Doomsday Wonderland

It was such an odd feeling.

Lin Sanjiu was very clear of what she was doing right now, and she was still in full possession of her faculties. Her thoughts and actions were normal, and she even had Silvan lead her to a checkpoint to check-in before heading to the Theater of Athens. However, no matter how clear her mind was, she could not respond to Mrs. Manas’s calls. She didn’t even know what she should say to her.

She felt like the three of them had received a common secret mission. Nevertheless, nobody could understand what they were doing and they could not explain it either.

It may not have been normal, but Silvan and Yu Yuan were in the same state as well. Even though they did not speak, through their occasional eye contact, Lin Sanjiu was very certain that like her, they had to carry out this secret mission no matter what.

“You will understand when you see the Theater of Athens.” Silvan smiled at them after he stashed the communication device away. “It is the most ideal place for us. Why don’t you go ahead of me and wait for me there? I have to return to the Munitions Factory first and join my subordinates. I will meet up with you two at the theater later.”

“How many people will be going to the theater?” Yu Yuan asked, stopping beside a public transport information board. “Although I came to Heaven Underworld before, I have never been to the Theater of Athens.”

“Don’t worry,” answered Silvan. He patted the public transport information board, and a handful of coins rolled down the groove. “They are going big this time, and all the people invited are important personages in the Twelve Worlds.”

Even though the old human society had collapsed in the wake of the end of the world, some of the practices just wouldn’t change. It seemed like the more capable you were or the higher the status you held, the more people would go around you.

A smile crawled upon Lin Sanjiu’s face. She did not know why, but she was happy when she heard a lot of people would be going there.

The information board lit up and a burst of white light erupted on the top. The light slithered downward like a snake and soon vanished into the ground. The trio waited for a while, and then the ground began to shake. Accompanied by a rumbling noise, the ground began to split apart and a tunnel appeared.

“After you come out of the black racer, you will find yourself at a corner behind the Theater of Athens. Remember, don’t try to get into the theater alone before you see me, lest anything bad happens,” Silvan instructed.

After answering him with a “yes”, Lin Sanjiu and Yu Yuan jumped into the tunnel and found themselves inside a rectangular space. It seemed like a subway station platform that was built as an afterthought. There was only a thin layer of cement underneath their feet, and the walls were still covered in soil.

Since both of them were tall, they had to lower their heads so that they wouldn’t bump into the lamps that were dangling on the ceiling. They walked to the edge of the platform and stopped in front of a deep black tunnel. They did not wait too long and a burst of squeals came from the other end of the tunnel and the lamps began to sway. As their surroundings were thrown into a limbo of light and dark, a long snake composed of a number of wooden cars slowly crawled out of the dark.

The wooden snake puffed out a cloud of steam and stopped in front of them.

It looked like some kind of handicrafts and they couldn’t believe that they could actually ride it to their destination. With a little curiosity and hesitation, Lin Sanjiu hopped into the belly of the snake. As soon as the door closed, absolute darkness engulfed them. When a small lamp lit up above them, the snake suddenly accelerated.

Even though it might not look like it, the wooden snake’s speed was fast. Both of them sat quietly on the floor as they waited with bated breaths for the moment they arrived at their destination.

“How many more chances do you have left?” Lin Sanjiu suddenly asked.

“Two more. I spread it to one person when we were at Bliss,” Yu Yuan sighed as he leaned against the wall of the wooden snake. “I’m different from your friend. I don’t think there is anyone who could say no to him.”

“I have used up all my chances.” Lin Sanjiu fell into her thoughts for a moment and consoled Yu Yuan even though she didn’t know why she wanted to. “I will see how I can help you. Besides, you look decent.”

Yu Yuan caressed the wolf head on his cheek. He smiled lightly but did not say anything.

As they were talking, Mrs. Manas’s distant voice once again appeared in her brain, prompting Lin Sanjiu to wonder what the secret mission was again. However, no matter how hard she tried to think, she could not remember anything.

The wooden snake was fast. When they stepped out of the platform and into the night, both of them couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

The terrain that surrounded the Theater of Athens was breathtaking.

It sat beautifully underneath the bluish night sky. It was cold but the mountains were amazing, their graceful undulating shadows stretching far into the distance. There was a lake at the heart of the mountain range, and in the center of the lake was a pure white building that reminded Lin Sanjiu of ancient Greek architecture, splendidly illuminated. Touched by the blowing wind, ripples formed and began spreading in an ever-widening circle. As the wavelets spread out, they shattered the reflection of the theater and caused the entire lake to seem like a pool of diamonds in the people’s eyes.

Standing by the lake, both of them sucked deep cold air into their lungs.

Just as Silvan had said, the exit of “black racer” was at the base of a cliff not far away from the Theater of Athens. Groups of posthumans were walking towards the theater, looking like a string of black dots in Lin Sanjiu’s eyes. Everyone stepped onto the bridge one by one and vanished into the ball of dazzling light.

“I didn’t expect the theater to be on a lake,” Yu Yuan said. “Look, there is only one bridge that links to the theater.”

“Yeah.” Lin Sanjiu scanned her surroundings and said, “Once the bridge is broken, nobody can get out of there.” When she said that, she turned around and looked at Yu Yuan, “Hey, do you think we should…”

‘Should what?’

Before she could finish her sentence, she fell into a trance.

However, Yu Yuan apparently understood what she wanted to say. He lowered his head and frowned as he fell into his thoughts.

“No… Destroying the bridge wouldn’t do anything.” He shook his head. “Didn’t Silvan say that everyone who was invited tonight is those big wigs in the Twelve Worlds? I don’t think a lake can hold them for long.”

“That is true.”

Lin Sanjiu sighed. She leaned against the cliff and said, “I guess we’ll have to wait for him then.”

Fortunately, Silvan did not make them wait for too long. Soon enough, they heard the dull roars of several choppers from the sky. Several choppers spread and landed around the lake, giving rise to a strong gust in the canyon. According to Silvan, those hopping down from the choppers were the last group of the security department’s members in the Munitions Factory. The figures wearing the Munitions Factory’s uniforms quickly dispersed and stood guard at several entrances to the canyon. Both of them craned their necks and watched for a moment, and then they soon saw a tall familiar figure.

Silvan strode towards them as his subordinates looked on, his golden hair fluttering in the night breeze. He seemed to be particularly suited to the night. His deep blue uniform seemed to have merged with the night sky, and his emerald eyes were especially shiny in the night.

“So? Did you spread it?” Lin Sanjiu hastily asked.

“No,” Silvan replied with a toothy grin. “There is no use in me spreading it in the Munitions Factory, so I decided to save all my chances for the Theater of Athens.”

Sighing dejectedly, Lin Sanjiu followed after him along with Yu Yuan towards the Theater of Athens. “I can’t believe that I wasted my chance just like that. How come Jezebel was not affected by it?”

Nobody could answer that question. The three of them walked past the security department’s members and stepped onto the bridge. The water was rippling. The wind was comfortable. The stars peppered the sky above the mountain in the distance, but their brilliance was nothing compared to the resplendent white building in front of them.

As a very densely populated area, there was without a doubt a sterilization room behind the door of the theater.

As the posthumans in front of them filed into the sterilization room, Silvan gestured at a guard and led them onto the second floor. The theater seemed to be the product of the modern age, and even though the Twelve Worlds had done some renovations, it still retained much of its original appearance. There was a row of boxes in the second floor. The three of them walked into one of the boxes and looked at the people below as they slowly filled the theater.

“Do you see the woman over there?”

Silvan settled his palm on the baluster and nudged his chin. Yu Yuan followed his gaze and looked ahead. Then he said, “The woman wearing a picture hat?”

“Yes. She has a very special ability. She can exchange information with people by kissing. Go and approach her. Tell her that I am your friend. There is a good chance you can spread it to her.”

Yu Yuan’s eyes lit up. After he thanked Silvan, he turned around and left. However, before he exited the box, he stopped and asked, “Are you not going down?”

Smiling, Silvan leaned on the baluster.

Beams of light shot out of the theater behind him, casting a halo of light around his body. He gazed at Lin Sanjiu and smiled. “Don’t worry. I can get it done here.”