Apocalypse Forecast

"What the hell is this!"

Huai Shi was startled, he pulled open his tattered collar and anxiously touched his chest.

In the middle of his chest, he found a round gap the size of a mug, but he couldn't see his organs through the gap, only darkness.

It was like a crack leading to the abyss.

He mustered up the courage to reach in and touch it, feeling as if he was touching his own body from the inside, but he couldn't feel his organs and bones.

It was as if he had become hollow.

The layer of darkness was as cold as liquid ammonia, with a dense and heavy texture, filling every corner after the crack.

"Here, have a drink to calm down."

Someone next to him handed him a glass of cold cola with a straw.

"Oh, thank you." Huai Shi took a few sips subconsciously, then realized and glared at the crow, who had turned back into a bird without him noticing. "It's you, isn't it?"

"But you agreed, didn't you?"

The crow innocently looked at him. "I asked if I should give you the key, and you said yes... Besides, you need to get used to your Holy Mark, otherwise, life will be difficult for you."

"Holy Mark?"

Huai Shi was stunned, pointing at the big hole in his chest. "This hole is the Holy Mark you were talking about?"

"Yes."

The crow spread its wings and proudly introduced, "Abyss lineage, first stage Holy Mark - Golden Yin Soul Enhanced Version V2.0!"

"What abyss, yin soul, golden yin soul?"

Huai Shi was confused and took a long time to react. "Which country does the Abyss lineage belong to? Yin soul? Doesn't it mean ghost?"

"Yes, so I had to wait until you were completely calm before I could operate. Why would I feed you so many poisons otherwise?"

The crow looked at him with concern, as if he didn't understand this basic principle and it worried her about letting him go out into the world.

Huai Shi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then grabbed her, holding an axe to her neck. "I'll give you another chance to reorganize your vocabulary. What the hell is this thing?"

"Uh..." The crow's eyes darted around. "It's a long story."

"Then make it short!"

"In simple terms, it's a Holy Mark specialized for survival in the border and exploration of the abyss. It incorporates widely recognized ghost legends and classic structures from various countries to customize a Holy Mark specifically for you. It's a perfect match!"

"Where's the match?" Huai Shi glared at her.

"You see, weren't you a machine that produced negative energy before?"

The crow raised a wing and made a cartoonish gesture with a number. "Now you're two machines!"

Huai Shi sighed in frustration. "Isn't it the same as before?"

"But your power has increased! Don't you understand the concept of increased output?"

The crow retorted, "Can you compare a bird gun to a cannon? You've gone from a black and white screen to a smartphone. What more do you want? To become a god?"

"For your Holy Mark, Sister worked tirelessly for so long, finally made it for you, and even saved your life. But after you installed it, you didn't even say thank you. You've lost your conscience!"

She glared at Huai Shi, who suddenly felt guilty and lowered his head. Then he realized that she had been teasing him again, and her mouth still smelled like pizza when she spoke!

Could it be that he had become her guinea pig?

"Never mind, I forgive you. After all, it's not easy for everyone."

Taking advantage of Huai Shi's daze, she jumped out of his mouth and flapped her wings generously. "Apologize to me, and we'll forget about it."

Apologize my ass!

Huai Shi rolled his eyes and ignored her.

He understood what she meant.

Although the versatility of the Yin Soul Holy Mark was impressive.

After all, even though they were all called Holy Marks, the differences between different Holy Mark lineages were as distinct as zebras and monkeys. Unless one cut off and merged with their soul, it would require a huge price to have a chance at success.

Different giants, such as the Hundred-Eyed Giant and the Titan Giant, were completely different species. Similarly, the Phoenix and the Phoenix were also completely different despite both being immortal birds.

Not to mention advancing across lineages, even switching advancement routes within the same lineage was extremely difficult and costly. After all, switching routes was only suitable for those who had no other options. The true major lineages never had to consider such issues.

Why would anyone willingly choose a dead end when there was a clear path ahead?

Being powerful was enjoyable.

For example, the East lineage, which was recognized as one of the most powerful lineages, could be further divided into several sub-lineages, and there were at least fourteen complete paths for advancement.

There was a path for fighting, a path for defense, a path for support, and a path for logistics.

In other words, as long as he joined, had enough talent, sufficient ability, and acceptable potential, he would be assigned a clear path from the first to the fifth stage.

With fourteen different paths for advancement, there was definitely one that suited him.

This was the cohesion and centripetal force possessed by major lineages. On the other hand, some small lineages didn't even have complete advancement routes. They only had a few cats, and some routes might even be blocked. And the better ones only had two or three options at most, and they could only move around within the same lineage.

On the other hand, the Yin Soul Holy Mark had the widest range of applications. It was even more extensive than the mediocre and blank slate Holy Mark like the "Believer". No matter the negative attribute Holy Mark within any lineage, he could advance. It didn't matter which direction he wanted to develop in...

Huai Shi suddenly realized, "Isn't this like a universal plug?"

"Can't you use a better term?" The crow rolled her eyes at him. "Can't I hear a good word from your mouth? Don't you want to thank me for my great favor and then kneel down, cry, and beg to be my lifelong dog?"

Huai Shi ignored her.

He understood what she meant.

In terms of versatility alone, the Yin Soul Holy Mark was truly invaluable.

After all, although they were all called Holy Marks, the differences between different Holy Mark lineages were as distinct as zebras and monkeys. Unless one cut off and merged with their soul, it would require a huge price to have a chance at success.

Switching routes within the same lineage was even more exaggerated and terrifying. After all, this method of switching routes was only suitable for those who had no other options. The true major lineages never had to consider such issues.

Most "wild" individuals without the support of an organization could only blindly buy Holy Marks and try them out, or join a large organization and recharge as a member. One wrong step and there would be no way forward, no way back, and they would be stuck in the middle, suffering. And if they weren't careful, the whole village would suffer.

The Yin Soul Holy Mark refined by the crow not only filled Huai Shi's urgent need for combat power but also left enough room for his future route. Whether he continued to work in the Astronomical Society or switched to the Social Security Bureau, or even got tired of working for others and went solo, he wouldn't be left without a way forward.

He could perfectly connect with any Holy Mark with a Yin attribute.

The only problem was the damn implantation method...

"Of course, if you have the opportunity, I hope you can continue to advance within the Abyss lineage." The crow suggested, "After all, it would be a waste of your potential to randomly choose an advancement route."

Huai Shi pretended not to hear and decided to wait until he adapted to the Holy Mark before carefully choosing a more serious advancement route.

The Abyss lineage didn't sound like a reputable faction... If he exposed himself, he would probably be attacked by everyone. He needed to investigate thoroughly.

However, although it sounded sinister, it felt great.

He tried to move his body, and under his pale skin, his tendons flexed, releasing an unexpected burst of strength.

He thought his strength had reached its limit after the end of his growth period, but after implanting the Holy Mark, his strength skyrocketed once again.

It was like going from a bird gun to a cannon.

As he moved his body, he heard the sound of his bones rubbing together, making crisp cracking noises.

Huai Shi was overjoyed. "With my current level, am I not far from the Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound?"

"This can only mean one thing—"

The crow looked at him sympathetically. "You've been sleeping for too long, and your back is stiff. You should change to a better mattress. Although your physique has indeed advanced."

"..."

Huai Shi was speechless.

"In any case, congratulations, Huai Shi, on your successful advancement. It's a cause for celebration."

The crow tilted her head and looked at him seriously. "From the beginning, humans have yearned for power. People with reasons desire power, and even those without reasons will seek it.

In the end, power is like money, an essential currency for survival in this world. Now that you have power, what do you plan to do with it?"

"What do you mean, what do I plan to do?" Huai Shi asked in confusion.

When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

"I guess it's about life goals." The crow replied. "Although everyone has different reasons for seeking power, life after obtaining power is like a game of idioms. No matter how you start, it will eventually become 'do as one pleases,' 'do as one pleases,' 'do as one pleases,' and it becomes boring.

So, how do you plan to use this power?"

Huai Shi thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Can I have money and beautiful women?"

"Haha!" The crow laughed and patted Huai Shi's shoulder vigorously, genuinely appreciating him. "You are a contented person."

"Then... ruling the world?"

The crow nodded. "That will require effort."

"What about immortality?"

"Isn't that too much trouble?" The crow said, "Not only do you have to seek the path to immortality, but you also have to live slowly after achieving it. Look at the gods from the past. Even with only a thousand years of life, didn't they go crazy and die? There are hardly any who died of old age..."

From beginning to end, the crow didn't seem to oppose any of Huai Shi's goals, nor did she show any signs of "you're thinking too much, it's impossible." It was as if the concept of "impossible" didn't exist.

Huai Shi thought for a long time and asked softly, "Then, living a happy life?"

The crow fell silent.

After a long time, she sighed with pity.

"It's difficult," she said. "Huai Shi, it will be very difficult."

More difficult than immortality, more troublesome than ruling the world, more luxurious than money and beautiful women, the so-called happy life was something that only existed in dreams.

"Then I'll give it a try."

Huai Shi smiled. "If it's difficult, then it's worth striving for, right?"

However, the immediate priority was not these goals.

It was how to resolve the turmoil and kill that bastard Qi Yuan, who caused trouble in Xin Hai.

Listening to the distant rumbling and the dark fluctuations that enveloped the entire city at the moment, Huai Shi twisted his neck, waved his arm, and lifted the axe onto his shoulder.

"Alright, I'll go kill Qi Yuan and those crazy members of the Pure Land. Then I'll come back and think about how to live a happy life." He looked around and asked, "Did you see where that bastard went?"

"I saw."

The crow smiled in a way that made him feel uneasy. "How about I give you a ride?"