Infinite spooky game

Chapter 440 Gods (12) Open Schemes
At noon on May 10th, the off-road vehicle provided by the Tingfeng Guild was parked in the open space downstairs from the inn.

Siqi had rested well at the inn, so he was friendly to everyone. After going downstairs first, he chatted with the car owner for a while with a smile, and the two quickly went from strangers to like-minded friends.

The car owner held Siqi's hand and said with emotion, "I impulsively asked to borrow your car yesterday, and regretted it for a while afterward. But I realized today that I made the right decision. I'm definitely going to be friends with you."

Similar to the Kyushu Guild, the Tingfeng Guild also has a deep-rooted influence in the real world. Although its organizational structure is even looser than that of hobby clubs like the "Fishing Enthusiasts Alliance" or the "Weight Loss Club," it can still be described as having "connections all over the world."

The off-road vehicle is quite old. The owner is an extreme sports enthusiast who, the day before the final dungeon began, fearlessly took a road trip into a nearby plateau known locally as the "Land of Death."

During the final instance, wars, disasters, and strange invasions broke out all over the world due to the game players' strategies. Hundreds of millions of civilians died unexpectedly, their bodies left unburied, and the world was devastated, like a living hell.

In contrast, the Shangri-La area was surprisingly peaceful and tranquil. Apart from a few days of bad weather and occasional strange dreams at night, there were no other unusual occurrences.

The driver was carefree. He figured he was all alone, with no relatives or friends, and with things in such chaos outside, he wouldn't be able to go back anytime soon. So he simply continued driving towards Shangri-La Town as planned and arrived there last night, checking into the hotel he had booked in advance.

Then he received a group message from the Tingfeng Guild's higher-ups, asking if anyone could get an off-road vehicle before noon on May 10th to drive into Shangri-La Town to pick someone up.

The car owner thought, "What a coincidence!" and immediately replied to the message, expressing his willingness to help.

Siqi overheard the conversation, seemingly casually, and roughly understood that the Listening Wind Guild hadn't told the car owner his true identity or the reason for borrowing the vehicle. Judging from the car owner's nonchalant demeanor, the SUV was probably indeed safe.

As for whether they will encounter any dangers on the road, that is not something that can be controlled at the moment. Moreover, according to Siqi's understanding of Lin Jue, once the off-road vehicle leaves Shangri-La Town, the Bureau of Mysterious Investigation will definitely spare no effort to deal with him.

This is also why Siqi chose a vehicle rather than an airplane as his mode of transportation; simply because the chances of survival are higher in case of an accident.

As the conversation drew to a close, Siqi promised to take good care of the car owner's vehicle. The car owner waved his hand and said, "Young man, it's no trouble at all. I think you're a good match, so I'll consider this car a gift to you!"

As soon as Yu Jinsheng, Shuo Meng, and Jiang Junjue came downstairs, they heard the car owner's heartfelt speech and were all disillusioned.

Yu Jinsheng sighed inwardly. After six years of getting to know Qi Si, he understood him. With Qi Si's grasp of human nature, he could make anyone in the world a trustworthy friend if he wanted to, just as he had done six years ago. Unfortunately, as an evil spirit cast into reality by a bizarre game, he was destined to never have a genuine heart.

After lunch, Jiang Junjue drove, while Siqi, Shuomeng, and Yu Jinsheng sat in the back. Ciren Dunzhu was left at the inn by Siqi to keep an eye on the situation in Shangri-La Town, while the car owner followed the Tingfeng Guild's main force and evacuated by helicopter.

Siqi dialed Lin Jue's number again, smiling as he said, "Lin Jue, we're already on the bus. Just now, I thought of something. When I told you I planned to go back to Jiangcheng, you seemed to misunderstand my decision, thinking that staying in Shangri-La Town was the best choice."

He tilted his head, like a child who couldn't wait to know how the story ended: "So, I'm curious, will you stay in Shangri-La Town and keep an eye on my movements in Jiangcheng?"

Lin Jue stood among the members of the Listening Wind Guild, stepped up the boarding stairs, and boarded the helicopter arranged by the Listening Wind Guild. He said without changing his expression, "Yes, I will be staying in Shangri-La Town for the next period of time. Neither you nor I have obtained the qualifications to become an Ancestral God. Before the White Raven appears, Shangri-La Town needs someone with the qualifications to compete for the Godhood to take charge of the situation."

The helicopter's destination was Jiangcheng. After settling into his seat, Lin Jue opened his dedicated tablet and pulled up a message from the Jiangcheng branch of the Bureau of Mystery Investigation.

[Mu Dongxu (Interim Chief of Jiangcheng Branch): At midnight on May 9th, a bronze sword appeared out of thin air in the containment room on the fifth basement level. The surveillance cameras didn't capture a single person. Preliminary identification indicates the bronze sword is a prop from a bizarre game, its level surpassing that of a god…]

[Mu Dongxu (Interim Chief of Jiangcheng Branch): The situation stopped deteriorating after the final instance ended, but there are very few survivors left in Jiangcheng... Just now, those rose-shaped monsters began to fight back again, and the last two investigators from the first and second offices of the branch also sacrificed themselves...]

Lin Jue replied to both messages with, "I will return as soon as possible, estimated time before May 12th." He opened the attachment to the first message, which contained a detailed appraisal report and several clear photos. In the photos, an ancient bronze longsword was eerily oozing blood. He closed his eyes for a moment, repeatedly sorting through the vast amount of information in his mind, and after a short while, he found a relevant clue.

A month ago, the Balance Church carried out an operation in the Quran Autonomous Region. White Crow, as the leader, was also present and negotiated with the local veteran resistance organization "Red of Truth". A blurry photo uploaded by a war correspondent shows White Crow carrying this bronze sword in his arms when he left.

"I suddenly realized that I can still control some strange things." Siqi's voice interrupted Lin Jue's thoughts.

The young man spoke with a smile, his tone casual as if chatting: "The Colosseum that floats above random locations, the insomnia germ that has plagued the common people of North America for so long, and those roses that swept through the entire Jiangcheng—I'm sure you have a deep impression of them... Once I die, those strange things will get out of control and will probably erupt immediately, causing a lot of deaths and injuries."

He paused, then spoke again with a deeper smile, sounding breathless: "I know you never care about the deaths of the 'minority.' In your view, killing me would be a quick and easy solution, beneficial to the overall situation. But I believe that rational people like you are the 'minority.' Most people don't expect to see controllable sacrifices, nor can they abandon their loved ones with the same peace of mind as you."

He didn't say anything more, but Lin Jue already knew his plan. He lightly swiped his finger on the tablet and entered the eerie game forum.

These days, the Bureau of Mystery Investigations has been overwhelmed by bizarre intrusions in real life, and its management of the game forum has become unprecedentedly lax, resulting in all sorts of messy messages flooding the page.

Some expressed concerns about the future of the world after the final instance, alarmistly announcing the arrival of the apocalypse; others made unfounded analyses of the power struggles between the Kyushu Guild, the Sira Guild, the Balance Church, and the Unnamed Guild on the unseen battlefield, with conclusions that were naturally far removed from the facts; still others sold so-called life-saving secrets at exorbitant prices, claiming to have obtained firsthand information about the final instance... It was truly a chaotic scene of demons running rampant.

Many more people are immersed in the fear of struggling on the edge of life and death, making futile calls for help, venting their negative emotions that they don't know where to pour out, praying to God while waiting to die.

#Everyone in my neighborhood died except me...#
#Can anyone come to Gouju Lane in Shanghai and save me?#
#Will Fu Shen win? Will he revive everyone?#
On May 10th at noon, a newly registered account that had never posted any content emerged. Its profile picture was bright red, and its nickname was "Siqi". Its first post was pushed to the top of the daily ranking within half an hour.

#I am the vice guild leader of the Unnamed Guild, and the holder of the [Crimson High Priest] and [Fool's Deceiver] weapons#
Over the past three days, you have experienced a series of natural and man-made disasters, constantly accompanied by death. I admit that some of these were my doing. In order to compete for the qualification to become a god, I sacrificed countless lives.

Now, although the eerie game has ended, the struggle for godhood has not. Simply put, death will continue to befall us. I control several eerie entities capable of mass killing, some of which you have probably already heard of. I don't plan to use them yet, but unfortunately, Fu Jue of the Kyushu Guild is relentlessly pursuing me.

Those monsters are currently under my control and are relatively stable. However, once I die, they will immediately go out of control and unconditionally kill all humans who encounter them. Preliminary estimates suggest that the casualties will be in the hundreds of millions.

I think you don't want to see that kind of future, right?

Lin Jue used similar tactics when he seized complete control of the Bureau of Mystery Investigation, which was undoubtedly an open conspiracy that was impossible to crack.

All those who fear death will fight against Lin Jue for the sake of their own lives or the lives of their loved ones.

Below the main building, Siqi posted another message:
Of course, you can choose to believe in me and recite my divine name:

The Crimson Lord, traversing endless time and space alone.

[The soul ruler who governs the authority over contractual transactions.]

The only existence that transcends reality and illusion.

Perhaps someone will find a place in the new world after the apocalypse; who knows?

(End of this chapter)