Apocalypse: System of lotteries



Drifting at sea, Day 20.

Aboard the three vessels, a motley crew of zombies and mutated beings held their own counsel. Black Hair Pig Demon, bristling with dark fur, recounted tales of his heroic exploits to a giant mantis, "I've never told anyone that I owe the bank millions. Today, you are lucky, mantis." The mantis, seemingly lost, couldn't fathom the language of the boar.

Euryale sat isolated at the bow of a guard ship, her gaze fixed on the horizon, her face impassive.

The Red Knight pointed at a zombie on his right and spoke to the one on his left, "He's looking down on you. Aren't you going to do something about it?" Seeing no response, he turned his attention to the right and said, "He doesn't dare strike you. Why don't you hit him?" 

As he turned around, he met the stern gaze of his Boss. The Red Knight straightened up immediately and assured, "Boss, rest assured. Their loyalty has been tested by me, time and again. Your legion stands united."

"For every hair missing from any of my zombies, you'll lose a tooth."

Ming glanced at him and then turned away to inspect his dried fish.

Watching Ming retreat back, the Red Knight hastily wrapped the zombies' heads with cloth, cautioning them, "With this strong sea breeze, we can't have your hairstyles messed up or even lose a single strand. Understood?"

"..."

Ming overheard the Red Knight but chose to remain silent. Ever since the mixed-blood transfusion, these creatures had been active outside, evolving. 

He then regarded the three ships draped with drying fish. There was always a need for more. Catching fish was one thing, but cultivating them at sea, especially during navigation, was a challenge he had yet to solve. He pondered deeply, searching for answers.

[Your Napoleon looks at you, Ming, clearly bored. "When can we dock? All I see is tantalizing earth. Don't even think about fooling me with your muddy concoctions; I still reek from the last one!"]

[Your Napoleon, realizing you're daydreaming, decides to find something to do. "Merlin, come, increase my poison resistance. A day without poison makes me restless~"]

"~~"

Ming lay stiffly on the deck. You're bored, and I'm supposed to entertain you?

Ah~

Ding~ Ding Ding~~

Instantly, he dove down, landing beside the great white shark, issuing it an instruction, and then affectionately patting its head.

[The Great White looked up at you, questioning, "You wish to use me? Did you ask Napoleon first?"]

[Feeling the warmth of your touch, the Great White's attention shifts. Its eyes meeting yours, it seemed to ask, "Master, what would you have me do?"]

[…]

Ming gave the shark another pat, delivered another command, and then ascended back to the deck with a powerful leap and a flap of his wings.

Moments later, the Great White burst from the water, soaring into the air. Already in waiting, Raoul swooped down, his six arms wrapping around the shark, hoisting it onto the deck.

Kneeling beside the shark and petting Napoleon's head, Ming commanded the shark, "Spit!"

Splash~

[Napoleon, observing the Great White regurgitate a swarm of sea fish, was elated. "It's been ages since I've seen so many friends. Today promises to be quite entertaining~"]

[Napoleon communicated with the flopping fish on the deck, "Wish to return to the sea? Become my loyal subjects~" The fish seemed to agree, "Alright~"]

[Your Foodie hopped over, glancing at the fish and silently stroking Napoleon's head, "To be honest, after eating fish for over 20 days, just looking at them makes me queasy now~"]

[The fish:... ]

"~~"

Ming gathered the fish from the ground, releasing them back into the ocean. The fish trailed behind the shark squadron, following the fleet closely. Ming then nudged the Great White off the deck with his foot, signaling it to continue its fish-catching task.

There was no limit to the number of puppets Napoleon could control, so Ming planned to harness this newfound capability, farming fish — the entire sea's worth. The Great White would catch, Napoleon would nurture, and the fish... well, their role was to live, reproduce, and eventually become food. It was a perfectly rational cycle in the food chain.

However, there was a flaw: the Great White's efficiency was far from optimal. Its mouth was simply not large enough, and some of the fish it had captured were already torn apart by its teeth, reducing them to mere fish that needed drying.

Mackerel sharks were even worse, possessing smaller mouths and barely managing to catch any fish alive. A solution was needed... a larger 'net' for fishing.

Suddenly, the distant seawater surged upwards, followed by a misty water spray.

[Your froglets crouched side by side at your feet, gazing at the rainbow formed by the splash. "It's so beautiful~"]

[Your da Vinci informed its younger siblings, "That's a whale. It's a mammal and breathes using its lungs. That's why it comes to the surface to breathe. The mist is the phenomenon created during this process." Foodie, curious as always, asked, "How do baby whales drink milk underwater?"]

[Da Vinci rolled its eyes, "I'm talking about respiration, and you're thinking of drinking milk?" Foodie's expression turned solemn, "I'm just worried about whether the baby whale is getting fed properly~ "]

"~~"

Ming sighed, recognizing Foodie's true food-lover nature.

Ah~

The mouth of a whale would be an excellent fishing net.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

At that moment, several columns of water shot up around the whale. Each column contained a thick, deep red tentacle. In an instant, the tentacles wrapped around the whale, dragging it underwater. The turbulent sea once again regained its calm.

[The froglets stared at the water's surface, exchanging glances with one another. They had hoped to befriend the whale, but now, the sight of the rainbow was lost.]

[Foodie turned to da Vinci, "Isn't this the time for you to show some compassion?"]

[Da Vinci gave Foodie a light smack, activating its 'teaching mode.' "This is the law of nature, the normal operation of the food chain. As representatives of justice, how can we break these rules, right~?"]

"~~"

Ming turned to face the Black Hair Pig Demon, who had a peculiar talent: [Ascend and Dive: Can fly without fatigue for an hour and remain underwater without choking.]

"Given your vast experiences, you must be aware that most pigs can't swim, and I happen to be among that majority," the Pig Demon remarked.

Ming cast a fleeting glance, "Are you trying to be clever with me?"

The Black-haired Pig Demon took a hesitant step forward, "I dare not defy you. Whatever you say goes. But think about it, wouldn't you be upset if I drowned?"

"The world would be one swindler short. What's the harm in that?"

"Very well, to keep the world colorful and diverse, I'll dive into the sea today."

Wielding his rake, the Black-haired Pig Demon leaped into the ocean, and soon after, a shout could be heard, "By the heavens! The seawater is indeed bitterly salty!"

[Your Foodie, witnessing the pig's plunge, looked towards Da Vinci, "See, the pig seems to have inherited your compassionate nature."]

[Your Da Vinci responded with a glare, "That's not compassion; it's cowardice!"]

With a step forward, Ming dove into the water.

[Your Foodie teased Da Vinci, "Look, even Ming has more courage than..."]

[Before Foodie could finish, Da Vinci exerted his collect ability, succeeding in silencing Foodie. He then informed Napoleon and Merlin that Foodie was tired and needed rest.]