Apocalypse: I Have A Multiplier System - Chapter 182

Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Weakness

[No, Host, I didn’t kill them. They were already dead. Do you remember the thugs that attacked you during your previous dimension hunt?]

Su Jiyai frowned, the memory slowly coming back to her.

“The thugs… yes, I remember. The one hired by that black market gold dealer? I fought them, but after the battle, I left them behind. I didn’t stick around to see what happened next.”

[Exactly. After you defeated them, I took their bodies. I stored them in the system space and kept them there for future use.]

A cold shiver ran down Su Jiyai’s spine. “You stored their bodies? Why?”

[Dead bodies can be used as currency in certain… transactions. High-ranking pills like the cultivation increment pill require something far more valuable than zombie crystal cores or federal coins. Human bodies, especially those of awakened ones, can be traded for such pills.]

“You’re telling me you trade in dead bodies? And you didn’t think I deserved to know that earlier?”

[Host, you weren’t ready for that information at the time. And, as I said, I didn’t kill them. They were already enemies who had attacked you. The administration office assigned them to you as part of your mission. You dealt with them yourself. Without that pill, the woman I hired would have never been able to open the portal and get you out of that dungeon in time.]

Su Jiyai’s eyes narrowed.

“And what about the side effects? Surely such types of pills have some side effects right?”

The system hesitated briefly before answering.

[Yes, Host, there are risks. The pills can grant immense power, but they come with a price. Those who consume them might face backlash in the future—whether it be instability in their cultivation or a drop in their cultivation.]

“Alright. Now tell me how to avoid those entities?” Su Jiyai asked.

[Host, I will ensure your safety-]

“No need.” Su Jiyai rolled her eyes. With the system’s protection, she might end up dead even before she knows. “Tell me if they have any weakness?”

Trusting the system with her safety seemed like a gamble she wasn’t willing to take anymore.

“With your protection, I might end up dead before I even realize it. Just tell me if they have any weaknesses.”

The system hesitated before answering, its usual confidence replaced with something more cautious.

[Host, the entities cannot descend into your world to cause direct harm. Their power doesn’t work like that. They need intermediaries—humans from your world who are willing to carry out their plans.]

“So they can’t come here themselves? They can only influence humans to cause trouble?”

[Exactly. They are bound by certain laws of this universe. They can manipulate events, plant ideas, and drive individuals to their cause, but they cannot physically manifest in your world. That’s why they rely on humans to spread chaos.]

A chill ran down Su Jiyai’s spine as she processed this new information.

“Who are these humans? Who are they working with? And how many of them are there?”

[Host, I don’t know. Their identities are hidden from me. These people could be anyone—base leaders, criminals, or even normal civilians. All I can tell you is that they are dangerous, and they’re working toward the same goal as the entities: to prolong the chaos.]

Su Jiyai let out a long, frustrated sigh, rubbing her temples.

“Of course, you don’t know. What do you know, then?”

[As long as your world continues to overcome the zombie threat, their control will be reduced. Every step humanity takes toward surviving and rebuilding weakens its influence.]

Su Jiyai’s brows furrowed as she leaned forward, the gears in her mind turning.

“If that’s true, then why create the zombies in the first place? Why start an apocalypse? Why not just wipe us out completely if that’s their endgame?”

The system’s response was measured, almost clinically.

[They can’t destroy the world outright, Host. There are limits even to their power. They need humanity to continue to exist to feed on the chaos and fear. Destroying the world entirely would sever their source of energy. It’s a delicate balance—drive the world to the brink of destruction but not over the edge.]

“So they’ve allowed things to continue, but just barely. And the zombie virus is part of that plan,” Su Jiyai mused, her voice dripping with realization.

“It weakens society, kills off those capable of stopping the spread, and leaves the rest of us struggling to survive.”

[Correct, Host. The virus was designed to bring the world to its knees, to keep humanity in a state of perpetual fear and conflict. But they underestimated certain variables.]

Su Jiyai raised an eyebrow. “Like me?”

[Exactly.] The system’s voice carried a hint of something like admiration.

“So if they’re this smart—smart enough to create a virus that wipes out the people who could find a solution—why haven’t they destroyed you? Why haven’t they exterminated the system?”

[Host, they would love to see the system wiped out. But just like they can’t destroy the world entirely, they can’t destroy everything in it either. The system exists as part of the balance, just as you do.]

Su Jiyai’s eyes narrowed again.

“And me? Why didn’t they come after me sooner? Or have they been trying to kill me this entire time?”

[They didn’t see you as a threat at first, Host. You were just another survivor in a world full of them. But as you grew stronger, they began to realize that you were more dangerous than they initially thought. That’s when they tried to turn you, to make you one of their own. When that failed, they shifted to a more aggressive approach. They want you dead now because they know you could disrupt their plans.]

Su Jiyai let out a frustrated sigh.

“So they know who I am. Great. It’s only a matter of time before they find me, right? Your efforts to hide me have been for nothing.”

[No, Host. They’ve seen your body, your power. But they don’t know your face.]