Apocalypse: System of lotteries



As dawn broke on the second day, Ming was struck dumb, his bleary eyes opening to a scene that beggared belief.

Raoul, the puppet, nudged the prone Selina... and kept dancing...

Frank, another puppet, hoisted Selina upwards... "Get up, stop slacking..."

...

Thwack! Thwack! Ming leaped to his feet, slapping both Raoul and Frank across the face.

Moments later, the tent was folded, and Raoul and Frank found themselves standing on their heads at the spot, a cup full of water balanced precariously on each set of toes.

"Let's see if you guys dare to spill a drop."

Ming crouched down, checking on Selina. She was alright, merely exhausted. A little rest would do her good.

...

Merlin bounded up to Ming, borrowing the chef, and went to Raoul for some poison. The chef, now holding a cup of poison, followed Merlin to the 'poison laboratory', directing the cook in concocting a new poison...

Da Vinci was still entwined in a passionate encounter with a beautiful butterfly, while Foodie was sprawled on the ground, gazing at a squirrel trapped in a spider's web. "Bro, would you like to come down?" The squirrel nodded frantically. Foodie nodded in return, "Let me get a running start." Foodie backed away, further and further, until the squirrel watched him disappear, utterly bewildered.

...

Ming stepped forward, gently holding the squirrel, carefully pulling it from the web, which was incredibly sticky.

With a hiss and a tear, the squirrel was freed, leaving behind its painful imprints on the web.

"It's okay. Your fur will grow back in a few days."

"Squeak, squeak."

...

Ming tossed aside the squirrel, its back fur patchy, and turned to pick up a comb for grooming the little bear.

Foodie dashed in like a whirlwind, leaped towards the web, gazing at the squirrel on the ground as he flew... Thud! Foodie was trapped in the web. "You tricked me, didn't you?"

Foodie glared, "Come and save me now!"

...

While grooming the bear, Ming planned the day's expedition: enter the mist, take out that defective Thunder God, then drive deeper into the mist with Kubo.

He handed a homemade large comb to the bear. "You're growing up, you need to learn how to comb your own hair."

"Roar, roar..."

The bear hugged its master, their heads rubbing against each other in a show of mutual affection.

"Keep an eye on the house," Ming said, turning towards the web that held a frog and a squirrel. He shook his head, "A pair of hapless brothers, aren't you?"

The little squirrel, back on the ground, was no longer patchy but bald from a couple of tugs.

"Foodie said, you should've been more gentle. Skin hurts, you know." Ming stuffed Foodie into his pocket, it whispering, "If you're this rough, you'll never find a wife."

Foodie looked at you take the Fried Small Fish, "Ming, I take it back. With your charms, you'll have many wives, hehe."

"Da Vinci!"

Ming looked towards the frog entwined with the butterfly, grabbed it, and tossed it into his pocket. He turned to the butterfly, "Go and pollinate, do something productive instead of fooling around all day."

Your Da Vinci looked at you, "Ming, how could you be so heartless to separate two lovers?"

Foodies sympathized with Da Vinci, "Ming, we've spoiled you...oh, look there's  Fried Small Fish! Da Vinci, you're a mature frog now, stop acting like a child." Seeing Da Vinci's angry look, Foodie nudged him, "Don't be mad. He is our master after all."

Foodie swallowed  Fried Small Fish, "See, it's nice to have something to eat just by looking down, isn't it?"

Da Vinci slapped Foodie, "Traitor!"

...

Ming gathered up the two inverted puppets into the puppet space. He wasn't taking Merlin with him today, as Merlin needed to stay home to concoct new poison. 

He opened a portal to 1521, put the antlion into the puppet space, then returned to 109, bringing along Little Spider. 

After a half-hour descent from the mountain, he arrived at Alan's place, a two-story building with a large courtyard. To the left lay four large crabs, the smallest of which was a hermit crab, still growing.

Ming had no intention of taking them back. After all, his brothers loved crabs, and it was good to raise them here. They weren't lacking food or drink, and having someone help look after them was nice. 

On the other side lay a giant black scorpion and several giant golden centipedes.

"Boss, what brings you here so early? Shouldn't you be scrounging food at Mike's?" Alan emerged from his bedroom, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "I've got nothing to eat here."

"I've got something important to discuss. Do you have any birds that can fly? I could borrow one?"

As Ming spoke, he stroked two bald eagles by Alan's side. Their skin was quite smooth.

"You want to borrow one?"

Alan was fully awake now, pulling his eagles back to his side, "Boss, these two eagles of mine have already turned into vultures. Please spare my birds."

"I promise, nothing will go wrong this time."

Ming patted his chest.

"Alright then, I'll trust you one more time."

Alan nodded, beckoned, and a small magpie landed in his hand. He handed it to Ming, "This is all I have. Please take care of it."

...

Ming took the magpie and nodded. It wasn't the best, but it would do. He turned and left.

Alan stood in the doorway, watching as his boss receded into the distance. He clasped his hands together, looking up at the sky, "Dear God, please ensure my boss doesn't run into trouble. Then, my bird should also be safe."

...

Half an hour later, Ming arrived at the border of the mist. He summoned the bomb car, and a large G descended. The designated driver, Kubo, finally emerged from the puppet space. He opened the car door for his boss, then sat in the driver's seat and started the car, entering the mist.

Inside the mist, the car traversed ruins, rolling over desolate farmland, stopping not far from Thunder God's hill.

After getting out of the car, Ming put Kubo back into the puppet space. He then backed away from the car to a safe distance, summoned the antlion, and pointed to the ground, "Make a sand pit here, as deep as possible."

[Puppet antlion began to dig...]

...

Ming continued to back away, threw out a tent, and placed a Stinky Mud Pond skill inside. After leaving the tent, he glanced behind him. He wasn't too far from the border of the mist. It was just right.

A moment later, everything was prepared. He returned to the car, summoned the magpie, connected with it, and gave it instructions to take off towards the distant hill, simultaneously activating the Eye of the Puppet.

Through the magpie's eyes, he flew over the barren land, ascended to the mountainside, higher than the summit, and continued to ascend. He saw a platform at the top of the hill with a concrete gazebo on it. In the gazebo sat a zombie with wings on its back, a human head, and a bird's beak, muscles coiled around its body, wearing only work pants.

The zombie opened its eyes and looked up at the sky, meeting 'Ming's' gaze. The next instant, it raised its hand, and a pale blue electrical fork ascended into the sky. The magpie was hit by the electricity and exploded, turning into a wisp of smoke and dispersing. 

It was gone, vanished into the world.

"..."

OMG, it was dead.

Now, what was he supposed to do?