Chapter 483: Invitation to the Gates of Heaven
Chapter 483: Invitation to the Gates of Heaven
Being openly scrutinized by so many, Ye Yuqing grew uneasy.
Fang Cheng remained composed, unaffected by the gazes, whether good or bad.
He’d been studying the group too—thirty-four individuals, all extraordinary.
Several boasted Hazard levels around A-, while the weakest still ranked at B.
The North American United Government lived up to its status among the three major political circles. Even a random city branch could gather this many ability users.
“Hey, newbies?”
A gum-chewing girl with short hair grinned at them. “I’m Erica.”
Ye Yuqing gave her a sidelong glance—passably attractive, sizable chest but no match for her own. Minimal threat.
She kept her frosty demeanor as Fang Cheng replied, “More or less. Homeland Security Bureau members?”
His broken English posed no issue thanks to translation abilities.
Erica chuckled. “Nah. Just external personnel.”
Fang Cheng nodded. The Countermeasures Department also outsourced dirty work.
These people’s abilities stemmed from varied origins, not just government-engineered.
When Fang Cheng tried probing about the Bureau, Erica produced two envelopes. “Newbies should check these for answers.”
They opened them to find a lifelike snake illustration.
The serpent sprang from the paper, snapping at their faces.
Fang Cheng snatched it mid-air, unsurprised. He’d noticed the room’s expectant smirks when Erica approached.
Ye Yuqing jerked sideways to evade, then shot up, glowering.
The trapped snake spewed poisonous mist at Fang Cheng’s face.
“Hahaha!” Erica doubled over laughing. “Standard Bureau welcome for new—”
*Crunch.*
Fang Cheng’s punch launched her from the chair. She slammed into the wall, leaving a human-shaped dent.
Laughter died instantly.
Fang Cheng tossed the snake aside and rose. “Next act?”
Some met his stare, others looked away. None moved to help Erica—they were acquaintances, not comrades.
The guy had guts, punching a cute girl like that.
Fang Cheng pulled Ye Yuqing back into their seats. The meeting room quickly settled down, but the group’s gazes toward Fang Cheng had lost their casualness.
At the table’s far end, a young man wearing a Spider-Man bodysuit tapped the magician’s shoulder.
“Kevin, use your fate cards to spill about those Asians’ backgrounds.”
The magician – with sharp features and a goatee – glanced at Fang Cheng’s calm expression.
“Fifty thousand per reading.”
“Seriously? We’re pals! Can’t you waive the fee?”
“Rules stay rules.”
The Spider-Man guy got no response and joined others discussing the trending topic: Isis’s Asian defeat.
Though half a month old, a disaster-level monster’s downfall remained hot gossip among strange beings.
A new figure entered – a pale, handsome young man with skeletal thinness.
Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow. This vampire reeked of blood. Surviving daylight meant he’d been devouring his kind.
The room hushed instantly. Only Spider-Man kept rambling, back turned to the vampire:
“I saw Isis myself – huge chest, long legs. Shame she died early. Even as a vampire, I’d have tapped that…”
The vampire teleported behind Spider-Man, lifting him by the neck.
“You dare insult Lady Isis?”
A crisp snap echoed. The corpse hit the floor… then scrambled up the wall like a real spider.
“Chill, man! Just joking!”
The vampire dissolved into bats. Spider-Man leaped around spraying webs, trapping flapping wings.
“Holy shit!” Ye Yuqing gaped. “He’s actually Spider-Man!”
Fang Cheng frowned. Vampires were natural enemies – why get angry over Isis? A secret fanboy?
Others watched indifferently, some whistling. Webs and bats soon filled the room. Spider-Man got pinned within moments.
“Enough!”
The door crashed open. A bald black man in leather jacket entered, trailed by Victor and a blonde woman. He lacked only an eyepatch to complete the SHIELD director cosplay.
“Oli. Don’t bully children. Release Little Spider.”
The vampire Oli snorted softly and tossed Little Spider to the ground before sitting in a random spot.
The bald director glanced at Erica embedded unconscious in the wall, then strode to the front of the meeting room.
“Since we have two newcomers today, I’ll make a self-introduction. I’m Will Tony, Deputy Director of the San Francisco branch under the Department of Homeland Security.”
Leaning on the table, the bald director looked down at the group. “We’re old acquaintances, so let’s skip formalities. You’re here regarding the Gates of Heaven.”
Victor had already activated the projector, displaying cult documents on the wall screen.
In this world where religious powers thrive, most belief systems develop peacefully if they don’t overstep.
But deranged cults keep disrupting social order.
The Gates of Heaven cult claims the human body is just a disposable container. Followers must abandon family, desires, selfish goals, thoughts, and even their physical bodies to board alien spaceships leaving Earth.
To enforce this doctrine, they’ve conducted multiple mass suicides.
The most shocking occurred over a decade ago – over 5,000 participants with only 6 survivors.
The projection showed corpses arranged in a massive circular pattern.
At the circle’s center stood a cross bearing not Jesus, but a human-bodied creature with an octopus head.
Ye Yuqing covered her mouth at her first exposure to such horror.
Others remained indifferent.
This atrocity forced the North American United Government to officially designate them as a cult.
Yet cults never lack followers. Though contained, Gates of Heaven remains active in California.
When the footage ended, the bald director resumed: “Intel suggests they’re planning another mass suicide. Since their base relocation after our last failed raid, your mission is to locate and infiltrate their new headquarters.”
Little Spider raised his hand, recovered emotions evident: “Sir, why not interrogate a worshiper?”
The director shot him a look. “Ordinary followers remain. True believers relocated with the base.”
Vampire Oli remarked lightly: “Your safety agency excels at tracking people.”
“True. Hence this alternative approach.”
At the director’s nod, Victor and the blonde beauty distributed envelopes.
Fang Cheng and Ye Yuqing received theirs but hesitated to open them, wary of Erica’s earlier trap.
Little Spider eagerly opened his envelope, extracting a Skull-emblazoned paper.
“What’s this?”
The director’s dark face twisted into a humorless smile. “Gates of Heaven invitation letters. Openers suffer evil spirit attacks for seven days. Survivors qualify as true believers – they’ll transport you to their base.”
Little Spider yelped and dropped his paper.
Many envelope-openers paled; others hesitated.
“You have thirty minutes to decide. Participants automatically complete an A-level mission. Successful infiltrators may make demands of our agency.”
Interest flashed across many faces as envelopes opened, though some still wavered.
“Show your letter to Julia for evil spirit identification and preparation.”
Fang Cheng’s envelope revealed a Grim Reaper drawing. Ye Yuqing’s held a doll illustration.
He handed both papers to the blonde beauty beside the director.
Julia frowned at the doll, but turned pale upon seeing the Reaper.