Chapter 171 The End is Near, Go Home

Chapter 171 Doomsday Approaches, Heading Home

When Mayor Bai recounted all this to Su Bai, his smile and tone, though elegant, carried a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Perhaps for this "artist" who delighted in creating cities, the happiest moment wasn't the completion of a near-perfect masterpiece, but rather the thrill of recommending it to others, anticipating their astonishment or even awe.

Thus, Mayor Bai kept his gaze fixed on Su Bai, hoping to elicit a reaction from this "material" he found so intriguing—a response that would invigorate him.

Yet, Su Bai’s expression remained utterly serene. He was calm upon learning the truth about the Fog City inhabitants, calm when he heard about the thick fog's purpose, and even when Mayor Bai spoke of new "materials" for crafting puppets, he maintained a placid smile. It was impossible to discern whether he was already privy to the information or simply adept at masking his emotions.

Mayor Bai defaulted to the latter explanation for Su Bai's composure, for if it were the former… this seemingly frail human would possess an unfathomable terror.

Even for entities of the strange, the "unknown" remains a terrifying prospect.

"How dull. I had hoped for more vivid expressions on Owner Bai’s face, but it's as stiff as a poorly made puppet," Mayor Bai remarked with disappointment, observing Su Bai’s unchanging demeanor. "I thought someone capable of such brilliant creations would share my appreciation for the city's collapse."

"What kind of appreciation?" Su Bai’s smile subtly faded. "Sadness?"

"Of course," Mayor Bai replied without hesitation. "How could anyone refrain from sadness while watching this beautiful city slowly descend into ruin?"

Despite his words, the smile on Mayor Bai’s face did not waver.

"Perhaps, but I genuinely struggle to convey vivid emotions. Even if I were turned into a puppet, I’d likely be a shoddy one, just as Mayor Bai suggested." Su Bai deftly steered the conversation back, seeking more information about the "new materials" Mayor Bai had alluded to.

"Turn Owner Bai into a puppet? Turn a human into a puppet? Few would attempt such a thing, I imagine," Mayor Bai said dismissively. "Why would Owner Bai entertain such a peculiar notion?"

"Perhaps I overthought it." Having gleaned the desired information, Su Bai chose not to press further.

After all, regardless of how "friendly" or eager to share Mayor Bai appeared, and irrespective of how his power compared to that of the "Puppet Master" he mentioned, his abilities remained unfathomable to an ordinary player.

Moreover, Su Bai's own strength, by his estimation, probably, possibly, had not yet surpassed that of an ordinary player…

"The performance here… no, the issue here seems resolved. As mayor, I should attend to other areas." Mayor Bai glanced at the disturbance, now quelled by the patrols, then bowed slightly to bid Su Bai farewell. "It just occurred to me that I haven't yet visited Owner Bai’s shop. I shall certainly make time for it on another occasion."

Su Bai offered a polite smile in return, but only exhaled a quiet sigh of relief after Mayor Bai’s figure had vanished from sight.

In this conversation, largely orchestrated by Mayor Bai, the mayor had indulged his desire to confide and savored the disaster he had engineered. Su Bai, in turn, had confirmed certain details. It was a "perfect" outcome where both parties achieved their objectives.

Mayor Bai could view everything unfolding in Fog City as a captivating drama.

Su Bai, as an observer, could also treat the events in Fog City as an unrelated spectacle, though he remained wary of the Fog City Lord who sought to craft new puppets from living humans.

But for the inhabitants of Fog City, and even the outsider players, who remained utterly oblivious to the truth, or even "reality," this was an all-consuming calamity.

Only after the patrols had secured the thick fog area and silence had descended did Su Bai emerge from the shadows, surveying the scene of the recent turmoil. Before the fog had enveloped it, this area had appeared to be an ordinary street. Though it lacked the numerous residential communities of Fifth Street, the presence of several schools meant it was surrounded by bookstores and reading cafes—a pleasant spot for leisure and contemplation.

Even if Fog City was merely a creation of some eerie entity for amusement, it indeed housed many books. Most seemed to be reproductions from the outside world, yet some were original works by the people of Fog City. After all, before the city began its collapse, these inhabitants, despite living in an illusion, had led genuine lives.

But now, a vast area had been cordoned off by patrols. Though the ghosts vanquished by players and patrols had dissipated, the hastily evacuated crowd had left behind a trail of debris and unsightly fragments of clay that refused to vanish. The entire area seemed to have instantly lost all vitality, leaving only ruins and the cold, mechanically rigid patrols.

"All residents, please evacuate the thick fog area."

As soon as a patrol detected Su Bai, it immediately turned and issued a warning.

This might have been the first time Su Bai heard these patrols speak in human language, but their voices sounded like radios crackling with broken glass, devoid of any human emotion, further diminishing the already inhuman quality of these figures.

Su Bai did not press forward. Resisting these self-less puppets, acting solely on Mayor Bai’s orders, would only invite trouble.

Come to think of it, Mayor Bai could have allowed the virus-like blood mist to spread rapidly, yet he still commanded these patrols to seal off the thick fog area. This kept the rest of the city immersed in a gradually intensifying atmosphere of fear, slowing the spread of panic and mental collapse while simultaneously making everything even more twisted.

From Mayor Bai’s perspective, this certainly made the drama of Fog City’s destruction all the more "thrilling."

Just as Su Bai turned to leave, he witnessed a figure struggling to escape the thick fog area, only to fall beneath a patrol’s cold weapon. Its clay shell shattered, the ghost had nowhere to flee, and in the end, only a faint blood mist drifted past the "soulless" patrol, slowly dissipating into the distance.

Unstoppable.

Inevitable.

Su Bai averted his gaze and continued toward the Mist Shop.

With the apocalypse approaching, only his "home" offered true safety.

As Su Bai took a shortcut back to Fifth Street, he could sense a profound shift in the atmosphere throughout Fog City. Though he had left the sealed-off area, the streets were still filled with bewildered crowds.

Most people remained oblivious to what was happening. Even those Fog City residents who had witnessed humans transforming into ghosts before being driven away couldn't articulate it. Half-truths and rumors, laced with fear and helplessness, spread through the populace.

Some seemed to cower in fear, others scoffed loudly in disbelief, while some scanned their surroundings as if searching for a sign. In every corner of Fog City, people confronted an unknown threat, and this ignorance of the future plunged them into extreme tension and anxiety.

In such an oppressive environment, a violent outbreak seemed an inevitable consequence.