Shen Feng froze when he heard them speak, his expression darkening as a sudden thought struck him.
’How could they know about the Salvation Army and the Savior?’
’Could it be like in the Water World Apocalypse, where the deeds of the Salvation Army were celebrated everywhere?’
’But if that’s the case, then what’s this about "Destructive Shen" and "Antichrist"?’
’Destructive, strictly speaking, was one of his titles.’
’However, that title belonged only to his counterpart in the Biohazard Apocalypse parallel world.’
Because he became a lackey of the Master of the Void and destroyed the entire world, his parallel world self was also called Destructive by the people.
’As for the title of Antichrist, only members of the Purification Society would call him that...’
He, however, instantly calmed down and said in a pleasant, magnetic voice:
"I was just joking. How could an ordinary Exorcist possibly be a Savior, a Destructive, or an Antichrist?"
As he spoke, the Gray Tide on the ground around them began to writhe gently. Reflected in the dimming firelight, it formed intricate black and white patterns that looked like a brilliant, starry sky in the eyes of the three young women.
The crackling of the burning fire and the sound of the wind filled the air, indescribably soft and soothing to their ears.
In less than a minute, the three young women’s eyes had glazed over. They repeated Shen Feng’s words:
"Yes, you are just an ordinary Exorcist, not a Savior, a Destructive, or an Antichrist."
Seeing this, Jingwei’s voice rang out again:
"Tsk tsk, well done, Xiaofeng. Tentacles, Hypnosis, and dark, silky tendrils... you could be an anime director."
As she spoke, she controlled the Gray Tide to form a couch, catching the three young women who were swaying and about to fall.
Shen Feng stepped forward, raised his hand to pat the three young women on the head, and continued to ask in a pleasant tone:
"I don’t know your names yet... What happened to this world? Why is it completely dark? Where’s the Solar? Where did those Evil Ghosts come from? And what did that Savior, Destructive, and Antichrist Shen do?"
Even in a deep state of Hypnosis, the three young women before him flinched at his words, a look of terror flashing in their eyes.
The young woman in the center, who had a delicate oval face and striking eyes, seemed to be the first to regain her composure. She said:
"My name is Xiaocao... This world has been like this since we were born... That Destructive, Antichrist Shen, who called himself the Savior, shrouded the once-brilliant sky, leaving us with only permanent night. He opened the gates of Hell, unleashing soul-eating Evil Ghosts... Countless people turned on each other, and under the Destructive’s guidance, the entire world fell into a dark Hell..."
Fear and nostalgia appeared on Xiaocao’s face, as if she was recalling the legends of the age when they first fell into endless darkness. Her chest heaved slightly, and she continued:
"The survivors, led by the Purification Holy Sect, hid in the corners of the world, fighting against the Antichrist and the Evil Ghosts from Hell, allowing the flame of humanity to endure... Unfortunately, the darkness was too oppressive. The Purification Holy Sect couldn’t hold on for long in such an endless night, and so it gradually declined... But the people will forever be grateful for everything the Purification Holy Sect did. In the darkness, they praise the name of that Leader of Light... Cthulhu!"
As she finished, a look of reverence appeared on all three young women’s faces, as if they were reminiscing about a magnificent and brilliant era.
"What the F..." A look of utter confusion crossed Shen Feng’s face. He felt like he was having auditory hallucinations.
’What the hell is this!?’
’Antichrist Shen destroyed the world, and the Purification Society’s Cthulhu saved it!?’
’Even though he failed in the end, it makes him sound like a tragic hero...’
’Could it be that, just like the "Destructive Shen Feng" from the Biohazard Apocalypse, his counterpart in this world also turned to the dark side and wanted to destroy everything?’
’But wouldn’t that perfectly align with the Whisperers’ wishes? The Purifiers from the Purification Society should have been gleefully helping him destroy the world. How did they end up on the "light" side, "allowing the flame of humanity to endure"?’
’What is wrong with this world?’
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Shen Feng became much more serious. He pondered for a moment before continuing his questions:
"How many humans are left in the world now? How do you survive? How do you keep the Evil Ghosts from finding you?"
Hearing Shen Feng’s question, a lost look appeared on Xiaocao’s face. She said:
"Humanity has lost contact in the darkness, becoming isolated islands in the night, barely clinging to life... No one knows how many people have survived... As for us, we survive by relying on an underground Holy Land left behind by an ancient civilization... It’s a sacred place the Evil Ghosts cannot enter."
’The Geomagnetic Field...’ Shen Feng nodded, then said, "Take me to your people."
Xiaocao and the other two young women immediately turned and led Shen Feng deeper into the library.
Shen Feng nodded slightly, following behind them while holding his "Magic Staff."
’After all, humans are social animals. It’s impossible for individuals alone to truly pass on the legacy of a so-called civilization; there must be gatherings of a certain scale.’
’It seems that although this Dark Apocalypse has had great disasters like famine, coupled with the Quantum Ghosts roaming outside, causing a mass extinction event for humanity, it hasn’t completely extinguished the fire of human civilization.’
’After all, just looking at the environment, the Dark Apocalypse is much better off than the previous Biohazard Apocalypse, the nuclear wasteland apocalypse, and the Water World Apocalypse.’
’Excluding the virus factor, only the severity of the Stone Statue Apocalypse could compare to the Dark Apocalypse.’
’In terms of apocalypse severity Level, this should be one of the lowest among the missions he’s experienced.’
’Severity Level Three? Level Four?’
He relayed his thoughts to Jingwei in his Silicon-Based Brain, but unexpectedly, she just scoffed at him:
"Xiaofeng, I think you’re getting cocky without even having a drink. The lethality of the Quantum Ghosts themselves far exceeds any danger you’ve encountered before. If you hadn’t happened to master the Quantum Force Field Core, you would have died countless times already just in the few moments after you entered this mission."
Shen Feng found her words to be deeply true. He also understood that Jingwei was mainly reminding him not to let his guard down. He immediately dismissed his arrogance and his expression became even more solemn.
The fire from the main hall behind them had completely died out. Only the Quantum Force Field Core in Shen Feng’s hand remained, emitting a faint blue glow that illuminated a ten-meter radius around them.
In the long corridor of the old library, three young, tattered women with glazed expressions were bound at the waist by a single tentacle, stumbling forward. Behind them was a strange, expressionless man holding a glowing cylinder, his face grim and even a bit sinister.
The scene was exceptionally bizarre within the slightly eerie library, reminiscent of some kind of strange and twisted artwork.
Soon, they passed through the corridor and reached a staircase. They descended the steps, heading underground.
According to Shen Feng’s previous memories, there should be a huge, multi-level parking garage down here.
The world was already incredibly dark, but the underground was even darker, becoming a blackness as thick and indivisible as ink. It was as if they were walking into Hell itself.
Fortunately, the light from the Quantum Force Field Core was bright enough that Shen Feng could even read a stack of books he had just retrieved with the Gray Tide as he walked. Among them were several newspapers describing the situation when the disaster had just begun.
He opened the first book. It was a small, exquisitely printed volume with a title stamped in gold foil:
From Worms to Flying Birds—How Humanity Mastered Space Wormhole Technology
His expression grew solemn. He flipped open a page, about to read it carefully, but at that moment, he stepped off the staircase and into the vast space below.
Just then, a fierce gust of wind blew in from the side, catching Shen Feng’s attention.
He immediately looked up to see dozens of metal Javelins, emerging from the darkness, already about to pierce him!