Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
“This is God’s punishment upon us!”
In the Yasukuni Shrine, a group of stern-faced politicians bowed repeatedly before the spirit tablets of past “martyrs,” their tears flowing. In their culture, commanders who died in war did not go to hell or heaven; they became part of the gods.
The leading politician was the Prime Minister of Neon.
He turned and glared at everyone, gritting his teeth and roaring:
“Do you know why so many monsters have appeared in Neon?
It’s because you have angered the gods!”
“Yes.” The surrounding politicians trembled, lowering their heads submissively, not daring to retort.
“We didn’t modify the textbooks. We were merely stating a historical fact. The actions of the martyrs were righteous and for our Empire. Must we let external evaluations dictate our own judgment?”
“The gods have become disappointed in us!”
The Prime Minister of Neon gripped the katana at his waist and sighed. “In recent years, more and more people have been pointing fingers at our martyrs. Even many of our own traitors have these thoughts. And now look?! Retribution has come! You should all commit seppuku like those traitors!!”
“Prime Minister, what should we do?”
The surrounding politicians were also thrown into a panic.
Some of them had already been corrupted by the Old Ones, but some retained their clarity of mind. They had never seen the Old Ones’ Retainers before and were already terrified. Now, hearing the Prime Minister’s words, they all believed it to be true, thinking they had truly angered the gods.
“We must beg for the gods’ forgiveness!”
The Prime Minister snorted, knelt on the ground, and muttered softly, chanting incantations.
The other politicians followed suit.
Just then, a fierce cold wind blew. At first, it only made the windows rattle, but then the wind grew stronger, even smashing through a window. The sound of breaking glass immediately drew the attention of all the politicians.
“This is the wrath of the gods!”
The Prime Minister sighed, his eyes cast down.
As soon as he spoke, there was a deafening “boom.”
The entire roof of the Yasukuni Shrine was instantly blown off, and all the spirit tablets of the martyrs were swept to the ground by the strong wind. The fierce wind sent the politicians stumbling, their mournful pleas for forgiveness for their sins against their ancestors and the gods echoing.
The wind grew even more violent.
The Yasukuni Shrine collapsed with a roar.
The Prime Minister of Neon stood in the raging wind, trembling as he held onto a tottering pillar. He saw on the distant horizon a wall of waves, a hundred feet high, crashing towards the island of Neon. Behind the waves, a grand city could be faintly discerned. Within the city, countless terrifying monsters let out earth-shattering roars, stirring restlessly. They surrounded an even grander figure, a being whose form was indistinct, as if it were in constant flux.
【gae’hensikaguns`huijen……】
It was as if countless flies were buzzing in his mind.
He saw endless, half-human, half-fish monsters crawling from the deep sea; he saw slimy tentacles wrapping around his body; he saw octopuses with eyes all over them swimming before his eyes; everything around him began to spin, twisting, collapsing, shattering, and screaming.
They seemed to have gained a life of their own, sprouting tentacles, faces, suckers, and wriggling flesh and blood.
They emitted continuous gibberish.
It grew louder and sharper, like a chant, like a hymn, and even more like a drill piercing his brain.
“Plop—”
Two perfectly intact eyeballs rolled out of the Prime Minister’s eyes.
“Gods… punishment…”
He was still muttering to himself, and the eyeballs on the ground sprouted legs, skittering about in the shattered ruins.
With a “boom,” a load-bearing pillar collapsed.
Crushing the Prime Minister, who had been holding onto it, into a meatloaf.
The tsunami descended like the sky falling.
Half a minute later, the entire island of Neon sank.
And Cthulhu, accompanied by His R’lyeh City, continued to approach the continent of Asia— a place where Winter City players were most concentrated. His Deep Ones had already landed in advance.
…
Abyss Player Base—
More and more Winter City players were gathering here. They were arranged by the Corrupted Players to positions over 500 meters underground, surrounded by thick reinforced concrete walls. This was perhaps the safest place in the city.
On the rooftop of the Abyss Player Base.
Qi Wub stood in the strong wind, his pale, messy hair obscuring his crimson eyes.
From here, he could see the entire city laid out before him. He saw countless Old Ones’ Retainers rampaging through the city. He saw the armies of official organizations attempting to encircle and eliminate the Old Ones’ Retainers, but their guns and cannons had little effect on them.
A group of Flying Hydras flew towards Qi Wub.
He suddenly looked up, a flash of blood-red light erupting from his eyes.
All the Flying Hydras were instantly blown to pieces by the surging demonic energy.
There were still 12 hours left until the world synchronization was complete.
If the Old Ones’ attacks were only at this intensity, then holding out for twelve hours would be no problem. However, at one moment, the strong wind suddenly halted, and then, the wind direction abruptly changed.
Qi Wub looked in the direction the wind was coming from.
He could vaguely see dark clouds churning on the horizon.
Simultaneously, the Old Ones’ Retainers raging in the city suddenly became frenzied. In less than half a minute, all these Old Ones’ Retainers turned, and in Qi Wub’s field of vision, they transformed into countless black streams flowing towards the Abyss Player Base.
