Apocalypse: System of lotteries



The Black-haired Pig Demon, eyes fixed on Serena, roared at Ming, "You better not let me out! Or you'll meet a dire end!"

"Thank you for the reminder," Ming replied.

Emerging from the tent, Ming brought in a group of stunning dancers, lining them up before the Black-haired Pig Demon. He instructed Serena to lead the dance, one that would leave one restless through the night, a dance that would cause the heart to flutter with longing.

As the command was given, the Black-haired Pig Demon stared intently, exclaiming, "You... you've played me thoroughly, you damned rascal!"

Ming glanced at Lopene and called over Aiyana, who, despite her dance-like movements, possessed the skill to collect money.

"Time to collect the debts!" The debt-collection team would leave you penniless in a single go, with considerate services, and even a dance to enjoy. Truly an impeccable treatment for their clients.

Moments later, the Black-haired Pig Demon, now beaten and bruised, knelt on the ground, its defenses shattered, murmuring, "I am the damned rascal."

Smack!

Ming slapped the demon on its head, reprimanding, "Don't belittle yourself."

The Black-haired Pig Demon, seeing the sharp blade now pressed against its neck, whispered softly, "I truly respect and admire you."

"Mm," Ming nodded, standing up and taking out a syringe. He drew blood from the Pig Demon and began administering injections to Napoleon's top generals.

Of course, Raoul, Frank, and the others didn't miss this opportunity.

Looking at the now-pale Black-haired Pig Demon, he suggested it consume more red dates in the future. Having finished his business, Ming exchanged glances with Napoleon.

[Your Napoleon has activated his ability on the Black-haired Pig Demon. Collection successful.]

[Your Napoleon ends his journey. Backpack items are automatically transferred to the warehouse.]

[Your Napoleon looks at you. "Ming, lend me this pig for a few days. I want to use it to unify the mists."]

"Patience. Once I've tamed it, I'll hand it over," Ming said, patting Napoleon's head. Truth be told, the Black-haired Pig Demon's behavior was too 'ordinary', and he didn't dare let Napoleon take sole control of it. If he wanted control, it would only be after Ming had 'tamed' it himself.

"Let's go home."

Ming gestured and climbed into the Kubo car, cradling Napoleon in his arms. Surrounding the car was an immense army of zombies, exotic beasts, and boar men. Wherever they went, sand dunes became flatlands.

Mist of the 109th.

[Your Napoleon gazes at the sketch you drew. He understands. He instructs the massive army behind him to rest in place, forbidding them from stepping out of the mist. Those who defy this order will be executed.]

[Your Napoleon leaps out of the mist, urging you to hurry up. He's already impatient to see Merlin and give the poisonous mushroom to her.]

"~"

Ming smiled. Sure enough, Napoleon, the frog, was still his same old self. Yet, for a brief moment just now, Ming felt Napoleon truly embodied the aura of a great general. He glanced back at the tens of thousands of zombies, then turned and stepped out of the mist.

Back home, Ming was called away by David to head towards the trading city.

[Your Napoleon bounces over to Merlin. "Do you like the poisonous mushroom? If you do, I'll bring you more next time. Now, help me enhance my poison resistance~"]

[Your Merlin pats Napoleon's head, the latter feels pain yet rejoices in it.]

[Your Da Vinci and Foodie squat nearby, extending their claws to poke at Napoleon, surprised that he didn't die. "What a pity~"]

"~~"

As Ming reached the trading city and entered the rear courtyard, he walked into a reception hall where a stranger sat, tearing voraciously into a leg of lamb.

Ming turned his gaze to David, who reassured him, "Don't worry, not that lamb who was in Digennaro's temple. It's very safe."

"That's..."

As the stranger saw Ming, he immediately stood up, swallowing the piece of meat in his mouth. His face turned beet red from the effort. Pounding his chest to ease the descent of the obstructing food, he nervously and awkwardly said, "Are you, Gutman? I've admired you for so long. Today, I finally get to meet you in person. I'm so excited! Hello~ Hello~" He quickly extended his hand for a handshake.

"Hello~ Hello~"

Ming also extended his gloved hand for the shake.

David, standing off to the side, spoke up, "This is the man I mentioned before. After a brief chat earlier, I found out he knows Janice."

"Good. Let's talk more."

Ming's heart skipped a beat. He sat down beside the stranger, observing Lusen, and noticed fresh wounds on his face. Ming offered, "Continue eating. I have coffee, cola, and iced tea here, drink whatever you like."

"Thank you~ Thank you~" Lusen expressed gratefully.

Lusen picked up a bottle of iced tea, twisted open the cap, and took a large gulp. After finishing the drink, he took a deep breath and said, "He and I were under the same store manager. I arrived at the store a month before he did. When he joined, I took him under my wing, like an apprentice. I remember his electric scooter; he bought it with borrowed money. He was thin and frail, barely a presence, and wore glasses."

"Mm."

Ming and David exchanged a glance, sitting quietly on the sofa, intent on not missing any detail.

Lusen continued, "To be honest, he's the smartest person I've ever met. To speed up his deliveries, he marked every neighborhood, shortcut, and detour within the surrounding area on his phone map. He went from completing just over a dozen deliveries a day to handling over thirty. His efforts were truly astonishing."

"Mm."

Hearing this, Ming wasn't surprised. After all, it is not a big deal for someone capable of programming artificial intelligence.

"Moreover," Lusen added, "he was quite skilled with computers and knew how to program. When my computer caught a virus, he was the one who fixed it for me. I've always wondered, with such talents, why he endured the hardships we did. He never wanted to discuss it, so I never pressed the matter further."

"Mm."

At this point, Ming was pondering—it seemed increasingly likely that this was the Janice he was looking for.

"He's a good person," Lusen mused, "but rather reserved. How should I put this—it sometimes felt like he was from a different world. Despite the time we spent together, there was always something that seemed to separate us. It was strange, perhaps a matter of personality. One of his quirks was that he often talked to himself. Sometimes he appeared quite happy; at other times, he seemed profoundly sad."

"Mm."

Ming picked up an apple, polished it against his clothes, and took a bite.

"Once," Lusen recalled, "our store organized a dinner gathering. After a few drinks, it was clear he couldn't hold his liquor, so I took him home. His rented room was filled with various computer components and rows of monitors flashing lines of code. Everything was quite old and worn. I later learned that he gathered these pieces from junkyards and second-hand shops. The most astonishing part was, that evening as I helped him home, a small LCD screen actually greeted me. I later found out that it was a prototype for a small artificial intelligence named 'Little A' he was working on."

"..."

As Ming chewed his apple, he nodded to himself. He had found them: Janice, Little A.

"After some time," Lusen continued, "he resigned. I saw him once after that. We talked about his work; he seemed to be employed by a gaming company called 'A &P' with a rather generous salary. After that, I lost touch with him, and soon after, I moved back to my hometown."

Ming then inquired, "Do you still remember the location of his rented place?"

"I remember."

Lusen responded effortlessly, "Back then, most of the couriers in our area lived in the same street, all rented from the same landlord. That landlord was an absolute swindler, and I'll never forget him."

"Alright."

Ming took out a map and slid it across to Lusen. "Mark it for me, please."

"No problem, no need to be formal. It's right here—either Building 9 or 11, definitely on the third floor."

Lusen picked up a pen and circled a spot on the map. He was curious about why Ming was seeking Janice, but he held his tongue. Sometimes, it's better to know less.

"Thank you."

A moment later, Ming retrieved the map and returned to Building 109. Standing on the rooftop, he gazed down at the red circle on the map. After a pause, he lifted his head and turned to look southward.