Infinite spooky game

The long-planned explosions continued, shrapnel and heat waves rushed towards Sitch, huge tongues of fire licked his body, and the smell of burning mingled with the stench of blood.

He raised his hand to touch his cheek and neck, feeling his hand sticky. Crimson blood, mixed with specks of gold, enveloped him like a waterfall. His scarlet suit filtered out the red liquid, leaving behind intricate streaks of gilding.

Lin Jue prepared ample explosives, determined to kill both the terrorists and the hostages with a single blow, leaving no room for survival.

The three of them retreated rapidly the instant the explosion rang out, but human legs could not outrun the chemical reaction of saltpeter and sulfur. Their running steps were swallowed up by the rapidly expanding blast wave, leaving behind three severely injured and dying bodies after the smoke cleared.

"Old Qi, I might really be going to die here..." Yu Jinsheng coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood, still clinging to life, his unfocused gaze fixed on Si Qi. "I'm sorry for what happened in the past. You should go back the way you came. Don't worry about me..."

"What gave you the illusion that I would care whether you live or die?" Siqi sneered, as more warm blood trickled down his lips.

He was in a terrible state, his body covered in fine wounds, with pieces of iron and sand embedded in his flesh, revealing a gruesome, torn appearance. But he was still alive; gods do not die easily, and even if only a skull remains, it will maintain basic functions, just like the contract in the "Flesh Eater" instance.

"It's not time to have to turn back yet."

The pain had exceeded his threshold, and Siqi barely managed to stay conscious. He diverted a portion of his consciousness into his mental palace, mobilizing the nearby rose monsters to gather at the exit of the secret passage. Sure enough, he heard gunshots ringing out overhead.

The Bureau of Paranormal Investigations had laid an ambush, clearly not entirely confident in using bombs to deal with the existence of gods. They meticulously planned to finish off any remaining targets, determined to eliminate any possibility of survival.

"Shoot any living creature you encounter in the secret passage, whoever it may be, on the spot," someone calmly ordered.

The aftershocks of the underground explosion continued. Smoke and dust filled his mouth and nose, and particles adhered to his nasal mucosa and slid into his throat. Siqi bent over, coughing violently, and several drops of blood splattered down.

Shrapnel tore away the flesh of his right calf, revealing the bloody, white bone. He limped slightly, steadying himself against the cold, damp wall as he moved forward, leaving bloody handprints on the wall.

"He's seriously wounded! Continue suppressive fire!"

"Use special bullets; they're effective against the supernatural!"

The voices were loud, and a figure stepped into the dark passage first, raising a pistol in the thick smoke.

Gunshots rang out, and blood splattered from Siqi's left shoulder. The pain became so intense that it turned into numbness. He leaned against the wall, controlling the rose monster to rush into the dark passage and block him and the investigator.

The long-lost scepter of the sea god suddenly appeared in his hand, its white handle vibrating and emitting a mournful hum.

Most of the items that could be stored in the inventory disappeared without a trace along with the disappearance of the eerie game. Why is it that the Scepter of the Sea God has appeared at this moment?
Siqi had no time to think about the reasons behind it; he clenched his fist and kneaded the scepter into his flesh.

Bright red blood meandered down the staff, gradually turning golden-red and gilded in the process. The scepter, bathed in the blood of the gods, radiated a milky white glow, while the sounds of tides and rain surged in the air, and the ground rustled and whispered.

A torrential downpour struck Jiangcheng in an instant.

A gray-white curtain of water crashed down from thousands of meters in the sky, splashing up a cloud of smoke that enveloped the city. The floodwaters poured into the sewers, tunnels, and every low-lying corner like a tidal wave, submerging Siqi's ankles in just a few seconds. The pool of water that dissolved his blood was a pale pink lake.

"A strange concentration has increased dramatically; beware of pollution!"

"Siqi has been blocked at the entrance of the secret passage at the three o'clock position in Jinjiang Residential Area. Calling for backup!"

The investigators exchanged solemn warnings, their words fragmented by the clamor of the rain.

The rose monsters, who came from all over the city, felt no pain and continued rushing towards Siqi despite the bullets hitting them.

Vines and rainwater intertwined, obscuring the view. In the chaos, it was impossible to distinguish human figures from ghosts. The world seemed to merge into one in the rain, as if it could melt away all gods, ghosts, and grudges.

Siqi lay sprawled on the back of a monster, his blood dripping down his body, covering the monster's flesh in layers, which elicited excited roars from the eerie creature.

The monsters, in high spirits, gathered around following their bloodthirsty instincts, yet maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far under the control of the soul contract, like the most loyal guards, circling Siqi and rushing towards the exit.

The gunfire grew increasingly rapid, then fell silent for a moment as several patterned tentacles emerged from the void, perfectly blocking the muzzle.

"Oh no! The gun's gone!" The investigator's voice trembled with fear.

The gun barrel blossomed and deformed under the invasion of the tentacles, and the exploding barrel shattered the investigator's hand bones. At the same time, fish bones and shellfish gradually covered the ground beneath their feet, gnawing at their ankles.

Screams rang out one after another, but the situation did not allow Siqi to take advantage of the situation. He drew his pistol from his waist and gripped it tightly, observing for openings while continuously pulling the trigger to clear a path, controlling the monster to break through the encirclement.

A sliver of sunlight peeked through, then shone brightly amidst his footsteps and panting breaths. He finally broke through the dark passage and stepped back onto the territory of Jiangcheng.

Giant ships from the last century slowly sailed overhead, casting huge, dark shadows. They were steered by the souls of those who perished in shipwrecks, and a chilling aura heavily weighed on the crowd.

Everything was changing. The sky dimmed, turning into the orange-yellow hue of the "Desperate Sea" instance. Silvery fish scales and feathers scattered underfoot, and the concrete ground transformed into golden sand.

The dense rain weaves a false ocean, deceiving the sea creatures that leap from the surface and fly towards the location of the sea god's scepter in the downpour. A whale skeleton swoops down on the investigators' team, and skeletal arms rise from the ground, dragging the investigators away.

The clock tower and coconut groves appeared as phantoms on the city's horizon, schools of flying fish hummed ancient songs, and ghostly shadows gradually solidified over time. A pure white statue with three fish heads and countless tentacles rose from the ground, its lifeless eyes coldly looking down upon the world.

This had exceeded the limits of the Sea God's Scepter itself; it was more like the Sea God himself had arrived. Siqi realized that the Sea God, or rather Lu Li, was in Jiangcheng. Which side did He belong to? Was He helping him, or was He joining forces with Lin Jue to weave a trap?
Sirens blared, red and blue lights flashed uneasily, and several military trucks drifted to the end of the road, splashing up a torrent of water. Heavily armed soldiers and investigators jumped out of the vehicles, their bullets misfiring in the downpour, and they surrounded Schi with their bare hands.

Just a step away, a two-story-high wave crashed down, shattering the newly formed encirclement. The Rose Monster, carrying Siqi, raced towards the Jinjiang residential area. The iron gate, entwined with vines, was on the edge of their vision, and rotting corpses hung down like welcoming lanterns. "Whoosh—"

A long, mournful cry echoed from a higher dimension, affecting the realm of inspiration and the soul, piercing through time and space, seemingly endless. It was like the last whistle of a shipwrecked vessel, or the cries of countless infants drowning in amniotic fluid; a wave of sorrow swept over everyone who heard it, bringing tears to their eyes.

The funeral mass had already begun, and Sci had a vague idea of ​​what had happened, but no time to sort out the logic or reach a definite conclusion. His control over the rose monster was becoming increasingly sluggish, and the monster beneath him was staggering, as if it might fall at any moment.

The sky faded, from orange-yellow to the gray-yellow of parchment scrolls, until finally only the gray-white of a black and white photograph remained. White rain shrouded the black city, shadows intertwined in the streets and alleys, and one after another, the eerie creatures fell, while the rose monster beneath them suddenly stood still like a sculpture.

Siqi fell to the ground without a sound. His golden-red blood turned grayish-white the moment it touched the water, and a crack appeared on the surface of the sea god's scepter in his hand, spreading rapidly within seconds. The symbol of the sea god's authority silently turned to dust.

All sounds vanished, including pain and other sensations, as if a grand moment of silence was being held in this black, white, and gray world, encompassing humans, gods, and ghosts alike. The floating giant ship, schools of fish, and skulls dissipated into smoke, and the illusory images of buildings disappeared like a mirage.

Siqi staggered to his feet, supporting himself with his hands. At this point, he finally understood Lin Jue's scheme and Lu Li's fate.

The brief overlap between the Sea of ​​Hopelessness and Jiangcheng was indeed due to the power of the sea god; it was the dying struggle of a deity on the verge of collapse, and also a prelude to the ritual of killing the god.

[Where gods fall, all the strange, mysterious, and bizarre things of the past and future will perish.]

Lin Jue was clearly using this to drag him back into the human realm, using human power to trap him to death in this mysteriously vanished city.

As far as the eye could see, the rose vines, as if engulfed in an invisible fire, retreated rapidly into the shadows, their leaves charred and curled. One after another, the corpses that had been hanging in the air fell to the ground, drifting slowly into the puddles like fallen leaves, their eyelids drooping, their expressions serene.

The Hall of Thought was shrouded in darkness; the giant tree that grew the leaves of souls was nowhere to be seen. Golden chains wrapped around the card face of the [Crimson Priest], blocking out the buffs provided by faith. [Colosseum], [Idol of Joy], [Insomnia Virus]—all the strange entities had lost contact with him, and there was no way to instigate their outbreak.

The rain continued to fall, but it was no longer violent. It silently mourned the passing of a deity, dissolving the dissipated spirituality and divine power into the mist, nourishing this ravaged land.

Siqi felt the itch of his wound healing, and correspondingly, all the strange and divine powers dissolved in the water. He was returning to the realm of an ordinary person, as if he had returned to the time when he first entered the strange game two months ago.

But there is still a chance. If he can find Qi Si's body, make himself whole, and then immediately commit suicide to avoid dying under a weapon like the "Godslayer Sword," he will have a glimmer of hope.

Siqi started running, ran past the iron gate of the community, and rushed towards the entrance of the building.

The investigators, who had been scattered by the waves behind them, got up one after another, regrouped, and quickly caught up. Gray water splashed high, like rain flowing backward.

A woman in camouflage and with a buzz cut emerged from the stairwell like a ghost, raising a long gun at Siqi. Siqi could find information about her in Qi Si's memories: Li Yunyang, the holder of the [Eternal Witchcraft] token.

A bark rang out, and a black dog with messy fur suddenly appeared, biting Li Yunyang's calf. The gun barrel veered, and the bullet grazed Siqi's arm, leaving a gray trail several meters long.

Taking advantage of the moment, Siqi slipped into the elevator and pressed "11". As the elevator ascended, he leaned against the cold iron wall, staring at the corpse lying in the car. The human whose heart had been devoured by roses had indirectly died at his hands. The perpetrator and the victim shared a moment of peace in the enclosed space, an image resembling an absurd drama.

Siqi had no intention of being sentimental. The moment the elevator doors opened, he rushed into the corridor, entered the password, opened the door, and pushed it open.

The accumulated dust was blown up by the cold wind blowing in from the outside, floating in the air. In any case, such a state of hygiene should not exist in the house of a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder; it looked as if no one had lived there for a long time.

A bad premonition rose in his heart, and Siqi went straight to the second bedroom. The bedding on the bed was neatly folded, but there was no sign of the young man in the white shirt he had imagined.

He turned and stepped into the master bedroom, where the two skeleton specimens that should have been on the bed were also nowhere to be found.

Qi Si's body is not here. He moved elsewhere long before the final instance began, presumably to Qi Family Village.

Part of the memories in his mind were lies. It was unclear whether Qi Si had given him false psychological suggestions beforehand and tricked him at this moment, or whether some higher-dimensional being had altered his perception, preventing him, who controlled the statue of the God of Happiness, from knowing the full picture of Qi Family Village.

The truth is that he was driven into Jiangcheng by fabricated information, throwing himself into the inescapable trap set by the Bureau of Investigation with the mentality of a gambler who had to gamble everything. He put himself in this trap while depleting Lin Jue's backup plan, paving the way for someone else's scheme.

"That's it, that's it..."

Looking at the empty house, Siqi suddenly bent over, clutched his stomach, and burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

……

The Bureau of Mysterious Investigations.

Lin Jue dragged his bronze sword, stained with golden liquid, up the elevator, through the narrow corridor, and into his office.

After scanning his iris, the computer turned on automatically, and hundreds of messages scrolled across the screen, including requests from various regions for instructions on the next steps, as well as reports from the action team on the situation.

A message came from the headquarters of Beidu, which was a video recorded from a surveillance perspective.

Chu Yining, her hair now gray, sat amidst a manuscript filled with writing, her expression serious, speaking at an extremely rapid pace:
"I've pondered this for twenty-two years, and I've finally figured out His plan. All of humanity is on His chessboard, and isn't human wisdom itself a part of the divine plan...?"

"Because I died, I came back; Xiao Fengchao also came back after his death; others will do the same... including Qi Si. We can't let Him come back, even though I don't know what that would cause, but I believe that God's unconditional malice is never wrong."

"Please tell Fu Jue: Under no circumstances should Qi Si be killed, never, ever." (End of Chapter)