Chapter 198: “Don’t Take the Medicine, Don’t Take the Medicine, Don’t——”

Chapter 198 "Don't take the pills, don't take the pills, don't..."

The Serene Sea Princess fled through the ocean.

It had pursued countless prey and been the nightmare feared by countless creatures, but rarely had it found itself in such desperate straits.

Perhaps, the moment it descended upon this planet, the cogs of nightmare had already begun to turn.

After a brief moment of despair, the Serene Sea Princess did not resign itself to fate.

—It would escape!

It still bore the final divine mandate of the Mother Goddess—to ensure the enduring continuation of the Mother Goddess's bloodline, waiting for the day when the Mother Goddess's consciousness would awaken from the blood and bones of her descendants, leading the followers back to the zenith of glory!

This was not yet the hour of martyrdom, to perish alongside the Mother Goddess...

As the Progenitor of the "Fish," the Serene Sea Princess also possessed the ability to teleport through water.

In its judgment, though the power of the Fate Serpent was undeniable, this was the seaside, the domain of marine life—if it fled with all its might, the divine avatar possessing the skeleton might not be able to catch up!

After several long-distance jumps, even the Serene Sea Princess itself could no longer tell which direction it was fleeing toward.

Where was it fleeing to?

Was it slipping through the gaps of the gods' encirclement, or was it charging straight into the pale fangs of fate?

The Serene Sea Princess had no time to ponder the answer, only frantically leaping, darting, and leaping again through the water...

Only when the eerie skeleton and those terrifying snake eyes were no longer within its perception did its frantic escape slow, the glimmering water haze floating above the sea's surface.

Before it stretched a vast, tranquil ocean, the most familiar sight to it, like a motherly embrace opening wide.

The fear and vigilance coursing through every inch of its body gradually subsided, allowing the Serene Sea Princess to regain some semblance of control and stability.

It guessed that it might have already escaped Earth?

This place must be some planet at the other end of the universe, harboring an endless, primeval ocean...

A perfect new nest for it to inhabit, recuperate, and reproduce.

Its amorphous gelatinous form slowly descended, about to sink into the deep sea—but the moment it touched the water's surface, it let out a shrill shriek.

The force of this sonic wave was enough to stir titanic tidal waves and sink countless ships.

Yet the sea beneath the Serene Sea Princess remained eerily calm, unnervingly still, with only tiny "ripples" splashing up, crawling in eerie, sinuous arcs against its divine form, reflecting a crystalline shimmer...

This was no true ocean.

—It was a vast sea composed of countless serpents.

Innumerable snakes writhed, surged, and flowed, scale grating against scale, their gleaming sheen like wave crests, their slow undulations forming gentle, rolling swells.

By warping probability, Yi Fengchu had adjusted the Serene Sea Princess's escape path.

No matter where it jumped or how many times it did so, it would inevitably arrive before Yi Fengchu.

When the Serene Sea Princess unknowingly descended onto the "sea's surface," it had willingly stepped into the serpents' domain, allowing itself to be captured.

The Serene Sea Princess shrieked and struggled, trying to rise.

But the sea of serpents surged violently first, their bodies endlessly entwining, rising upward in an instant, reaching straight for the sky.

Like towering argent waves, like a sky-piercing cage—the serpents crashed down upon the Serene Sea Princess, their shadows like collapsing mountains, burying its form in an instant.

Thud.

The silver-white expanse sealed shut across the world;

As if a god had clasped its hands together, leaving no space between.

……

In the bustling heart of every city, skyscrapers stood tall.

Atop these buildings, on the most prominent digital displays, the promotional ads for Universal Capsules played on loop.

The dense forest of towering buildings formed an urban jungle, making it nearly impossible for people below to glimpse the sun;

And Universal Capsules, occupying the highest points of the cities, had become a rising new "sun," with countless people relying on its miracles as they would sunlight, ensnared by its sweet promise—

"Welcome to the era of Universal Capsules—we help you become the perfect version of yourself!"

On screen, a beautiful celebrity flashed a practiced smile, reciting the oft-repeated slogan.

People passed by below, accustomed to the ads, paying them no mind.

But when one ad cycle ended, the next did not begin as expected.

The abnormal hush drew the attention of some passersby, who looked up in surprise.

The screen went black for a few seconds before lighting up again, revealing a brunet with brown eyes seated behind a desk.

The man appeared middle-aged, his haggard face. He raised his weary eyes behind glasses and looked into the camera: "I am Wen De, Founder of *Wan Neng Chao Xi Pharmaceuticals*."

"By the time this video plays, barring unforeseen circumstances, I should already be dead. I am here to warn everyone—Universal Capsules are an outright lie, a conspiracy... The core ingredient of the capsules is not some newly discovered marine substance, but the eggs of an unknown creature from the deep sea—or perhaps beyond Earth."

"'It' has mind-altering properties... I—I [sic]'ve been controlled... I know I shouldn't, but I can't stop myself..."

Wen De's mind was clearly unraveling.

He shook his head frantically, his gaze wavering between lucidity and madness, his eyes drifting aimlessly, his words growing increasingly fragmented.

But he dug his nails into his arm, nearly drawing blood, using the pain to force himself to stay lucid long enough to continue:

"I am a sinner against mankind... For those who have already taken Universal Capsules, I know not how to undo it..."

"All I can do is warn those who haven't taken them yet—stay away from Universal Capsules! If you don't believe me, go to the top-floor office of the pharmaceutical headquarters and see for yourselves—my corpse shall stand as evidence!"

"Do not trust anyone who pushes the pills on you!"

"Even if they are your closest family or friends, do not believe a single word they say... They are no longer entirely themselves!"

"Don't take the pills, don't take the pills, don't—"

The video cut off abruptly, freezing on Wen De's desperate warning.

Lines of static flickered across the screen, obscuring his agitated, terrified face before it went completely black.

The mysterious transmission had been forcibly terminated.

But it was like a torpedo suddenly thrown into the water, the ripples of which lingered in the crowd for a long time.

For a moment, on the streets, in the subways, in the buildings... everyone was intensely discussing this video.

Some insisted that Wend was nothing more than a madman seeking attention, his words lacking credibility, and his madness clearly visible from his bloodshot eyes;

Yet others questioned, if even the inventor of the omnipotent capsules admitted to the drug's significant issues, who could guarantee that the capsules were entirely safe?

Moreover, some proposed theories such as "AI-generated video," "business conspiracy," and "alien invasion"...

As the video spread rapidly, different opinions continued to ferment on the internet, also catching the attention of the Anomalous Affairs Bureau.

"The origin of this video should be that Mr. Wend secretly inserted a piece of information into the code for the advertisement broadcast."

An Ability user named 'Electronic Phantom,' under the jurisdiction of the Anomalous Affairs Bureau, analyzed, "The code instruction was to automatically insert the warning video after the omnipotent capsule advertisement played a certain number of times. Considering his mental state at the time and the high level of control by divine creatures, this was probably the only thing he could do..."

Meng Siyou sighed, about to say something when his phone buzzed beside him.

Glancing at his phone, Meng Siyou's expression immediately turned serious: "Not good, all the pill-takers hidden among the population in various regions have started to become restless."

"Driven by the eggs inside their bodies, they began to break through any obstacles recklessly, trying to jump into the sea. Some severely affected pill-takers were found to have crawled into pipes less than twenty centimeters in diameter, willing to suffer multiple fractures just to reach the sea..."

Chen Yuan interjected, "I remember the bureau had prepared for this, deploying patrol and security forces near the coast?"

"Yes, but that's not enough," Meng Siyou said, "The unrest caused by all the pill-takers is too widespread and scattered, and we urgently need the assistance of Ability users."

Like Meng Siyou, who could distinguish the different sound waves and 'languages' emitted by all things, quickly locating the hidden pill-takers in a city and incapacitating them by amplifying the energy contained in their own sound waves, rendering them unconscious and unable to move.

In handling mysterious incidents, the support provided by Ability users far exceeds conventional methods.

"But... why did it erupt so suddenly?"

The electronic ghost paused, then ventured a guess: "Was it because of that video?"

"Still uncertain," Meng Siyou said briskly as he stood up and began to gather the tools he might need. "Whether it's the influence of the video or some other external factor, we can confirm one thing—the fish eggs must have sensed a lethal threat."

"This threat has made them lose their patience to remain dormant, forcing them to mature and leave their hosts in a hurry... Perhaps this is their final desperate attempt."

As he spoke, the image of the Seer flashed through Meng Siyou's mind.

Could the collective unrest of the fish eggs be related to the Seer's actions?

Could it be that the Seer had successfully killed the mother of the fish eggs, causing them to sense an overwhelming danger?

Various speculations raced through his mind, but Meng Siyou had no more time to think. He urged the action team he led to prepare quickly.

Each Ability user had a vague premonition—

This might be the last wave of the disaster.