Surround the God

"Report, we have reached the bottom of the test subject. Please advise on the next step."

Noel came to report the progress. The entire nest had been excavated, leaving it flattened and limp, coated in a thick layer of flour like a pie waiting to be baked.

From within the scarlet nest beneath the flour, tremors and hisses emanated periodically; it was Hastur.

"Good. Now, confirm whether this thing can be transported and draft a plan for the attempt."

"Yes."

Wu Heng nodded. Half the plan was already a success; if the nest could not be moved, he would have to resort to the alternative.

He felt as though he had forgotten something after a busy day. Recalling his thoughts, he stepped closer to the nest and pulled out the monitor to switch it on.

The screen flickered a few times before the image gradually cleared.

The right half of the screen was blocked by the red inner wall, with only the left side capturing the interior; the camera had clearly fallen to the ground.

Through the left side of the screen, on the filthy, scarlet floor, there was a circle of flour less than a meter in diameter—barely enough space for one person to stand.

There was a gap a foot wide in the flour circle, and no one was inside.

The flour at the gap was fanned outward, as if someone had brushed it aside while crawling out of the circle.

Wu Heng noticed the fragments of flesh, blood, and bone left on the ground; it was clearly more than one person.

"What happened?"

Wu Heng asked tentatively toward the monitor.

Hiss—huff!

The monitor showed the inner wall at the edge of the nest suddenly undulating. A figure made of meat, fused with the wall, struggled to lift its rotting head.

Wu Heng was genuinely worried that if it exerted any more force, the head would detach from the neck; it was far too badly decomposed.

"Raghav... for the sake of our friendship... please, kill me!"

Vinayak's hoarse voice came from the rotting body.

"I left enough flour. Why did you all die so quickly?"

"Hiss! It was infighting!"

Vinayak roared in fury.

"Those two thought the flour circle for three people was too large. Flour is limited, and we didn't know when you would return."

"Shahu said he had a year of schooling. He claimed that if you halve the diameter of a circle, you save half the flour, which equals double the survival time."

"He and Hakob worked together to push me out."

As Vinayak said this, he let out a mocking laugh.

"Hahaha, do you know what happened next?"

"Hakob pushed Shahu out while he was drawing the circle. Shahu's hand was injured and he couldn't resist Hakob, but he managed to snatch the flour bag away."

"After Hastur bit me, it tore Shahu apart. Hakob had no flour to fend off Hastur, so he was torn apart too."

After finishing his sentence, Vinayak began to tremble and scream in agony.

"Save me, Raghav! I can still be saved! Give me some food, I'm so hungry! You already possess endless wealth, I only need a little food! I want to eat!"

Vinayak shrieked in a frenzy:

"That's it, you damn coward, thief, lowlife! You didn't have the guts to come in! Come on, kill me, I beg you!"

He continued to roar wildly to express his suffering.

"Sleep now, Hastur is coming for you!"

Wu Heng recited the words softly.

In the film, this line was specifically used to deal with the living dead bitten by Hastur.

Once these words were spoken, the rotting undead would fall into a slumber.

As soon as the words left his lips, Vinayak fell into a deep sleep, and the sound of snoring began to echo.

"Human nature is truly terrifying."

Wu Heng silently turned off the monitor.

Although he hadn't intended to go out of his way to save the three of them, he hadn't wanted them to die either.

If they could have held out for two more days, there might have been a glimmer of hope when the subsequent plans unfolded.

Had they survived by luck, Wu Heng would have been willing to grant them salvation, but unfortunately, they had destroyed each other within mere hours.

As the saying goes, survival of the fittest; those who cannot hold on are not worth pitying.

He had died once himself and had only just managed to find his footing through immense hardship; he had no room for mercy toward others yet.

Inside the sinkhole of the temple, a group of soldiers was using shovels to dig a tunnel along the underside of the test subject.

"What is this?!"

"Is that... its tail?"

"No, this looks like an excretory channel. Does this thing actually require such a function?"

The soldiers were in the middle of the tunnel, digging laterally, intending to open a cross-tunnel at the base of the experimental subject.

They had barely started digging when they struck a three-meter-thick, intestine-like fleshy tube; its upper end connected to the experimental subject, while its tail end was buried at an unknown depth.

Wu Heng stepped forward to examine the situation closely. The connection point between the pipe and Hastur's nest was solid, meaning Hastur could not crawl out through this passage.

He tried placing his hand on it and activated his Siphon ability, but there was no reaction; he could not absorb anything.

"Keep digging. See how deep it goes."

Wu Heng said coldly.

He only intended to waste one more hour; if he still couldn't determine the outcome, he would implement the second plan.

Hearing the order, the soldiers continued to dig in shifts.

A staff officer hurried over.

"Commander, the 255th Tank Brigade you dispatched will arrive in 10 minutes."

"Very good!"

"Once the tank brigade arrives, surround the entire temple. Aim all cannons at the sinkhole. If there is any unexpected situation, open fire immediately."

Wu Heng walked out of the tunnel and issued the order.

Meanwhile, at the British Indian Governor's Office in the Pune Government Building.

Governor Daren Frey was roaring, his face flushed red and veins bulging on his neck.

He was surrounded by a group of silent government officials.

"Damn that Kamil! This warmonger belongs on the gallows. What on earth is he trying to do? Where is the news? Where is the intelligence?"

"Oh, God, look at this! 152 Chenier M4A4 tanks, all deployed with full firepower!"

"Is he insane? What enemies are there in the vicinity?"

"Is he planning to attack Faderi's subordinate colonies? Does he want to ignite a war between the two countries again?"

Governor Daren was furious. This was the final year of his five-year term.

He was currently running for re-election, and if something happened at this critical juncture, his campaign would inevitably be severely affected.

Kamil had never supported his "Border Division Line" advancement policy, and they had irreconcilable differences in their political views.

Now, without submitting an application to the domestic government cabinet, he had mobilized armored troops with an unknown destination.

"What are you standing there for? Call Kamil immediately and ask him clearly what the hell he is doing. Tell him to withdraw the troops at once!"

Governor Daren roared at the crowd. Several officials, scolded, rushed to the telephone, fumbling with the receiver and dialing the number.

"Commander, an urgent call from the Governor's Office. They are asking what we are doing, saying..."

A staff officer walked up to Wu Heng, stammering halfway through.

"Saying what? Speak freely!"

Wu Heng asked calmly, looking indifferent.

"They said if you don't withdraw the tank brigade immediately, he will protest to the government cabinet and send you to a military tribunal."

The staff officer said helplessly. With two big shots clashing, being caught in the middle to relay messages was far too stressful.

"Fine, tell him this is a training exercise. We are just circling Tumbbad Village, and I will go see him shortly."

Wu Heng waved his hand, signaling the officer to go reply.

He considered himself a man who did not advocate violence. If he could avoid trouble and resolve matters through peaceful negotiation, that was the best way.

Unfortunately, there were always people who couldn't see clearly, mistaking gentle methods for compromise and forcing him to use violence.

Take this Hastur, for example. If it were willing to communicate with him and die voluntarily so he could complete his plot mission, how much easier would that be?

Instead, it insisted on guarding its nest, biting anyone it saw, without the slightest intention of negotiating.

That young soldier, Cooper Hack, had said he would tell the other party about the treasure of Tumbbad. He had told the truth and even enthusiastically showed it to them, yet the other party wanted to shoot him.

And this Commander-in-Chief Kamil—he had offered him a box of gold to borrow his army, promising a large bounty for the soldiers afterward.

As a result, the old man not only refused but wanted to confiscate his gold and have him shot.

He was absolutely a refined and gentle person; it was these people who were forcing him to use violence!

Yes, that was exactly it!

Wu Heng nodded to himself.

Are you willing to trade your collection and recommendation tickets for two fruit platters from me?

*

*

Sleeping