Apocalypse Forecast

After the action agents left, the cabin returned to silence.

In the anxious wait, only KP was hunched over the table, working on his forms and humming a tune, occasionally tossing a pair of dice.

After a while, a stack of papers piled up on the table.

The middle-aged man who was originally in charge looked at them in confusion for a long time before finally couldn't help but ask, "Mr. KP, what are you doing?"

"Just a game," KP replied, looking up. "Do you all like playing games?"

"Huh?" Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"Well, since we're all bored, how about a tabletop role-playing game?" KP suggested, throwing the dice in the air. "It's quite popular in the dark web border. Although the rules are complex, it offers more freedom and entertainment compared to other computer games... Once you try it, you'll be immersed and unable to pull away."

"Huh?" Someone seemed intrigued and asked, "How exactly do we play? Is it like mahjong or poker?"

"No, it's completely different," KP patiently explained. "Simply put, through the game master, which is me, you will receive the beginning of a story. You will play as an investigator and, together with other investigators, explore and solve the challenges presented by the creator through role-playing and your own choices. In the end, you will obtain treasures or successfully survive... It's a game that suits the current situation very well."

He seemed to have said something strange, but everyone ignored it and was instead captivated by his description, eager to give it a try.

After finishing his explanation, KP asked, "So, what do you all think? Do you want to give it a try?"

"You tell the story, and we make the choices, right? It sounds interesting," an older inspector asked, "But how do you determine if we can or cannot accomplish something?"

"You all need to follow the rules of the tabletop game and create a character card for yourselves," KP answered. "When your character uses a skill, you will roll the dice based on the points you invested in that skill. If the roll is successful, it means your character can accomplish that task; otherwise, they cannot."

KP took out two ten-sided dice and smiled, "You see, the first one represents the units digit, and the second one represents the tens digit, totaling one hundred points. If your skill has fifty points, rolling forty-nine or below would be considered a success."

"But for newcomers, it's more useful to experience it firsthand than to know too much. Just now, I have already prepared the character cards you will need. Please use them carefully and avoid tearing them."

With that, he distributed the character cards.

But when it came to Ai Qing, she didn't take it. Instead, she silently looked at KP, sensing that something was wrong but unable to figure out what it was.

"Oh, you have quite a high level of insight," KP smiled and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Is this a game?" Ai Qing asked.

"Yes, just a game," KP replied.

"Then how can we be sure that you won't deliberately target us players?" Ai Qing immediately noticed the biggest loophole. "If you want to, it would be easy for you to create a monster or an unsolvable problem for us, right?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a sneaky KP. I'm everyone's good friend," KP smiled. "Besides, actions speak louder than words. This world is often more amazing than I can imagine."

With that, he placed the character card into Ai Qing's hand and smiled warmly, "This is your card. Please treat it gently."

Ai Qing took the form, looked down, and then froze in place.

"What's wrong? Can't understand it?" KP curiously leaned over and examined the information on the card. "Huai Shi, male, occupation: Sublimator, strength 15, an ordinary first-tier level. Physical fitness 41, a bit excessive, but sanity is only 23, and yet the inspiration is so high, always on the verge of madness. Luck is only 1 point, unlucky... The skills are all exploration-oriented, with detection and listening at 85. How did charm and stealth reach 90? And the deception skill is really impressive..."

Ai Qing suddenly put away the character card, preventing him from revealing any more of her information.

"Oh, you've already noticed the interesting part of this game so quickly?" KP nodded in admiration and suggested, "Using this character card will be quite challenging. Do you want me to give you a different one?"

"No need," Ai Qing shook her head and refused. "This card is fine."

KP didn't say anything more and turned to answer the other people's questions. However, when explaining certain attribute information, he seemed to notice Ai Qing and the old inspector intentionally listening, and his voice slightly raised.

Soon, the busy explanation came to an end.

KP clapped his hands joyfully and looked at the "players" in front of him.

"Now that everyone is familiar with their cards, let's begin the immersion," KP said in a deep voice. "The time is 1620, and the background is the vast sea. There is a ship called the Mayflower..."

As he spoke, lines of text quickly appeared on the blank paper in front of him.

The stage had been set, and the heroes had all arrived.

The story of "The Son of Original Sin" centered around the philosopher's stone was about to begin.

So, let's start the joyful third round...

.

.

.Your name is Huai Shi, a destitute musician, an unnoticed cellist. After losing your patroness, you wander around Rome, living a life of poverty, yearning for the rumored new world filled with gold, dreaming of becoming rich overnight.

One day, you receive a mysterious letter.

A theater from the New World, having heard of your superb playing skills, eagerly invites you to become their principal musician. They offer you a wonderful salary and share dividends, and the letter comes with a gift of 500 lira and a boat ticket.

With no other options, you decide to seize this opportunity.

On the appointed day, you arrive at the dock and surprisingly run into several 'friends' you've met before in a tavern.

The story begins—

In a daze, Huai Shi seemed to hear someone talking in his ear, a BULABULABULA sound, annoying as hell, and it didn't sound like anything good.

But soon, he woke up from his stupor.

The carriage had arrived.

Near the dilapidated dock, the stench of mud and garbage was everywhere. Huai Shi, struggling with his luggage, walked into a tavern where he could rest.

Huh?

Why am I going to a tavern?

Isn't the inn next door more comfortable?

Never mind, let's go to the tavern.

Amid the noisy crowd, he dragged his luggage and sat at the bar, opened his mouth to order something, but his mind was blank, not knowing what to order.

Apart from the prostitution nightclub, he had never been to a place where he wanted to drink. What should he order... Can he have a glass of milk?

Huh? Prostitution nightclub? What is that? Have I been there?

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

In his confusion, a familiar female voice suddenly reminded him in his mind: "Whiskey."

This strange flash of inspiration made Huai Shi breathe a sigh of relief, and he said to the bartender: "A glass of whiskey, please!"

Then, a glass of whiskey was served, and someone next to him suddenly called his name: "Huai Shi? Is that you?"

When Huai Shi turned around in surprise, he saw a group of travelers sitting around the table, several of whom had familiar faces. These were people he had met during his wanderings.

Old Xiao, a boiler worker who lost his job, Lei Feizhou, a bodyguard with a not-so-good reputation in the industry, Clement, a knight suffering from tuberculosis...

All five people at the table were people he had met before.

And it seemed that they were also passengers planning to take the boat. Was this fate? How wonderful.

Several long-lost people sat together, exchanged their recent situations, and a rare camaraderie was instantly formed among them, who were in the same boat. Their relationship gradually warmed up.

In the midst of their conversation, a voice sounded not far away.

A hunched beggar with messy hair, limping, staggered forward in the tavern, holding a broken bowl in his hand, begging in a low voice: "Please, sir, please."

But no one paid him any attention. The old beggar walked up to their table with hopeful eyes. Lei Feizhou frowned in disgust and glared at him: "Get lost, old ghost! Do you want to get beaten?"

There was a faint sound of dice rolling.

The beggar seemed to be scared and stumbled back.

Looking at the pitiful...

Huai Shi sighed, beckoned him over. The beggar, as if pardoned, circled around, avoiding Lei Feizhou's gaze, moved to Huai Shi's side, and held up his bowl with a flattering smile: "Please help, sir, God will bless you, please..."

Huai Shi took out his wallet, flipped through it, found a few coins and threw them into his bowl.

The beggar seemed to be overjoyed, gratefully held his hand, and thanked him incoherently: "Thank you, kind sir, thank you, God will bless you, God will bless you..."

There was another faint sound of dice rolling, as if the people at the next table were gambling. Huai Shi looked over curiously, but suddenly felt a small object being stuffed into his sleeve.

The beggar smiled mysteriously and turned to leave.

Huai Shi instinctively clenched his fist, standing still, about to ask something, when he heard the sound of a steam whistle in the distance.

The ship was leaving.

But does this era really have such a huge ship?

Huai Shi stood on the dock, staring blankly at the brightly lit steel behemoth, dumbfounded, unable to associate such a majestic creation with the bumpy, old, and dirty wooden ships in his memory.

"This isn't 1620, is it?"

In the strange sense of incongruity, he blurted out words that even he didn't understand: "This is 2020, right!"