Chapter 326

[Wow, Lawrence and his group deliberately waited until now to come up with this dirty trick to deceive people so as not to leak the news in advance. Not long after, in addition to seeing the Modified Humans appearing near the various distribution points of the Satina Church, we also saw people from Class 6). No wonder they came from the same class, they know each other so well, and each of them is like they have cunning roots, trying every means to frantically monitor everyone except themselves. But to be honest, if it weren't for this, I wouldn't have known that there was a traitor among the Satina believers. Does Su know about this?]

[What mole? That's too harsh. He's clearly an undercover agent, OK?]

[Of course I know, otherwise why would there be Modified Humans everywhere? You should be asking whether Boss Su will intervene if he finds out. After all, even if many people from Class 6 send their own people over, I wonder if Class 6 or Master Su will ultimately make a move?]

[The students in Class 6) clearly knew they were being targeted, so why didn't they go themselves?]

[Use your brains. If they go, they'll become easy targets for the emotionally charged Satina followers. It's better if they don't show up. If something really happens, the rumors will spread like wildfire among those who go. Not going is the best choice.]

[It's too early to draw conclusions now. What if Qin Su went and they didn't? Let's see if you'll still say they were right then and there (covers mouth and chuckles)]

[Tsk tsk, that Temple really knows how to play the role perfectly. It hasn't been long, and he's already become a mid-level leader in one of the outposts. To avoid being exposed, he lets a bunch of bugs sleep on him every day. He can endure anything and succeed.]

Thinking of the familiar figure belonging to Modified Humans Temple, Qin Su: "..."

According to reliable reports, in order to quickly elevate his status within the Satina Church and cultivate an image of himself as a "Worm Enchanter," Temple applied a special drug to the rest of his body, except for areas like his eyes, nose, mouth, and Temple, which were protected from insects. This drug caused most small insects, unless they were particularly large, to fall asleep upon contact with his skin, thus making him appear attractive and approachable to the Zerg.

Of course, those insects appeared to be asleep, but they were actually drugged.

Temple became a highly sought-after figure, both willingly and unwillingly, by this smooth and skillful series of moves, thanks to the Satina followers and Insect Master in the area.

The images he saw of Temple showed him either standing with insects sleeping on his head, neck, shoulders, and in his pockets, yet still smiling and interacting with believers, or lying among a group of people with insects all over his body.

Just thinking about those situations gives him goosebumps. It's not that he's afraid, and he can accept it psychologically, but his body and mind instinctively resist and don't want to accept it. Temple is not just tolerant, he's incredibly tolerant.

In short, it seems that many students have noticed Lawrence and his group's actions and are heading to Leopold, or are already Leopold. Even if they don't use weapons, but only use drugs or certain colorless and odorless gases to stop the Satina Church 'Satina actions before or during the incident without causing any harm, they can only stop them temporarily.

Students with many things to do ultimately cannot keep an eye on the large number of Satina devotees every moment, and simply cannot stop them forever.

Under the deliberate guidance of the people sent by Kanasen, the followers of the Satina Church have always highly praised the practice of sacrificing their bodies to the Zerg in various ways or for the sake of the Zerg. People who are not afraid of death and are always ready to die are hard to guard against. And their deaths at such a special time are easily attributed to the students of Class 6).

Compared to his classmates' busy schedules, and considering that he didn't want to be so unethical as to let the students on the Class 6 list bear the blame alone, and that he had the most free time, Qin Su decided that he still had to go and see for himself.

Moreover, he also needed to make an example of someone when this situation first occurred, and nip any attempts to sow discord, whether from Class 6 or others, in the bud.

Although some of his classmates had to pay a price for this... it was a painful cost for those who planned this suicide.

Before this could happen, in order to prevent other irrelevant people from affecting my plan which I had just come up with, I had no choice but to temporarily put them in their shoes.

At four in the morning, more than ten minutes after Leopold sent the message, Temple breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the order he had just received on his personal Optical Brain, instructing him to act as soon as possible. Temple, who had been hiding in the lush grass under the pretext of getting close to the Zerg and thus justifying his distance from the crowd, sat up cross-legged, ignoring the rustling of dirt and the falling of insects around him. He solemnly organized the words he was about to send to He Muzhi.

In less than a second, seeing that his brain was already working, but not a single punctuation mark appeared in the input box of the opened Optical Brain screen, Temple's relaxed body tensed up instantly, and he quickly shut down the Optical Brain and scanned his surroundings warily.

Having confirmed that the light-blocking equipment was working properly and that he remained hidden in the grass under the double protection of the equipment, Temple looked out through the barrier of the concealment equipment, scanning back and forth three times. Not finding any living person other than himself, he then turned his gaze back to his personal Optical Brain.

The surrounding environment was fine; no one was carrying any jamming equipment in this chaotic, filthy place where even birds wouldn't perch. His Optical Brain's signal reception was also normal. So, his Optical Brain was broken... No, Optical Brain couldn't be right. It hadn't displayed any malfunction or forced login notifications. What was wrong...? Never mind, none of that mattered. His most important task now was to follow He Muzhi's instructions and contact the closest people He Muzhi had left in Leopold to deal with the believers preparing to participate in the suicide tomorrow morning...

Etc.

Temple stared at the hidden device, which he had clearly connected to and confirmed to be closed, yet it remained unresponsive and still active. His already tanned face, meant to obscure his features and avoid being remembered, became even darker. He remained highly vigilant, observing his surroundings, while continuing to try to shut down the hidden device, which had somehow gone out of control.

Three minutes passed, and Temple stared at the unresponsive equipment and the quantum Optical Brain, which was also in a state of 'death', questioning the meaning of life.

Therefore, he is now not only trapped inside the device used to conceal his presence and unable to get out, but his Optical Brain has also temporarily lost its function.

Temple: "..."

No one should be, at least not... as unlucky as him!

After muttering curses in his mind for only a few seconds, Temple quickly calmed down and...

This was a premeditated frame-up targeting the vast majority of students in Class 6). Anyone with a brain would not want to be the first to stick their neck out when they knew they were being targeted.

No one would keep the news to themselves at this time. No matter who it was in Class 6, after learning that Lawrence and others were plotting against the news, they either carefully considered it themselves or discussed it with their internal team. In order to avoid alerting the enemy, they unanimously sold the news to members of Class 6 who were on the suicide threat list or to people on the list.

Before long, the news spread rapidly through multiple hands and within a certain range. The members of Class 6) on the list, whether openly or indirectly, decided to work together to face the threat together. Before the time came for the Satina Church followers to commit suicide, they agreed that no one would be left behind, and each of them would mobilize and expose the same number of people they had secretly left in Leopold to carry out the operation.

The group of students in Class 6), who had agreed to act together, issued action orders to their respective groups at almost the same time. Naturally, each member of Class 6) was also preparing to set off for their destination at roughly the same time as Temple. They soon found themselves in the same predicament as Temple.

In a short time, people scattered across different areas of Leopold experienced similar emotional shifts, including trepidation, shock, and fear of being controlled by an unknown force.

"Holy crap, is there a bug in this room's smart system? What's going on? Why can't we get out?!"

"Damn it, who closed the door when they came in? They broke it!"

What's wrong with my Optical Brain?

"At such a crucial moment, I beg certain people to stop playing pranks! Who's controlling the door? Open it now!"

"My Optical Brain cannot edit any content on its own!"

"My screen is completely blank too. I clearly remember actually trying to think and reply! But nothing came up, it's as weird as if I took the wrong medicine."

"Don't you feel that this feeling, this situation, is familiar?"

Now that you mention it... it's not what I'm thinking, is it?

"It's him?!"

"I think I'm thinking the same thing as you."

"No way... it can't be true, right? The fact that the message couldn't be sent out means that Class 6... only knows that they gave us the order and thinks we've already started the operation, and they're completely unaware that we've been temporarily... imprisoned (?) by them?"

"Wow, according to your analysis, could it be that he's on the side of the people who orchestrated all this shady dealings, and agrees with what the Satina Church is about to do—"

"Shut up! Are you out of your mind? We're locked up together, and I don't want your blood splattered all over me!"

"... To be honest, you two are pretty much the same, your emotional intelligence is about the same as a piece of worm jelly."

"Tsk, that tastes delicious."

"I'm seriously fed up! Can't you even worry about the punishment we'll face if we fail the mission? God, I can't even imagine the terrible, irreversible consequences if the Satina Church succeeds. We'll be dead, won't we?!"

"Please, Leslie, we're not facing Class 6 now, not Satina and her gang of lunatics, but him, the one we can't defy even a fraction of! Even if Class 6 finds out the truth later, I think they'll forgive us. After all, if it were them, they probably wouldn't have our stable emotions and appetite, let alone be tempted by the little bug jelly. Besides, even if those believers succeed, the one who prevents them from achieving success isn't us, but... In short, no matter how angry Class 6 is, they'll force themselves to swallow their anger."

"... unassailable."

After a series of reactions, the members of each small team simultaneously scanned their surroundings before slowly raising their heads to look at the sky above.

Above them were either the usual roof decorations or the empty night sky; they couldn't see a single person, yet they all knew in their hearts that 'Qin Su is very likely watching them'.

After the initial panic and tension subsided, countless people realized that they were facing Qin Su and had no way to change their situation. Gradually, they gave up and could only watch helplessly as the time on their Optical Brain ticked away and the probability of mission failure increased. They complained to each other and tried to find some humor in their misery.

[What is Qin Su trying to do by cutting them off from the outside world? Is he trying to both lift up Class 6 and then destroy them, throwing a shard of glass at such a crucial turning point in the lives of so many people in Class 6?]

[Whatever, this unpredictable, eccentric feeling is just so exhilarating!]

[What nonsense! Could it be that the God Su thought they were in the way and simply locked them all up?]

Qin Su eavesdropped on the discussions about him coming from all directions. He knew that the students in Class 6 would soon notice something was wrong because these people hadn't replied, but he had no intention of replying on their behalf or deceiving the students in Class 6.

He needs them to be aware of what he is doing, to feel uncertain and uneasy about their actions, and to make them unable to forget the fear of being 'controlled' by him, even after he has made it clear that he is drawing a line.

These are all ways he can never give up to gain Life Points.

In any case, to ensure absolute safety, his people and ghosts are everywhere, whether visible or invisible to the original inhabitants of the Comic World.

Even if the students in Class 6) noticed something was wrong, ordering more people to come to Leopold City Central Square would be no different from the first group of people who received the order.

--

Among the many people in Class 6 had finally managed to take a short break from their busy schedules, some noticed something amiss based on their usual habit of receiving replies after issuing orders. They immediately sought confirmation from classmates in Class 6 with whom they had a relatively good relationship compared to the others in Class 6.

Not long after, the group of students from Class 6 had previously agreed to cooperate were all in touch. They had a strong premonition and roughly understood why.

"So... is anyone going over now?" The person who spoke in the multi-person video call had a sharp tone.

As this question arose, countless eyes were fixed on the expressions on every face except their own, trying to discern their next move.

"No, there's only so much time left. Considering the distance between where I am now and Kamila Planet, no matter how fast I rush, I won't be able to arrive by the time stated in the intelligence report. But Gordon, you're closer; if you go now, you can catch the ending."

"No," Gordon refused outright. "I won't risk it until I'm sure what the Class Monitor is planning. Forget about it."

"Hey you... tsk, are we just going to listen to Qin... cough cough, leave it to fate?"

"What else can we do? No one can stop him from doing what he wants; we have no choice but to accept it."

On the surface, the faces of the people in Class 6) were either full of resistance or their emotions were completely flat. At this critical moment, everyone had a lot of things to do, and everyone showed a state of 'not being able to talk to each other,' and the video ended unhappily.

As soon as the video ended, some people remained true to their original intentions, while others immediately changed their tune, choosing to go in person or send others to go instead.

Until the very last moment, none of them dared to be sure what Qin Su really wanted to do. Was he going to side with the Satina Church to cause them trouble and create more problems, or... to toy with their emotions and destroy them? Or perhaps he hadn't truly abandoned them and intended to personally help them resolve the Satina problem? None of this would affect their desire to get closer to Qin Su and see him again.

[Before, they used all their cunning on others, making them tremble with fear. Now, they're secretly using their cunning on their own people too. In the future, they'll all be isolated when it comes to friends.]

Don't be so pessimistic. Friends aren't necessarily found among classmates, and life isn't all about backstabbing. It's just that they were brought into the same social circle because of Qin Su, and they needed to share the same pie. It's normal for them to go their separate ways in pursuit of fame and fortune.

--

On Monday, at 8:15 AM in Leopold, the Capital City of Kamila Planet, the city's operating system simulated a howling wind carrying a simulated drizzle, which lashed at every nine-to-five office worker.

This was supposedly a "Wakefulness Day" specially set up by the Ossotalia Empire to help citizens quickly transition from holiday to work when it still existed. Although Kamila Planet announced its membership in the Federation, due to its short time in the Federation, many things need to be handed over and the transition of leadership has not yet ended. Class 6) regards every planet that chose to join the Federation after the fall of the Ossotalia Empire as its future political achievement and firmly controls many handover matters. So far, many things are basically in a state of waiting to be handed over. Therefore, this little tradition has been temporarily preserved and has not been changed.

People hurry along the city streets, while Aircraft of varying speeds shuttle back and forth regularly in the sky.

People in different Aircraft felt the familiar Monday chill, their expressions numb, staring at the afterimages distorted by the Aircraft's high speed below, or staring blankly at their fellow passengers or the Transparent Wall with lifeless eyes, or having their ears filled with the familiar curses of their fellow passengers, deliberately blocking out their hearing and staring in a certain direction at the opening and closing mouths of others, trying to pass the time by guessing what they were saying.

Those who chose to walk to their workplace complained about the "damn, insane wind," "whoever came up with this kind of weather must be seriously ill," "Destroy it! Going to work is already so annoying, and now this wind is just adding insult to injury. Is anyone going to do anything about it?" "I'll blow up that damn system sooner or later," and so on—curses that have been going on for ten years.

[It's like they're acting out my story; the resentment of working 8 AM is really strong, but why aren't they using umbrellas?]

[Wake up! They generally have a uniform rule of starting work at nine o'clock. At most, they'll get a light drizzle, and even that drizzle is carefully coordinated by the system—it'll dampen you but not soak you. Unlike us, who have to huff and puff on our electric scooters to get to the company in torrential rain.]

[Please praise me. The wages here are too low to afford an electric scooter, so I can only ride shared bikes. And I can't ride them every day. I have to oversleep before I can reluctantly scan the code. I have to rely on walking to get up early. P. S. Don't get me wrong, I'm referring to my legs, not the actual bus. It costs 1.8 yuan to swipe my card, and I can't bear to spend that 10-minute walk. I just can't afford it.]

[Honey, I suggest you shut up, you're getting a little too sensitive.]

[They look like unfortunate guests... Ah, how come these people who were imprisoned by the Boss 1 last night have been released? Is it because they need Viewers? Or is it so that through their eyes, they can describe the horrific scene they are about to witness to the (Class 6 behind them?]

[Please, everyone, leave our dorm alone. Let's accept reality. Our dorm has nothing to do with demons, okay?]

At 8:20, although the action was forcibly stopped by Qin Su, no matter which area of Leopold they were in, they hadn't dared to rest for the past few hours. Naturally, they reacted the moment the access control was lifted and they opened it themselves. They were stunned but didn't delay getting up.

Thinking that the Satina Church were probably already at their destination waiting for the auspicious time for divination, they rushed to the Leopold City Central Square from different places by all means of transportation.

During this time, everyone seemed to have forgotten their "resigned" remarks when they were confined the night before. Everyone's first reaction was to turn on their Optical Brain and try to report what happened last night and the current situation to their superiors as quickly as possible.

Before long, they discovered that while their bodies were freed, their Optical Brain remained under control, preventing them from sending any messages to the outside world. Even when they tried to send messages using other people's Optical Brain on their way to Leopold City Central Square, they were unsuccessful and had no choice but to give up for the time being.

At 8:25, an advertisement for a certain company was playing on the large screen in Leopold City Central Square. Behind the huge screen, at the top of the iconic black, towering church in Leopold City Central Square, in front of the enclosed arched floor -Floor-to-Ceiling Windows of the spire, Qin Su, believing that since he had already come all this way, he couldn't leave empty-handed and had to continue to generate some buzz and discussion as souvenirs, chose an excellent spot to strike a pose and opened Comic Capture Camera.

The Viewers, who had been nervously watching the movements of the group of people in Class 6) and their assigned personnel on the previous few pages, scrolled down to the next page and saw the scene that appeared before them without any warning. Their pupils dilated in disbelief.

Standing before the curved Floor-to-Ceiling Window, Qin Su was bathed in the morning light streaming in from Floor-to-Ceiling Window. His eyelids were slightly lowered as he looked down at the Leopold City Central Square below.

[!]

[A wonderful day begins with meeting your God Su.]

The Viewers was undoubtedly excited to see Qin Su again, but just a few seconds later, with less than a centimeter between the two comic pages, they saw the Satina Church followers hiding in the sewers of the square and the insects crawling on their bodies. The excitement of the comic book Viewers lasted less than a second before plummeted to the bottom.

[Did I deliberately lure us in with those high-definition images of the God of God Su to scare us? (vomits)]

[Who taught you to be so heartless as to link comic content like that? If you're so capable, tag him out and let me spit on him until I'm done! @ComicAuthor]

The brief appearance ended, and just a moment before Qin Su turned off the Comic Capture Camera, he saw the screen filled with comments cursing the comic's author.

"..."

I'm sorry, he didn't know that his scene was ending and that the next page would bring a horrifying scene.

After silently apologizing in his heart, and seeing that it was almost time, Qin Su turned his gaze away from the comic book comments and looked through the glass reflection at the several people lying unconscious on the ground in the distance behind him, their bodies covered with burlap sacks.

Death doesn't disappear, it only moves on.

At 8:30, when the short chime of a bell rang over the Leopold City Central Square, the pedestrians, who had lived in the city for years and were already desensitized to Leopold's punctual 8:30 chime and long chime of 9:00 chime, did not stop for the sound of the bell and continued to walk briskly with normal expressions.

But the instant the short bell rang, several loud booms were followed by the sound of heavy metal objects falling to the ground, startling everyone. They scattered and sought cover.

Felix frequently sent men to seize the "good fortune" of the unlucky, and the locals of Leopold had become adept at reacting to sudden dangers.

As everyone searched for a safe place to hide, their eyes couldn't help but follow the sound. They saw several holes blown open in the ground beneath the large screen in the square, where pedestrians were prohibited from entering. As flying metal fragments scattered and crashed to the ground, countless figures surged frantically towards the openings like insects whose underground nests had been blown open.

The truth is, every Satina Church follower who crawls out of the black hole is covered in countless insects. As they move, the insects fall from one person to the next, and as they stand on the ground, the insects continue to fall and crawl onto them.

[OMG, what a vicious page! Was it really necessary to draw something so terrifying that even a master would die? There's no need to flaunt such exquisite drawing skills in such a horrifying way. @ComicArtist]

[Enough said, pay me back (deathly smile)]

[Baojuan's eyes, my eyes!]

[Today, having nothing to do, I gaze upon this painting and wish that all the insects within it may perish!]

As the raging wind blew indiscriminately and equally, the stench of decay spread from the center of the square outwards.

"Yue--"

"Damn, it's Satina!"

"It's that group again! What do they want?! Do they still think they're as arrogant as they were when the Ossotalia Empire was still around? Don't they know they're now like vermin in the sewers, hated by everyone? How dare they show their faces?"

"What do you care about them? Run if you don't want to get entangled!"

"Why are you running? Didn't you see them starting to line up in the center? They're clearly not here to preach to us like before."

"Wait a minute, look, isn't that a live feed from the center of the square on the big screen?!"

Amidst the chaos, the large screen that was originally playing advertisements had somehow switched to a live broadcast targeting the Satina devotees in the center of the square.