Apocalypse: System of lotteries



[Your foodie stares at you - Ming,  No conscience pains?]

"~~" Ming felt awful. The baby fish snacks were indeed gone, but so much dried fish remained!

Top priority!

The instant Hades was bound, Ming flashed forth, staff pounding him to the ground. 

[Your Napoleon manipulates the loincloth lad to rain fierce blows on Daddy dearest, filial piety to the extreme~] 

Hades tumbled about wildly yet couldn't escape. Seeing his son become a zombie shattered his heart. Watching his doted-on son lift weapons to thrash him drove him into utter madness. He cursed at Ming through gritted teeth!

"Vile demon!" 

"I'll shred you to pieces!" 

"Die!"

Hades struggled violently, but the ropes didn't budge one bit - the Red Sash's innate [cannot free self] trait. Too many elaborate knots and external forces needed to loosen. 

The heavenly troops were now charging over. Ming didn't let up, continuing to pummel Hades, feeling it would be remiss not to go harder than 'his son, ' the loincloth lad... Kin sacrifice is engraved into their bones by now. 

Ming's staff smashed down as the soldiers neared, breaking Hades' defense! 

Ming grabbed him up, blade tip at his throat. "Oh heavens, so many of you, I'm scared! Tell them to lay down arms, or I may get startled; my hand shakes. This knife might just stab your neck on accident."

"Hah! You think I fear death?"

Hades' eyes filled with bloodshot fury as he shouted at his troops: "Ignore me, kill these demons!" 

"..."

The Four Demon Kings didn't charge upon hearing this. The boss said to ignore him, so really ignore, huh?

Hades roared, "Can't you understand?" 

The Four Brothers eyed each other, glancing uncertainly between Hades and Ming. "Kill?"

"No joking?"

Hades shouted again, "Kill! When I'm dead, you'll be the bosses!"

The Four Brothers exchanged glances again, delight in their eyes. Right, the boss dead means we're the bosses!

Kill!

Ming whispered in Hades' ear: "Don't you want to avenge your son yourself? Dead, his end may be worse, given he's a zombie already. Doubt the divine realm accepts zombies?" 

"..." These words stabbed Hades' heart like knives. The bloodshot eyes suddenly wavered - this guy's words were vicious!

"~~" Ming didn't press further. Sometimes, less was more. He reasoned that no zombies had appeared the whole way. The heavenly realm likely didn't tolerate their existence, a rule of sorts.

"Lower your weapons first!"

Hades hesitated over ordering his own death for now. 

"..." The Four Demon Kings, ready to become bosses, exchanged glances again at his words. "Boss, one moment you say kill, the next you forbid it. We've tens of thousands here, quite vexed. Why not leave some final words first?"

"..." Hades was speechless. Ungrateful bastards! Turncoats indeed. Wasted so many years raising them, huh?

"~~" Ming paid their talk no mind, glancing at Napoleon instead - support needed now. 

Time for an all-out battle!

[Your Napoleon thrills with excitement; croaking and calling out the army has a use! Let's start this grand battle, behold a conqueror - Napoleon!] 

[Your Napoleon stretches a claw towards the distance, da Vinci see~]

[Your da Vinci follows his point. In the far distance, the sandy earth churns as countless figures of men and beasts surge forth from the junction of earth and sky~ Napoleon tells da Vinci, no more subtlety for me now~]

[Napoleon croaks out swift orders - All Napoleon's forces, come protect your lord!]

"What's that?" Ming looked ahead as tens of thousands more appeared, clearly different from Hades' side with their uniform blue-white striped prison garb, motley weapons from hammers, wrenches, iron bars, mop handles, chains, and more. Both men and women sporting fierce looks. 

At the center, a middle-aged man waved a hand atop a strange carriage beast. His entire procession halted their steps, standing motionless without further action. 

Impressive! Ming admired how this prison-trained group was unlike any other, stopping crisply in perfect unison. Not bad for jailbirds, orders executed flawlessly. 

He [Eagle-Eyed]:

[Pangu] 

[Summary: The corruption king - none can surpass, expert at nepotism, allowing underlings to form factions and profit, endless greed...]

[Weakness: To defeat him, get through his endless underlings first~]

"~~" Ming stared ahead. The highway now split three ways - himself the smallest group in the south, the Four Demon Kings' side central, and Pangu occupying the north, all less than 100m apart yet not so simple to break through and reach him.

Ming inspected: 

[Calabari]

[Summary: Sells fake medicine - Super Virile Pills,  Nourishing Powder... corn starch and sugar packaged as senior supplements, 9 costs, 19.9 wholesale, 999 retail!]

[Weakness: One - you're strong enough. Two - you're no senior, won't be fooled~]

...

[Weisenting] 

[Summary: Private equity fund managers pooled money for investment and stocks while investors never knew where their money went. Annual losses 3 billion, personal salary 1.2 billion~]

...

[Tupqi]

[Summary: Mentally twisted, 'treats' internet addiction via electroshocks. Whether it cures addiction is unsure, but he enjoys people's breakdowns~]

[Weakness: You'll definitely win single combat~]

...

[Milenko] 

[Summary: Tupqi's wife, birds of a feather~] 

[Weakness: You got this~]

...

[Dru and Russo]

[Summary: Love using telescopes to peep and share others' privacy. Eavesdrop secrets, then spread them around~]

[Weakness: One flash to the blind, one loud bang to burst eardrums, and they're crippled~]

"~~" This Dru and Russo seemed a bit strange, one neck attached to two heads very convenient~ 

[thepleiades1234567]

[Summary: All technically skilled experts~]

[Weakness: You don't like women, so no issues~]

"~~" Who said I don't like women? 

Absurd!

Preposterous! 

[Your da Vinci is moved to pity~]

[Your da Vinci assures you not to worry - those seven women will never threaten you, for they will all become your wives~]

[Your foodie hops on your shoulder; the dried fish smell really isn't great, but with so many here trying to attack Ming, I absolutely won't allow it~]

[Your Napoleon continues calling out; the army is nearing the battlefield~] 

[Your Merlin brewing toxins~]

"Insolent, you've finally shown yourself again! Last life, when you returned from journeying, you killed me; I'll shred you to pieces this life!"

Pangu stood brandishing a greatsword atop the dragon-headed carriage beast, pointing at Ming and shouting through a handheld speaker.

"~~" Ming had to stifle a laugh - as expected, the god-making rules didn't make them actually gods. Still, needing modern tech to shout threats and that degree of brainwashing? 

The higher the god rank, the deeper the indoctrination...or self-indoctrination?

This self-brainwashing state was easy to grasp. A normal person becoming a god surely wouldn't tolerate doubts from others. First, make yourself fully believe you're a god to prevent doubts. Moreover, in mythology, Pangu was the king - holding the highest authority. Even if he knew it was fake, he'd still actualize it, likely even assisting the 'rules of heaven' in brainwashing his underlings.

As the saying goes...habit becomes nature. 

Ming said, "To be honest, I don't like violence. My lone reason for coming is simple - to tell you gods and men can coexist in peace. You enjoy the dust storms in the 'Divine Court'; we ordinary folk will live well outside without disturbing each other. What do you think?"

Ming resolutely met Pangu's gaze as he finished, now one step closer. There is no need for speakers between them now.

This wasn't the time to fight, with Napoleon's army not arriving yet and only Raoul and a few on his side. Confronting tens of thousands like this was asking to lose. It is best to use 'peace' as a stalling tactic first.

Peace and fairness with these sham gods? Ridiculous. They were scum before, how could they improve?

"Hahaha~ Enjoy life? Share peace?" 

A fat-headed man leaning against a luxury Rolls-Royce to Pangu's left sneered coldly. "You mortals deserve to be trampled underfoot by gods, no different from ants and cattle... Only fit to serve gods! Coexist as equals with gods? Impossible~ Pah! Ridiculous!" 

"Heh~"

Ming inspected the speaker:

[God of Wealth]

[Summary: Banking mogul absconded with funds~]

[Weakness: Your money is his money, nothing to say~]

"Not bad~" Ming was delighted. They'd already come this far; money perhaps meaningless now, but free cash, why not..... 

Just then, a dignified middle-aged woman surrounded by seven shockingly shapely young women spoke up at Pangu's right. "Speaking economically, they certainly can't be equal to us gods without contributing labor, then we'd have no time to enjoy life~ And he deserves death~ He ruined my once perfect face; the scar still remains after reincarnation. This demon must be shredded!" 

"~~"

Ming looked her over:

[Atlas] 

[Summary: Mature woman who sold her body and soul, paved her road through mastery of acting and relationships, cultivated countless innocent girls to serve 'customers' of special tastes...]