Apocalypse: System of lotteries



"Your Da Vinci attempts to collect Atlas but fails—too heavy!"

"Your Foodie suggests to Da Vinci, 'Look at all the jewelry she's wearing—on her head, around her arms. Let me lighten her load first.'"

"Your Da Vinci looks at foodie, 'You must assure me your intentions are pure.' Foodie nods, 'I'm an honorable individual.'"

Atlas gazed at the two toads on the ground, one large and one small. The smaller one was massaging, the larger one's head as if giving advice. She found it amusing and shared a smile with Pangu. "Look at these unique little creatures."

"They're just toads," Pangu glanced casually, puzzled. "How did toads even get here?"

Whoosh, whoosh—just then, he found the woman beside him suddenly devoid of clothing. 

Thousands of eyes from the surrounding guards widened in disbelief. They had never seen Atlas in such a state but could not help but admire nature's craftsmanship. Such beautiful things indeed exist.

Pangu stared at Atlas, "You..."

"I..."

The nature-loving Atlas vanished from the spot in an instant.

Pangu stood frozen while the surrounding guards looked everywhere. They knew Atlas had probably turned invisible out of embarrassment, yet they still wanted another look. After all, they hadn't seen enough.

Pangu frowned, wondering when she learned the art of invisibility and from whom?

"Your Da Vinci successfully collected Atlas. Hopping on Foodie's back, it points in the distance, 'See that woman sparking with electricity? Go catch her.'"

"Your foodie races with Da Vinci on its back, puzzled, 'That electric woman does look cool, but with that beak? Not a good match for Ming. Can he even endure kissing her?'"

"Your Da Vinci assures Foodie, 'She's not for Ming; she's for Kubo. I promised him a home.'"

Ming understood. Da Vinci is supposed to play a matchmaker in the toad kingdom, and this worldly experience will train him. His task is monumental—unlike Foodie, who has nearly completed his mission of being the food connoisseur in the toad kingdom, Merlin, who sampled every herb, and Napoleon, who looks the part of a military officer. Only Da Vinci's task remains arduous.

Pangu pondered, pressing the jade button on his belt. He knew his woman had no capacity for invisibility. First, her clothes vanished, and then she did. 

"Could it be?!"

Pangu looked again at where the toads had been but found them gone. Astonished, he muttered, "These aren't toads!"

Just then, as he reached for the hilt of his sword, a tent fell upon him. The next moment, he sank into a mire, his feet being pulled downward by some entangling force. 

Looking up, he saw a massive spider spinning webs at him from its rear end. "Where does that man find all these peculiar creatures?"

In contrast to common spiders that spin their webs, this creature sprays its entire net as if woven in its belly beforehand.

Outside the tent, the guards exchanged puzzled glances.

"What's the story with this tent?" 

"It must be a protective measure put in place by the God-King, allowing Atlas, who has become invisible, to change her clothes within."

"What shall we do while the God-King and Atlas change?"

"Obviously, we stand guard to prevent surprise attacks during this vulnerable moment."

"True. But have you considered that having seen Atlas in such a state, we may incur the wrath of the God-King?"

All eyes met, pondering the question. What kind of being was the God-King, if not one, preoccupied with honor? Could he suffer the indignity of his woman being seen in such a manner? 

The same soldier who posed the question now became the focus of all gazes, each pair of eyes displaying a sense of relief yet tinged with malice. He retreated, asking, "What do you intend to do?"

In unison, they declared, "We were paying attention to the battlefield; you, however, disgraced Atlas. Seize him!"

Within the tent, Pangu mused, "You conjured the illusion of your death by leveraging the storm from that avian couple and then silently snuck behind me. I was not surprised."

Pangu eyed the silken threads that clung to him and then glanced at the large arachnid before speaking to Ming, "What does surprise me is how my woman disappeared so conveniently."

"Do not be reckless in your accusations. I have nothing to do with her disappearance."

Thanks to that electrifying couple, Ming had been contemplating how to clandestinely challenge Pangu when the inspiration struck him. Using the deafening thunderclaps as cover, he had faked his own death by hurling his lightning-immune body into the fray. As the lightning flashed, he vanished, winding his way through the battle to Pangu's rear. Just in time to see Da Vinci and Foodie capture Atlas, almost breaking his composure.

But now, with Atlas captured and only Pangu and a handful of heavenly soldiers remaining, the pressure had considerably eased, allowing him this tranquil moment face-to-face with Pangu.

Pangu looked up at the tent, "This is your unique ability, isn't it? To isolate the inside from the outside. However, it seems rather fragile. You should be aware that my men surround you even now. You don't seem to be alarmed, so what makes you so confident?"

"In truth, I am also uneasy."

Ming responded with a smile, aware that Pangu was so at ease because the guards outside were his men. Swiftly, he thrust his divine staff into the ground, summoning Selena, who began to dance before Pangu.

"To be frank, my life's pursuit has been ultimate power; women are but fleeting distractions," Pangu stated.

His eyes briefly skimmed over the enchanting Selena as he lightly rubbed the back of his hand. "Moreover, I am not fond of this; too much fur, quite prickly to the touch."

Ming was stunned. Pangu seemed utterly indifferent to Selena's seductive dance, his resistance perhaps even surpassing the ability to see through worldly distractions. A difficult man to manipulate, indeed.

Outside, the guards and heavenly soldiers focused less on the distant battlefield and more on the tent.

"Does changing clothes really take this long?"

"Only a bachelor would ask such a question. A woman's time spent changing is never shorter than her time spent applying makeup."

"Indeed, Atlas is a woman after all; it's a universal issue."

"Hold on, who are those new arrivals?"

All eyes turned to the horizon where a man brandishing a scorpion-tailed blade was rushing toward them, his sprint swift and fierce as he bellowed war cries. Another man, carrying a jar of sand, dashed while swirling gusts of sand around him. Accompanying them were individuals riding on crabs and others covered in leaves. Behind them, an army of tens of thousands—men, mutants, and beasts—rumbled forward, stirring up dust clouds.

"As we run, let it be known," cried David, "our leader's tent is surrounded. He must be inside, engaged in dire combat. We cannot allow those outsiders to destroy the tent!"

"Leave it to me!" shouted Mike, addressing the heavenly soldiers around the tent. "Pay attention, all of you, and I have arrived!"

The heavenly soldiers collectively looked at the man wielding the large blade and felt like they were being mocked. One among them shouted, "Protect the tent! Do not let these intruders disrupt Atlas and the God-King; they are still changing!"