Transforming Succubus: Almost Doomsday

(This chapter serves as further supplement to the worldview. It's best not to skim, as understanding this will aid the comprehension of upcoming plot developments.)

Zhou Baiyu had always thought that the new gods were far removed from the pioneers.

When faced with summoning, one must learn to think in terms of gameplay, although such summoning wasn't really a game.

But in fact, Zhou Baiyu really regarded each character in the Advanced World— as NPCs.

Every NPC required a different strategy to handle, some needed to be appeased, while others needed to be killed.

And the new gods were definitely distant NPCs.

In Zhou Baiyu's view, whether it was the post-apocalyptic era after 2.0 or the one that began with 1.0—

They were all just versions of the novice village.

Humanity was always playing the role of chess pieces until they came into contact with "us," until they delved into the essence.

Now that Doctor A suddenly brought up the new gods, Zhou Baiyu felt somewhat faint.

It was as if he were still leveling up in the novice village, and the demon king, the final boss, was just outside the novice village's gate.

He felt a pressing sense of urgency.

But Zhou Baiyu was clear that next, he was about to engage in negotiations with Doctor A.

Simply put— talk about the price.

Since Doctor A was a god himself and was using his avatar as an intermediary...

It was up to him to set the price of the information.

So Zhou Baiyu quickly showed a calm demeanor, or perhaps ignorance.

He divided his conversation into two parts, one light and the other heavy:

"Oh... New gods? Sounds quite mystical, but according to what you said, all you have to do is completely eradicate their followers, right?"

"By the way, how do you know what I've been through? According to our previous agreement, you can't peek into my life. Are you monitoring me? I'm afraid I can't trust an dishonest collaborator."

No one likes to be watched.

But Zhou Baiyu actually didn't mind being watched by Sister Lin or Doctor A.

The purpose of his statement was to make an accusation, in order to elevate his "initial negotiating position."

Doctor A, who was also affected by attributes, had an innate desire to explain because of Zhou Baiyu's orator attribute,

"Don't be nervous. I'm a merchant, and offending my customers is the last thing I would do."

"I can't possibly monitor you. My powers are limited; at most, what I can do is merely to extend an invitation to you.

I can't even engage in a conversation with you. As for how I knew what transpired on your end, it's just my speculation... because I sensed the stench of a new type of corruption—followers of the new gods."

Zhou Baiyu's frowns tightened as he looked at Doctor A with an expression that said, "Oh, your explanation seems rather unconvincing."

Doctor A had no choice but to elaborate a bit more on the "free" information:

"A similar scent always concerns me. After all, I've been a pioneer, been corrupted, been a human from your world, yet I'm also a human from the Advanced World."

With the ability of soul transfer, Doctor A's journey was extraordinarily rich.

He continued:

"I have recorded many scents, just like there are differences between types of corruption."

"The followers of the new gods are another kind of corruption. And I just wanted to remind you, to kill these people... what you need to do is to erase the Faith Mark on them."

Zhou Baiyu suddenly thought of Zhang Haoyun's words—

"This person has a strange scent around him. It's very similar to mine... but it seems a bit different."

This statement seemed to validate Doctor A's words.

But though dogs and wolves are different, they are essentially the same kind of creature.

So the followers of the new gods were indeed corrupt beings.

Zhou Baiyu's expression softened slightly, still somewhat doubtful:

"You can sense their scent from the transit station?"

"The transit station I built is different from the ones of the nine intermediaries. Simply put, I'm very close to you. And I just happen to... possess an ability to identify the gods, a personal trait. So I know which god's followers you are up against this time. But I'm not spying on you."

With these words, Doctor A clarified his stance.

Zhou Baiyu nodded, pretending to accept Doctor A's explanation, albeit reluctantly.

Only then did he slowly say:

"Why are the followers of the new gods corrupted? What exactly are the new gods?"

Doctor A, following the conversation, intended to reply:

"Once the corrupt grow to a certain extent... they can break free—"

Huh? No, why am I telling him this?

Doctor A realized he was somehow being guided by the young man's words and he felt displeased:

"This information is not free."

Zhou Baiyu said:

"You've already started talking, so go ahead and finish it. Remember, I have the option to not come to you after each summoning."

Doctor A, resignedly:

"This is one of my trump cards. With the information I currently possess, it will help you understand some of the origins, which is greatly beneficial for comprehending this apocalypse."

Gradually regaining his composure and casting aside the look of helplessness, he revealed a cunning smile:

"I can tell you everything, about the new gods, the old gods, the corrupt beings. And what role the pioneers really play."

"But you have to pay the corresponding fee. I must tell you, it won't be cheap."

Zhou Baiyu continued the negotiation, displaying top-notch haggling:

"But as I continue my investigations, I should be able to find out these things, right? Also, you once left a notebook, and the misinformation in that notebook, if found by the pioneers, would directly lead to their breakdown."