Apocalypse: System of lotteries



At the 109th sector, Alan stood atop the golden-eyed crab, overseeing tens of thousands shouldering their burdens, heading towards the fog.

Upon that scene, Mike, astride a black scorpion, returned, wiping sweat from his brow, "The earthworms are all harvested, and the seeds are packed. David is marking for the boss to show our direction into the fog."

Then, Christina appeared before them. She glanced at Alan, "Care for some company?"

With a gentle tap of his foot on the crab's head, Alan signaled. The giant creature lowered itself, extending its left claw to lift the lady onto its back.

Mike cast them a brief look, turned, and walked away smiling, thinking, "Alan's finally seen sense, even more so than the boss."

Atop the Ming family's mountain, 

DiGennaro directed the giant spiders to wrap the beehives for transportation down the hill. After which, she descended, holding a bear cub's hand, trailed by a group of small animals.

Once David made his mark, he looked south. Only when the gentle breeze turned fierce did he turn and descend the hill.

Hawkins stood on the edge of the mist, casting a final glance at the 109 Central City, his proudest architectural achievement, then entered the haze.

From that moment, the world began its ascent into the mist, seeking higher ground.

...

Standing on the mountainside, watching the gradually rising waters, Ming contemplated for a while before deciding.

Three days later, a peculiar sight unfolded. With tentacles on either side, the sky leech firmly held three masts crafted from coconut trees. On the masts, there were sails stitched by the mermaid Lorelei. Hovering resembled a creature with wings, atop a small hut made of coconut tree trunks.

On the water's surface, a group of sharks, led by the Great White, effortlessly pulled a much larger raft made from coconut trees.

Ming's idea was clear: the power of flight was essential. The sky leech could fly, but it would inevitably need to rest.

Thus, the coconut raft pulled by the sharks served as the leech's resting 'bed.' An efficient use without waste, this was the aerial and aquatic 'aircraft carrier' of the sky leech.

The small hut atop it was a multifunctional cabin, serving as a cockpit, rest area, kitchen, and entertainment space. As for the zombie legions, teaching them to swim was the immediate plan, but surely, this was not a permanent solution.

Three nights prior, Ming began drawing blood from the sharks, injecting it into the high-ranking zombies, including the one-eyed giants.

The lower-ranking ones could only use blood from mackerel and other mutated sea fish. The process was exhausting for Ming, but it was worth it. He just needed to wait for the zombies to mutate, evolving abilities for long-duration sea travel.

Those who failed to evolve would merely become experience, coins, and materials. It was the law of survival of the fittest – cruel, yet inevitable.

Another three days passed. Ming stood at the mountaintop. Due to the rising waters, the mountain's midsection was submerged. The mountaintop had a vast depression, about 20 meters deep.

The good news was that some zombies developed smoother skin and faint translucent scales. These changes attested to the effectiveness of the virus doctor's injections and skills. Crucially, gills appeared on the necks of some zombies. It was a promising start.

[Your frogs seem bored, nestled motionless in your pocket. Foodie squeezed past Napoleon. Napoleon glared, "Do you sleep better next to me?" Foodie retorted, "Haven't you noticed Merlin by my side?"]

[Your Merlin wriggled and rolled between the three siblings. Toxin enhancement complete.]

"Boss, when do we depart?" 

The mermaid Lorelei looked at the man beside her, longing to return to land.

Ming replied, "We'll wait a bit longer."

Lorelei sighed and dove into the sea. The boss wanted lobster today, so she went to catch some.

[Broadcast across all channels: End of Chapter Four.]

[Some survivors will receive the title of 'Believer.']

[As for those who haven't received it, this rule won't be explained here. Discover its meaning on your own.]

[Friendly reminder: Chapter Five officially begins, titled: "Survival."]

"Survival?"

Ming looked perturbed. Aren't you all following the plan?

[Contents of Chapter Five:]

[1. Teleportation function canceled.]

[2. Special area divisions within the mist were removed.]

[3. World chat channel functionality canceled.]

[4. Apocalypse store functionality canceled.]

[5. Warehouse function canceled.]

"Damn..."

Ming couldn't believe it. How perverted can this game get?

Without the warehouse, how would he store items in the future?

Then it struck him; he had numerous puppets and space to utilize. It should be fine. But what about the items currently in the warehouse?

[Friendly reminder: The brain domain warehouse function will be discontinued soon. Please secure all valuable personal items.]

"Damn it!"

Ming leaped from the mountain's depression, and in an instant, countless resources orbited him, landing inside the depression. He was fortunate to have jumped swiftly; otherwise, they might have plummeted into the sea. Food, drink, materials, and other items are scattered everywhere, including Enyo.

Ming tossed out a tent, covering her. Moments later, he emerged from the tent's entrance. Enyo cautiously trailed behind him. From their brief interaction inside the tent, Ming discerned that Enyo was not human but a zombie with impeccable skin.

Having established a connection, he understood her talents and skills. He didn't probe deeper but began tidying up the mess. The saying goes, "Travel light." He retained the essentials, attaching them to puppets or placing them in the puppet space. Everything else deemed unimportant was discarded.

For example, a nurse's uniform... and even yoga pants?

Ming was surprised to find he still kept such things. It would be a waste to throw them away. When the mermaid Lorelei returns, he can give them to her. After all, these yoga pants had special attributes and were quite stretchy.

[Broadcast over all channels: Chapter Five has no time limit.]

[Friendly reminder: The vast ocean is approaching. Run~]

[Friendly reminder: Hopefully, some of you will still hear my voice one day.]

[Friendly reminder: If you hear it, that will be the best reward for survivors.]

"~~"

While Ming was tidying up, he pondered, especially the last line of the rules. It was intriguing. 

Most importantly, food would rot and spoil since supplies can't be stored in the warehouse.

Of course, those with ice-element abilities could address this problem. However, maintaining the freezing state requires continuously consuming spirit energy stones. How long could they last?

[Broadcast over all channels: The Dark Horse Knight descends~]

[…]

"The Dark Horse Knight, Famine!"

Ming laughed. So the Black Horseman of the Apocalypse appears now. No wonder he hadn't seen this in the original plan.

A short while later, Ming spread his wings and flew out of the volcanic crater after everything was packed. Standing on the mountain's edge, he noticed the water level had risen again, and the sea surface remained eerily calm, devoid of raging waves.

"Boss!"

At that moment, Mermaid Lorelei surfaced, looking distraught, tears in her eyes, "Boss, everything in my warehouse is gone~."

"It's alright. As long as you're back safely."

When the warehouse functionality was removed, she was still underwater. The only things she had stored were now gone. He said, "As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new. Let's move on~."