Little Rafael has drilled countless deep passages underground. If he travels underground, he can avoid being burned by the scorching sun, and he can also pass directly under some large sand dunes, saving a lot of time.
At night, Ethan was lying on little Rafal, looking up at the stars in the sky in the middle of the long yellow sand. He stretched out his fingers and traced the constellations in the sky, as he used to do as a child. His mother had taught him the names and legends of the constellations, and the romantic and ancient legends had filled his little heart with magical imaginations. He liked the heroes of ancient Greece, they weren't perfect, but he couldn't sleep for them when they managed to defeat the dragons, the serpents, and the cyclops.
It's just that he never thought that one day he would lose his home, lose his parents, lose his love, and become a monster that is more terrifying and disgusting than any monster in myth.
The isolated afterimage of the distant city was sleeping in the twilight, Ethan slowly stood up, raised his head and opened his hands.
Behind him, dozens of slender tentacles stretched out, like black fireworks that slowly bloomed, with a terrifying and dark beauty. At the end of each tentacle, fleshy petals opened, just like the mouth of an alien monster, infrasound waves that could not be heard by human ears spread out in all directions. Little Rafael seemed to be able to hear that sound, raised his head curiously, and let out a series of excited grunts.
Ethan's consciousness has entered another frequency, a frequency that does not belong to the human world. He has only had this ability since he came out of adulthood. He could hear another voice unknown in this universe, ethereal and ancient, full of pent-up anger and danger. But as he became more and more familiar with the world formed by this frequency, he found that he did not resent the evil that was just around the corner. On the contrary, he felt that it was a very kind and comfortable feeling.
And sometimes, he will accidentally enter another frequency. That's an extremely dangerous frequency.
There are innumerable giant creatures, unknown gaseous or liquid, who see Ethan as something unclean and dangerous. Ethan was accidentally discovered by that world on the Ophiuchus ship, and he still remembers the pain and fear of being stared at by thousands of eyes, unable to move, and his flesh scorching hot. In the face of that kind of power, he is no match at all.
He knew he wasn't complete enough. Only when he accepts his destiny will it be possible to contend with what is in that world.
But hasn't he accepted it? Why does Nyarlathotep no longer appear? Why didn't those weird dreams call him anymore? Why not come and take his body
He heard a response.
There were many, many responses, as if countless undercurrents intertwined and scattered in the darkness, converging into a mighty river and sea overturned him. That kind of bewildered and lonely lamentation can never be heard and understood by human beings, that dirty, forgotten beautiful call comes from the dark people who have been baptized by Ethan. They are cheering, crying, welcoming the arrival of their creator.
Ethan raised his hand in the darkness, as if to be the conductor of the dirge. Black lines snaked on his side face and arms, and the black nails that looked more and more like claws flashed with a cold and cold light.
"Come, come to me." His consciousness resounded in the minds of all mutant creatures, with irresistible power.
He has been calling like this for three days in a row, and the responses are getting closer and closer. If there is no accident, you should be able to see the first batch of creations tonight.
Sure enough, a black line gradually appeared on the edge of the desert, like a surging wave at the end of the sea horizon. It was thousands of humanoid worms, their bloated and wet black bodies wriggling across the deserted land. The sound they made as they wriggled across the ground together was like the roar of a tsunami.
They surged from all directions, crawling slowly around Ethan at the center of the storm, like a huge black vortex, and Ethan was the center of the black hole.
He sat on little Rafal's huge body and slowly moved forward. The humanoids followed him, like loyal soldiers following their masters. Their destination was the abandoned city in the distance, where the non-people were waiting for him.
When Ethan's overwhelming "Hell Legion" surrounded the long-abandoned old-time city, there were many riots among the inhumans. The panic caused many thugs to get out of control. They accused Ethan and Chen Zeng of deceiving them, and for a while they were at loggerheads with the rest of the inhuman who still believed in Chen Zeng. When Ethan came back, the two sides had already fought in a square in the center of the town. Those with guns started shooting randomly at their former companions. Those who didn't grab them picked up bricks and smashed them to the "enemy" who was accidentally knocked down. ', as if completely forgetting that they were joking with each other not so long ago.
Ethan just leaned against the headless statue next to the square where the accident happened, watching the farce, and didn't plan to stop it. Until Chen Zeng appeared.
That seemingly ordinary man has a strange majestic power. As soon as he appeared, he didn't even need to speak, the two sides who were originally scrambling were pressed the pause button first, and stopped the attacking action of killing each other.
"Enough, what are you doing!" Chen Zeng lost his smile and showed anger on his face.
One party immediately began to accuse the other party of losing faith and would be punished by God and go to hell. The other party roared that Ethan had no intention of letting them go. The hostile gaze focused on Ethan, but the latter seemed to be unable to feel it, but cast his gaze to the other side of several half-collapsed buildings that looked like a hospital.
He tilted his head slightly and took a few steps in that direction.
"Is this the sincerity you keep saying? But when something unexpected happened, you hurriedly blamed others for lying to you, and started to kill your brother?!"
Chen Zeng's voice became the background in Ethan's ears. He came to the two dark hospital buildings, took a deep breath, and suddenly said aloud, "Come out, I smell you."
His movements were closely watched by non-people. After all, the monsters surrounding the city seemed to be summoned by this man. And although what he said was not loud, it was heard by everyone present. Chen Zeng's reprimands also stopped, and everyone stared nervously at the two abandoned hospitals.
After a long time, there was still no movement. Ethan sighed and said, "If you don't come out, do you want me to invite you out?"
After another ten minutes, a few figures finally emerged from a dark hole in the wall next to the locked door of the hospital building.
Among these people, some of Ethan knew each other. For example, the one who walked in the front was obviously Samuel's former nemesis in the Forbidden City. Confidants, they are all ragged, gray-faced, yellow-faced and thin, and they seem to have been sleeping in the open for a long time. However, Ethan did not expect that Samuel would be the one who appeared at the end.
When he smelled Samuel just now, he thought he must have smelled wrong. After all, Samuel and his father escaped from Space Station 7 long ago, didn't he
He watched in a daze as the group walked in. Samuel walked at the end of the queue, but when he faced him, his eyes were indifferent.
With a gun in his hand, Jarvan kept facing Ethan, carefully staying a dozen paces away from him. The tall Alpha said in a menacing voice, "What do you want!"
Ethan blinked slowly. Many non-humans with weapons in their hands have raised their weapons and aimed at Jarvan and the others, but Ethan raised his hand to signal them to put down their weapons.
"Why are you here?" Ethan asked.
"Of course it was forced in by the infected!" Jarvan said in a sarcastic tone of "you know what to ask".
Ethan understood. When he summoned his own kind, Jarvan and his party were probably nearby, so they were also surrounded by infected people. Since there are infected people in all directions, only this city is still safe, so it is a natural refuge for them.
Just why would they happen to be near the forbidden city? Is this a coincidence
"What do you want!" Jarvan shouted loudly, but there was a hint of fear deep in the fierce voice.
They probably saw how they summoned and drove the infected who were completely turned into bugs? Ethan thought sadly.
At this time, Chen Zeng walked to Ethan and saw Jia Wen and others, "Ah! It's an old friend!"
"Who the hell is your friend!" Jia Wen suddenly turned his gun on Chen Zeng, "You despicable and shameless cult leader, you are actually associated with this kind of monster, do you want to destroy the entire Earth Alliance?"
Before Chen Zeng opened his mouth to say those remarks about the doomsday judgment, Ethan raised his hand to interrupt him and looked at Samuel, "Samuel, where is your father?"
Samuel glanced at him, but said nothing.
"Don't be hypocritical!" Jarvan stood in front of Samuel, looking at everyone in front of him alertly.
"Don't be so nervous, we are all brothers, why are we so arrogant when we meet?" Chen Zeng persuaded in a gentle voice, "Seeing that you are all very tired, why don't you take a rest first and have a full meal?"
Seeing that Jia Wen and the others did not move, Chen Zeng turned his head and ordered his followers, "You are all gone too, whoever makes trouble again, I will definitely not forgive him!"
The believers hesitated, as if unsure whether they should really just disperse. They looked at Jia Wen, and then at Chen Zeng's determined and dignified eyes, and finally decided to follow orders.
Seeing that the people were really gradually dispersing, Jia Wen seemed to relax for a moment. But his eyes were still fixed on Ethan, as if afraid that something terrible might suddenly happen to him.
Ethan took a step back, finally turned and walked away.
He was still a little sad in his heart.
Forget Jarvan, why did Samuel look at him like that
When did Jarvan and Samuel become companions and he ceased to be
*********
They can't stay in the same city for too long, as it is easy to be locked by the Earth Army and clean up at a fixed point.
The non-people were still advancing through the cavern drilled by the little Rafal underground, while Ethan moved on the ground with the infected. He saw that the cities and towns that were still inhabited were deserted. The empty buildings were spray-painted with words full of despair, such as "Doomsday", "We will all die" and "Help", and the streets were in a mess. , the wreckage of the crashed aircraft is everywhere.
Walking on the empty street where pieces of paper were flying around, there was a sadness in his heart. This world, even this universe, is dying, and the breath of death has permeated the air.
He no longer slept with the inhumans, but he knew that more and more of the inhumans were getting sick. Panic was spreading. Yesterday, an inhuman who was obviously having a fever was reported. Chen Zeng ordered that person to be left in the middle of the wasteland outside and left to fend for themselves.
He couldn't imagine how scared and helpless that person would be, but it wouldn't be long before he would become his own kind, and would no longer be afraid or alone.
These monsters have a much closer spiritual connection than those of the so-called human beings. It is almost as if the brains of countless individuals are fused together. Everyone shares perceptions and emotions with each other, and each individual seems to be an extension of himself.
It was a feeling of fulfillment and loneliness.
He leaned against Rafael Jr., sleeping on a former Central Park "grass". It's just that the grass is almost gone now, and there's some kind of black ointment everywhere. Even the grass that was lucky enough to not die seemed to be sucked dry when Ethan approached. Life quickly withered and decayed, as if he himself was a black hole, a black hole that would suck up life and bring death.
"Why do you want to help Chen Zeng?"
Ethan suddenly opened his eyes and sat up straight.
Samuel was standing just a few steps in front of him.
"You're finally willing to talk to me?" Ethan said half-jokingly.
Samuel was silent, holding something in his hand. He took a few steps forward and looked at the huge worm behind Ethan with some fear.
For some reason, this worm didn't give him a shudder like the ones on Muscle. Instead, the worm made him feel a little… strangely kind
Just a hair-raising thought...
He shook his head, as if trying to shake off his messy thoughts. He said, "I've sworn an oath since Schneider died. I'm going to destroy the Patron Society."
Ethan sighed and stood up. "I didn't help him. I just needed him to help me find someone."
"Those people should be damned." Samuel said in a tone of dispassionate statement of fact, his eyes were empty, which made Ethan a little shocked.
"Samuel, what happened? Where's your father?" Ethan took a step forward.
Samuel suddenly showed a very strange expression, unable to tell whether he was crying or laughing. He said, "Dead."
"… "
"We fled to the third space station, but it was full of benefactors. Among them were the guards of the Forbidden City, who believed that the plague broke out because of me and Schneider, and wanted to put us to death. My father failed to escape."
Ethan's throat was dry, knowing that what he said at this moment was useless. Chen Zengming had already promised that he thought that man would not be so stupid that he dared to deceive him.
What he didn't know, however, was that Chen Zeng's order was indeed not allowed to hurt Samuel and his father. But he overestimated his ability to control the religion he created.
Just as he failed to stop the radicals in the Forbidden City from wanting to execute Samuel and Schneider, those believers made their own decisions when they thought it was just a test given to them by Chen Zeng to see if they could act according to his teachings. .
At times, believers can be more extreme and fearful than their leaders.
Ethan stepped forward, trying to reach for Samuel's shoulder, wanting to tell him that he would avenge him. After all, the pain of losing his father was not something he couldn't understand.
But just as he stretched out his hand, Samuel grabbed his wrist suddenly.
"This thing was torn from a book in the priest's basement when Eves rescued you." Samuel raised his other hand, and there were actually several books that looked extremely fragile. The old page, "In my dreams, the black man once told me that these things will finally make you truly accept your destiny, and as long as you accept it, maybe I can have a chance to see Schneider again. I've been hesitating, not sure if I should give it to you. But now, I'm too lazy to care." After he finished speaking, he shoved the pieces of paper into Ethan's hands, then let go of him and turned away.
"Samuel!" Ethan shouted after him. "Where are you going!"
Samuel paused and looked back at him, "If you still consider me a friend, don't go back to those inhumans."
Ethan frowned, he lowered his head, and slowly unfolded the slightly crumpled papers.
There are many twisted characters written on it, and some intricate patterns full of sharp corners and uncomfortable arcs. Those characters looked very familiar, a bit like... the kind of characters you see on the temple pillars under Muss.
That character has a strange attraction, as if it will slowly deform itself after watching it for a long time.
Then, suddenly, he heard a light and gentle call.
"Ethan."
He raised his head, then froze.
Tanisel was standing in front of him, his gray eyes were slightly bent, and his beautiful rosy lips pulled out a gentle arc. He was wearing the white gold-painted priest's clothes when he first saw him, and his body seemed to be covered with a faint streamer. .
Almost at the same time, the string of soul fetters that had been silent for a long time in his body vibrated fiercely.