Chapter 228

Chapter 228

When Duke arrived with her small squad, Ji Xinghai was squatting at the edge of the fissure, peering inside, though he saw nothing.

Not long ago, the werewolf had also gone in, just like the vampire. Once they went in, they never came back and couldn't be summoned out either.

The werewolf's personality differed from that of the vampire; it wasn't one to hide. Moreover, Ji Xinghai hadn’t told it about the potential danger of jumping down. It jumped without knowing anything.

"Let’s wait half an hour until they return to the Food Canon and then summon them for questioning," he thought.

Duke appeared like a row of ghosts, their shadows faintly visible less than two meters away from Ji Xinghai. To avoid conflict, Duke loudly introduced herself first: "Hello, I am the Chief of Special Incident Management in the North District."

Finally, you're here.

Ji Xinghai stood up and responded, "Hello, Lady Duke."

Duke’s heart tightened. The other party knew the Chief of the North District was called 'Duke,' and there was a hint of certainty in his tone, as if he had been waiting for her.

Once the two groups joined, Duke was even more startled.

Qin Yu was not wearing sunglasses this time, and the alien aura emanating from him could be sensed even through the thick fog. Even if he wasn't a monster, the scent of a natural enemy was hard to conceal.

In contrast, Ji Xinghai, the leader, was entirely human.

What was going on with this combination?

"Please wait a moment, there are still nine minutes left," Ji Xinghai said with a smile. "I have two important employees who went to the other side of the fissure."

Went to the other side of the fissure.

The other side.

Duke’s pupils almost quaked. How did this person know what she wanted to ask before she even spoke? And why did he only reveal half the information?

The silence grew heavier, and everyone’s breathing slowed, feeling that any slight sound would draw everyone’s attention.

Oh, no, not everyone was like that.

This young man who called himself a 'Gourmet' seemed quite relaxed. He even shared lollipops. Holding the lemon-flavored lollipop he gave, watching him poke the fog with his umbrella, everyone grew even quieter.

As soon as twelve o'clock passed, the summoning cooldown refreshed, and Ji Xinghai immediately summoned both the vampire and the werewolf. Their conditions were relatively good, although the vampire glared at him, seemingly not angry enough to attack its master. As for the werewolf, it remained calm.

Duke and the others stood by, though every nerve was tense.

What was going on? Why did two more monsters suddenly appear, bringing immense pressure? Were these the important employees? Was it really okay to employ monsters?

Wait a moment... Could it be that this Gourmet wasn’t human either?

It made sense now.

"Did you pass through the fissure passage? What is the world like on the other side?"

"After jumping into the fissure, I entered a strange channel. Although it felt like air, it was like water supporting my body and spinning me into a vortex. After escaping the vortex's pull, I landed on a platform enveloped in misty fog."

The vampire scoffed and refused to cooperate, but the werewolf provided a detailed account, knowing that offending Ji Xinghai would bring no benefit. The blond vampire looked smart but was actually quite foolish.

Duke and the others listened intently; this was what they most wanted to know—what lay beyond the fissure.

According to the werewolf, it was a world shrouded in thick fog. It encountered many monsters in the fog and saw abandoned buildings and broken facilities...

It seemed like a world abandoned by gods, where the fog obscured all life.

Further exploration was limited due to time constraints.

"There were people," the vampire suddenly added, its voice mocking. "Four-legged creatures are indeed four-legged, so they can't escape the fog."

Ji Xinghai recalled that the vampire had a quick teleportation ability, so he changed his previous disdain: "You are indeed better at that. So you saw the edge of the fog?"

"Of course."

The vampire reached the edge of the fog at top speed, finding traces of human settlements. Some were clearing the fog, while others scavenged.

"That world is mostly covered in fog, with only some gaps. Those humans are like rats, worse than refugees," the vampire remembered, noting their lifeless, numb, and desperate state.

This was bad news. The 'future world' would be ruled by fog and monsters, with human territories shrinking, barely surviving. Complete annihilation was only a matter of time.

The light in Duke’s eyes dimmed. She reached into her pocket for a pack of cigarettes. She didn’t smoke before, but now she couldn’t do without nicotine. But after a moment’s hesitation, she put the cigarettes back.

"Sir, can only non-human beings pass through the channel? Can humans go through?"

Hearing Duke’s question, the blond vampire lifted its chin slightly, somewhat dismissively: "If you want to die, give it a try."

"I have a way to get humans through," Ji Xinghai said almost simultaneously.

Everyone looked at him.

Ji Xinghai rotated the 'Royal Authority' ring on his finger. He had the temporary right to set rules within his domain. Additionally, the ultimate version of 'Ten Miles of Red Makeup' provided an eight-hour private domain with the highest configuration.

The rule-setting power of 'Ten Miles of Red Makeup' might not break the one-way restriction of the fissure, but combined with the 'Royal Authority' ring, it was just enough.

"Wherever I step, the rules apply."

"But it’s a one-way street. Once you go through, you can’t come back," he said. "Even if you didn’t come, I would still want to cooperate with you. I will stay for seven more days, and after that, I will open the channel, which can last for a maximum of eight hours."

"You want to go to the other side of the fissure?" Duke understood his intention. "Why?"

"To fight against fate, the joy is endless."

Duke didn’t find joy in fighting fate, but she felt the joy of standing alongside Ji Xinghai. This man wanted to go to the other side of the fissure and had the means to send humans there too. Even if he was a devil, she would cooperate with him.

"I want to send the creatures that have already come into this world back." The Duke said. They wouldn't go to the other side but would continue guarding here, while all the possessed anomalies would be thrown back there.

"Why not kill them?" Ji Xinghai asked curiously.

"Not killing them maintains the illusion of humanity, but if we kill them..." The Duke gave a bitter smile, "they directly turn into anomalies and advance."

In other words, an E-grade anomaly, which is insignificant, would trigger a rampage when killed, usually advancing one level, or even two levels for those with higher potential. Otherwise, why would they have to grit their teeth and brainwash these creatures? Clearly, killing them would be a clean solution.

With this, the Duke paused before continuing, "Actually, we suspect that these anomalies continuously advance through cycles. They might only be E-grade anomalies when they cross through the white mist, but after a second death, they awaken as higher-level anomalies. Then, this D-grade anomaly invades through the white mist, and after another second death, advances again."

The terrifying speculation made people's teeth chatter.

If the anomalies become stronger with each cycle, will there eventually be a time when they don't need a cycle to be annihilated? Could it be this time? "Alright, send those guys back," Ji Xinghai nodded. "But I hope you communicate with the heads of other countries and regions, and also spread the news to the public that I will establish a reverse channel. Those interested can join me in the parallel world."

His true goal was the students, scattered across the globe.

Since they didn't know what the system would test them on, going to the other side of the rift was a gamble, a bold move for the daring.

After some thought, the Duke agreed, "Alright."

Thus, the matter was settled. In reality, everything was proposed by Ji Xinghai without concrete evidence, but the crisis was imminent. Moreover, even if it were a deception, the official loss would not be significant, so the Duke agreed readily.

In the following days, more than sixty percent of the special events departments worldwide conveniently released this information, adding a disclaimer about the unreliability of the message.

But the students immediately caught wind of it.

In a steady stream, tens of thousands came from around the world, flooding into the small city of Aoki. Ji Xinghai could encounter several groups of students just walking down the street, and they were all shopping.

While the students acted, the officials used the pretext of 'free examinations' to identify those who had entered the white mist before, placing them in the same treatment facility.

"Actually, the relatives of those people had already sensed something was wrong. They suspected what was inside these bodies, so the process of readmission went smoothly," the Duke sometimes communicated with Ji Xinghai.

As they initially stated, anomalies were anomalies, wrapped in human skin and losing their memories, but their behavior still revealed traces of abnormality.

Others might not notice it clearly, but close family members quickly detected the difference.

"Many anomalies claimed they were betrayed, so they started slaughtering upon arrival.

"But perhaps they didn't consider that the reason they faced betrayal from loved ones, lovers, and friends might not be due to poor judgment, but because their loved ones, lovers, and friends noticed their abnormality during interactions and judged them as 'anomaly invasions.'

"So, who betrayed whom first?"

Ji Xinghai felt he was being brainwashed daily with such philosophical questions, making his meals less enjoyable.

Fortunately, the white mist provided solace. For the past few days, he roamed within it, scavenging all the advanced anomalies. The variety of food items had surpassed two thousand, and the increasingly picky Ji Xinghai was almost dismissive of D-grade anomalies.

"How will we distribute the flyers? With so much food."

Just two days later, Qin Yu returned with satellite-enabled phones and the pre-downloaded 'Magic Food House' app.

"All food varieties are listed, including prices, characteristics, and delivery fees, updated daily."

It turned out Qin Yu had been pondering this since the food variety exceeded twenty.

Moreover, he learned from the anomalies from that world that space hadn't been invaded by anomalies yet, allowing satellites to continue functioning. Various human groups used satellite communications.

Both worlds were past and future, sharing the same satellites. So theoretically, satellite phones here could work there too.

Qin Yu used the unspent subsidy to order a batch of simple special phones, equipped with hand-crank and solar power.

"The phones have GPS and maps, allowing quick location of orders...!"

Before he finished, he was embraced by an enthusiastic creditor, "Thank you, Qin."

Ji Xinghai took the phones and went aside to unlock their features, leaving a stunned Qin Yu standing there.

With money at work, Qin Yu's custom phone company worked overtime, with green lights all the way. All materials were air-freighted promptly. By the sixth day, Ji Xinghai had over a million phones.

Meanwhile, the Duke, who enjoyed philosophical stories, was too busy to communicate—she was explaining the final procedures to the arriving students in Aoki City.

It was quite simple: wait for the red-robed team to start, then walk into the range of paper money.

"Never thought so many extraordinary individuals would take such a desperate gamble." The Duke sighed, unaware of the students. This journey meant uncertain life and death, with no return, yet so many came.

Up until now, over 21,000 had registered, far exceeding her expectations. She had met some of them; despite varied methods, they were all powerful extraordinary individuals.

"Perhaps a miracle really is possible."

Around ten o'clock that night, thin mist emerged from the rift, spreading outward. Different inns and hotels in Aoki City opened, and indistinct figures moved against the current, entering the white mist.

They walked or rode tools, heading resolutely toward their destination.

Official teams led the way, high-intensity spotlights illuminating their path. People in heavy uniforms saluted each one, knowing they were heading to certain death. "Can they succeed?"

"Don't know."

"Will they die?"

"Don't know."

They reached the edge of the rift, where the spotlights and escort ended. Ahead lay thick white mist, symbolizing their future and fate.

At eleven o'clock, the beginning and end of the day, sharp music emerged from the depths of the white mist. Despite its sound-blocking properties, the never-before-heard screeching music pierced through all obstacles, reaching their eardrums.

Their spirits lifted, and they instinctively ran toward the source. Then, a procession of anomalies appeared in the white mist.

A chilling red, ghostly and cold, the figures flickered, devoid of any life.

Giggles and laughter filled the air, but there was not a hint of sunshine in the music. The clamor was sharp and callous, indifferent to life and death. Accompanied by the bounding, crimson shadows carrying something, it made all the students, who had been tormented by abnormal beings, draw their weapons at once, ready for battle.

"What's going on? Could it be a trap?"

They thought they had been tricked. At that moment, white paper drifted through the white fog and landed at their feet. Where the paper fell, it pushed open an invisible barrier, keeping the fog at bay.

Circular paper faces with vividly drawn eyes and mouths appeared, forming a long line that seemed to have no beginning. In the light, a red vehicle could be seen steadily floating toward the crack.

"Huh? This setting seems a bit familiar."

"Smack." In silence, one person slapped themselves.

Impressive. Doing a mission with an abnormal powerhouse leading the way.