greek gods in new york

04

The taxi took us to an industrial park that was deserted by the naked eye.

A strong sense of disillusionment hit me - anyone who comes to this place from a fancy hotel next to a beautiful beach would be disillusioned ok!

I just came to Los Angeles for one afternoon, can you make a good impression on me?

After getting out of the car, before I could stand still, a strange video call came to my mobile phone.

I answer the phone, and what appears on the screen is the dimly lit "room" of the new media god.

She was sitting on a chair, with one leg on the chair, the other leg resting on the armrest, raised high, and she was doing... a pedicure.

Fine.

Internet celebrity beauties are also so pleasing to the eye when they have a pedicure.

"Be careful," she said, "there are street gangs around here, best to avoid them."

With Loki here, he borrowed the power of the New God.

I'm more worried about being a gang member than...

I turned to look at Loki: "Have you thought of a way to communicate with 'that thing'?"

Loki: "Just a guess."

As he spoke, he patted the backpack I was carrying, which contained BB.

"Last time at school, He tried to communicate with you but failed. You said you couldn't understand His words," Loki explained, "I think you can try with BB."

what?

"BB also has the function of a translator?"

"No."

Loki spread his hands: "But BB is not a product of this world."

I have a meal.

Seeing my shocked expression, Loki smiled: "Otherwise, why do you think it is in the petri dish? BB is the product of another world just like the 'thing' you saw. It is even somewhat similar to you , is a fetus conceived by a human possessed by 'that thing'. So I was thinking, if there is BB as a bridge, maybe you can understand what he wants to express."

Ah this...

Then BB can sense the existence of "that thing", there is an explanation, but——

"I remember," I said carefully, "BB is the game peripheral of "Death Stranding", right?"

"Yes."

"Is the function of BB similar to that in the game?"

"almost."

"What about its settings?"

I'm tactful, and Loki certainly understands my subtext.

It's 2018, and "Death Stranding" has broadcast three cloudy trailers, but many players still don't understand how to play the game and what the worldview setting is.

If BB's setting is the same as the game...

——Which came first, the BB, or the game?

Maybe it's the god of video games who moved the settings from reality into the game!

However, just as I had this thought, Loki suddenly turned his head.

He looked at me with a "do you know what you're talking about" expression: ""Metal Gear Solid 2" had an emergency modification of the game content because it predicted 911/[-]."

I:?

Rocky: "You suspect that he didn't think of it yourself. If you say this to a fanatic fan like Meryl, she will definitely be angry."

Me: "Uh."

Fine.

It seems that there is a game first, and then there is a real BB.

"Prophecy", even if the new god doesn't know how to divination, he should be able to figure it out.

I resentfully let go of this topic: "Let's not talk about that, about the project book... It says that there are traitors in the old god camp. After so many years, do you know who the traitors are?"

"traitor?"

The internet celebrity beauty on the phone screen instantly transformed into an image of an elite white middle-aged man.

The god of new media smiled contemptuously: "Of course they don't know. If they knew, why did the project book only write the word 'traitor'?"

Me: "Then how did the New God know there was a traitor?"

Loki checked the navigation, and led me to the depths of the industrial park: "I don't know, but one thing can prove their guess is correct."

Me: "What?"

Rocky: "Guess what caused the explosion of the project base of the Lazarus Project?"

My heart suddenly lifted.

"Couldn't catch him," Loki said. "For nearly 20 years, the new gods have been tracking, and the old gods are also investigating, but there has been no further clues...ah, here we are."

Loki stopped.

I didn't need him to remind me, I felt it too.

The "that thing" that forms the entity is linked with the present world, and its energy fluctuations are also particularly obvious.

Not to mention me, even Loki can feel the existence of "that thing".

It is night, after get off work, and the streets of the industrial park are silent.

Between one clearing and another we find Him.

The light is dim, reflecting on the substance that looks like fog and light, and the colorful substance on the surface flows slowly with the light.

"Quick, turn on the camera," the new media god yelled through the video call, "I want to record it!"

——The next moment, the situation changed because of her scream.

The colorful flow of matter stopped instantly, and then, like last time, suddenly began to expand.

I:!

Loki scolded directly: "Can you not add trouble?"

What responded to him was the god of new media who laughed without scruples: "Great, the first news is mine, and the traffic and clicks are also mine!"

What a lunatic!

"That thing" gradually expanded towards us. I hurriedly moved the backpack from behind to in front of me, and BB who was hiding inside cried loudly.

Loki grabbed my wrist.

When I comforted BB, the familiar divine power wrapped around my predecessor with his fingertips.

I probably understood his intention.

Just before "that thing" was about to engulf us, I caught a glimpse of a strange mobile phone lying on the ground under the streetlight.

Getting closer, getting closer—

I close my eyes nervously.

With divine protection, we can "enter" His "body".

The mysterious substance engulfed me and Loki, and in an instant, the video call on my mobile phone was disconnected.

I slowly opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was that the screen of the mobile phone with more than half of the battery was completely black.

The BB in the backpack made a "ahhh" sound, and I opened the corner of the backpack——

The fetus in the petri dish, with its eyes stuck to the barrier, looks at everything around it in astonishment.

It seems to have really "lived" and looks no different from a newborn child.

And around us...

Nothing at all.

I felt as if I had jumped into the deep sea with my diving equipment, and it was as if my consciousness had sunk into a bottomless abyss.All my senses are filled with impenetrable matter, but there is nothing around.

From the outside, "that thing" looks like white mist, and it also looks like white light.

But walking into His interior, there was darkness and silence.

Loki is gripping my wrist, but I can't see him at all, or even hear our footsteps.

All I can see are the items on my body, including BB.

This...is scarier than a horror movie, okay? !

I swallowed my saliva nervously. The BB in the backpack seemed to have sensed my emotions. It turned its head to look at me. After looking at each other for a while, the petri dish in its arms suddenly lit up with a warm light.

I:! !

Woohoo, good BB, I will never say you are scary again!

I hurriedly took BB out of the backpack.

Maybe it's because BB, like "that thing", doesn't belong to this world. The warm light in the petri dish illuminates the surroundings of Loki and me.

At the same time, BB turned his body in the petri dish, looking in a certain direction.

Loki and I looked at each other and hurried forward.

Theoretically speaking, if we are still in this world, we should walk from one end of the industrial park to the other.

But this dark environment seems to have no end, I don’t know how long I have walked, until my fear and patience are gradually declining——

There is light ahead.

My heart raised again.

A completely dark environment with no roads or objects, suddenly lit up with light, is a terrible thing in itself.

And the most frightening thing is that the light is a street lamp.

It's like a modeling failure, or a game scene with a bug, a street lamp stands alone in the empty surroundings.

It was dark all around, except for the street lamps that were on, and the miserable white light feebly reflected a very narrow range of light.

I'm about to break out in a cold sweat!

Loki seemed to be aware of my fear, he tightened his grip on my wrist, took a step forward, and led me forward.

The further you go, the clearer the appearance of the street lights.

It wasn't until seven or eight steps away that I realized that there was a person lying under a lonely street lamp.

Wearing street clothes and a peaked cap, he looks about 30 or [-] years old.His limbs were spread, his back was facing the sky, and he had lost consciousness.

I paused, then realized that this was the person who discovered "that thing" in the first place, took a photo with his phone and posted it on social media.

The mobile phone under the streetlight outside "that thing" just now belonged to him.

and……

He is moving.

The chest of the unconscious person twitched strangely.

It's definitely not breathing, but—

The BB in my arms became restless.

It let out a cry of "ahhh", and then the person lying on the ground stopped suddenly.

An inexplicable force flipped it over, and with its back facing up, I saw a human-shaped thing extending from the darkness, as if trying to... get into this person's body.

I:"……"

Help!

My scalp is going to explode!

The figure extending from the darkness turned its head as if hearing BB's shout.He stood up from the unconscious man and paused for a few seconds.

Immediately afterwards, the black shadow ran towards us like crazy.

I almost screamed.

Loki gave me a tug before I screamed in terror.

"Don't be afraid." He lowered his voice.

How can this not be afraid? !

I was so nervous that I could barely stand, and the black shadow ran in front of me in the blink of an eye.

I can sense that he's more energetic than he was on homecoming night, and more threatening, and, and—

The shadow reached out to me.

【——】

【——————————————————

But before his movement touched me, it seemed to be stopped by something.

I didn't dare to move. I watched the black shadow and tried several times, but I couldn't move forward.

BB in his arms let out a "giggle" laugh like a successful prank.

The black shadow seemed to notice BB just now, he lowered his head and "looked" at the petri dish, then "looked" at me again.

The next moment, "that thing" suddenly went berserk.

He frantically waved his "hands" as if he was out of breath, trying to get close to me, but he always failed.

At first he was still trying, but gradually, like breaking glass, he slammed down on the non-existent barrier.

[————————]

One moment, one moment.

[————————]

Such a scene is too scary!

I couldn't hold back, and took half a step back.

BB also flinched a little as if feeling fear. When it got scared, the barrier disappeared.

When the black shadow rushed towards me, I almost forgot how to breathe.

But in the end He didn't attack.

In the depths of the darkness, countless energies "jumped" towards me, but the black shadow just pushed me.

【--leave here--】

I startled and opened my eyes suddenly.

In a hurry, I lost my balance and led Loki back a few steps, as if being pulled out of the water.

Later, both of us were "dumped" out.

The endless darkness has turned into a deserted industrial park.

The surroundings are still very quiet, but the sound of cars in the distance can be vaguely heard.

I looked ahead in shock, "that thing" and the people on the ground were gone.The roads of the industrial park were presented in front of me without hindrance, and the end could be seen at a glance.

"That thing"...

Did I understand what he said?

He let me go?

05

I understood the words of "that thing".

He let me go.

This... This is completely beyond my imagination.

When I got back to the hotel and closed the door, I still didn't react.

Isn't He always around my house?Loki also said that there was always the eyes of "that thing" staring at me both openly and secretly.

But when "that thing" and I finally had a meaningful communication, His first words were to let me go?

The analogy is that I had the ultimate stalker for two years and I was stressed out and wanted to talk to him at the same time.As a result, when I found him, he pushed me away angrily.

What do you mean, ask the client to stay out of the stalker life?

No reason!

Recalling the scene just now, and the almost angry reaction of "that thing" when it came into contact with it, I sighed deeply.

So complicated.

I put down my backpack and took out BB.

Then something more complicated happened.

BB is still BB, the fetus in the petri dish is spinning back and forth in the unknown liquid, meeting my gaze, it even "giggles" and laughs, it still doesn't live in the petri dish and kicks its legs, looking leisurely.

I:"……"

Why didn't it become a model? !

How to do this! ! !

Before I could figure out what to do with BB, the doorbell rang.

I cautiously looked through the door and opened the door only after I found out that it was Loki.

"I've already explained the situation to the god of new media," Loki said directly after entering the door, "I won't put that video on the Internet... What's your expression?"

Frightened, I pushed BB in front of him: "It hasn't changed back!"

This is how to do.

I can't put a fetus in a petri dish in a backpack anytime, anywhere.

And BB will move on its own from time to time, completely out of control.Whether it cries, laughs, or even whines, it will make sounds.

Wouldn't it be troublesome if there were any more rumors about the hotel being haunted.

Loki leaned forward and took a look.

"Ah, it's full of energy," he explained seriously, "that's why it's so active. You persuade it to leave this world."

"..."

So just now "that thing" disappeared, it was BB who absorbed all the energy from within him.

It's okay to coax the children.

I had to bring BB to myself again.

After the energy is full, the fetus in the petri dish is very lively.After Loki entered the door, its eyes were glued to him and kept watching.

I knocked on the petri dish and made two "dong dong" to make BB's attention turn to me.

"You have to change back," I said seriously, "otherwise it will be too inconvenient."

BB looks away.

It looks away!The brat pretended not to understand!

"Really, no kidding."

I added: "If someone finds out, you will be arrested!"

BB in the petri dish simply snapped his fingers.

I:"……"

Does the little boy really not belong to this world? I think it's a monkey spirit.

but……

"It's quite cute."

In desperation, I couldn't help sighing: "It's not a real child after all, don't worry about eating and drinking, it's like an electronic pet."

Hearing this, BB's eyes moved back.

It seemed to know that I was praising myself. The fetus in the petri dish blinked, then "quacked" loudly, and after a few dances with its hands and feet, the warm light in the petri dish dimmed.

In the blink of an eye, the living beings turned back into models without any signs of activity.

I:"…………"

This works too!

At a young age, he only listens to good words, and fortunately, it will not grow up, otherwise it must be a stinky kid with overblown vanity.

Moreover, it is becoming more and more human-like.

"Anyway, it's changed back."

I breathed a sigh of relief and hid BB in the corner of the hotel room.

Coming back from the industrial park, I feel really tired.

Not physically tired, but mentally exhausted.My head is full of clues and mysteries entangled. I have never taken on such a complicated information in my life.

Blame Zeus!

Is it okay to be an ordinary high school student? I feel the pressure from the bottom of my heart.

"Next."

I casually sat on the edge of the bed: "What should I do?"

I don't have any clues at hand at the moment.

I went to find "that thing", only to understand that his first words were to drive me away.

Knowing that there is a traitor in the old god camp, but the new god has no further clues, and has no idea who it is.

I want to restore my dad to sanity, but I have an Outer God energy storage tank, and I don't know how to use it.

Now I feel like I'm stuck in a game. The main plot is clearly written, but I'm jumping up and down, tossing back and forth, and I just don't know how to solve the mystery.

Probably because my dejected look was too obvious, Loki, who was standing by the door, turned his head sideways.

Finally he took a step and sat next to me.

"About reading," he said, "have you figured out what to do next?"

"..."

Yes, there is also the matter of reading.

Now that I have no reason to go to an Ivy League university, is it necessary to work so hard?

The new gods, the old gods, and "that thing", their affairs have troubled me enough, and I haven't had time to think about my future affairs.

"It's too complicated," I sighed. "Let's finish the competitive game first."

After preparing for so long, I still want to go all out.

It wouldn't hurt to get an award anyway, would it?

Loki nodded in agreement.

He was very relaxed, leaning back and lying on the bed, his long legs stretched to the edge of the carpet.

"Actually, I don't need to steal the project book for you," Loki said in a rather casual tone. "Give this thing to the new gods or Zeus, and there will always be a way to find something useful. But it's really useless if you give it to you." .”

"...Thank you for telling the truth."

"When you get the admission letter from the university, you might still be able to participate," Rocky continued, "but after thinking about it, Meryl is right."

"Ok?"

How does this involve Meryl again?

"There's no point in taking your future with the glory of the old gods or the hope of the new gods."

Rocky propped up his body, and said lazily: "Seeing that you usually study to death, if you really want you to study religious studies, why not kill you? If you want to go to a famous school, it's better to choose a major that interests you. ."

Me: "...I'm interested in playing football."

Rocky rubbed his chin: "Harvard also recruits sports special admissions. Although the Ivy League doesn't have scholarships, it's still a door. But Nicole, this is just an introduction. If you want to apply for a school, you still have to find a direction that you can study in. "

I leaned back slightly and looked at him warily: "Why are you so considerate all of a sudden?"

"Am I not considerate enough to you?"

Loki sat up again, his tone full of disbelief: "Do you know why I fell out with the Nordic gods, because they don't believe me!"

I rolled my eyes rudely.

"You want me to believe you," I said, "do you believe me? You confessed to me 100%?"

Until now, I still don't know what Loki's purpose is.

Loki wasn't guilty either, instead he laughed a few times cheekily.

I can't be bothered to talk to him.

He just turned his head and looked in the direction of Zang Na BB: "'That thing' actually doesn't want to communicate with me, he rejects me very much."

Loki: "What are you going to do next?"

The point is, I don't know!

With no clues at hand, I'm at a loss.

I really want to throw the Lazarus project book to the new gods or Zeus and let them figure it out.

Anyway, it doesn't matter to me whether the world is destroyed or not.

With so many gods, do I have to worry about it?

However not.

If I can be the hands-off shopkeeper, then my dad really has no hope of recovery.

And there are traitors in the old god camp.

There are traitors...

Running out for a trip today is not all fruitless.

I know the words of "that thing", as long as I have BB, I can understand it.

If so, can I find out who the traitor is?

"Let the new media gods keep an eye on it," I said, "Got to get in touch with him again."

…………

……

Regardless of the grievances and grievances of the gods, I came to Los Angeles for the knowledge competition.

The game in the East Coast Division was the day after tomorrow, so Hermes woke everyone up early the next morning to give us a surprise.

After a night of running yesterday, I was dead tired and everyone else was not much better - everyone had a great time.

All the team members in the elevator yawned, yawned, and couldn't stand steadily. It can be said that they didn't have the youthful appearance of middle school students.

Hermes: "Cheer up! There is a big man giving you advice today, don't..."

Before he finished speaking, the elevator stopped on the fifth floor with a "ding".

The metal door opened slowly, and four high school students in suits walked in.

Yuanjia Road is narrow, and it turns out to be a student of Tianen Middle School!

I remember the blond girl at the beginning, she was standing behind Braki yesterday, she must be the captain.

Hermes had no choice but to swallow the words back, and the few of us were also shocked and completely awake.

The four competitors who walked in were stunned for a moment, and then the blond team leader was the first to react.

She was tall and good-looking, with brilliant blond hair pulled back in a ponytail.One-sentence summary: Catherine's power-enhanced version 2.0, she may not only be a cheerleader, but also the president of the student union and No.1 of multiple international awards.

"Good morning."

The captain spoke first.

Unlike us who stayed up all night as if playing disco, the students of the elite team were all in high spirits.So the team leader looked at us curiously: "Are you... are you busy preparing for the game?"

I:"……"

Good guy.

Although this greeting and this question may not be intentional, the lethality is much higher than Catherine's ridicule.

When her words fell to the ground, a boy with a mean face behind the team leader burst out laughing.

"When you come to Los Angeles, you don't have to go to class. Who cares about preparing for the game?"

He smiled and said, "If you hadn't been so strict, Marianne, we would have gone out to have a party too!"

The implication is that their school spirit is better than ours, and they are more motivated than us.

I turned my head to look at Pandora almost subconsciously.

Pandora, who has always been straightforward, frowned.

Hermes gave her a hand.

The oracle, who was also famous for his eloquence in Greek mythology, just shook his head with a mysterious smile.

The meaning is obvious: wait.

He didn't speak, and didn't let Pandora say it, the atmosphere in the elevator became extremely weird for a while.

But this atmosphere did not last long.

The elevator soon reached the first floor, and there was another "ding".

The door slowly opened, and I looked up.

When a familiar face came into view, not to mention me, even the students of Tianen Middle School around me were shocked.

Of course, anyone will be shocked to see that the popular Hollywood superstar is only three steps away from him.

Mickey Elton, Apollo, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, was holding a large bouquet of delicate and exaggerated flowers, and stood in front of the elevator door with an extremely elegant posture.

He raised his head slowly, under the bright blond hair, a pair of beautiful eyes suddenly lit up when they met my line of sight.

"Nicole."

Apollo affectionately said: "I have been waiting for you for a long time!"

I:"……"

Help!

The competitors who were secretly mocking just now all cast shocking glances at me at this moment.

Why is it him again.

Why is he the one responsible for this kind of slap in the face every time? !

I want to find an elevator to get in!

"do not worry."

Hermes saw my emotions, and he patted me on the shoulder: "This time I also invited another off-court aid!"

As his words fell to the ground, Apollo nodded.

"Let me introduce you, Nicole," the popular Hollywood superstar looked away, "My twin sister is here with me today."

Twin sister?

I froze for a moment, forgetting the embarrassment for a while.

Isn't Apollo's sister Artemis the goddess of hunting?