to others. Smile.


    Zong Yan: Don¡¯t ask, just ask how you¡¯ll be punched


    TL Notes:


    throw caution to the wind ¨C ²»¹ÜÈýÆ߶þʮһ ¨C no matter three, seven, twenty-one ¨C casting all caution to the winds; come what may; in spite of anything; recklessly; regardless of the consequences


    catch the ringleader before the other thieves ¨C ÇÜÔôÏÈÇÜÍõ ¨C catch the king before the thieves ¨C capture the ringleader first in order to capture all his followers; Before you can get rid of the petty criminals you must catch their boss; Destroy the leader and the gang will collapse; To catch a snake by the head is good advice


    dimensionality reduction strike ¨C ½µÎ¬´ò»÷ ¨C A sci fi term from the science fiction novel The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin (officially released in English and very popular). It means to attack a problem by reducing its spatial dimensions. To put it crudely, if you convert a 3D object to a 2D object and shred the paper it¡¯s written on, it¡¯s suddenly much easier to deal with


    Don¡¯t ask, just ask how you¡¯ll be punched ¨C ±ðÎÊ£¬ÎʾÍÊÇÖ±½Ó´ò ¨C ¡°Don¡¯t ask, just ask XXX/don¡¯t ask, the question is XXX¡± is a popular insult meme from the DOTA2 e-sports circle (Baidu)


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 103

    Paracelsus had no idea that after diligently planning for so many years and enduring so many trials and tribulations, he would suddenly fall to a mysterious fist out of nowhere.


    It was incredibly baffling.


    He couldn¡¯t even tell what his opponent looked like. A cyan and blue fog had appeared, and an instant later a powerful force struck him in the face and slammed him across the auditorium.


    It happened so quickly the alchemist couldn¡¯t react at all.


    The person who¡¯d punched him didn¡¯t hold back. Paracelsus felt like his back had been shoved through wooden splinters.


    There was always a price for immortality. Although alchemists could enjoy near-eternal life with the elixir prepared from the philosopher¡¯s stone, they always lost something in return.


    Their sense of taste, for example, or certain emotions.


    Nicholas Flamel lost interest in almost everything, which was why he locked himself in his workshop day and night. If one day he lost interest in alchemy, not even the philosopher¡¯s stone would be able to save a heart that was already buried in the ground.


    What Paracelsus lost was his sense of touch. He couldn¡¯t feel pain, so his broken leg didn¡¯t bother him. As he lay on the ground he began to chant a magic pattern. An alchemical array covered with glowing golden symbols emerged on his fingertip, whirling and spinning, quickly covering him with a shield.


    As a celebrated alchemist, he was highly experienced in the use of magic patterns. In fact, thanks to the continual energy provided by the philosopher¡¯s stone, he could mop the floor with all lower-level creatures.


    Paracelsus¡¯s face was dispassionate, and a crimson gem glittered on his finger. ¡°Esteemed sir, what is the reason for this sudden attack?¡±


    Speaking of which, he was deeply perplexed.


    Paracelsus had always been cautious in his dealings. Aside from a few members of the R¡¯lyeh sect whom he personally brought inside MU, there was no possible way anyone else could have discovered his identity, much less expose him at a time like this.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t waste any words. Yun Zhong Jun marshalled his clouds, a light in his palm flared, and the alchemist¡¯s protective shield shattered.


    There was no point asking this guy any questions. He¡¯d refuse to answer. Whatever, just beat him up.


    It didn¡¯t matter if Paracelsus was one of the most powerful members of the human race. In front of the persona card of a full-fledged Elder God, he still had to kneel.


    ¡ª


    Thanks to Cassandra¡¯s early warning, Miskatonic University burst into activity in the middle of the night.


    Everything went according to Paracelsus¡¯s plan. His supporters confused the crowd and led everyone to the main storeroom on the other side of MU. Before Yun Zhong Jun arrived, Paracelsus had told them the auditorium was clear of enemies, so the area was deserted. This also meant the alchemist couldn¡¯t call anyone over to save him.


    The evidence his fellow cultists had placed in the storage room was also discovered. Everyone was busy tracking the thieves and didn¡¯t spare a thought to what was happening in the auditorium.


    Yog-Sothoth didn¡¯t wait outside for long before Yun Zhong Jun appeared, stepping out from a cloud.


    Zong Yan¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t happy. His brows were tightly knitted in a frown.


    The Lord of the Gate noticed there was something in his hand. In his palm was a ruby ring inlaid with dark gold filigree. The god instantly recognized it.


    This ring was the most precious object in Paracelsus¡¯s possession. The red stone that was the color of blood was the legendary fifth alchemical element, the philosopher¡¯s stone.


    Zong Yan beat Paracelsus like a sandbag for a while, but his opponent had barely reacted. It was only when Zong Yan took the ring that Paracelsus finally confessed, so Zong Yan knocked him out with a single punch and left, taking the ring with him.


    ¡°He stole the jade piece of R¡¯lyeh long ago.¡±


    Yun Zhong Jun sighed and was about to reply, but his body suddenly relaxed.


    A second later, all the mist flowed towards him, enveloping him in a heavy cloud, then dispersed with a gust of wind.


    The cold and noble god faded away like smoke. The long, ink-black hair and the luxurious crane cloak disappeared. In their place was a high school student wearing a T-shirt and shorts.


    Yog casually extended one of his shadows and wrapped it firmly around Zong Yan¡¯s waist, so that he wouldn¡¯t stumble and fall when the persona card deactivated.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t respond at first. He just stared blankly at his hands, but after a while he uneasily pushed away the nebulous shadow on his waist. He said awkwardly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t used a persona card in a long time, and Yun Zhong Jun had the shortest duration of all his persona cards. Every time he used it, it cost 70 San points and only lasted for an hour. Unlike the Sun God and the Night Watchman, it didn¡¯t have its own unique rules that reduced the cost.


    After several months of touring around inside the body of an evil god, Zong Yan¡¯s San value mysteriously increased to 99 points and didn¡¯t budge again.


    He¡¯d previously guessed his San value might max out at 100 points.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡± The gray-haired evil god wore a pleasant expression, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed Zong Yan¡¯s embarrassment and resistance.


    Anyway, that was nothing. The weirdest thing was that the phantasmal shadow had also rubbed the black-haired teen¡¯s tailbone when it left, either intentionally or unintentionally.


    In an instant, a bioelectrical current flashed up his spine straight to his cerebral cortex. Zong Yan almost jumped in place, but when he reflexively turned to look, the Lord of the Gate had an indifferent, ascetic expression on his face, without the slightest hint of anything suspicious.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    When Zong Yan began to feel puzzled, Yog slowly added, ¡°The sinking and sealing of R¡¯lyeh are closely related to the position of the stars. Even if the stars do not return, his believers must wait until certain astrological signs in the sky are properly aligned. At that time, Cthulhu¡¯s followers will perform a sacrificial ritual to try to awaken their Lord.¡±


    That was why Paracelsus hadn¡¯t been in a hurry. They¡¯d retrieved the jade piece of R¡¯lyeh long ago, but the South Pacific had been quiet until just recently.


    ¡°All right.¡± Zong Yan took out his phone to figure out his schedule, then returned his attention to the ring in his hand.


    Zong Yan was intrigued by the legendary philosopher¡¯s stone. After all, it was called a miracle of alchemy. It was claimed that as an energy source, the philosopher¡¯s stone could easily supply a large city with electricity for ten years.


    That was amazing in itself, but not only that, alchemists could replenish a philosopher¡¯s stone¡¯s energy. That meant they could use a single gem as a perpetual motion machine indefinitely.


    How could such a small gemstone contain so much energy?


    Zong Yan thought it was incredible.


    He wanted to examine it with his fingers, but a hand intervened and stopped him.


    The other hand lightly touched the gem, and an electric spark flashed out. A shadowy black film pulsed over the gem, then disappeared.


    ¡°Paracelsus cursed his philosopher¡¯s stone,¡± the Lord of the Gate  explained benevolently. ¡°The moment anyone else touches it, the curse will turn the thief into white bones.¡±


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He broke out in a cold sweat.


    If the Yun Zhong Jun persona was still active, touching the stone wouldn¡¯t have any effect on him. But right now he was just an ordinary high school student. If he actually touched it, the consequences weren¡¯t pretty to imagine.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± This time  Zong Yan¡¯s thanks were much more sincere.


    However, the gray-haired evil god in the trench coat had an unpleasant frown. He was dissatisfied with the young man¡¯s polite but alienated words.


    According to his knowledge of standard human behavior, humans rarely said thank you to people they were truly close to or held in their hearts. There was an old Chinese saying, ¡°a thank you is insufficient for great kindness¡±, which expressed this truth.


    The black-haired teen said ¡°thank you¡± and ¡°thank you¡± again. Didn¡¯t that prove how detached he felt?


    It was well known that evil gods applied double standards. They wanted their believers and other ants to be fearful of them, but they didn¡¯t want their possessions to reject their god.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go.¡± The evil god naturally took Zong Yan¡¯s hand, and space-time split open for its lord.


    Before Zong Yan could react, they left the medieval, baroque-style Dreamlands and returned to Jiangzhou, full of modern technology.


    In an instant, the evil god¡¯s shadowy tendrils once again firmly encircled the black-haired teen¡¯s waist, lifting him into the sky.


    A second ago, they were standing on the ground in the illusionary realm of dreams. Now they were floating in the air, shoulder to shoulder with the roof of the Dujiakou Financial Building.


    Zong Yan glanced down and saw a river of colorful neon lights below his feet. The streetlamps narrowed into a golden line, stretching like a ribbon of fire through the night-dark landscape. Vehicles sped along the road. and from high above, they looked like glowing electrons orbiting a complicated circuit.


    The night was pitch-black, and the pale moon was obscured by heavy clouds. Night had settled on the earth, and the only visible colors were the lights of the city.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh¡ªwhat are you doing?!¡± Zong Yan was still holding the philosopher¡¯s stone that he¡¯d swiped from Paracelsus. Then he froze. ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t it be morning in Jiangzhou? Why is it already night time?¡±


    If he remembered correctly, they¡¯d left Jiangzhou at nine A.M. and strolled around MU for an hour or so before returning. It should still be morning. Night couldn¡¯t have fallen already.


    The gray-haired evil god walked easily through the air like he was on the ground. He said lazily, ¡°According to the calendar of your Earth, the current time in the United States is twelve hours earlier than in China. I sped it up a bit.¡±


    Zong Yan: ? ? ?


    What was he missing?


    Wait¡­ The black-haired teen¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. He looked to the side in disbelief.


    If time sped up, the next day to arrive was indeed a significant day.


    But it was only significant for Zong Yan.


    Because it was a day that only Zong Yan and his grandmother celebrated. After Grandma died, he was the only one left who remembered.


    ¡°It¡¯s now midnight Beijing time. According to your human customs, today is the day you officially come of age.¡±


    Meeting the young man¡¯s startled eyes, Yog smiled.


    The all-knowing, all-seeing god opened his eyes throughout time and space.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Zong Yan.¡±


    For humans, this seemed to be an important day, the evil god thought carelessly.


    It didn¡¯t matter if no one else remembered. The god remembered, and that was enough.


    TL Notes:


    Did you know this arc is already two-thirds done? How did that happen? It goes by so fast!


    Regarding the next two arcs: Although it¡¯s not clearly labeled, the next arc (Chapter 110-124) is the final arc of the main text! ? What does that mean? It means you can expect many exciting happenings and a big juicy conclusion chapter at the end of the arc. Ahhhhh!! I just read it and I¡¯m so excited o(???o)


    As with most ¡°arcs¡± in this series, there are several subsections and it¡¯s not super cliffhangery. Of course, when we get to a cliff I¡¯ll tell you in advance.


    After Chapter 124, there¡¯s one more arc (Chapter 125-138) of extras. It wraps up smaller storylines and contains additional relationship scenes.


    Ahhhh!! I love this series. I feel so lucky to work on it. Thank you for the encouragement ? ?(????)?


    enduring so many trials and tribulations ¨C ÈÌÈ踺ÖØ ¨C swallow humiliation and bear a heavy load; bear disgrace and a heavy burden; bear responsibility and blame; discharge one¡¯s duties conscientiously in spite of slanders


    esteemed sir ¨C ¸óÏ g¨¦xi¨¤ ¨C Alternatively: sir, lord, Your Eminence, Your Excellency


    fifth alchemical element ¨C ÎåÔªËØ ¨C fifth element ¨C To avoid confusion I¡¯m going to call it an ¡°alchemical element¡± instead of just an ¡°element¡± like in the periodic table


    a thank you is insufficient for great kindness ¨C ´ó¶÷²»ÑÔл ¨C great kindness is not thanked ¨C (maxim) a mere ¡°thank you¡± is an insufficient response to a huge favor, (expression of gratitude) words cannot express my appreciation for what you have done


    The god remembered ¨C Éñ¼ÇµÃ ¨C ¡°god remembered¡±


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 104

    ¡°Happy birthday, Zong Yan.¡±


    The Lord of Time and Space stood over an expanse of empty sky. Behind him was an array of shadows, extending outward like a physical substance.


    One of the shadows held the black-haired young man¡¯s waist and kept him securely in the air.


    They hovered above the night-darkened city, and beneath their feet were countless flickering lights. The city had millions of inhabitants, lighting up the darkness with a dazzling array of blurry, gorgeous colors.


    At this height the wind was powerful. It snatched at the hem of the gray-haired evil god¡¯s khaki trench coat and tossed the teen¡¯s longer black hair into his eyes.


    Zong Yan wasn¡¯t a person who attached a lot of importance to his birthday.


    A long time ago, before Grandma passed away, she always remembered to cook him a boiled egg on that day, waking up Zong Yan at dawn to eat it.


    Sometimes a boiled egg was too boring, so Grandma poached it in a little bit of sweet wine. As she sat at the small, dingy table in the tube apartment, watching Zong Yan eat the egg bite by bite, she would tell him, ¡°Eat it slowly, slowly¡­¡±


    Zong Yan forgot about his birthday every year. It was his grandmother who remembered.


    Even when Grandma was in the hospital, she struggled out of bed and borrowed the hospital kitchen to make a boiled egg for him to eat.


    The nurses and aides in the hospital were kind. Grandma¡¯s hospital stay was like a bottomless pit for burning money, but the hospital waived a lot of the expenses, and everyone in the tube building helped by chipping in. Unfortunately, Grandma didn¡¯t survive the winter.


    When Grandma was gone, no one celebrated Zong Yan¡¯s birthday again. Besides, he learned from the small metal box left by his grandmother that he was just an orphan she¡¯d adopted. His birthday felt meaningless.


    But as it turned out, even though there was no one left to observe his birthday, Zong Yan ended up remembering it every year.


    On that day, every year, he went to visit the cemetery.


    For Zong Yan, the word ¡°birthday¡± didn¡¯t represent joy. It was a form of commemoration.


    But today there was a man¡ªno, an evil god¡ªwho told him ¡°Happy birthday¡±.


    Of course, the great Yog-Sothoth was an all-knowing, all-seeing god. There was nothing an omniscient god didn¡¯t know. It was just a birthday, and it wasn¡¯t like Zong Yan had tried to hide the birth date on his ID card.


    But¡­ why would the Lord of the Gate remember the birthday of a tiny human? Why did he manipulate time to stop at the precise moment of midnight and say those words?


    He even knew Zong Yan liked to look down at the darkened city from above.


    Before Zong Yan upgraded the Child of the Wind card to Yun Zhong Jun, during the period just after Grandma¡¯s death, he used to go to the roof of the tube building every night after finishing his homework. Then he¡¯d use the card and fling himself into the night sky, like a bird soaring freely in the air.


    If Zong Yan were still the Lord of R¡¯lyeh, it would make more sense. Maybe it stemmed from the fact that the three original pillar gods had stubbornly insisted Zong Yan was one of Azathoth¡¯s streams of consciousness.


    He stared blankly at the Lord of the Gate, and once again he peered into an endless sweep of billions of brilliant spheres behind those chaos-colored eyes.


    The evil god still had a smile on his face, but it wasn¡¯t the smile he usually wore, nor was it a contemptuous sneer with a hint of mockery. It wasn¡¯t even the smile of a far superior being who felt pleased, looking down from high above.


    Rather, it was an indescribably faint but simple smile. Just a glance and it somehow made Zong Yan¡¯s heart beat faster.


    But when Zong Yan saw this smile, he also felt a strange chill down his spine.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zong Yan pressed his lips together and looked away, dodging the other party¡¯s deep eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like those words,¡± the evil god said slowly. ¡°For a human, the words ¡®thank you¡¯ reveal a sense of alienation. If you want to distance yourself from me, you shouldn¡¯t do it in that way.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Zong Yan rubbed at his hair with some annoyance, trying to shake off the strange feeling he¡¯d just had. ¡°I just¡ª¡±


    Just, just what? It was just that evil gods were supposed to be far above and separate from human beings, right?


    The two stood high in the sky, looking down at the traffic on the roads and the sleeping city far below. They fell silent for a while.


    Ever since Zong Yan came back from the dead, Yog-Sothoth¡¯s attitude towards him had somehow taken a 180-degree turn, and Zong Yan was anxious to know why.


    He was well aware that when he¡¯d lived with the three original proto-gods before, they only regarded him as an interesting and novel toy to look at. Like Shub-Niggurath, a bad character who liked to see people struggle in the quagmire of desire, and Nyarlathotep wasn¡¯t much better. Both were firmly planted in the chaotic evil camp. Compared to them, Yog-Sothoth was as peaceful and relaxing as the moon.


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t say it openly because of their difference in power, but his pride wasn¡¯t that much lower than an evil god¡¯s.


    They treated him like a toy, so Zong Yan severely limited their involvement in his life, secretly wary and on guard.


    But something seemed to have changed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s mind was in turmoil. He needed time to think.


    The Lord of the Gate flew with him across most of Jiangzhou. They returned to the small villa in the darkness.


    The black-haired teen was silent the entire way. After taking a quick shower, he completely wrapped himself in a thick quilt without even turning on the light.


    ¡®Well¡­ According to human custom, it seems a gift should also be given on a birthday.¡¯


    Yog stared at the bulging lump on the bed and reviewed the human behavioral data in his mind. By now the Lord of the Gate had managed to synthesize, from the vast sea of knowledge codified in books, a tome entitled ¡¶How to Raise Your Human¡·. This book belonged exclusively to him, and he implemented it line for line, word for word.


    The Lord of Time and Space casually opened his box storage space.


    The items stored here were things that Yog had collected across countless planes of space and time. There was no shortage of rare and interesting things.


    In fact, it was a supreme honor for anything to be treasured by the Lord of the Gate.


    He glanced inside, took out a black box, and placed it on Zong Yan¡¯s bedside table.


    ¡ª


    When Zong Yan woke up the next day, he found the box beside his bed.


    The box was about the size of a book. Zong Yan knew very clearly that he didn¡¯t own anything like it.


    Puzzled, he put down his toothbrush and picked it up.


    The box wasn¡¯t locked. He wasn¡¯t sure what sort of material it was made of, but it didn¡¯t seem to be any sort of substance known on Earth.


    When Zong Yan held the box in his hand, he felt a faint hint of cold emanating from it.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    He asked a question to the air, but no one answered.


    Zong Yan frowned suspiciously and slowly lifted the lid¡ª


    In the universe, there were three major disciplines: alchemy, astrology, and magic.


    Most alchemists believed there were four basic elements in three-dimensional space. The philosopher¡¯s stone was the legendary fifth alchemical element. If you managed to obtain the fifth element, you could live forever and perform miracles.


    In fact, Paracelsus and Nicholas Flamel didn¡¯t stop at the fifth element. They spent their endless lives in a fruitless attempt to seek the sixth element.


    Unfortunately, after so many years, these two high-ranking alchemists failed to find a single hint about it.


    Combining the knowledge of magic patterns and space theory, they theorized that every element corresponded to a different dimension of space-time. In three-dimensional space, the highest element that human beings could attain was the fifth. They speculated that the sixth element might be the key that unlocked other dimensions.


    Nicholas Flamel even guessed that it was impossible for humans to refine the sixth element given the limitations of three-dimensional space. Paracelsus didn¡¯t share this belief. As the high priest of the R¡¯lyeh sect, he believed that when Cthulhu awoke, the mighty evil god would lead the humans who followed him to a higher plane.


    In fact, their theory wasn¡¯t wrong. The universe had thirteen dimensions, and there were a total of fifteen alchemical elements.


    The more advanced elements not only allowed intelligent creatures to travel between dimensions, they conferred endless benefits.


    For example, the celebrated silver key that opened the Gates of the Silver Key was made from a certain element. Countless wars had been waged by higher-dimensional species across the universe, and many were fought over the possession of an elemental stone from a particular dimension.


    When it came to evil gods, there was a gap between the Great Old Ones and the Outer Gods. For example, it was difficult for a Great Old One to obtain an element higher than the twelfth, because to some extent these elements represented the laws of the universe. The elements beyond the first twelve were controlled by the Outer Gods. For example, the fourteenth element was controlled and owned by the Lord of Time and Space, while the fifteenth element was a small quantity of matter that was condensed at the birth of the three original proto-gods.


    The importance of these elements was self-evident.


    Of course, for evil gods the significance of these elemental stones was mostly symbolic.


    The unfathomable power of an evil god was far beyond human imagination, and their level wasn¡¯t affected by these stones. Elemental jewels were rare, but for evil gods they weren¡¯t that important.


    But for other intelligent creatures, any one of these stones was a treasure beyond compare.


    The Lord of the Gate had a hobby of collecting stamps, so he¡¯d collected an entire set of elemental gems.


    As an all-knowing, all-seeing god, it hadn¡¯t been difficult for him to find them, although the fifteenth element was harder to come by. Only a small piece had been created when Yog was born.


    The moment Zong Yan lifted the lid, the brilliance of the box¡¯s contents could no longer be concealed.


    Inside were fifteen gemstones of varying colors, each of them neatly arranged and roughly the size of an egg, emitting dazzling light against a dark background.


    Yog had noticed that Zong Yan was a bit taken with the fifth element he¡¯d gotten from Paracelsus, so he immediately gave a complete set of elemental stones to his human.


    A random piece of any of these stones was far more valuable than the philosopher¡¯s stone that Zong Yan obtained yesterday, which was only as big as the tip of a pinky finger. The one in the box wasn¡¯t just blood red and translucent, it was dozens of times larger than the one from Paracelsus.


    The most sought-after and coveted objects in existence, yearned for and lusted after by beings all over the universe, and just like that, they were casually placed before the black-haired young man.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    He was staring at a box of gems with a bewildered expression on his face.


    The Lord of the Gate was nowhere to be found, and Zong Yan had no idea what he was looking at. He just thought they were, uh, pretty.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: What do you mean by giving me a bunch of jewels?!


    TL Notes:


    180-degree ¨C The author said 360 again, but that would put Yog back where he started


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 105

    ¡®Did he give me a birthday present?¡¯


    Zong Yan looked at the glittering stones for a long time, until finally putting them back in confusion.


    Although they were pretty, they were just some gemstones after all. They weren¡¯t very practical.


    Besides, Zong Yan didn¡¯t know if these gems had other uses. There was no way he¡¯d ever touch them with his bare hands before confirming what they were.


    That was the lesson he learned from Paracelsus¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone.


    Zong Yan picked up his toothbrush and continued to wash up.


    Today he had his own schedule. He needed to sort through his thoughts, and until then he didn¡¯t really want to see Yog-Sothoth¡¯s face.


    After getting ready, Zong Yan picked up the keys and card case in the foyer, changed his shoes, and went out the door.


    He got on a bus and slowly made his way to the outskirts of the city.


    The black-haired young man sat by the window. He was gazing outside but couldn¡¯t have explained what was running through his mind.


    The scenery swept slowly by, flowers and bushes and green trees retreated gradually, and the black and white pedestrian crossings were like the monochrome keys of a piano. Every passing section was a tinkling piece of music.


    At this time in the morning, people from the suburbs were driving into the city to begin a new work day. There weren¡¯t many people like Zong Yan leaving the city this early.


    While he was emptying his mind, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.


    Zong Yan unlocked the phone and opened the chat room of the MU app.


    Wang KeMing sent him a series of messages.


    ¡¾Your handsome classmate Wang¡¿: Yan Ge!! Something happened at MU last night!!


    ¡¾Your handsome classmate Wang¡¿: It¡¯s my fault for sleeping so well and wearing headphones all night. If a classmate hadn¡¯t told me this morning, I wouldn¡¯t have known something happened!


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Just like the Lord of the Gate said, this kid was really not reliable.


    ¡¾I Love Gauss¡¿: I know.


    He replied with two words and didn¡¯t explain, then casually opened the news section on the main page.


    Zong Yan browsed the international news as usual.


    Recently, because of the turmoil in the British royal family, the overseas news media was full of in-depth interviews about the situation.


    But right now Great Britain was like an iron bucket, and there was no chance for internal news to leak to the outside. Zong Yan didn¡¯t know how Edward was doing. There wasn¡¯t much that Zong Yan could do other than feel concerned.


    But since Edward had made the Spire Council an offer they couldn¡¯t refuse, he thought the royal infighting would be settled soon.


    He let out a sigh and put the phone back in his pocket.


    About an hour later, the bus finally stopped at the terminal. There weren¡¯t many passengers left, and Zong Yan got off the bus with the last few people.


    Outside the terminal there was a desolate cemetery. When you looked up, you could see grave markers in dense rows proceeding up the hill.


    It was almost Qingming Festival, a common time to visit, so the cemetery wasn¡¯t as deserted as it was at other times.


    Zong Yan went to a shop that sold incense and candles, bought a bunch of paper flowers, took a broom, and calmly walked to a far section of the cemetery.


    His last visit wasn¡¯t long ago. After he made it back from prehistoric times, Zong Yan came to report his safe return.


    At the time he was in a hurry and couldn¡¯t miss class, so he wasn¡¯t able to stay to talk to his grandmother more.


    Right now it was still morning, and it wasn¡¯t a particularly hot day. The sun was hidden behind layers and layers of clouds, spreading dull waves of heat on the ground.


    With a broom in his hand, the black-haired young man carefully and painstakingly cleared the area around the small tombstone. Then he took the paper flowers, sat on the ground, and began to weave them together bit by bit.


    ¡°Grandma, in the past half a year I encountered a lot of things.¡±


    This was the most remote corner of the cemetery, and the price was relatively low. When Zong Yan arrived he didn¡¯t see many people around. He didn¡¯t try to lower his voice but spoke at a normal volume.


    As he wove the paper flowers in his hands, Zong Yan ducked his head and began to ramble about the things he¡¯d experienced in the past six months. ¡°I went to the school I told you about before. I met a lot of interesting people there and made some genuine friends.


    ¡°But something else happened, too. I met some powerful beings. Grandma, the best way I can explain it is to say they¡¯re malicious, non-human beings. They kept watching me for some reason, saying I was some kind of stream of consciousness of the Lord of the Universe¡­.


    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stop them, so I had to just live with them. Besides, I have to study. I don¡¯t have time to worry about other things.


    ¡°Then something else happened. Grandma, you used to say the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Since I have more ability, I thought I should do something, so I went. I almost didn¡¯t make it back, but I don¡¯t regret it either.¡±


    As he said this, Zong Yan finally finished weaving the paper flowers into a small wreath.


    ¡°These are Grandma¡¯s favorite flowers.¡±


    The black-haired young man straightened up and put the small wreath in front of the tombstone. A light smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°The thing is, there¡¯s a very powerful being who seems a little strange.¡±


    At this point, Zong Yan¡¯s face revealed a tangled expression. ¡°He¡¯s a non-human who¡¯s kind of weird, umm¡­. He¡¯s a bad person. At least, he¡¯s not exactly kind-hearted.¡±


    That¡¯s right, he was an evil god. How could an evil god be a good person? A lot of time had passed, but Zong Yan had never forgotten why the Lord of Tindalos attacked Jiangzhou.


    ¡°In the beginning, there was the incident in Jiangzhou. He was the mastermind behind it. A city was almost destroyed. For non-humans like him, human life isn¡¯t worth mentioning.¡±


    The young man rubbed his black hair with some annoyance. ¡°Back then he looked at me like a toy and said he wanted to teach me physics. Of course, getting someone to teach me physics is a good thing, and I was too cheap not to take advantage of the bastard. It was exhausting, but my physics score really improved. In the second mock exam, I got the only perfect score for physics in the city, heheh.


    ¡°Later there was an accident, and I became a non-human too.¡±


    Zong Yan paused for a moment and lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to describe how it felt. At the time, it really seemed to me that humans were just tiny beings who could be executed like ants.¡±


    Zong Yan rambled on, not because he was talking to his grandma, but because, in fact, he was talking to himself.


    He spoke at random, saying whatever came into his head, saying things he¡¯d never said to anything else, speaking to his only family member in the world.


    ¡°Later, he suddenly became kind to me. It was him who brought me back¡­ In fact, based on his identity, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d ever take an interest in an ant-like human being.¡±


    Just like Professor Darwin said in his biology class. Could you imagine an evil god being friendly to you?


    No, because an evil god would never do that.


    Countless cult members had verified this conclusion.


    There were cultists who had asked their Lord to give them immortality, so the evil god gave them death. Because in the eyes of an evil god, death was the beginning of life. After all, there were quite a few intelligent species in the universe whose lifecycle operated that way.


    Unfortunately for humans, dead meant dead, and there was no follow-up at all.


    For higher-dimensional beings, their very existence signified ¡°evil¡±, so humans assumed as much malice as possible when speculating about their thoughts.


    But Zong Yan had never been someone who didn¡¯t know how to be grateful. Perhaps because of his childhood situation, he cherished people who were kind to him. He couldn¡¯t help remembering all of those things in his heart.


    Maybe evil gods wouldn¡¯t bother to remember if they¡¯d done a favor to an ant when they were in a good mood, but Zong Yan couldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°Especially since he said there was no price¡­ If there was a price, I wouldn¡¯t worry so much.¡±


    Zong Yan sighed, propped his hands on either side of his face, and frowned. His eyebrows drew together, his eyelashes fluttered gently.


    ¡°And then he told me happy birthday.¡±


    The black-haired young man crouched in front of the tombstone, bit his lower lip, and spoke as softly as if were finally abandoning himself. ¡°Grandma, you know, I¡¯ve never been able to refuse someone who¡¯s kind to me.¡±


    After saying these words, Zong Yan didn¡¯t say anything more.


    He quietly rested his head against the tombstone, as calm as when he was a child leaning on his grandmother¡¯s shoulder.


    A gust of wind blew gently, lifting the young man¡¯s overly long black hair, sending it flying like the catkins of an overgrown black willow.


    Zong Yan sat there all morning. It was only at noon that he slowly got up, patting the dust on his pants, intending to go home.


    At that moment, something suddenly changed.


    Just as Zong Yan was walking down the steps, a dark green light unfolded beneath his feet. In an instant, a circle of arcane, mysterious runes appeared, engraved in mottled patterns on the ground, completely surrounding him.


    ¡°¡ª!!!¡±


    Zong Yan automatically wanted to shout for help, but he was in the most remote part of the cemetery, surrounded by short or tall grave markers as far as the eye could see. There wasn¡¯t the slightest shadow of another human being.


    Besides, whatever was happening had to be related to the occult world. If Zong Yan cried out for help, it would cause trouble for the investigators.


    He steadied his mind and avoided rashly touching the dark green light. He quickly took out his phone, logged into the MU app, and opened the emergency program. His other hand sank into the multi-colored gap in space and grabbed the Night Watchman card.


    However, it was daytime and the sun was out. He wouldn¡¯t have the privilege of paying half the normal San cost.


    He¡¯d used the persona card of Yun Zhong Jun just yesterday, and with the San points he had left, he would only be able to use the Night Watchman card for one hour.


    Zong Yan was burning with anxiety.


    A moment later, those runes lit up one after another and coiled around the black-haired young man. They disappeared together.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    I didn¡¯t forget my promise. Today I have a surprise!


    Cute little people, please pay attention to YaYa¡¯s microblog: ÍýÑ»Alter. I posted it there


    I originally wanted to give it to you as an update for free, but I think it will be taken by river crabs, so I can only use this method. Please understand, memeda!


    TL Notes:


    The author¡¯s note mentions something the author posted on their alternate Weibo account.


    I know there¡¯s at least one racy/smutty scene for this novel (a little black room scene! probably!), but I don¡¯t have a copy of it right now. My account isn¡¯t real-name verified so it¡¯s hard for me to do certain things. Also, policies have gotten stricter in the last few months. Things that get posted on Weibo are taken down faster. Anyway, if you¡¯re good at scouring jj or weibo and find it, please send it my way, I¡¯ll be very appreciative o(???o)


    How to send me stuff: My contact info is on the project page, linked at the bottom of each chapter. If you prefer email or something, leave a comment


    river crabs ¨C ºÓз ¨C A reference to censorship. ¡°Crab¡± is a homonym for ¡°harmony¡± (ºÍÖC) in Mandarin. The Chinese government removes or blocks things on the Internet on the grounds of undermining social harmony or stability, including vulgarity and violence (Wikipedia)


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 106

    At that very moment, far away in another hemisphere, the South Pacific was in turmoil.


    Here, on the island of Pohnpei in Micronesia, a summoning ceremony was in full swing.


    Pohnpei was a quadrangular volcanic island surrounded by close-packed coral reefs.


    It had the typical climate of a tropical rainforest. Rain fell throughout the year, and lush plants and jungle covered the island like a sea of green as far as the eye could see. Brightly-colored poisonous snakes coiled around the tree branches and flicked their scarlet tongues; toads and leeches lurked in turbid water, lying dormant.


    As one of the states of a country, Pohnpei Island wasn¡¯t as uninhabited as outsiders might suppose.


    It had an international airport, and cities were built where the population was more concentrated. But in other parts of the island, in places humans didn¡¯t live, the island retained its pristine rainforest environment.


    In the eyes of the mundane world, this island could only be regarded as small and out of the way, but to the occult world, it had immense significance.


    Over the years, several research teams formed by the Spire Council visited the island to investigate the South Pacific. Of course, the most famous investigation in its history was the research team that lost all its members and retrieved the jade piece of R¡¯lyeh.


    After that disaster, investigators rarely ventured deep into the South Pacific Ocean. They performed their research directly on Pohnpei Island.


    As a volcanic island, Pohnpei had a long history. Ancient sacrificial relics were preserved in the depths of the rainforest. Even today, some isolated islanders believed in the R¡¯lyeh clan headed by Cthulhu, but they had no idea he was an evil god.


    In the past few days, private planes landed at the airport on Pohnpei Island, but they didn¡¯t attract much attention.


    There had been other arrivals a few months ago, including cargo planes that brought mysterious things. Locals who watched from a distance said they saw people unloading dusty, cracked stone slabs from the aircraft.


    No one knew what these rich foreigners were up to. It wasn¡¯t like human trafficking never happened in Pohnpei. For a while, the people on the island were on edge.


    But months went by and nothing occurred. Gradually, the inhabitants stopped paying attention.


    Besides, that month on Pohnpei Island other things took place to distract them.


    Fishermen noticed there were fewer and fewer fish in nearby waters. Even if they set out early in the morning, it was difficult to catch a fifth of their previous haul by the end of the day. Not only that, animals on the island began to show strange signs of mania, and sources of fresh water flowed in reverse, as if manipulated by an evil force.


    Immediately after that, corpses of an unknown alien species washed up on the island. They were said to have a horrific appearance, a fish head with a human body, and several rows of long fangs. A few experienced fishermen simulated the biting power of the teeth and estimated they were comparable to a great white shark, which was shocking in itself.


    The incident attracted a crowd of curious islanders.


    No one on the island had ever seen such a creature. For a while, people speculated that the extinct volcano beneath Pohnpei Island was about to erupt, which caused these deep-sea creatures to wash up on shore. There were also inhabitants who belonged to older religions that preserved ancient murals from long ago. They swore it was a sign of the apocalypse.


    Later, the matter was handed over to the federal government. It was said that a scientific research team took away the bodies of the creatures. For most citizens, the incident was far less important than their daily lives, so they stopped paying attention after a while.


    Of course, they had no idea an ancient sect had gathered here in secret, and that it was already making preparations.


    The cultists transported monuments from all over the world. Deep in the rainforest they built a tall sacrificial platform, drawing an obscure alchemical magic pattern on the ground with a mixture of liquid mercury and powdered gold. Even from a distance it gave off a strong aura of impurity.


    Clad in a black robe and a strange skull mask, a man limped his way through the crowd.


    Although he wore a mask, his identity was obvious because of his iconic red hair and the scepter in his hand symbolizing the authority of the high priest.


    Indeed, he was none other than Paracelsus, who¡¯d been violently thrashed by Zong Yan in his Yun Zhong Jun persona the day before.


    When Paracelsus refused to reveal the whereabouts of the jade piece, Zong Yan took his philosopher¡¯s stone instead of killing him directly. Paracelsus relied on the stone for his immortality and superior alchemical abilities.


    It was an effective approach. After all, everything Paracelsus had was given to him by the philosopher¡¯s stone, and losing the stone had serious side effects. Once it was gone, his life force would rapidly drain away. Not to mention that Paracelsus used the philosopher¡¯s stone to practice forbidden alchemical spells.


    After Zong Yan took the philosopher¡¯s stone, the side effects immediately appeared on Paracelsus¡¯s body.


    And while he didn¡¯t feel pain, he¡¯d been severely pummeled by Yun Zhong Jun and had multiple bone fractures. Without the philosopher¡¯s stone, his self-healing ability decreased sharply. He even began to age.


    Paracelsus immediately panicked.


    The conditions needed to make another philosopher¡¯s stone were extremely demanding, so much so that even though he knew the formula, in all these years he hadn¡¯t been able to put together the right combination of time, place, and people to create another one.


    If he didn¡¯t regain his philosopher¡¯s stone soon enough, he would revert to his rightful appearance¡ªslowly aging until he became a handful of yellow sand.


    That was why he took a risk.


    According to their original plan, the R¡¯lyeh sect intended to wait until the beginning of May to perform the ceremony that would attempt to summon their god. At that time, the configuration of the sky would be closer to the legendary return of the stars. It would become possible to raise the sunken R¡¯lyeh from the sea.


    But Paracelsus couldn¡¯t delay any longer.


    Given the current situation of his body and his lack of healing ability, if he waited until early May, he most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain his current youthful appearance. He would revert to a dying old man.


    How could he possibly bear it?


    That was why he contacted the sect¡¯s astrologer to calculate a slightly closer date. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be today, so he didn¡¯t waste any time recovering from his injuries. He immediately traveled from Miskatonic University.


    Fortunately, the R¡¯lyeh sect had been planning this event for a very long time. They¡¯d begun transporting materials several months ago. That was why it was possible to attempt a summoning in such a hurry.


    ¡°Do you really want to perform the ceremony today, Your Excellency?¡±


    The astrologer of the R¡¯lyeh sect was worried. ¡°Today¡¯s horoscope isn¡¯t very clear. If you risk a summoning, there¡¯s a good chance there may not be a response.¡±


    Anyone who¡¯d taken a beginner¡¯s astrology course at MU would have recognized this man. He was one of the assistant professors who often substituted for the mysterious seventh Monarch in class.


    Paracelsus didn¡¯t respond directly. His face was grim as he turned his head to look at another senior believer. ¡°How much of our materials will be left?¡±


    ¡°Replying to the high priest, after this we have enough to perform three more rituals.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The red-haired alchemist waved his hand, and his eyes were full of darkness and ferocity, different from the kindliness he usually pretended.


    Paracelsus was skilled at managing his image, but this time he¡¯d left school in a hurry, and it was certain that interested people would have noticed.


    The first person on this list was Xu Fu.


    For a while Paracelsus wondered if the oldest living immortal, the former state teacher under Qin Shi Huang, suspected something.


    However, Xu Fu wasn¡¯t exactly a good person himself. Look at the way he dared to trick Qin Shi Huang and ran to the East Sea to develop his alchemy.


    But what Paracelsus was planning was no trivial matter. If they succeeded, the entire human race would suffer. Only a few people of the R¡¯lyeh sect would benefit. Xu Fu might try to stop them if he found out.


    Also, the mysterious person who suddenly appeared yesterday looked like an Elder God.


    Paracelsus was arrogant enough to believe he had no rivals in the human race. Even if he was up against a Monarch, he could rely on his years of experience to easily defeat them. The mysterious man who¡¯d attacked him was dressed in a crane cloak and had ink-black hair scattered around his shoulders. He had to be an ancient god of the East.


    Elder Gods from the East were few and far between in the modern world. Not many ancient gods remained, and most were from various Western myths. But according to legend, the Elder Gods of the East were philanthropic types, and if there was great turmoil in the world, they would awaken from their long slumber and intervene.


    If they delayed the summoning any longer, there was no guarantee what might happen.


    With that in mind, Paracelsus put aside his worries. He looked at the sect members who were still getting dressed in the distance and shouted, ¡°We¡¯ll continue to follow the plan.¡±


    R¡¯lyeh had been underwater for a very long time. He was confident His Majesty would be happy to awaken sooner. If the ritual didn¡¯t succeed at first, they could try again, Paracelsus told himself. Anyway, they couldn¡¯t delay anymore.


    All of his achievements, status, long life¡­ Everything came from the philosopher¡¯s stone.


    He couldn¡¯t bear the consequences of losing the stone. The red-haired alchemist clenched his fist with a heart full of turmoil.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency,¡± all the believers answered.


    The cultists escorted living animals, including livestock such as cattle and sheep, but they also had humans with dull eyes and collars around their necks, and brought them to the altar.


    Living sacrifices were a basic requirement for summoning a god. Almost all the rituals passed down from ancient times were inextricably linked to living sacrifices, even more so for evil gods.


    The members of the R¡¯lyeh sect wore long black cloaks and strange pointed hats. Their faces were covered with white bone masks. They stood around the altar in a mysterious pattern, chanting in low voices and dancing strangely.


    Golden magic patterns emerged at the tips of Paracelsus¡¯ fingers. One by one, the fires on the altar were lit, and a shrill chant escaped his lips.


    ¡°Great god of heaven Kuh-thoo-loo, please hear our call.¡±


    Then the burning flames turned dark green and slowly wavered in the air. The believers were shaking and ecstasy filled their eyes. A few fanatics cried out, fell down to kiss the ground, and praised the glory of their Lord.


    Behind the tall tongues of flame, inside the heavy green fog, a black-haired young man appeared on the altar.


    Confused, Zong Yan looked around and saw a crowd of people worshipping him. Inwardly he slowly typed out a question mark.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: This is¡­ What¡¯s going on? (confused cat.jpg)


    TL Notes:


    Please note, per the posting schedule I¡¯ll take tomorrow off. Going to prep the new arc¡­. !! ©d(o???o)?


    lost all its members ¨C È«¾ü¸²Ã» ¨C The whole army was wiped out; completely annihilated; roll up horse and foot; roll up horse, foot and guns


    he dared to trick Qin Shi Huang ¨C ¸ÒÓÚ¿ÇØʼ»Ê ¨C he ¡°donkeyed¡± Qin Shi Huang ¨C I think this means he treated the emperor like he was stupid; according to the story about Xu Fu, he told the emperor his first voyage failed because fish were blocking his way and he needed more archers to deal with them. The emperor gave him archers, and Xu Fu set sail with three thousand virgins (to perform sacrifices!) and disappeared, supposedly ending up in Japan. Qin Shi Huang was also mentioned in Chapter 13


    to develop his alchemy ¨C È¥·¢Õ¹ÒõÑô ¨C to develop ¡°yin and yang¡± ¨C Manipulating yin and yang seems to be an aspect of Chinese alchemy


    philanthropic types ¨C Ðüºø¼ÃÊÀ ¨C hanging pots to help the world, practice medicine in order to help the people


    Kuh-thoo-loo ¨C This was in the raw


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 107

    The light gradually darkened, changing from warm, red tones to a dancing, unsettling deep green, like ghostly will-o¡¯-the-wisps flickering in the air.


    A variegated dark green mist formed upon the altar, and the closer anyone approached, the stronger they sensed the arrival of an awe-inspiring quantity of water elemental energy.


    The sudden appearance of such a unique phenomenon was, beyond doubt, evidence of a successful summoning.


    The cultists fell still one after another. Chanting the name of the great Cthulhu, they worshipped the altar in reverence.


    They knelt on the ground and kissed the blood-stained soil. Their eyes burned with religious fervor.


    ¡°We hail your arrival! Lord Cthulhu! Praise be to your coming, Cthulhu, Lord of R¡¯lyeh!¡±


    Humans cannot look at evil gods directly. Even Paracelsus lowered his noble head and lowered himself to the ground on one knee.


    No one dared to gaze directly at the unspeakable horror that had appeared in the green fog.


    So at first no one really noticed anything was wrong.


    But inside that green fog, the indescribably horrific tentacles and ghastly shadows imagined by the faithful weren¡¯t actually there.


    ¡ªInstead, there was just a black-haired young man who¡¯d somehow been transported to the altar.


    Zong Yan maintained a defensive stance. Extremely vigilant, in one hand he held the card of the Night Watchman.


    The green light that suddenly appeared for no reason at his feet had given him an odd feeling of familiarity. It reminded him a lot of something from his prehistoric trek through R¡¯lyeh. He was so surprised that he didn¡¯t pay attention and was immediately dragged through the circle of runes.


    Then his surroundings changed from a cemetery full of tombstones to an endless tropical rainforest. In the distance, he could see the sparkling ocean. He was standing on an altar with a circle of people kneeling at his feet???


    Blinking in surprise, he didn¡¯t react for a while. ¡°Uh, what are you doing¡­ exactly?¡±


    ¡°My lord Cthulhu!¡±


    The cultists continued to chant, but as they gradually realized something wasn¡¯t right, they looked up, trembling with fear.


    Huh? Did something go wrong?


    At first glance, they didn¡¯t see an unspeakable horror that could cause incurable mental contamination with a single look. Actually, within that green mist they could vaguely glimpse a human figure.


    A human?


    When an evil god descended upon the Earth, it wouldn¡¯t choose a completely human form, right?


    ¡°Did I hear something wrong¡­? I thought I just heard a voice?¡±


    Another cult disciple was even more confused. ¡°Is it possible that our Lord deigned to use human language for some reason?¡±


    As the cultists looked around at each other they saw confusion and doubt within each other¡¯s eyes.


    When Paracelsus took in the situation, he was silent for a moment. Hesitantly he asked, ¡°My Lord?¡±


    That was English!


    When Zong Yan realized it, he immediately switched to fluent English. ¡°Help! Help!¡±


    As he spoke, he waved his hand to disperse the dark green fog. Oddly enough, the fog was poisonous and obviously should have had some effect on him, but it didn¡¯t hurt him at all. Instead it surrounded him like the stars surround the moon, patiently safeguarding its treasure.


    It was at this point that the cult finally got a good look at the person standing at the center of the altar.


    Black hair, black eyes, fair skin, slender body. This was clearly a being that should be classified as human.


    He was wearing the simplest clothes, a shirt and black trousers, and his face was calm but alert.


    What was even more surprising was that the green fog began to disperse towards the edge of the altar. The instant the green mist came into contact with the tall green trees and plants nearby, they began to dry up and turn yellow, but the person standing in the middle wasn¡¯t affected in the slightest.


    Most embarrassing of all, Paracelsus kept thinking that face was really familiar.


    Not only did the young man look familiar to Paracelsus, many of the people present felt the same. After all, many of those in the R¡¯lyeh sect were professors or teaching assistants that Paracelsus had arranged to work at MU, while other underlings were inducted later.


    In addition, Zong Yan¡¯s face was well-known throughout the occult world. Although Zong Yan himself didn¡¯t really fathom it, the tenth Monarch had a towering reputation among the new generation of investigators, not to mention the fact that he also was also the school chief of Miskatonic University.


    Zong Yan¡¯s name had become a legend in the school. New students who¡¯d just entered the school eagerly listened to stories their seniors told them about the school chief. Even Wang KeMing, a member of the chief¡¯s investigation team, was now a prominent figure on campus. Anyone who saw him had to give him a little face.


    ¡°¡ª!!!¡±


    After waving away the green fog, Zong Yan saw how strangely these people were dressed. He was on guard and warily took a few steps back. A golden alchemical magic pattern sprang to his fingers.


    ¡®Black robes, pointed hoods, white bone masks¡­ These are cultists.¡¯


    He was the chief of Miskatonic University, considered a highly talented student by many professors.


    During one of his magic pattern practice classes, his professor had talked about this kind of costume¡­.


    Astonished, Zong Yan looked down.


    He was standing on a dark green altar. Around it was a pile of shriveled, desiccated corpses that had already been corroded by the green fog. A few were little more than skeletons. Combined with the dried-up blood on the altar, Zong Yan¡¯s righteous heart began to burn.


    For a while, everyone fell into awkward silence.


    ¡°The tenth Monarch?!¡±


    They might not have been certain at first, but after Zong Yan summoned a magic pattern, the cultists confirmed his identity.


    No, wait, didn¡¯t they successfully link up the summoning array just now?


    The believers exchanged glances.


    What the hell was going on with MU? Sure, there were cultists and infiltrators scattered left and right, but there was an evil god in the mix too?!


    The disciples were stunned.


    The ritual to summon an evil god was incredibly strict. Not only did it require a lot of specific materials, the cultists weren¡¯t allowed to make a mistake at any point.


    If the summoning failed, the altar wouldn¡¯t give even the slightest response. But the summoning had completed, and the jade tablet of R¡¯lyeh¡ª


    Oh, right, what happened to the R¡¯lyeh jade?


    Paracelsus turned sideways to look. The R¡¯lyeh jade piece sat on a small altar across from the big altar. It had shattered into countless pieces, and when he saw that, his heart was in awe.


    When the jade piece was discovered, it was covered with mysterious writing. The linguists at Miskatonic University who studied ancient languages tried for years to translate it before concluding it was an object that could be used as a summoning medium.


    According to basic alchemical principles, if the summoning medium was destroyed, it meant it had fulfilled its mission.


    And the R¡¯lyeh jade piece was broken, which its target had been summoned.


    There was a pause, and then a cultist suddenly said, ¡°Is it possible that the tenth Monarch is an incarnation of His Majesty?¡±


    Fck, now there was an interesting hypothesis.


    Paracelsus fell into contemplation.


    Firstly, the summoning medium had broken, and the summoning had successfully activated. Also, the strange green mist still seemed to obey the black-haired young man¡¯s commands. Even if this new arrival wasn¡¯t His Majesty, he was inextricably linked to His Majesty in some way.


    Secondly, Zong Yan was the tenth Monarch, a supremely powerful individual who was recognized throughout the occult world as an ultra-high spec combat force, able to tear apart Great Old Ones with his hands. Everyone knew the tenth Monarch was extremely capable, but somehow no one ever thought this was unusual in any way. Only when Paracelsus considered it now did he realize that something about it wasn¡¯t right, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.


    There were many, many mythological stories in which a god was sealed and yet its avatar or stream of consciousness still walked the earth.


    According to this logic, the tenth Monarch might be the incarnation of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh. He had great power, but Zong Yan himself didn¡¯t realize what was behind it.


    ¡°Be good! Hands up, you¡¯re under arrest!¡±


    While Paracelsus was lost in thought, Zong Yan crushed the Night Watchman card.


    After a flash of dark light, the Night Watchman with a black umbrella in hand was already standing before them. His eyes were sharper than a razor.


    When they taught reserve investigators what to do when encountering cultists, every professor at MU told them just one word: Fight!


    As a group, fanatics and investigators were in irreconcilable conflict, and there was no chance of a mistake. Zong Yan had proof they were up to no good. The altar under his feet was clear evidence.


    For a high school student like Zong Yan, who was outraged by injustice, he couldn¡¯t bear it! Throw caution to the winds¡ªwe¡¯re going to fight!


    But the next moment, a few people who were MU professors in their daily lives, but infiltrator evil cultists in reality, looked at each other, knelt down again, and cried out in unison, ¡°My Lord!¡±


    Their brains made up a dramatic story in which the king of R¡¯lyeh fell into a deep slumber while his consciousness roamed the world as a human who¡¯d forgotten his memories. They got so into the scene they were totally convinced that it was true.


    ¡°The jade piece of R¡¯lyeh can¡¯t be wrong. You¡¯re the great lord of R¡¯lyeh, Your Majesty, the incomparable king!¡±


    The believers bowed and worshipped one after another, earnestly persuading and exhorting him: ¡°You may have become a human being and forgotten your original memories, but as your followers, our loyalty to you shines throughout heaven and earth. There¡¯s absolutely no way we could be mistaken!¡±


    Zong Yan¡¯s pupils quaked. Under the Night Watchman¡¯s command, the shadows he¡¯d just uprooted from the ground retracted again.


    Zong Yan¡¯s experience in R¡¯lyeh was a highly-classified secret. Aside from Yog-Sothoth, it was absolutely impossible that any other creature in existence knew about it, let alone humans.


    As for his connection with Cthulhu¡­ Zong Yan had already thrown the SS-rank persona card into the trash space. The card was completely destroyed. There was no way at all for him to use it.


    When he considered the R¡¯lyeh jade piece that was stolen from MU, it was easy to identify the group in front of him.


    He looked at the red-haired high priest before the altar. The other party had obvious injuries to his arms and legs. It looked like he¡¯d seen the losing end of a fight.


    Oh, Paracelsus, we meet again so soon.


    So¡ªhow on Earth did these people know he had a connection to R¡¯lyeh?!


    Based on their appearance, they could be followers of Cthulhu who tried to summon their god. Maybe through some mistake they ended up summoning him instead?


    Zong Yan¡¯s thoughts were spinning fast, but his face was unmoved as he tried to figure out what to do next.


    Part of him wanted to immediately find the Lord of Time and Space and ask if his after-sales service included a warranty.


    Then something suddenly happened.


    The sky darkened. Lightning rolled and thunder roared behind the dark clouds.


    On the surface of the sea, a huge whirlpool slowly began to take shape.


    Something deep beneath the sea had just announced its imminent arrival.


    TL Notes:


    If you want to avoid cliffhangers, I suggest stockpiling the next 3 chapters (108 ¨C 109 ¨C 110). Of course, I¡¯ll do my best to get them out quickly  ?(???)?


    Speaking of which, I have some RL stuff over the next few days, and that means I need to temporarily change my posting schedule. I will post updates about 12 hours later than usual (around 17:00 UTC). I¡¯ll try to post earlier when I can!!


    Help! Help! ¨C This was in English in the raw


    Hands up, you¡¯re under arrest ¨C ÊøÊÖ¾ÍÇÜ ¨C allow oneself to be seized without putting up a fight; allow oneself to be arrested without offering any resistance; be captured; fold one¡¯s hands for capture


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Lord Cthulhu ¨C ÎáÖ÷¿ËËÕ³ ¨C W¨²zh¨³ K¨¨s¨±l¨³


    Cthulhu, Lord of R¡¯lyeh ¨C L¨¡l¨¢iy¨¦ zh¨©zh¨³ K¨¨s¨±l¨³


    My Lord ¨C ÎáÖ÷ ¨C w¨² zh¨³ ¨C Can be used to address a god (¡°Lord¡± God etc.)


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 108

    ¡°Report¡ª! Satellites are detecting sudden changes in the South Pacific!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s too much atmospheric interference. It¡¯s difficult to get a clear picture.¡±


    Countless surveillance satellites hovered over the sky of Earth.


    In the information age of the 21st century, satellites were an inescapably important part of information warfare. This was why China finally broke away from using the GPS technology of the United States and developed its own Beidou system. More and more countries were realizing the importance of airspace.


    Even as the news broke out, the sky over the South Pacific Ocean dramatically changed.


    A moment ago the ocean was bright and sunny, but now a massive, seething bank of black clouds had formed, like a swarm of snakes covering the sky. Thunder rumbled behind dark billows of mist.


    The shimmering sea churned like it had been stirred by a giant, invisible hand. An immense vortex with no apparent bottom formed on the surface of the dark blue sea, as if a demon of the deep had suddenly opened one of its long-sleeping eyes.


    Furious waves surged in from the ocean and beat violently against the reefs off shore. Residents of Pohnpei Island watched in fear, then turned to stare at the volcano summit in the distance.


    The volcano on this island was extinct.


    Volcanoes were divided into three types: active, extinct, and dormant.


    Active volcanoes erupted regularly, while extinct volcanoes had erupted in the past but subsequently lost their ability to do so. Dormant volcanoes were volcanoes that had erupted before, still possessed active volcanic features, and had the possibility of erupting again.


    Volcanoes were common on islands along the equator. Pohnpei Island had itself been formed from the ash produced by previous volcanic eruptions.


    Although a volcanic eruption might not sound too terrible in itself, in fact, there were countless mega-volcanoes distributed around the Earth. For example, Yellowstone National Park in the United States was the site of an enormous dormant volcano whose crater was the size of Tokyo. If it erupted, ash and particulate matter ejected from the Earth¡¯s core would suffocate the atmosphere for years, easily destroying the entire ecosystem of the planet, and its force would be equivalent to a thousand atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima.


    The volcano on Pohnpei island was also a supervolcano. Fortunately, it was extinct.


    Hundreds of millions of years ago, the volcano erupted and created the island. Over the following years, the supervolcano never erupted again. When geologists surveyed the site, they said that the channel from the volcano¡¯s crater to the Earth¡¯s core had been completely blocked. There was no possibility that the volcano would erupt in the future.


    But now¡­


    It seemed that something had dredged the interior of the volcano and restored the channel to the Earth¡¯s core.


    ¡°Oh God! Is this the end?!¡±


    The ground was violently shaking throughout the island. Dark-colored ash spewed from the volcano¡¯s crater, as if the Earth were exhaling smoke from its nostrils.


    ¡°Not good! The volcano¡¯s going to erupt!¡±


    Fishermen who were familiar with the area knew this was a sign the volcano was about to erupt.


    Not only that, the ocean looked like a scene from hell.


    Several passenger boats near Pohnpei Island weren¡¯t able to escape in time. The huge whirlpool pulled them in, and the boats disappeared without so much as a ripple, sinking to the bottom.


    The ocean was a pump, relentlessly pulling everything to the sea floor, churning and rumbling like a freshly-brewed nightmare of incredible power.


    ¡°The eruption might trigger a tsunami. Quick, get to high ground!¡± experienced sailors shouted.


    Meanwhile, on top of the summoning altar, even more green fog had appeared. Billows of poisonous mist rose into the sky.


    What was going on?!


    Zong Yan was slightly crouched down. His eyes were piercing.


    The cult followers who were on their knees got up and began to chant.


    ¡°Behold the eternal city of silence! R¡¯lyeh has manifested from the bottom of the ocean!¡±


    ¡°This is the awakening of R¡¯lyeh!¡±


    ¡°Our centuries-long dream is finally here!! May the ignorant world receive the glory of R¡¯lyeh!¡±


    All their faces were excited, like they were pumped up with adrenaline, and their eyes glittered with fanatic exhilaration. Cultists swarmed to Zong Yan¡¯s feet to kiss the base of the altar.


    ¡°O my Lord, recover your lost memories of your true self!¡±


    They were so noisy that Zong Yan¡¯s head began to ache. The situation on Pohnpei Island wasn¡¯t optimistic. All around them, leaves of the tropical palm trees were falling to the ground, and the earth was trembling so violently that one wondered if it were about to split open.


    The whirlpool on the ocean continued to rotate. The black clouds grew heavier and heavier, descending lower in the sky. From a distance it looked like they were about to be sucked into the vortex.


    In the center of the spiral, an eerie black spire began to slowly rise. The thorny spikes that covered its surface pointed to the sky.


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes widened.


    It had only been a few months since he¡¯d returned from prehistoric times, but since then Zong Yan began to feel more and more like it belonged to some other world, that it wasn¡¯t entirely real.


    It felt like he¡¯d always been an ordinary high school student, struggling in a sea of test papers. Not someone who¡¯d almost lost his life saving the planet, or a person who¡¯d just come back from a tour of prehistoric Earth.


    After all, R¡¯lyeh had submerged so long ago, and its sinking was necessary to world history. Across countless timelines, no R¡¯lyeh in any version of Earth had survived.


    If R¡¯lyeh had continued to exist, Cthulhu¡¯s clans would have maintained near-permanent domination. For the development of intelligent life on Earth, it would have been a devastating blow.


    As the distant spire slowly rose up from the ocean, gradually revealing the platform below it, Zong Yan clenched his fists.


    Even after lying dormant for hundreds of millions of years, the gigantic city of black and dark green hadn¡¯t lost any of its glory.


    Those hideous, lofty towers stretched up from the base of the city, arranged in three distinct levels, constructed from incomparably bizarre angles. A massive bridge of white bone connected several towers, covered with long spiky projections like the razor-sharp claws and fangs of a devil, glowing with an unsettling light.


    The black spire at the top of the palace was so huge that from a distance it was all that could be seen.


    Everyone who gazed upon the city was struck with physical disgust, as if someone had punctured the corneas of their eyes with a fine needle. Their brains churned with a powerful feeling of loathing.


    ¡°Ah! Praise be to you! Great R¡¯lyeh¡ª!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve waited for thousands of years! At last¡ªyou¡¯ve finally reappeared from the bottom of the sea! Oh Great Lord of R¡¯lyeh! Your power will lead us out of the darkness to victory in the higher dimensions!¡±


    ¡°Our great heavenly father and savior!!¡±


    Cultists in black robes danced around the altar hand in hand. Their faces were as happy as if they were celebrating the New Year.


    Everything happened with incredible speed. From the first change of the ocean and sky to the appearance of R¡¯lyeh in the world it only took a few minutes.


    In that short amount of time, it wasn¡¯t possible for the satellites monitoring Earth to collect much information, let alone evaluate it and respond.


    ¡°Whew¡ª¡± Zong Yan let out a breath.


    Even for him, the moment he saw the black city he felt the mental pollution that pierced straight into his head. But since he¡¯d activated the Night Watchman card, he was able to keep a firm gaze on his target. He didn¡¯t move his eyes away, and felt a deeper level of psychic damage.


    No, this wasn¡¯t good.


    Zong Yan remembered Professor Darwin¡¯s description of the king of R¡¯lyeh in biology class.


    When deciphering the jade piece of R¡¯lyeh, the linguistics professors at Miskatonic University sensed an unparalleled curse contained within it.


    Once R¡¯lyeh was reborn into the world, the Great Old One would drag the entire planet into his dream.


    That was why Cthulhu must never be allowed to awaken.


    The Night Watchman gripped the handle of his black umbrella so tightly that blue veins were visible in the backs of his hands, striking against his pale skin.


    The elegant aristocrat of the fog suddenly leaped into the air. A swirl of black shadows flowed from the island like a woven bridge, gathering under his feet. The shadows lifted the Night Watchman into the air.


    The Night Watchman moved with lithe and uncanny footsteps. Each time he lifted his feet, shadows instantly formed below him, paving a delicate, wraith-like staircase in the air for him to tread.


    As he climbed higher and higher, gusts of wind whipped at his gray hair. The ribbon that tied his hair was torn away. His scarlet eyes were sharp.


    ¡°Look there!¡±


    Many of the islanders who didn¡¯t have time to take refuge saw this amazing sight and fell to their knees in fear. ¡°What darkness! Has God abandoned us? Is Satan about to open the gates of Hell and return to Earth?¡±


    Naturally the Night Watchman didn¡¯t hear any of this. By now he¡¯d climbed a hundred meters into the air and was just barely at eye level with the first level of the palace of R¡¯lyeh.


    ¡°I have to hurry¡­ If I can mobilize enough shadows, I¡¯ll be able to¡­ return R¡¯lyeh to the bottom of the sea.¡±


    Zong Yan fought to catch his breath.


    He didn¡¯t have enough San value to activate another S-rank daily disposable persona card. The Night Watchman was an A-rank card able to mobilize the power of nature, and that might barely be enough. Fortunately, when R¡¯lyeh returned to the surface, dark clouds blocked out the sun, and now the entire surrounding ocean was dark. Zong Yan could try to command all the shadows within a hundred miles to peel back the waves, returning R¡¯lyeh to the ocean floor.


    But it was too much of a strain for him. If¡­ if only the Lord of the Gate were here¡­


    Zong Yan was stunned by his own thoughts, but he didn¡¯t have any time to examine why this idea occurred to him. He quickly returned his focus to the sea in front of him.


    ¡°O shadows¡­ Obey my command!¡±


    The Night Watchman opened his black umbrella. Thousands of shadows swept up from the sea, rushing into the air, bearing sea water with them into the clouds. The countless shades converged into a vast, majestic curtain.


    Such a large-scale mobilization of power consumed an enormous amount of energy and will. The Night Watchman¡¯s hands began to shake. Sweat dripped from his forehead.


    His long gray hair streamed behind him, dancing and tossing in the wind, while the storm gusted around him, roaring with fury.


    Suddenly his eyes narrowed.


    On the central platform atop the palace of R¡¯lyeh, a man slowly emerged.


    His upper body was naked, his skin was the color of wheat, and his long hair was dark green.


    Even from a distance, the Night Watchman could see the tyrannical cruelty in the man¡¯s dark golden eyes.


    Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but remember when he lived in R¡¯lyeh, when he¡¯d called this god his ¡°elder brother¡±, and how the evil god had treated him.


    Did an evil god have feelings? No, but an evil god certainly wouldn¡¯t mistreat his own half-self.


    ¡°C¡­¡±


    He opened his mouth, but a second later the evil god lifted his hand.


    In an instant, millions of shadows woven with mysterious green fog shot into the air. They stabbed directly at the Night Watchman hovering in the sky.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Mr. C is online again!


    TL Notes:


    There¡¯s too much atmospheric interference ¨C Òò´óÆøÍŹýÓÚÃܼ¯ ¨C ¡°The atmospheric mass is too dense¡± ¨C I¡¯m not certain what ¡°atmospheric mass¡± was so I tweaked the language. Optical satellites can¡¯t see through clouds, but satellites that use other wavelengths don¡¯t have that problem


    hundred miles ¨C °ÙÀï ¨C hundred li ¨C A li is an ancient unit of distance approximately equal to 500m, about the same distance as a customary mile


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Yellowstone National Park ¨C »Æʯ¹ú¼Ò¹«Ô°


    Tokyo ¨C ¶«¾©


    Hiroshima ¨C ¹ãµº


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 109

    The shadowy tentacles wielded enough power to destroy heaven and earth, and they showed no mercy. They were coated with abhorrent, hideous slime, dripping mucus so repellent it made the soul shudder.


    Shocked, the Night Watchman who was hovering in mid-air rapidly retreated and raised his black umbrella like a shield.


    The shadows he¡¯d woven with so much effort before swarmed up from the surface of the sea, forming an enormous black curtain to protect him.


    Did an A-rank daily disposable persona card have any chance against a Great Old One?


    The answer, of course, was no.


    His shadows, which at first glance appeared so heavy and powerful, were sliced apart by the evil god¡¯s huge tentacles. They shredded like paper.


    In just an instant, the evil god¡¯s attack broke through all of Zong Yan¡¯s defenses. As the Night Watchman looked on in astonishment, the evil god smashed through the black umbrella and knocked him from the air.


    Like a meteor, the Night Watchman flew backwards. He smashed to the ground on Pohnpei Island. Along the way he tore through palm leaves and debris, finally landing in a pile of sludge on marshy ground. Every inch of the deep black umbrella had shattered. All that remained were a few tatters of black cloth. The other fragments were scattered far and wide.


    ¡°Ow¡ª¡±


    Zong Yan opened his mouth and coughed up a mouthful of sticky, scarlet blood. The shocking crimson dripped down his dark gray vest.


    Those indescribably horrible shadow tentacles wielded such incredible force that the blow almost shattered Zong Yan¡¯s internal organs, seriously injuring him.


    It was the first time he¡¯d been hit so hard while equipped with a persona. Perhaps that was why, the moment he hit the ground, the Night Watchman status terminated on its own. Zong Yan transformed back into a black-haired young man in trousers and a white shirt.


    Blackness swam in front of his eyes, but with all of his will he forced himself to sit up, staring into the distance at the ocean.


    After this attack, the Lord of R¡¯lyeh didn¡¯t pause a moment.


    He stood at the highest point in R¡¯lyeh and gazed at the sky. His tentacles spread out behind him like a living creature.


    They were so enormous that each one was nearly as wide as Pohnpei Island.


    Then the human form of the Lord of R¡¯lyeh vanished. In its place appeared a monstrous octopus head, so large that it blocked out the sky and loomed over an enormous part of the ocean.


    It was difficult to accurately express such a scene with words, because the god¡¯s otherworldly appearance surpassed human cognition. Even his silhouette couldn¡¯t be described in human language, because this was an existence that humans could neither fully perceive nor comprehend.


    The Great Old One who¡¯d been sealed deep beneath the sea had finally awoken. He stretched across the ocean like a mountain, wantonly unleashing his tentacles to destroy the world. The inhabitants of Pohnpei Island who had the misfortune to witness this sight fell down screaming, their bodies twitching, bleeding from their eyes. Their brains were in a state of confusion, suffering from the most pronounced and vile mental corruption.


    A dark green poisonous mist filled the air from the surface of the ocean to the clouds and beyond, spreading outward with incredible speed like an expanding fog bank.


    But that wasn¡¯t the most terrifying thing.


    As one of the humans who was suffering from the mental attack, Zong Yan¡¯s current situation was dire.


    In the chaos, he seemed to see the sky turned upside down. Where there should have been stars, there was no trace of them at all. The ocean was inverted, covering the sky, and far above him in the distance, he saw people and buildings floating by.


    ¡®When the eternal king of R¡¯lyeh awakens, he will drag the entire world into his dream.¡¯


    Zong Yan suddenly remembered the famous prophecy. His black eyes widened.


    Similar spectacles unfolded around the world.


    As the green fog rapidly unfurled, every person enveloped in it fell into a trance, revealing a dazed expression.


    Ocean water rolled in the sky, deep-sea fish swam on dry land. Buildings rose up one by one, floating in mid-air. The Empire State Building, the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Potala Palace, the Eiffel Tower¡­ The earth was raised high and sunken low, lava surged and flowed, and the world seemed to have become a fantastic, magical copy of itself, beyond all logic and reason.


    It was like something out of Inception, except it was even more difficult to understand and far more absurd.


    A riot of colors flowed between heaven and earth. In front of a bottomless abyss, people drifted in mid-air with a trance-like expression on their faces. Many seemed to be lost in a blissful dream.


    The most magnificent structures built throughout human history changed their shapes.


    The pyramids in the land of Egypt transformed, becoming inverted three-dimensional triangles. A host of mummies sat up in their tombs and fished through the burial pots beside them to retrieve their internal organs. Indeed, the viscera which had been stored for thousands of years and turned to dust were now miraculously restored. The mummies jumped up and pushed their entrails back into their bodies, unwrapped their bandages, and walked out of their tombs to greet the sun of the new world.


    In gatherings and banquets, silver plates filled with delicious food had turned into plates of delicacies dripping blood.


    The guests sipped dainty elixirs made from human brains and speared scarlet shrunken heads with elegant silver forks. Strange, disgusting tumors grew on their bodies as they sat on both sides of long dinner tables, laughing, flying through the air, drinking this wonderfully delicious liquid completely unaware, while the corners of their lips turned a hideous bright red.


    The laws of physics were no longer in effect, and the normal rules of the universe were irrelevant.


    This was the dream world of the Great Old One. In his realm, lowly creatures had no value at all. Their minds would be erased, and the great evil god would leave them nothing.


    ¡®No, this can¡¯t be.¡¯


    Zong Yan fought to maintain his faltering consciousness. Black spots swam in his vision. Warm liquid dripped from the corners of his eyes with a strong scent of rust, seeping into the collar of his white shirt.


    ¡°Why are humans always so hostile to evil gods?¡±


    In his biology class at MU, a classmate once asked this question. ¡°They haven¡¯t destroyed our world, right? We¡¯re still alive and well. Why can¡¯t we be more tolerant of them?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re wrong.¡± Professor Darwin smiled. ¡°Every year, students ask this question. In fact, the hostility that exists between investigators and evil gods isn¡¯t caused by the investigators.


    ¡°Of course, you may not understand it now, but if you experience the true power of an evil god in the future, you¡¯ll learn what despair really is. An evil god may not feel much malice towards mankind. We may just be unlucky and happen to enter their thoughts by accident. But just a little bad luck is enough to destroy humanity a million times over.


    ¡°The hostility we speak of is necessary to protect ourselves.¡±


    Yes, just like right now. The Lord of R¡¯lyeh might only be trying to restore his kingdom. After all, he¡¯d been sealed for many years. From his point of view, the Earth was his personal property. Humans were just some bacteria that happened to be living on his possession.


    Therefore, Cthulhu sent the world into the higher dimensions. Human beings were just a few ants who were accidentally sacrificed in the process.


    Who cared about the death of a few ants?


    ¡ªNow do you regret it?


    The voice of a demon seemed to whisper to him from the darkness.


    Did he regret it?


    Half asleep, half awake, Zong Yan asked himself the same question.


    He¡¯d always been alone and without attachments. After his grandmother died, he didn¡¯t have anyone but himself.


    The SS-rank Cthulhu card not only gave him unparalleled power, it gave him something he¡¯d always longed for but never dared to admit: family affection.


    Zong Yan knew it was ridiculous, but he¡¯d genuinely felt a sense of closeness from an evil god.


    But Zong Yan still gave it up. He destroyed the card. He returned to modern times from 350 million years in the past.


    Since he¡¯d given it up, Yog-Sothoth¡¯s tampering had made sure the Lord of R¡¯lyeh didn¡¯t remember that he once had a second self. For a Great Old One, the only theme was eternal coldness. Not to mention the fact this ¡°second self¡± had never existed in the first place. It was just a forgery created by the card drawing space.


    So Zong Yan couldn¡¯t blame Cthulhu, even if he was beaten up. The current Zong Yan was no different from an ant in Cthulhu¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t even worth looking at twice, he told himself bitterly.


    The decision Zong Yan made might have baffled a lot of people.


    Why did he give up that card? Why abandon something he¡¯d dreamed of? Why go back?


    What did Cthulhu¡¯s half-self represent? It meant unparalleled power and supreme rank. He¡¯d been a Great Old One, the king of R¡¯lyeh¡­. With that kind of identity, everything was within reach.


    If he chose to permanently become the half-self of Cthulhu, all Zong Yan had to do was give up the college entrance exam and his previous human identity, which he didn¡¯t have many ties to anyway. Then he would possess the things countless people longed for all their lives.


    What could be simpler?


    But after becoming an evil god, would he still be Zong Yan?


    He was a young man with dreams and passion in his blood. As He Yuan said, ¡°He¡¯s a good child¡±. He was a good child who didn¡¯t use his power to hurt others even though he could. He was a good child who saved the world without anyone knowing it, and he had a sense of responsibility.


    But what about the evil god Zong Yan?


    The evil god Zong Yan ignored the sinking of Atlantis, ignored the blood-soaked red sea when R¡¯lyeh and Carcosa went to war, was indifferent to the loss of life, and could watch the city sink with a heart of stone.


    When Zong Yan was an evil god he was able to ignore life and death. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t have taken long for him to become an executioner with a butcher¡¯s knife.


    The cold mind of an evil god would digest what was left of his human personality, until the human ¡°Zong Yan¡± was finally erased and he became nothing but an evil god.


    Was that kind of Zong Yan still Zong Yan?


    Personality was an enduring topic of discussion in the scientific community.


    What was a person made of?


    Was it memory, or personality, or social relationships, or was it everything else?


    If you lost your memory, forgot your character, abandoned your social relationships, would you still be you?


    Of course not.


    ¡°Zong Yan¡± would pass away, and everyone would forget the chief of Miskatonic University. They¡¯d forget the physics-hating student of Qingyang High School who liked to sit by the window and read ¡¶The Outsider¡·, and they¡¯d forget the black-haired teen who lay on the roof of the tube building, looking at the sky.


    Humans were forgetful creatures. The moment Zong Yan became ¡°Cthulhu¡±, he would cease to be Zong Yan, and the name Zong Yan would lose all meaning.


    You¡¯re the brave hero, the dragon slayer, but the dragon coiled in the cave tells you that as long as you submit, it will give you the vast riches of its cave.


    You¡¯re just a half-hearted hero, and there¡¯s no way for you to beat the dragon. If you don¡¯t accept its offer, all you can do is die in scorching dragon fire.


    Will you become an evil dragon, or will you raise your sword and say with your unyielding, defiant soul, ¡°This is the fate of the brave¡±?


    Are you willing to be yourself, or will you give up everything for the sake of power and status and voluntarily become the type of being you hate most?


    ¡°Of course I am myself. No one can make me become anything else. Whether I remain a person or become a ghost¡­ I will never regret it!¡±


    I¡¯ve been tangling with myself for a long time, and I¡¯d still rather be me!


    The black-haired young man fell to his knees. His face was stained with flowing blood, but his fingers probed into that multi-colored gap in space.


    Zong Yan had never been so eager for power.


    ¡®I need power, enough power to remain myself and still be me, but enough power to stop everything, too.¡¯


    Something cold brushed against his fingertips.


    Was it a card?


    It didn¡¯t seem to be.


    In a haze, Zong Yan thought he¡¯d reached in with his entire hand, followed by his arm¡­ the gap expanded more and more.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not too late.¡±


    The gray-haired, white-robed evil god stepped out from the void and slightly bent down, pressing a kiss to the center of the black-haired young man¡¯s forehead.


    At that moment time stopped. Everything suspended, the magic space inverted, everything halted.


    In the last second, as Zong Yan plunged into the darkness, he saw¡ª


    The mysterious card-drawing space that existed only at his fingertips¡ªthe multi-colored edges of the streaming light kept on expanding¡ªcovering the sky, covering the earth, wrapping the entire world inside it.


    The colorful edges dripped and flowed like translucent slime from some kind of fairy tale, transparent through and through, beautiful beyond compare.


    Like a gorgeous illusion from a dream.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    I have been tangling with myself for a long time, and I would rather be me.


    ¡ª ¡¶A New Account of the Tales of the World, ¡°Grading Excellence¡±¡·


    TL Notes:


    Thus ends the arc! ?(???)?


    inch ¨C ´ç ¨C A cun is an ancient unit of measurement equivalent to a traditional ¡°inch¡±, about one-thirtieth of a meter. A cun is one-tenth of a traditional Chinese chi, or ¡°foot¡±


    Inception ¨C µÁÃÎ¿Õ¼ä ¨C A 2010 science fiction action film about professional thieves who steal information from the minds of victims through a shared dream world


    A New Account of the Tales of the World ¨C ÊÀ˵ÐÂÓï ¨C A historical compilation of many Chinese scholars, musicians, and artists during the 2nd-4th centuries, compiled and edited by Liu Yiqing (ÁõÒåÇì)


    Grading Excellence ¨C Æ·Ôå ¨C The name of chapter 9 of A New Account of the Tales of the World


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Empire State Building ¨C µÛ¹ú´óÏÃ


    Oriental Pearl ¨C ¶«·½Ã÷Öé


    Potala Palace ¨C ²¼´ïÀ­¹¬ ¨C A dzong fortress in the city of Lhasa, Tibet. It was the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959


    Eiffel Tower ¨C °£·Æ¶ûÌúËþ


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 110

    Zong Yan slept for a long time, so long that in his dream he seemed to have forgotten who he was.


    ¡°¡ª!!!¡±


    When he suddenly regained a bit of consciousness, Zong Yan immediately pushed himself up with his hands and sat upright.


    Huh? Sat up?


    The black-haired young man sat in his bed, staring blankly around him. The heavy blanket on his shoulders slipped down, exposing the bare skin of his back, and his beautifully shaped butterfly bones were distinctly outlined by the lighter and darker shadows.


    He was in his bedroom.


    Zong Yan¡¯s bedroom in the small villa was cold and austere. Everything was monochrome: the quilt on the bed was black, the carpet on the floor was gray, and the walls around him were white, but the lamp cast a warm yellow light. The combination was in line with Zong Yan¡¯s straight male aesthetics, so he didn¡¯t have any objections when he first moved in with his little school bag.


    What just happened?


    The last thing Zong Yan remembered, he was standing by the shore of Pohnpei Island. He was seriously injured and the collar of his shirt was soaked with shocking red blood.


    He recalled reaching his hand inside the shimmering, multi-colored card drawing space and seeing the edges of the space flow with light and color, expanding and swallowing up the world that Cthulhu had dragged into his dream, like a rainbow had been wrapped around a lollipop.


    Before Zong Yan¡¯s vision went dark, the gray-haired, white-robed evil god had lifted Zong Yan¡¯s blood-stained face and gently kissed his forehead.


    And now¡ª


    Zong Yan walked to the floor-to-ceiling mirror on the other side of the bed.


    The black-haired young man in the mirror was tall and slender, with a pale, thin face.


    His fingers gently brushed at the skin of his collarbone.


    In Zong Yan¡¯s opinion, his current condition was too good to be true. If someone asked him run 1500 meters right now for a physical fitness test, he could do it with no problems.


    It was beyond incredible.


    ¡°Strange¡ªwhat in the world is going on?¡±


    He remembered seeing Yog-Sothoth before he¡¯d passed out. Zong Yan guessed that whatever was happening was related to the evil god.


    He crossed the thick plush carpeting on his bare feet. Without hesitation he stepped over to the door and trod the chilly wooden stairs to the lower level.


    The first floor was deserted.


    Everything in the house was just like Zong Yan remembered it. Even the basket of strawberries he¡¯d washed before he left was sitting on the kitchen table. The only difference was that the water droplets had dried, but the berries were still fresh. It was clear that not much time had passed.


    ¡°Yog?¡± Zong Yan hesitated for a moment, then finally said, ¡°Lord of the Gate?¡±


    He recalled what he¡¯d read in the Necronomicon, specifically the summoning spell for the Lord of the Gate. In a hesitant voice he said, ¡°Hear me, Lord of Time and Space. King of Infinite Space, the All-in-One, Planetmover, the Foundation of Fastness, the Vanquisher of Terror, the Creator of Panic, Destroyer, the Shining Victor, Son of Chaos and the Void, the Guardian of the Abyss, God of the Outermost Darkness, Lord of Dimensions, Riddle-knower, Guardian of the Secrets, Lord of the Labyrinth, Master of the Angles, the God of the Whippoorwills, Omegapoint, Lord of the Gate, Opener of the Way, Almighty Lord of the Primordial Beginning¡­ ¡°


    Zong Yan reeled off words one by one, and his inner bemusement grew stronger and stronger.


    This guy¡¯s summoning ritual was a little too long, right? The whole thing was actually a list of his titles¡­? How narcissistic was he to use such a big long list as his summoning spell ah!!!


    What was even more frightening was that Zong Yan remembered it. Of course, when he found out his mentor was literally an evil god, Zong Yan checked out the other party¡¯s details, but he never thought that would actually come in handy.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t how my summoning ritual is used.¡±


    Just as Zong Yan was dryly reciting a long list of names, the low voice of the evil god suddenly sounded in his ears, and his words seemed to contain a hint of a smile. ¡°The Great All-in-One will not respond to a believer whose heart is not devout. Any ant who dares to meddle with an evil god will probably receive divine punishment from the void, to ensure they appreciate an evil god¡¯s wrath¡­. Of course, if it¡¯s you, just call out my name, hmm?¡±


    The end of this sentence lifted gently, like a bow gliding across the lowest notes of a cello, inexplicably hinting at another, more bewitching meaning.


    The black-haired young man felt a sudden jolt. The skin behind his ear seemed so hot it was on fire, and the flames burned all the way to his core.


    Only then did Zong Yan notice that he¡¯d recited a lot of Yog-Sothoth¡¯s honorary titles, but he hadn¡¯t properly called out the evil god¡¯s great name.


    Although Zong Yan had lost his identity as an evil god, he still remembered their language. He could use his human vocal cords to approximate the pronunciation of the name ¡°Yog-Sothoth¡±. The names of evil gods were powerful in themselves. Some of the magic spells that had been passed down throughout the universe were little more than chants and recitations of their names¡­. So, just call out his name, and the evil god might respond. How had he forgotten something like that?


    To be able to speak the name of an evil god and receive a response was an enormous honor, right?


    Really¡­ It was too unsettling.


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t dare turn his head. He felt too weird just now.


    When he first became an evil god, he knew clearly what was wrong with him. He knew he had to make a choice. But right now he had no idea what was going on or why his heart had suddenly fluttered just now.


    ¡°I, I see.¡±


    Maybe because he was so confused, Zong Yan¡¯s reply was a little short of breath, and his words were even weaker.


    The evil god seemed to be laughing softly.


    At that moment, Zong Yan sensed the god was aware of how distracted he was, so he took a few steps away and turned around. ¡°What in the world is going on with this place¡ª¡±


    The moment he looked back, he saw the gray-haired evil god¡¯s tightly knitted brow. His face seemed a little displeased.


    ¡°Get dressed.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate casually grabbed a long, khaki-colored trench coat from his storage space and draped it over Zong Yan¡¯s shoulders, motioning for him to lift his hands. It was the same style as the coat the god was wearing.


    Only then did Zong Yan realize he was wearing a long, loose shirt and nothing else. The buttons over his chest were unfastened, revealing an expanse below his collarbone. He wasn¡¯t wearing trousers or shoes, and his bare legs were exposed to the air. It was his usual sleepwear.


    When Zong Yan thought of himself wandering around dressed like this, he felt extraordinarily self-conscious.


    Wait, they were both men. Even if the other party was an evil god, his simulated biological sex was also male. They were all grown men. What was there to be so embarrassed about?!


    Zong Yan decided he was overly influenced by the future fragment he¡¯d seen and shouldn¡¯t fuss over something so small.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± The black-haired young man gathered up the trench coat with some hesitation and looked up. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s going on now?¡±


    The eyes of the Lord of Time and Space swept over Zong Yan¡¯s naked legs, and his furrowed brow still didn¡¯t relax. ¡°Put on your pants, too.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Oh.¡±


    Zong Yan blinked, accepted the pair of trousers, and obediently went over to the sofa to put them on.


    The young man¡¯s legs were long and slender, without a trace of excess fat. They were so white they seemed to be transparent.


    Too thin, Yog thought to himself.


    The Lord of the Gate gave him a sweeping glance and knew the recommended weight of a youth this age and height. Zong Yan obviously fell short of this standard.


    ¡­ And the bones of his hands might have some deformation from holding a pen with the wrong grip.


    Zong Yan had no idea he¡¯d just been reduced to white bones in Yog-Sothoth¡¯s eyes. The other party rigorously examined his physical health and finally reached the conclusion that Zong Yan needed to be carefully nurtured.


    ¡°I¡¯m dressed.¡±


    The fully-dressed black-haired young man tucked his overly long white shirt into his pants and buttoned up his trench coat. Then he stood up and looked over at the evil god standing to the side.


    It was only then that Zong Yan realized the coats he and Yog were wearing were identical. Not only the color, but even the fabric and cut were the same.


    When he noticed this, he began to tug at his clothes with obvious awkwardness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The gray-haired evil god narrowed his eyes, seemingly satisfied with Zong Yan¡¯s appearance. Yog immediately grabbed his hand. Before Zong Yan could say a word, the space around them transformed from the interior of the small villa to a crowded street.


    Well, the Lord of Space could do whatever he wanted.


    Before Zong Yan had time to comment about the way Yog had suddenly grabbed his hand, the evil god interlaced their fingers as well, and Zong Yan was shocked by the scene in front of them.


    It was the street that Zong Yan used to go to school every day, part of a prosperous shopping area, one of the most popular in Jiangzhou. Many people came here on their days off. There were all kinds of stores here, from snack shops to restaurants, from video game superstores to KTV, and there were a lot of big name beauty stores. It might be called the perfect place to come for the day to enjoy food, drink, and fun, and it was an offline space designed for consumer enjoyment.


    But now¡ª


    The glass-encased shopping mall, several stories high, had been inverted and was floating in the air. Every pane of glass glowed with a rosy, never-fading brilliance.


    Not only that, the sky was tinted with the same brilliant light, and the ground shone like it was covered with lustrous enamel. There were no traces of pavement or dirt, only squares of glass that glowed with streaming, multi-colored light.


    People came and went as if they hadn¡¯t noticed a thing. They were still carrying out their daily lives.


    White collar workers in high heels carried briefcases. Students wore bulging book bags on their backs. Their eyes were blank and dull, but all of them were repeating their daily routines.


    None of them noticed how dramatically the world had changed.


    As Zong Yan stood on the ground he could even look up to see a white sphere in the sky, magnified countless times over.


    ¡ªThat had to be the moon.


    In this bizarre place, the laws of physics were turned upside down, and the distance between the Earth and the moon had been distorted to an unimaginable degree.


    Far in the distance, large steam ships rose through the air, and their huge clockwork gears slowly rotated until they passed out of sight. And a city with a tall, mysterious black spire rose from the middle of the sea, standing like a monument to a lost city.


    So far, Zong Yan had only this kind of spectacle in one place.


    ¡°Cthulhu wanted to drag the Earth into his dream, but you snatched it from him first. You pulled R¡¯lyeh and the Earth here¡­ into the Dreamlands.¡±


    The evil god spoke idly, caressing the back of Zong Yan¡¯s hand.


    TL Notes:


    Welcome to the new arc! ???©d¨v(?????)¨u???


    This is the last arc of the main story. It covers chapters 110-124. After this there¡¯s another arc of extras


    I¡¯ll be honest, I wish there were like 6 or 9 more arcs, haha o(¨R?¨Qo)  I want more Si Yan and He Yuan! And more Nyarla!


    Little Majesty ¨C С±ÝÏ ¨C Xi¨£o b¨¬xi¨¤


    butterfly bones ¨C ºûµû¹Ç ¨C We call these shoulder blades in English


    Yog-Sothoth¡¯s summoning spell ¨C There are similar, but not exactly identical, summoning spells in English on the web. An example is here. I¡¯m not sure, but they may be from a self-published version of the Necronomicon by ¡°B.C. Klutts¡± which supposedly contains ¡°the text from the online Necronomicon project¡±


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 111

    The Dreamlands???


    Zong Yan finally understood where his inexplicable sense of familiarity came from.


    Less than a year ago, he¡¯d flown for the first time in his life, traveling across the ocean to London, England. At the time, the Gate of Truth had been opened in Westminster Abbey, London. Zong Yan pushed open the door, stepped inside, and immediately fell through the air.


    On the way down, he saw the magical continent of the Dreamlands.


    The cratered surface of the moon was clearly visible in the sky. He saw steam ships traveling back and forth between the Earth and the moon, the huge cogwheels of their machinery rotating, the rolling mountains in the distance, the ancient and ornate baroque buildings of the cities¡¯ architecture, and tall and magnificent Roman temples. There were people in corseted evening gowns dancing at balls, a scene of prosperity and luxury.


    It was the realm of dreams.


    The Dreamlands was a magical place constructed by the subconscious minds of all intelligent creatures in the universe. It was a parallel dimension, very different from the real world. As for why it was called the Dreamlands, it was because it could be entered via dreaming.


    Although one could enter it through dreams, the Dreamlands wasn¡¯t a place where people could come and go casually. In most cases, only humans who lacked any desire for anything in the mortal world could enter the Dreamlands through their dreams. There was also a second route with more demanding conditions. For dead people with a deep obsession, the inhabitants of the Dreamlands could bring them back to life. Darwin and Einstein were a typical example. Aside from that, if a human was able to locate the caves in which ghouls dwelled on Earth, they could travel through them to enter the Dreamlands physically.


    On the main continent of the Dreamlands, there was no language barrier between people, and there was a simple, medieval way of life. If someone wanted to travel to another planet, they could simply board a flying steam ship and enjoy an exciting interstellar adventure through the solar system.


    This land was home to alien races with various dangers, but there were also many gods from Earth, including some well-known mythological figures. They¡¯d taken refuge there under the patronage of Nodens, the Lord of the Dreamlands, and were hostile to Nyarlathotep. Many Great Old Ones and even Outer Gods had also settled in the Dreamlands. It was a realm parallel to and disconnected from the Earth.


    If a human was fortunate enough to come here and possessed extraordinary creative ability, he could form an army, found a new country, and make himself a king. Unfortunately, the conditions for entering the Dreamlands were too harsh. Most humans with the ability to enter it completely lacked strong desires or were devout believers. Even if such people entered the Dreamlands, they would live like poor, ascetic monks. It was simply impossible for them to suddenly have intense desires.


    If such a person suddenly developed a strong obsession, there was a good chance he¡¯d never return to the real world, or if he returned, he wouldn¡¯t be able to come back to the Dreamlands. Over the years, the inhabitants of the Dreamlands had been at peace, and there were few major storms.


    Zong Yan was of course familiar with the Dreamlands. Miskatonic University had negotiated with Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss, before moving there. It was now the last stronghold of humanity.


    Indeed, because MU occupied territory on the border of the Dreamlands, several governments had reached an agreement with the Spire Council. If aliens invaded Earth or there was a big upheaval like the return of the evil gods, MU would become the last burning ember of humanity.


    A question naturally arose.


    The Dreamlands technically wasn¡¯t the property of any particular god. While Nodens might be the Dreamland¡¯s King of the Abyss, he had been given an honorary title because he was the strongest in the realm.


    ¡°But¡­ How am I able to manipulate the Dreamlands?¡±


    Zong Yan looked at the scene before him with disbelief.


    If one was forced to name an owner, one could only say that the entire universe was the product of Azathoth¡¯s dream. The Dreamlands, in turn, naturally belonged to the Lord of the Universe.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you and Azathoth have a wonderful secret relationship that even we cannot understand.¡± The Lord of the Gate added slowly, ¡°If the Earth were dragged into the Dreamlands, the consequences might be severe. But right now, it¡¯s precisely balanced on the border.¡±


    Zong Yan felt himself rising into the air, and a steady stream of roiling power coursed through their interlocked hands. The gray-haired evil god easily lifted him into the sky.


    Zong Yan looked in the direction indicated by the evil god. The land below them was vast and dark, and the Cerenarian Sea stretched across the continent far into the distance. Beneath their feet, imaginary lines divided the continent into different regions. Zong Yan actually saw the glowing traces of a dotted line.


    The planet Earth was suspended just beyond this dotted line, about an equal distance away.


    Inside the Dreamlands, the most basic physical and astronomical laws were no longer in effect. From this height, Zong Yan could see the entire planet. The Earth seemed to have been massively scaled down in proportions, quietly floating in the sky.


    ¡°If the Earth truly enters the Dreamlands, the power of human subconscious thought will likely be magnified indefinitely. According to the general laws of the Dreamlands, these desires will be reflected in the real world.


    ¡°But the Earth is now located on the outskirts of the Dreamlands, and the laws of the Dreamlands are not quite in effect. Miskatonic University is in a similar situation,¡± the Lord of the Gate explained patiently. He appeared happy to answer Zong Yan¡¯s questions. ¡°Cthulhu didn¡¯t succeed in dragging the world into his dream, but because of him, all the humans on Earth have fallen into a trance-like state.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I do?¡± Zong Yan turned his head with a look of confusion. ¡°You said I dragged everyone into the Dreamlands, but I don¡¯t have any idea how I did it.¡±


    Yog-Sothoth was the God of Omniscience, after all, and after experiencing so many things, Zong Yan had to admit that he had some kind of hidden connection to Azathoth, although he didn¡¯t understand the specifics.


    Do I have to open the card-drawing space again and let everyone out?


    Zong Yan sank into his thoughts.


    He tried it again and found that he couldn¡¯t access the card-drawing space. But he didn¡¯t feel too alarmed. After all, he¡¯d faced a similar situation before when he became Cthulhu¡¯s half-self. The situation was probably due to excessive consumption of San points. It would be fine after a while.


    The teenager¡¯s dark eyes were crystal clear, and his black hair was ruffled by the wind.


    Yog could see his own reflection in the other party¡¯s eyes.


    And this put the evil god in a pleasant mood.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do anything yet.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate hooked the corner of his mouth. Suddenly he leaned closer. Something appeared in his hand, and he gently slipped it around the young man¡¯s slender neck.


    Zong Yan looked down.


    It was a silver pendant shaped like a key. On the upper half was a tangle of mysterious and strange three-dimensional patterns, carved with extremely fine detail.


    The lower half had a clear and obvious ¡°key¡± shape with various projections suitable for opening some kind of lock.


    When Zong Yan held the key in his hand, he also saw several molten, gilded characters engraved on it¡ª¡±Yog-Sothoth¡±¡ªradiating an arcane and mysterious light.


    Zong Yan widened his eyes.


    He knew what this was.


    The existence of this key was explicitly recorded in the Necronomicon. To put it simply, the key was an incredibly rare object with few negative side effects. In the occult world, it might be described as equivalent to a divine-level magic tool.


    ¡ªThe Silver Key.


    According to legend, only intelligent creatures who¡¯d been recognized by the Lord of the Gate had the honor of holding this key.


    The most famous holder of the Silver Key in human history was the legendary investigator Randolph Carter, whose portrait hung in the Promenade of Honor in Miskatonic University.


    It was said that Randolph Carter had traveled back and forth between the Dreamlands and the real world several times. He had fearless courage and a spirit inclined to unremitting exploration. He located the city of Kadath in the center of the Dreamlands, opened the Ultimate Gate to the universe with the Silver Key, and after pleasing the gatekeeper Tawil, had the honor of meeting Yog-Sothoth, the One-in-All behind the Ultimate Gate.


    Of course, he was only a mortal. The moment he gazed upon the true body of the Lord of the Gate, he was lost in the parallel dimensions of the vast timeline behind the Ultimate Gate.


    However, the Lord of the Gate was merciful. If Randolph Carter succeeded in retrieving the key in one of the parallel worlds and returned to the Gates of the Silver Key, he would be granted the evil god¡¯s gift, join the ranks of the ancient ones who guarded the Ultimate Gate, and become a subordinate god of the Lord of the Gate.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Silver Key?¡±


    Zong Yan rubbed the cold, metallic key with his fingers. He didn¡¯t know if he was imagining it, but when his fingertip slid across the string of gilded letters, he felt an illusion of roiling heat.


    ¡°No.¡± The Lord of the Gate reached behind the black-haired young man¡¯s neck and deftly fastened the necklace. ¡°This is far more remarkable than anything you humans understand to be the Key to the Gate.¡±


    If viewed from the side, their current pose bordered on an embrace. Zong Yan felt unnatural all over, and his arms and legs were stiff as he stood there, feeling the fabric of the other party¡¯s coat brush against his face.


    ¡°Does that mean I have to use the key to release the Earth from the Dreamlands?¡±


    In a fluster, Zong Yan found a topic to distract himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not quite it, either.¡±


    Yog let go and surveyed his work with satisfaction. His golden eyes were deep and incomparably mysterious.


    In a low voice the gray-haired evil god suddenly said, ¡°You need to travel to the mysterious kingdom at the center of the Dreamlands, retrieve the authority buried there, and obtain the power to control the Dreamlands.


    ¡°As you do this, you will encounter many, many dangers. After all, there are not only powerful creatures in the Dreamlands. Outer Gods have settled there as well. However¡ª¡±


    When he met Zong Yan¡¯s eyes, Yog smiled.


    He suddenly revoked his power over the air and wrapped his arms around the black-haired young man¡¯s waist. Together they leaped down from a height of ten thousand feet.


    ¡°¡ªYou will have the honor of walking with a god.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God three hundred years and had other sons and daughters.


    Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.


    ¡ªThis is an allusion to the story of ¡°walking with God¡± from the Bible, Genesis 5:21-24


    TL Notes:


    Promenade of Honor at MU ¨C Previously mentioned in Chapter 11


    Genesis 5:21-24 ¨C From the Bible Gateway, New International Version


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Cerenarian Sea ¨C ÈûÀ×ÄÉÀûÑǺ£Óò


    Kadath ¨C ¿¨´ï˹


    The Dreamlands:


    Image source: Fantasy Flight Games ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    ¨C


    Image source: Call of Cthulhu, French version ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    ¨C


    Image source: Mockman ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    ¨C


    Image source: Mockman ¨C H.P. Lovecraft Wiki


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 112

    MU was in an uproar.


    When Cthulhu pulled the Earth into his dream, MU wasn¡¯t affected, because it was located in the outskirts of the Dreamlands.


    And because it wasn¡¯t affected, Miskatonic University¡¯s investigators were rattled.


    Imagine how it would feel if you were in a hurry to get to class and suddenly looked up to see the Earth floating in the sky above you?


    This was the exact scene that MU students witnessed.


    The university immediately held an emergency meeting for all students and professors.


    Everyone was horrified to discover the Gate of Truth was no longer operational.


    The Gate of Truth connected reality with the world of dreams. It was set to the space-time coordinates of Earth.


    But the Earth had been pulled into the Dreamlands. The destination coordinates were now empty, and the Gate of Truth couldn¡¯t resolve its terminus. Naturally, the gate couldn¡¯t open.


    ¡°If the Gate of Truth doesn¡¯t work, what should we do?¡±


    In the conference room, investigators tried various methods to contact Earth.


    But whether it was mobile communications or more old-fashioned methods, every attempt failed, one after the other.


    MU had become an isolated island, unable to contact the outside world and unable to be contacted.


    Of course, none of the investigators considered another possibility, that the outside world wasn¡¯t even trying to contact them.


    The professors and students were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, trying desperately to think of countermeasures. Members of the Spire Council were among them.


    ¡°What about the vice chancellor?¡±


    In the midst of the chaos, everyone gathered in the auditorium, and eventually someone noticed that Paracelsus, the man who was normally in charge of the entire university¡¯s affairs, had gone missing.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him¡­ Strange, Professor Domilian and several other professors are absent, too.¡±


    A member of the Spire Council cut in. ¡°His Excellency Paracelsus led a team to the South Pacific to explore the abnormal phenomena there. Several professors joined him as members of his team.¡±


    The councilor was just as anxious as everyone else.


    Paracelsus had made thorough preparations, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t leave himself without a backup. He¡¯d sent almost all of the elite members of the R¡¯lyeh sect to Pohnpei Island, but he¡¯d stationed a few members of his inner circle at MU. If there was any trouble, these individuals would keep him informed.


    This particular Spire Council member was one of the elite infiltrators who belonged to the R¡¯lyeh sect, but from the time R¡¯lyeh reappeared in the South Pacific to when the Lord of R¡¯lyeh dragged the world into his dream, to Zong Yan¡¯s final counterattack, barely ten minutes had passed. Even if Paracelsus wanted to, he didn¡¯t have any time to pass on information explaining what had happened.


    So right now the councilor had no idea what was going on.


    ¡®We¡¯re all faithful believers of our Lord, and we¡¯ve felt our Lord¡¯s call in our dreams. Even if the world were dragged into the Lord of R¡¯lyeh¡¯s dream, the members of our sect would be fine, right?¡¯


    But it now appeared that the Earth had been pulled into the Dreamlands. The councilor was a senior believer of Cthulhu¡¯s sect. He was well aware that his Lord liked to pull people into dreams, but the evil god didn¡¯t have much to do with the actual Dreamlands. He had limited ability to manipulate it.


    ¡°Use magic patterns and the latest equipment developed by the Department of Alchemy. Let¡¯s ascend to Earth and take a look.¡±


    While everyone was burning with anxiety, Xu Fu, who was clad in a Daoist robe, suddenly pushed open the door. His expression was guarded.


    His eyes unobtrusively swept over everyone present. Maybe the effect of his observation was too strong or certain parties had a guilty conscience. Either way, the few pawns of the R¡¯lyeh sect who were present felt a jolt.


    All of them let out a breath and felt the absurdity of the situation more and more.


    Who would have thought that one day they¡¯d need to use alchemical flying tools to travel between the Dreamlands and the Earth?


    ¡°Why in the world would the Earth suddenly appear in the Dreamlands¡­¡±


    One of the senior investigators laughed bitterly, but silence was his only answer.


    Manipulating the Dreamlands at such a scale would be difficult even for Nodens.


    When Miskatonic University first moved to the Dreamlands, all the Lord of the Abyss had done was open a door. The large and magnificent buildings of MU had been transferred by alchemists using a combination of black technology and experimental techniques.


    The team of investigators shuddered at the prospect of having to drag an entire planet into the Dreamlands. What kind of being was capable of such a feat?


    The investigators shook their heads and didn¡¯t dare to speculate.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. The first thing we have to do is go to Earth and find out the situation there.¡±


    In the end, Xu Fu¡¯s arrival gave them a shot in the arm. Everyone reacted and began to assign tasks to various individuals.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, compared to the people of MU who were fumbling to understand what kind of situation they were in, Zong Yan didn¡¯t have nearly the same worries.


    After all, he was the cause of the incident, though he didn¡¯t quite understand how he¡¯d managed to drag an entire planet into the Dreamlands. Also, an omniscient and omnipotent god was by his side, and he¡¯d already told Zong Yan about the current situation of Earth.


    Right now, the entire external universe was frozen in time. As long as Zong Yan managed to retrieve the authority of the Dreamlands, and gained the power to control it within the next three days, he could return the Earth to its proper place.


    It might seem like time was running out, but Zong Yan was accompanied by the Lord of Time and Space. When Zong Yan worried he might not reach his destination in three days, the evil god told him cheerfully that he could create as much time as they needed.


    Zong Yan: ¡­


    Well, the Lord of Time could do whatever he wanted.


    Since he no longer even had that worry, and since time on Earth had been suspended, Zong Yan stopped thinking about it. All he wanted to do was get to the city of Kadath in the center of the Dreamlands as soon as possible.


    Strictly speaking, the Dreamlands wasn¡¯t part of normal space-time, so Zong Yan had to physically cross most of the Dreamlands and travel deep into the continent.


    The Lord of the Gate held him and leaped down from the sky above the border of the Dreamlands. As they fell, they passed through the clouds, crossing the multi-colored, glittering, glass-like boundary into the true Dreamlands.


    ¡°¡­¡± Zong Yan was so alarmed by the unexpected free-fall from a height of ten thousand meters that he almost went into cardiac arrest. When his feet finally touched the ground, his legs couldn¡¯t support him for a moment. He swayed and fell into the arms of the gray-haired evil god.


    After Zong Yan rested for a while and finally managed to extract himself from a daze, only then did he stagger to his feet. His face was puzzled.


    ¡°The Dreamlands¡­ Does it have something to do with my superpower?¡±


    Zong Yan had suspected it before, but he hadn¡¯t dared to form any conclusions.


    His card-drawing space had always been colorful in exactly the same way.


    In the past, Zong Yan had tried to widen the opening to the card-drawing space, but the most he could manage was a slit shaped like a smile, just large enough for one hand to fit inside. He¡¯d also tried to peer into it, but all he ever saw was a multi-colored scene of confusion and chaos with no end in sight.


    But when Yog took him into the Dreamlands just now, Zong Yan had caught a glimpse of the multi-colored fragments of the Dreamlands itself.


    He also remembered the first time he¡¯d crossed into the border of the Dreamlands, and the strange sense of familiarity he¡¯d felt.


    And the most important thing of all¡­ When Zong Yan accidentally drew the Azathoth persona card, he was located in the outskirts of the Dreamlands.


    There were no coincidences in this world, only inevitabilities.


    They crossed a mountain range and walked through the wilderness to a mountaintop covered with snow. Only then did the Lord of the Gate tell him, ¡°There is indeed a connection. One might even say everything you¡¯re capable of was provided by the Dreamlands.


    ¡°The Dreamlands can turn imagination into reality. It¡¯s their ruling principle. As long as an intelligent creature has enough creativity, it can get everything it wants here. However, those things cannot be brought back into the real world. With one exception.¡±


    Yog-Sothoth took his hand and spoke with emphasis. ¡°When you reach your hand into that gap in space, what you are actually doing is crossing into the Dreamlands. You may not have put your instructions into actual words, but the Dreamlands has the ability to peer into your innermost heart and provide a corresponding response.¡±


    Zong Yan was stunned.


    Take Cthulhu¡¯s half-self card as an example.


    When the Lord of R¡¯lyeh was born, there was no such thing as a ¡°half-self¡±. This concept was created by Zong Yan¡¯s will, or in other words, it was the result of the reluctance he¡¯d felt at the moment he was about to give up his life. This was registered by the Dreamlands, and the Dreamlands proceeded to create an identity that Zong Yan instinctively wanted. Then, through some unknowable supreme power, this identity was transferred from the world of fantasies into the real world, where it finally tampered with reality itself.


    Zong Yan thought he was drawing cards from the card-drawing space, but in fact, he was making a wish.


    The ability to instinctively tamper with reality, to directly modify the timeline, to alter the perceptions of all the beings involved, so that even Great Old Ones didn¡¯t notice anything had changed¡ªthis was even more frightening than the ability of the three original pillar gods to tamper with reality at will.


    Just as Yog-Sothoth had told him, there must be some unknown connection between Zong Yan and the Lord of the Universe.


    The time he spent walking with the evil god passed quickly. The Dreamlands were obviously a place with many dangers, but he was accompanied by the Lord of the Gate. He might as well be strolling through his own backyard.


    They crossed a lake as blue as the bluest pair of eyes, beyond the ships moored in the air, across a lush forest of white bones.


    The legendary city of Kadath, which stood in the center of the Dreamlands, was close at hand, but Zong Yan felt more and more uneasy.


    If I¡¯m not Zong Yan¡­ who am I?


    If even the Lord of the Gate doesn¡¯t know, how should I know?


    He looked down at the palms of his hands in confusion, but a moment later they were covered by the evil god¡¯s larger, well-jointed hands.


    ¡°Time is linear. It may not necessarily be the past you who caused something. It may be a future you, or a you from a parallel world.¡±


    Yog-Sothoth¡¯s words were simple and concise. ¡°But no matter what, I will always be there.¡±


    It was so strange. This was obviously a promise made by an evil god, but Zong Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel a flood of warmth when he heard it.


    And, incredibly, the words of an evil god made him feel somewhat reassured.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Zong Yan hummed.


    He frowned, and his fingers involuntarily reached for the Silver Key suspended over his chest.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    This arc, Little Majesty, is the last arc of the main text.


    There will be some extras after this. Because this arc only covers the end of the main story, some of the side plot lines will only be made clear in the extras _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_


    TL Notes:


    in an uproar ¨C Ò»¹øÖà ¨C a pot of porridge ¡ª a complete mess; all in a muddle


    Professor Domilian ¨C ¶àÃ×Â×½ÌÊÚ ¨C Du¨­m¨«l¨²n ji¨¤osh¨°u


    [ Project Page | Ko-Fi ? | Other translations by Confectioner ]

 CH 113

    What was it like to walk in the company of an evil god?


    In the past, Zong Yan would have said it was a disaster.


    It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d never tried to live with the three pillars of the original gods before, and he was on edge every day.


    For example, when he saw his room filled with blood or signs of an abandoned hospital the moment he woke up, Zong Yan¡¯s first reaction wasn¡¯t to scream but to go back to sleep.


    For example, when he went downstairs to the kitchen to make dinner, he sometimes opened the refrigerator and found a plate of bloody human brains or mysterious internal organs that were still wriggling. He would smoothly close the refrigerator door, pull out his phone, and skillfully order takeout.


    For example, when he was soaking in the tub and noticed that his bubble bath had suddenly transformed into bright red blood, and the bubbles floating on top were now shredded entrails.


    For example, when he was doing his homework in his room, he occasionally heard screams from the living room downstairs. Once Zong Yan had opened the door to take a look. Only then did he discover that this guy Nyarlathotep had lost a game, and he was so angry that he dragged the game designer from another galaxy into his private psychic space to give him a beating. The scene was so bloody it was difficult to look directly at it.


    ¡­ There were all kinds of things. In short, he just got used to it.


    But this time, there was clearly a difference.


    Although Zong Yan couldn¡¯t have said what the difference was in the end.


    He¡¯d been pondering a question the past few days. Exactly what kind of relationship did he have with Yog-Sothoth?


    If you started from an evil god¡¯s point of view, all three original proto-gods stubbornly believed that Zong Yan was one of Azathoth¡¯s streams of consciousness. Zong Yan had never agreed with that before. Now he thought there might be some truth to it, but wouldn¡¯t that mean he was Yog¡¯s father?


    ¡­ Hold on, hold on, that father-son thing was a little too scary. Fortunately, evil gods didn¡¯t pay attention to familial relationships, otherwise Zong Yan would need to strike himself down with lightning.


    But¡ªwhat exactly was their relationship?


    Zong Yan pursed his lips as he thought. Science students were probably all the same. Whenever they faced a problem they had to find an answer, otherwise they¡¯d fixate on it until they came up with a solution.


    Zong Yan had been an evil god himself. He knew how ridiculous it was for an evil god to have emotions. For them, being curious or interested in something was far more reliable than mere feelings.


    But there was a faint voice inside him that kept saying: What kind of evil god would be bored enough to track down and preserve the corpse of a human? What kind of evil god would bother to celebrate a human¡¯s birthday?


    Zong Yan even put himself in an evil god¡¯s shoes for a moment to try to verify his thoughts. If he¡¯d been born as the half-self of Cthulhu, he never would have paid much attention to such an ant-like being as a ¡°human¡±.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    While Zong Yan was pondering this, the gray-haired evil god suddenly turned back to him.


    As Zong Yan stared into those brilliant golden eyes he realized that none of his hesitation, doubts, or confusion were anywhere to be seen in those eyes.


    It was only then that he finally sensed the reality of truly looking at the Master of the Gate.


    Of the three pillars of the original gods, Yog-Sothoth was the master of knowledge. He controlled everything. He knew everything. The tentacles and eyes of his thoughts were present throughout every dimension.


    It was common for intelligent races to describe the Lord of the Gate as an ancient wise man. After all, the Lord of the Gate who possessed such majestic knowledge was himself a symbol of wisdom. Many of the races that believed in him were higher species that were in awe of learning. They had incredible respect and reverence for the master of knowledge.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Zong Yan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, then hesitated and decided against it.


    No, it wasn¡¯t the right time yet.


    He couldn¡¯t help thinking that if he actually said something, he might lose all room to maneuver.


    Would the evil god allow him to retreat the slightest bit?


    The black-haired young man instinctively ducked his head, and the golden eyes of the Lord of the Gate became even more obscure for a moment.


    No hurry.


    The evil god slowly withdrew his gaze.


    He was a patient hunter. He knew how to weave a net and wait for his prey to gradually walk inside it on its own.


    And when that happened, the hunter would be fully prepared. With a paralyzing potion he would drag down his prey to the end of the abyss with him.


    Evil gods only know how to possess. Like? Love? What are they¡­? They¡¯d abandoned those inferior emotions long ago.


    They only take what they want and grasp it firmly in their hands.


    ¡ª


    In this somewhat eerie atmosphere, they crossed most of the continent of the Dreamlands.


    As they walked, Zong Yan sensed the atmosphere wasn¡¯t quite right.


    At first there was a pool of stagnant water before them. Not many creatures dared to reveal themselves.


    The Dreamlands was undoubtedly a place of extreme danger.


    MU was located on the outskirts of the Dreamlands. The first rule was that students were forbidden to explore the Dreamlands on their own.


    MU¡¯s investigators didn¡¯t travel to the Dreamlands through the normal methods. Any human who did so while possessing normal desires would encounter unpredictable dangers. The situation for investigators was even more extreme.


    Usually, an advisor would only consider leading a team to explore the edge of the Dreamlands just before graduation. For example, escorting students to the Enchanted Woods or the Jungle of Kled near the border. Occasionally, mentors who had a good relationship with the ghouls would be invited to take their students to explore the world of the ghouls underground. Of course, the nightgaunts occasionally carried out high-altitude development projects of their own.


    Theoretically, this realm was inherently full of dangers. But Zong Yan was accompanied by an evil god, so he might as well have been shopping in his own neighborhood. He didn¡¯t feel any threat at all.


    ¡°Are there evil gods in the Dreamlands?¡±


    Several times Zong Yan felt a keen sense of being spied on. A moment later, when Yog covered his hand with his own, the feeling disappeared.


    So Zong Yan had no choice but to keep his fingers firmly interlocked with the Lord of the Gate¡¯s at all times.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Lord of the Gate had an incredibly pleased expression on his face as he clasped the young man¡¯s hand, leading him through the wilderness. ¡°Nodens of the Dreamlands is the sworn enemy of Nyarlathotep. Whenever Nyarla comes around, the two of them stir up quite a commotion.¡±


    Zong Yan didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Then how was the Bloated Woman able to enroll in MU?¡±


    Yog chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s because I gave him a cover.


    ¡°The Dreamlands is the home of several human gods. According to the inherent properties of space, the Dreamlands is a parallel world built over the Earth. The Elder Gods still receive a powerful bonus here.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate added, ¡°Although Nyarla is far superior to Nodens in terms of rank and power, the Dreamlands is the natural home of the Elder Gods. Besides, there are things Nyarlathotep likes more than fighting.¡±


    Zong Yan immediately understood.


    Nyarlathotep just liked to instigate chaos. When it came to actual fighting, he had better things to do. He¡¯d been flying Nodens like a kite for so many years that the old grandfather Elder God got angrier and angrier. When he finally caught up with the troublemaker, they got into a fight and the world turned upside down. Nodens used his home field advantage to defeat one of the three original proto-gods, and from then on he was famous among the Elder Gods.


    That was how the feud had started.


    ¡°Was that Nodens just now?¡±


    Zong Yan recalled the gloomy feeling he¡¯d sensed a moment ago, but thought there was something different about it.


    When he was in MU, he¡¯d once felt the power of Nodens, but it was completely different from what he¡¯d sensed just now.


    ¡°No, that was the only Outer God who lives in the Dreamlands, Yibb-Tstll,¡± Yog said. ¡°He¡¯s also known as the Shadowy One. His eyes can see through time and space. He¡¯s quite knowledgeable.¡±


    Even for an Outer God, to be praised by the Lord of the Gate was remarkable.


    Zong Yan¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked at the Lord of the Gate incredulously. He remembered the days when he was still sparring with Senior Tawil in MU. Zong Yan had used the wrong title for the other party, who responded by giving him a mental suggestion to go back and properly read the Necronomicon. In retrospect, it was an amazing interaction.


    Zong Yan¡¯s expression reminded the gray-haired evil god of some kind of cute and furry animal. The smile on his lips deepened a little.


    ¡°Of course, compared to me, he¡¯s still a long way off.¡±


    Yog couldn¡¯t help but reach out his hand. He rubbed the black-haired young man¡¯s head, then withdrew his hand like nothing happened.


    It felt nice, the evil god thought to himself.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was about to say something, but the two had just reached the end of the plain. They stood before the banks of a strange river shrouded in fog.


    At that moment, a boatman on a ferry carrying a pole suddenly appeared before them, floating on the water.


    The ferryman was by no means a normal creature. He was clad in a black robe and hood, and his hands were a knot of white bones.


    The moment the ferryman saw them, he knelt down and bowed deeply to Zong Yan. Only then did he turn to pay tribute to the Lord of the Gate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yog didn¡¯t comment on the boatman¡¯s behavior, which could have been considered an insult. He took the black-haired young man¡¯s hand, boarded the prow of the boat, and raised his jaw to signal that the ferryman could start.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he say anything?¡± Zong Yan glanced at the boatman curiously and tugged on the hem of the Lord of the Gate¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°He¡¯s the Lord of the Norman Dead, a low-level Great Old One. Only the undead can hear his whispers.¡±


    Yog didn¡¯t explain too much, not because he had something to hide from Zong Yan, but because he didn¡¯t want his human to be frightened.


    The Dreamlands had another famous name. It was, in fact, equivalent to the underworld as humans understood it.


    As long as a being had a deep enough obsession, it was possible to gain eternal life in the Dreamlands after death.


    But in many cases, such creatures existed in a state similar to that of the undead. They were ruled by a Great Old One, the Lord of the Undead.


    Zong Yan paused a moment.


    He was following the Lord of Time and Space to the deepest part of the Dreamlands, almost in a daze. All he knew was that he was going to a place called ¡°Kadath¡± to retrieve some kind of authority. He didn¡¯t have any other details.


    But¡­ Even if the person controlling the boat wasn¡¯t that good-looking, he was still a Great Old One!


    He¡¯d come face-to-face with evil gods many times, talked and even laughed with them, so you might say he adapted well.


    The gray-haired evil god led the black-haired young man by the hand. They stood side by side in the bow of the boat.


    The Lord of the Dead escorted them through the river, poling the ferry across the black ripples, bringing them to the deepest part of the Dreamlands.


    The fog grew thicker and thicker. As a human being, Zong Yan was only able to see a few meters in front of them.


    That was why he had no idea¡ª


    Behind them, a throng of otherworldly creatures who dwelled within the Dreamlands seemed to feel some kind of call. They followed like they were making a pilgrimage, lining both sides of the strange, ink-colored river.


    The moment Zong Yan entered the Dreamlands, Yog deliberately amplified his own presence.


    Confronted with the Lord of the Gate¡¯s undisguised behavior, which might even be called a type of flaunting, all the creatures of the Dreamlands had become aware of something. They fell into thought, gazing at the distant sky.


    ¡®This aura¡­¡¯


    The Sea God, holding a trident, stood in his palace on the Cerenerian Sea, facing the city called R¡¯lyeh which had suddenly appeared in the distance. He paused his attack, and his face wore an expression of astonishment and uncertainty.


    By now it wasn¡¯t only the creatures that lived here, it included beings as powerful as evil gods. Elder Gods, Great Old Ones, even Outer Gods, were hurrying to Kadath.


    ¡ªThe throne of the Dreamlands, which had been silent and empty since the day of its creation, was finally about to welcome its master, a being it had never met before but whose coming was ordained at the beginning of the universe.


    The sovereign was returning to his throne, and his subjects should kneel to welcome him.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    To review a bit, babies, what YaYa meant is that this arc will be the conclusion. The end of this arc, not the end of this chapter¡­


    This volume has only just begun. There will be at least a dozen more chapters. No rush (holds forehead)


    TL Notes:


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    Enchanted Woods ¨C ÃÔ÷ÈÉ­ÁÖ


    Jungle of Kled ¨C ¿ÏµÂÓêÁÖ ¨C K¨§nd¨¦ y¨³l¨ªn


    Yibb-Tstll ¨C ÒÁ²¨¡¤×ÈÌضû ¨C Y¨©b¨­¡¤Z¨©t¨¨¨§r ¨C An Outer God. The Patient One.


    Lord of the Norman dead ¨C ŵÂüÍöÁéÖ®Ö÷ ¨C Nu¨° m¨¤n w¨¢ngl¨ªng zh¨© zh¨³

 CH 114

    Chapter 114 - Little Majesty 05


    The boat slowly made its way along the river, throwing wave after wave of black ripples from its prow with quiet sounds of splashing water.


    As the river wound its way ever closer to the center of the Dreamlands, the fog that shrouded it grew thicker and thicker.


    Zong Yan frowned. On the surface of the river before them, a bloody head suddenly appeared.


    Zong Yan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    He froze, his pupils shrank, and he almost jumped into the air.


    That was like something straight out of a horror movie! Everyone knew Zong Yan wasn¡¯t afraid of anything in the world, but he was still afraid of ghosts! Every time he used the Night Watchman card he felt anxious, afraid of hearing something he really didn¡¯t want to.


    Especially when he was in London. What Zong Yan heard at the tower almost gave him a heart attack.


    Just when Zong Yan was about to have a post-traumatic stress reaction, a cold, slender hand reached over from the side and gently covered his eyes.


    The coldness lasted for just a moment. After the slightly cool fingers left Zong Yan¡¯s eyes, something lingered in the corners of his vision for a moment.


    Zong Yan: ! ! !


    He instinctively looked to the side and noticed something wasn¡¯t right.


    The river had suddenly become beautiful.


    A moment ago it was black and gloomy. Occasionally, bloody heads would float to the surface, and there were unidentifiable piranha-like fish with terrible rows of fangs.


    But now the river was crystal clear with gentle, lapping waves. If you looked closely, you could see colorful koi floating in the water. The whole river was like an ornamental stream meandering through a garden.


    Zong Yan: ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Just made it a little better looking.¡± The Lord of the Gate lowered his hand. His expression was calm, as if he¡¯d done something totally ordinary.


    Meanwhile, the throng of evil gods following the black ship and the Lord of the Undead who was poling the boat along were full of ¡°¡­¡± inside.


    Everyone knew the Lord of Time and Space had the ability to tamper with reality. Based on the personalities of the three pillars of the original gods, the Lord of the Gate was generally the worst one to mess with, but at least he was more of a lawful evil compared to the other two chaotic evil gods.


    However, tampering with reality like this at the drop of a hat¡ªnot only did it demonstrate the power of the deeply reclusive Lord of the Gate, it put the gods of the Dreamlands on notice.


    ¡®Why does His Majesty, the new sovereign, seem to be on such good terms with the Lord of the Gate?¡¯


    ¡®If His Majesty is about to succeed to the throne, where are the other two pillars of the original gods?


    ¡®Is that legend about the Dreamlands true? But His Majesty Azathoth hasn¡¯t awakened yet. Even if this person goes to Kadath, nothing will actually change, right?¡¯


    The gods were full of doubts, but the black-haired young man standing in the bow of the ship possessed an undeniable strength, the power of ¡°change¡±.


    They could sense very clearly that he carried with him the power of transformation, sufficient to truly manipulate the Dreamlands.


    It left them all a bit bewildered.


    This place, the Dreamlands, hadn¡¯t had a master from its very beginning. No one had ever been able to truly take control of it.


    Over the years, countless beings traveled to the central city of Kadath in a vain attempt to seize its power. Most were evil gods. It was said that Nyarlathotep went to the center of Kadath too. Unfortunately, everyone returned without success.


    ¡®The All-In-One is the God of Omniscience and Omnipotence. Since he¡¯s certain, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no chance of an error.¡¯


    ¡®But why did the Lord of the Gate decide to change reality? Could it be some kind of warning to us?¡¯


    They eyed the black ship as it slowly floated along the river.


    There were a thousand and one speculations, but surprisingly none of them guessed the truth. The evil god just wanted to keep the Little Majesty from being frightened.


    ¡°Are we almost there?¡±


    After the black river changed into a clear stream, Zong Yan felt a lot better, and the white fog didn¡¯t look so eerie.


    He didn¡¯t see the boat pass through a field of bleached white bones, through the Martos Valley, past the Bnazic desert. Finally it sailed into the city of Kadath, which was full of ruins and relics.


    This path had been trod by countless people. Randolph Carter once measured the fantastical countries of the Dreamlands with his own feet and leaped from the back of a Shatak bird¡­. And now many, many years later, another human came at the invitation of an evil god, but this time the evil god flanked him the entire way, until they reached the city at the center.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate was the first to disembark from the boat, helping Zong Yan jump from the prow to the flat ground.


    The heavy fog seemed to be pushed away by an invisible hand, gradually revealing the reality behind it.


    Crumbled remnants of walls and structures were scattered throughout the ancient city.


    The turquoise blue river ran through the city¡¯s center. On both sides were ports for mooring, still bearing the traces of ancient, wind-scarred ropes. The ground was covered with dust and yellow sand. Fragments of broken tiles were scattered in the cracks of the road.


    Because this place was long abandoned, all the city¡¯s buildings had crumbled beyond recognition, just like the Mayan civilization on Earth. Once brilliant and glorious, what remained was just no more than a speck from a vast ocean.


    A single, ancient set of stairs rose up from the ground, standing out against the ruins of an abandoned temple.


    The staircase led high into the sky, and at the end was a huge black altar that looked mysterious and unsettling.


    Yog took the black-haired young man by the hand and climbed step by step to the highest part of the temple.


    With each step, the torches around them lit up one by one, and the flickering light covered the stairs like a layer of gold.


    When they reached the top, Zong Yan realized an evil god was standing by the altar.


    He wore a cloak as dark as night, and through the faint light of the torches, Zong Yan could see the sinister tentacles churning beneath his cloak. There were bat wings on both sides of his body, coated with some sort of disgusting, blood-like substance, which half-concealed the countless drooping black nipples inside.


    Although his size didn¡¯t quite match what was described in textbooks, this was clearly the true body of an evil god.


    Humans were unable to gaze directly at the true form of an evil god, or they would fall into eternal madness. Even if they didn¡¯t lose their sanity, they might be struck blind, like Zong Yan when he¡¯d stared directly at the billions of brilliant spheres of Yog-Sothoth.


    Zong Yan instinctively looked away, but a moment later he realized he¡¯d already seen the evil god and hadn¡¯t experienced any discomfort at all.


    He was about to ask the Lord of the Gate for confirmation, but the latter spoke first.


    ¡°You arrived quickly.¡±


    Yibb-Tstll¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°I¡¯ve heard much about you, All-in-One.¡±


    Indeed, although the two evil gods were aware of each other¡¯s existence, unfortunately, these two learned beings were both of a withdrawn and solitary disposition. For evil gods, as long as they didn¡¯t have a direct conflict of interest, they would generally maintain a friendly atmosphere, at least on the surface.


    The Outer God who resided in the Dreamlands returned his gaze to Zong Yan.


    In terms of knowledge, he was second only to Yog-Sothoth. Whatever the Lord of the Gate knew, this god could discover a great deal of as well.


    ¡°Ah, I know you.¡± His voice resembled a thread of silk. It was like he hadn¡¯t spoken, yet his voice seemed to pierce Zong Yan¡¯s mind. ¡°The nightgaunts once told me about you. An interesting human.¡±


    In the end, that was how Yibb-Tstll knew him.


    Nightgaunts?


    Zong Yan was stunned for a moment, then he remembered his wild feats.


    On the first day of school he¡¯d fallen from the sky, immediately used the Child of the Wind persona card to transform, then beat up the nightgaunts who came to scare the new students, which from then on established his ¡°famous¡± reputation among the nightgaunt clan. As a result, not a single nightgaunt was willing to fly Zong Yan into the sky during biology practice class.


    Awkward¡­ This was the nightgaunts¡¯ boss, right?


    Zong Yan awkwardly twitched the corner of his mouth, but the Lord of the Gate slightly tightened his grip on Zong Yan¡¯s hand.


    Yog gave Yibb a cold look. ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line.¡±


    It was rare to see the Lord of the Gate so protective of anyone.


    Yibb lifted his eyebrows in considerable surprise, but in the end he didn¡¯t object. He even took the initiative to step back, edging closer to the side.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s begin,¡± he said. ¡°All of the Dreamlands are looking forward to the return of the monarch.¡±


    This was the truth.


    Far below the high altar, the city full of ruins was already surrounded by otherworldly creatures.


    Not just ghouls but nightgaunts and Shatak birds crouching on pillars, giant worms burrowing out of the ground, and countless other strange and oddly-shaped species. Some of the gods of Earth stood to the side, like subjects awaiting the coronation of their monarch.


    In the distance, a black, unholy city stood on the surface of the sea. Perhaps the Great Old One there was in a rage at being suddenly pulled into the Dreamlands for no reason.


    Zong Yan glanced at it, then quickly averted his eyes.


    The altar stood before him. Above it was a clear spring of water.


    ¡°Just put your hand in the water.¡±


    The Lord of the Gate led him to the spring. Suddenly he reached out for the black-haired young man and cupped his face, gazing down at him.


    ¡°Strictly speaking, the Monarch of the Dreamlands is Azathoth. You are Azathoth¡¯s stream of consciousness, and so taking control of the Dreamlands will not be difficult for you to accomplish.¡± The golden eyes of the gray-haired evil god gazed at him quietly. ¡°But there may also be some risk.


    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s possible that you¡¯ll immediately return to the grand consciousness of the Lord of the Universe.¡±


    The eyes of the One-in-All were deep. There wasn¡¯t a single hint of falseness or mockery to be seen.


    Zong Yan knew he wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible that if I say this, I might possibly change your mind about saving all those humans?¡± The Lord of the Gate smiled. ¡°I know very well that even if you know the consequences, you¡¯ll do it without hesitation just the same.¡±


    That was true.


    Zong Yan knew he¡¯d always been the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t give up until he reached the Yellow River, who wouldn¡¯t change course until he hit the south wall.


    ¡°If I return to the mind of the Lord of the Universe¡­ What will happen to me?¡±


    ¡°No one knows,¡± Yog answered. ¡°Maybe your consciousness will remain. Maybe you¡¯ll be annihilated in the torrent.¡±


    ¡°Somehow it sounds like the second one is more likely.¡± Zong Yan smiled back. ¡°How rare. There are actually things the God of Omniscience doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of things I don¡¯t know,¡± the Lord of the Gate said frankly, ¡°especially about you.¡±


    This statement was strange, so strange that Zong Yan felt stunned. After a moment he realized his face was burning.


    Hey, hey, what the hell was this? The evil god with no emotions was suddenly reciting sentimental lines like a life-and-death parting scene in a TV drama?


    ¡°Look into my eyes,¡± Zong Yan said.


    The evil god lowered his head. Wisps of his gray hair fell before Zong Yan¡¯s face like strands of liquid mercury.


    In that moment, Zong Yan stared directly into the evil god¡¯s golden eyes. Behind them he saw the billions of radiant, dazzling spheres, the light that shone so brightly, the eternal wisdom, the endless chaos.


    Zong Yan felt his heart beating frantically inside his chest like it was going to explode. His head was so dizzy it might have been full of mush.


    Can he hear how loud my heart is beating now?


    Zong Yan tightened his fingers, apprehensive, almost wanting to cover his pounding heart to muffle the sound.


    ¡°The Lord of the Gate wants to know everything about you, but not because you¡¯re Azathoth¡¯s stream of consciousness. Even if you were just a human being, a small and insignificant existence, Yog-Sothoth would still want to learn everything there is to know about you.¡±


    Yog gazed directly into the eyes of the black-haired young man. His voice was low and serious, with an undeniable depth.


    ¡°I will always be watching over you from the end of time and space.


    ¡°An evil god will never understand what it means for a human to like or love someone. These are inferior emotions that evil gods discarded long ago. But if you¡¯re willing¡ª


    ¡°The Lord of Time will prove to you over a near-endless expanse of time that the feelings of an evil god will always be stronger, deeper, crazier, and far more intense than human love.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Confession!!!!


    TL Notes:


    (??? ? ??) ?.?:¡Þ?* ? *?


    at the drop of a hat ¨C ËæʱËæµØ ¨C whenever and wherever possible; always and everywhere; any time and any place; at all times and places


    put ¡­ on notice ¨C Ò»¸öÐÄÑÛ ¨C have one¡¯s heart set on sth; be all of one mind; devotedly; have only heart, keep an eye out, watch your back


    His Majesty ¨C ±ÝÏ ¨C b¨¬xi¨¤


    some kind of warning to us ¨C ÏÂÂíÍþ ¨C severity shown by an official on assuming office; putting on airs right at the beginning of one¡¯s office; severity and power displayed by an official upon taking office


    until he reached the Yellow River ¨C ²»µ½»ÆºÓÐIJ»ËÀ ¨C until all is over ambition never dies; not stop until one reaches one¡¯s goal; not to give up hope until one comes to one¡¯s tether¡¯s end; not to stop until one reaches the Huanghe River


    wouldn¡¯t change course until he hit the south wall ¨C A common expression meaning a person who is stubborn or refuses to listen to other opinions. According to Baidu, buildings traditionally open to the south, and the homes of powerful people usually had a screen in front of the gate. When you exit, you¡¯re forced to turn left or right. If you go straight, you¡¯ll run into the south wall


    crazier ¨C Æ«Ö´ ¨C more stubborn, paranoid, bigoted, monomaniacal


    Transliterated names, titles, and places¡ªnew in this chapter:


    monarch, sovereign ¨C ¾ýÖ÷ ¨C j¨±n zh¨³


    valley of Narthos ¨C Âí¶ûÍÐ˹ɽ¹È ¨C M¨£¡¯¨§rtu¨­s¨© sh¨¡ng¨³


    Bnazic desert ¨C ²¼ÄÉÆÚ¿ËɳĮ ¨C B¨´n¨¤q¨©k¨¨ sh¨¡m¨°

 CH 115

    Chapter 115 - Little Majesty 06


    ¡°The Lord of Time will prove to you over a near-endless expanse of time that the feelings of an evil god will always be stronger, deeper, crazier, and far more intense than human love.¡±


    ¡°I will always be watching over you from the end of time and space.¡±


    At that moment, Zong Yan felt like his heart had stopped.


    His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the Lord of the Gate, whose eyes seemed to contain a hundred million brilliant points of light.


    His heart silently began to melt, as if someone had poured in a handful of golden honey, stirred and stirred, and warmed the resulting mixture into a sweet and rich ambrosia.


    An evil god was incapable of experiencing human feelings.


    Zong Yan might have found this fact difficult to grasp, but he¡¯d been an evil god himself. That was why he could appreciate exactly what it meant for the Lord of the Gate to say those words.


    Yog-Sothoth, the One-in-All, a being whose true body resided entirely beyond the boundaries of the universe, had always been a calm and wise observer.


    When the Master of Time said he would always watch over you, that he would spend eternity to prove to you the depths of his emotions, emotions which only an evil god could feel, the meaning was absolutely, by far, the highest promise an evil god could make.


    And the most romantic promise.


    The face of black-haired young man was somewhat stunned.


    So many things had been shattered at once that he felt muddled and confused.


    He mostly thought it felt unreal.


    If such a thing had happened to the Zong Yan of a few months ago, if someone told the past him that Yog-Sothoth seemed to have an ulterior agenda regarding him, sadly, that Zong Yan would have thought it was absurd. And he¡¯d rather die than give in.


    Zong Yan had always been like that. Stubborn, open to persuasion but rejecting force, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t ever change his mind for anyone else.


    Just like when he knew life-and-death danger was approaching. For the future of humanity, he stood up and met it head on.


    As a member of the human race, Zong Yan knew beyond question that he and Yog-Sothoth, an evil god, would always stand far apart.


    On one side was one of seven million human beings; on the other was the supreme evil god who¡¯d mastered the ultimate laws of the universe.


    ¡®I really am unable to refuse someone who¡¯s kind to me.¡¯


    Zong Yan sighed to himself.


    He had to admit that he didn¡¯t feel any sense of rejection in his heart. Excluding the things he didn¡¯t dare to actually believe, what remained was undisguised elation and joy.


    When did it start?


    When he became an evil god and the half-self of Cthulhu, it was Yog who¡¯d preserved his human body. Otherwise Zong Yan might have never become human again.


    In prehistoric times, no one knew that Zong Yan was Zong Yan. The Lord of Time and Space was the only one who crossed through time to find him. He offered his hand to Zong Yan from beyond the reaches of space.


    When Zong Yan resolved to give up the body of an evil god, they¡¯d walked the timeline together, and he¡¯d glimpsed a tiny fragment of the future. Now that he thought about it, it was when he first saw that image that Zong Yan really began to wonder and panic.


    Zong Yan could easily imagine what would have happened under normal circumstances, if the future he¡¯d seen had featured some other evil god¡ªNyarlathotep, for example, or Shub-Niggurath. If that happened, Zong Yan would have never wanted to see the other being in his life. He would have immediately felt disgusted. The moment he saw that evil god again, he would have immediately used Yun Zhong Jun and said ¡®bye bye¡¯.


    But even after he saw it, Zong Yan didn¡¯t hate Yog.


    Then, later, they¡¯d spent a period of time together, and¡­ an evil god was the only one who remembered a human¡¯s birthday.


    Zong Yan thought carefully about when his feelings began to change. And after following his thoughts through to the beginning, he found there was no discernible moment they began.


    He had no idea. Maybe it was an accidental glance, a moment when their eyes happened to meet, the cool temperature of the god¡¯s fingers, or maybe it was when one of the city¡¯s brilliant neon lights flickered off.


    Maybe it was random chance, something that had been repeated a million times in parallel dimensions, but somehow, this one time turned out different. On this one occasion, chance produced a qualitative change. A seed was planted in a dry field, waiting for the day it might germinate and take root, plunging into the deepest soil of his heart.


    Crazy, I must be crazy.


    Zong Yan laughed bitterly to himself.


    You could like anyone, but how could you like an evil god?


    The black-haired young man slowly placed his hand on his chest. He had to tilt up his head to gaze at the Lord of the Gate.


    He could even see in the other¡¯s eyes that his face was red. A brimming flush had risen from the base of his neck all the way to his cheeks.


    Zong Yan had never felt so nervous, not even when he made up his mind to save the world.


    ¡°We might be parted forever, and this might seem like an appropriate time to say these things.¡± Even as Zong Yan spoke, the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t stop lifting. ¡°But it¡¯s best I don¡¯t give you an answer until I come back alive.¡±


    The gray-haired evil god stared at him with eyes filled with laughter.


    By saying this, Zong Yan had already given the evil god the best possible answer.


    ¡°Even the Lord of the Gate cannot glimpse the future that lies beyond this path. There may be dangers. There¡¯s also the possibility you¡¯ll return to Azathoth and lose yourself in his grand consciousness.¡±


    The evil god¡¯s cold fingers traced the young man¡¯s cheek, as if to engrave his current appearance in his memory.


    ¡°No matter what happens, I will find you.¡±


    He knew the nature of his human very well. No matter what Yog said, Zong Yan would always choose the same path.


    The obstinate rays of light inadvertently shed by this young man couldn¡¯t help but attract the gaze of the Lord of Time and Space.


    The Lord of the Gate would not give any promises about feelings, nor would he deign to acquire the human emotion of love that evil gods had discarded so long ago. All he would do was clutch the one who interested him firmly in his hands.


    Even if that meant disregarding the other party¡¯s wishes.


    The Lord of the Gate had studied ¡¶How To Raise Your Human¡· and loaded the knowledge of all of human psychology into his mind. He had no intention of fighting a battle unprepared.


    The evil god never even considered that he might be rejected.


    In short, Yog-Sothoth had the ability to tamper with reality at will. If he was rejected, he could easily make his human desperately feel the emotion known as ¡°love¡±. It was just an emotion. A god could manipulate it as he pleased.


    In fact, the Lord of the Gate had done similar things before. He once tried to manipulate Zong Yan¡¯s original body. Unfortunately, Zong Yan somehow realized that Senior Tawil had modified reality, and so Yog¡¯s avatar issued orders at an unconscious level to make sure evil gods would avoid trying to tamper with Zong Yan¡¯s brain.


    Certainly, compared to other evil gods, the Lord of the Gate was a relatively benevolent being.


    But an evil god was an evil god. The usual thing for an evil god to do with a human who¡¯d captivated him was take him captive in return.


    Break his ankles, bind him with iron chains, cover his eyes with a black strip of cloth, and lock him up forever in an unreachable corner of time and space.


    Then remove his clothes and force him to his knees, cover his beautiful skin with the shadows of the evil god, completely naked, in unending coitus with the god¡¯s true body. The Lord of the Gate would savor the pleasant moans coming from the throat of the black-haired young man and slowly lick the painful liquid from the corners of his eyes, teasing every corner of the youth¡¯s body until he screamed, until they were utterly integrated, until he became one with the most evil being in the universe.


    The Lord of the Gate would continue to reside far above the plane of reality, coldly overlooking all of existence, just as he had for millions upon millions of years, the paramount exalted lord.


    And not a single god, nor any lesser being, would ever know that in the box dimension where the Lord of the Gate kept his treasures, there was a beautiful black-haired boy, forced to open his body day and night to accept the evil god¡¯s unbridled invasion.


    It would have been the most supreme delicacy.


    Only if Azathoth, the Lord of the Universe, returned in full would any evil god know that such a tiny being could be so favored by the Lord of the Gate.


    Like a devil guarding his last rose.


    What a shame. If Yog-Sothoth hadn¡¯t gone to all these efforts, it would be nearly impossible for a stream of consciousness to become Azathoth.


    Just like obtaining the power of the Dreamlands.


    If Zong Yan entered the Dreamlands alone, even with his daily disposable persona cards, he might have been killed by the unending dangers. Yibb-Tstll¡¯s knowledge was hardly less than the Lord of the Gate¡¯s. If the evil god discovered Zong Yan¡¯s presence on his doorstep, more than likely the human would have met an unfortunate end.


    Of course, it might seem like they¡¯d easily traversed the Dreamlands, but the truth was that all of it was due to the absolute authority of the Lord of Time and Space.


    No matter how well Yog disguised himself, he was still an evil god, and evil gods did not share any of the benevolent feelings possessed by human beings.


    ¡®Have you really thought about it? Fall with me into that endless abyss, and from then on, all your humble joys and sorrows, even the smallest human emotions, will have the honor of producing a ripple in the heart of an evil god.¡¯


    ¡®To meet the evil god in his entirety¡ªfull of twisted hatreds and paranoid obsessions, horrible emotions strong enough to tear you apart little by little as I eat you into my belly, and even if you die, your soul will not escape my shackles. The god will consume your life and death alike, and you¡¯ll lose yourself in that realm of darkness for endless generations.¡¯


    ¡®Even in death, you cannot escape.¡¯


    Fortunately¡­ Fortunately, the human agreed. The human gladly accepted the evil god¡¯s heart, and this allowed the Lord of the Gate to suppress his evil thoughts.


    Yog gazed into the young man¡¯s clear, dark eyes and ticked the corners of his mouth with pleasure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like vague answers.


    ¡°The Lord of Time and Space will find you no matter where you are.¡±


    ¡ªDon¡¯t presume you will ever be able to escape me.


    The black-haired young man seemed to sense something, perhaps even becoming aware of the hidden danger, the unspoken meaning in the evil god¡¯s words.


    In the grip of these distorted feelings, the Lord of the Gate didn¡¯t hide anything. He actually looked forward to the expression the black-haired young man was about to show.


    Will you be frightened? Afraid? Scream and try to flee? Feel terrified? Retreat?


    He thought these things with joy, and the edges of his irises glowed with a pale, chaotic light.


    Behold the mercy of the Lord of the Gate¡ªeach time he leaves the decision to the human himself.


    After all, no matter what answer he received, the ending would be the same. As for whether human will could be preserved, that depended on what the human chose.


    But¡­ What Yog enjoyed the most about Zong Yan was the way he always made the choice that surprised him most.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Zong Yan suddenly put away his smile. He clenched his fingers. After hesitating for what felt like a long time, he darted up on tiptoe and gently printed his lips against those of the gray-haired evil god.


    ¡°This, this is an action that represents intimacy for humans.¡±


    After doing this, the black-haired young man¡¯s neck turned red, and he even stuttered a little. He didn¡¯t dare to look Yog in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer right now because my future isn¡¯t clear. If I rashly tell you something and there¡¯s an accident, it would be irresponsible.


    ""


    ¡°Maybe, maybe you don¡¯t care that much, but my heart¡ªmmm, mmm, mmm!¡±


    Zong Yan widened his eyes. He couldn¡¯t speak any more.


    Because at that moment, the back of his head was held in a deathly strong grip.


    The Lord of the Gate lowered his head, pried open Zong Yan¡¯s lips with his tongue and gave him a long kiss.


    The evil god¡¯s movements were equally clumsy, but the Lord of the Gate was extremely good at learning. In a few short moments he loaded all the available data about ¡°kissing¡± and left Zong Yan dizzy.


    The kiss went on for a very long time, so long that all the air in Zong Yan¡¯s chest was plundered, and after they separated there was a seductive line of silver trailing down.


    ¡°Little liar.¡± Narrowing his eyes, Yog stroked Zong Yan¡¯s hair. ¡°The act of expressing intimacy isn¡¯t as simple as the version you demonstrated. If you¡¯re only at this level, I won¡¯t let you graduate.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Zong Yan: Come on, what it will take for you to let me graduate


    Bubbles: You figure it out


    ¡ª¡ª


    This chapter was pretty cool to write. YaYa will considered finishing it in WB for a ¡°what if¡± storyline 23333


    TL Notes:


    open to persuasion but rejecting force ¨C ³ÔÈí²»³ÔÓ² ¨C eat soft, not hard; can be persuaded by reason but not be cowed by force; yielding to soft approach but rejecting force; yield to the weak but not to the strong; be amenable to friendly persuasion but not to compulsion


    always stand far apart ¨C °Ë¸Í×Ó´ò²»×Å ¨C eight poles stand apart, not related in any way


    We might be parted forever ¨C ÉúÀëËÀ±ð ¨C separation between loved ones in life or death; be parted in life and separated by death; part forever; part for ever; partings in life or death; part never to meet again; separations in life or parting at death


    in coitus ¨C ½»/æÅ ¨C ½»æÅ ¨C to have sex, to copulate, coitus


    completely naked ¨C Ò»/Ë¿/²»/¹Ò ¨C һ˿²»¹Ò ¨C in nature¡¯s garb; be in the nude; be starknaked; buck naked; have nothing on; in a state of nature; in one¡¯s birthday suit; in one¡¯s skin; in the altogether; not have a rag to one¡¯s back; not to have a stitch on; strip to the buff; without a shred of cloth


    a devil guarding his last rose ¨C ħ¹íÊØ×Å×Ô¼º×îºóһ֧õ¹å»¨ ¨C This could be a reference to a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, ¡°The Rose Elf¡±, or maybe just some figurative language


    WB ¨C Weibo