Apocalypse Forecast

The fully revised English translation:

What the hell, did he hook up with a rich woman that fast?

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Huai Shi would never have believed it.

This was clearly the teammate who hadn't joined them in the hallway earlier.

Watching their infatuated, lovey-dovey behavior as if no one else were present, Huai Shi and the others were blinded by his moves.

That's not right. Are you the Cowherd or am I? Wait, that's not me either...

"Looks like he's mostly Yin Yan's Character Card," Ai Qing's voice was indifferent. "If there's anything worthwhile about my dear cousin, it's reading people, right? Especially when it comes to winning over such an old geezer, he's a genius..."

"Let's order first." Old Xiao sighed, withdrawing his gaze. Presumably, the sight of his colleague debuting as a Cowherd so quickly was also complicated for the Inspector.

Not long after, Ni Heng, proud and smug after parting with his 'girlfriend,' returned. He seemed eager to show off his communication skills, but after seeing the complex expressions on his teammates' faces, he pursed his lips and said nothing.

It was commendable that, although the year was 1620, the menu's offerings were surprisingly in line with the modern era. Even with Huai Shi's haphazard ordering, the dishes turned out quite satisfactory.

At that moment, KP's voice suddenly sounded, "Now that almost everyone has arrived, you can carry out an Investigation."

Then, Huai Shi heard the constant sound of dice, as if KP was making checks for everyone's Investigation skills.

Soon, he heard KP's astonished voice. "An 86? Shocking! Your Investigation is 85, and you still didn't pass? How unlucky can you be?"

Ai Qing remained silent.

Huai Shi's vision blurred. He then realized the restaurant was bustling and too damn chaotic; he hadn't seen anything.

Mourning internally. With a hundred-sided die, I would have succeeded if I had rolled 85 or less, but it was just slightly off... What kind of shitty luck is this?

Luckily, Old Xiao and the others weren't so secretive as to conceal even this information. With their hints, Huai Shi quickly noticed several people who stood out among the many travelers.

Well, they stood out to others but seemed common enough to me.

In the center of the restaurant, at a table laden with various dishes, sat only a bronze-skinned teenage boy. Pale golden patterns adorned his face, making him look as if he came from Egypt. Although he sat at the table, he hadn't touched his food with a knife or fork, instead placing his fat cat on the table and letting it feast. Throughout the entire restaurant, it seemed only that boy's smile was genuine, relaxed, and happy.

Next was the arguing... no, it was more like an elderly brother being unilaterally scolded by his sister. They appeared to be of good breeding, both maintaining an elegant and dignified composure while dining. The brother, so old his teeth were mostly gone, could hardly eat anymore, only taking small sips of porridge and thick soup. His sister, however, had no aversion to greasy food and possessed an astonishing appetite.

The remaining table hosted a couple that seemed united on the surface but distant in reality. The wife wore heavy makeup, an air of worldliness clinging to her that it couldn't conceal. Her husband, however, was as ugly as a bloated goldfish, his complexion unnaturally pale.

Finally, there was Clement, sitting silently in a corner, staring blankly at the Sea waves outside, not speaking or eating.

After pondering for a moment, Old Xiao said, "I suspect these individuals are important to the plot. I wonder what you all think about the secret KP mentioned?"

"Don't talk," Ai Qing's voice suddenly whispered in Huai Shi's ear. "Observe the others' expressions."

The sound of dice rolling followed; Ai Qing had used her Investigation skill.

In an instant, Huai Shi took in everyone's changing expressions: Old Xiao looked calm, as if he already had a plan; Lei Feizhou's expression turned wary; Yue Jun looked curious; only Ni Heng, playing Yin Yan's Character Card, showed a hint of reluctance and displeasure...

Undoubtedly, Old Xiao was also scrutinizing everyone's faces. Huai Shi, however, put on the expression of a clay puppet, his face calm and utterly unreactive. He looked unfathomably profound.

"Tsk, Inspector Old Xiao beat me to it." Ai Qing glanced at the calm-looking Inspector, suspecting he was the first person KP had mentioned who noticed the Cognitive Obstruction. She had intended to bring up the issue first to seize the initiative but was a step too slow and got preempted.

"What's the use of that?" Huai Shi asked.

"It allows for basic judgments," Ai Qing explained. "Setting Old Xiao aside, Lei Feizhou is quite sensitive to this question, which suggests his secret is rather crucial. The secret of Yue Jun's Inspector character seems relatively unimportant. Yin Yan's reaction, though, is quite interesting... You just stay quiet and watch what Old Xiao says next."

"I have no intention of prying into anyone's secrets. On the contrary, I think it's right to hold some things back until we can be sure we trust each other," Old Xiao continued. "However, this module requires us to work together to pass. Before that, I think we could reveal some relatively unimportant information to build further trust. What do you think?"

Yin Yan frowned. "What do you want to ask?"

"Stigma," Old Xiao said leisurely. "Everyone's Stigma shouldn't reveal any major secrets, right? Besides, if we're to team up, this is basic information, isn't it? If you want to keep things secret, just don't mention your inherent Skills or Talents."

A moment of silence.

"Should we tell them?" Huai Shi asked Ai Qing.

Ai Qing's tone was calm. "Never be the first to try something risky. Let others go first. You just need to watch Old Xiao—getting something for nothing isn't that simple."

In the silence, Old Xiao remained calm. Seeing that no one else spoke, he had to take the lead. "Mine is a Third Stage Stigma, 'Stitching Man,' from a declining Genealogy."

The Stitching Man, commonly known as 'Frankenstein,' was a new type of Stigma that emerged from combining Alchemy with the tombstone Genealogy. It has only existed for about five hundred years and is considered a rather niche type. However, it primarily enhances the body's Basic Attributes—in short, high defense and robust vitality. Old Xiao didn't reveal anything else.

While speaking, Old Xiao rolled up his sleeve, exposing stitched scars on his arm, along with two patches of skin of completely different colors, proving his words were true.

Old Xiao had laid his cards on the table first.

Immediately after, Yue Jun, who had been rather inconspicuous until now, was the first to respond, revealing his Stigma, "Third Stage·Headless Knight."

This was a fairly famous Stigma, requiring no further explanation. As he spoke, Yue Jun pulled down his collar to reveal a ring-shaped scar on his neck, as if from a beheading.

Next was Lei Feizhou. He instantly extended five slender, sharp, blade-like claws, then quickly retracted them. "Third Stage·Werewolf."

Now, only Yin Yan and Huai Shi remained.

Noticing Huai Shi's gaze, Yin Yan immediately became irritated. "What are you looking at me for? You go first!"

"You're already talking, so why don't you go first?" Huai Shi retorted. "Are you afraid I'll listen and then not share?"

Yin Yan was momentarily speechless. After stammering for a bit, he grudgingly said, "Second Stage·Red Hat."

As he spoke, his figure blurred, becoming translucent in an instant.

The Red Hat was the prototype for legendary creatures like Goblins. They excelled at ambushes, theft, and hiding. When invisible, even most equipment and Third Stage Sublimators would have difficulty seeing through it, making it a Stigma with considerable survival capabilities.

But everyone else was Third Stage, and he was the only one at Second Stage, which made him feel quite embarrassed. After speaking, he glared at Huai Shi. "What about you? Don't just listen and then run off."

His annoyed expression held a hint of expectation, as if hoping Huai Shi was First Stage, even lower than himself.

Huai Shi smiled faintly, about to speak, when he heard Ai Qing's voice in his mind, "Don't tell the truth. Tell them you're a Third Stage 'Evil Soul' from the Nordic Genealogy."

Though confused, Huai Shi didn't disobey. He followed Ai Qing's instructions and reached for Yin Yan's wrist.

The cold touch of his five fingers seemed to startle Yin Yan, who quickly broke free and watched Huai Shi cautiously. "What are you trying to do?"

"Prove it. How else can I prove it without extracting a bit of your Source Substance?" Huai Shi retorted. "Or should I manifest fully in front of everyone?"

In legends, Evil Souls—the Souls of Demons that cling to humans after death—look quite similar to Vampires. They have a deathly pallor, no body warmth, cold skin, an eerie aura, and blood-red eyes. Even their combat style is known for being swift and uncanny. The only difference is that one sucks blood while the other performs Extraction on Souls; their diets just aren't quite the same.

As long as Huai Shi didn't suck blood in public, he should be able to maintain the ruse for a considerable time.

And indeed, no one at the table dared to be reckless enough to allow an Evil Soul to extract their Source Substance. What if Huai Shi was a 'Second Fifth' who got carried away and drained them dry? Who could they complain to then?

"Alright, alright, let's not argue." Seeing the two were about to fight, Old Xiao mediated. After they finally quieted down, he drew his conclusion. "It seems everyone's Stigma is related to Dark Creatures, then?"

Judging by their characteristics and appearances, this one classification seemed impossible to conceal. All of them belonged to the traditionally 'evil' factions of legend...

"Why lie?" Huai Shi quietly asked Ai Qing. "Isn't there a high chance of being exposed?"

"Are you an idiot? Didn't you hear what Old Xiao just said? Everyone is a Dark Creature, a Dark Creature... Don't forget, you're from the Stigma Genealogy!"

With Ai Qing's reminder, Huai Shi finally realized. Damn it, I'm Van Essen, a Demon Hunter! Wait a second... does that mean I'm the 'Second Fifth' here?

For a moment, he felt a surge of fear. As he looked at the people around him, they increasingly seemed like enforcers and allies recruited by Parasussell.

"Besides, Old Xiao might also be hiding something from you all," Ai Qing hinted. "A line of stitches and two patches of differently colored skin don't prove much. Even the Stitching Man Stigma could be a deceptive disguise. Apart from Yue Jun, whose features are impossible to fake, anyone else could be lying."

The sense of camaraderie that had just begun to well up in Huai Shi's heart instantly cooled by more than half. This is the most sickening part about secrets. Once suspicion begins, everything becomes questionable.

As he looked away, his mind filled with thoughts, he suddenly heard the sound of dice. It seemed KP had made some kind of roll for a check. Then, Huai Shi suddenly spotted the figure in the corner of the dining room: the silver-haired teenage girl he had briefly encountered while boarding.

And the handkerchief she carried.

He vaguely remembered the letters on it...

—H