Transforming Succubus: Almost Doomsday

The attendant, pushing a cart, was still calling out, "Need anything? We have nothing here, rule guide, portable physical enhancer, Mental Recovery Potion, cave lighting, seat upgrades..."

And as time slowly passed by, Zhou Baiyu noticed that the little boy's emotions were stabilizing.

His frenzied face gradually regained the innocence of a child.

"Big brother, where are you? I can't find you; I don't want to play anymore."

[The game has ended. Congratulations, you've won two games and will have the chance to initiate a game, with the freedom to choose the game.]

[Little Bun's goodwill has increased.]

[As a result of the increase in Little Bun's goodwill, you have unlocked and created a new rule. Rule Fifteen: During your game with Little Bun, he will give you extra chances to make mistakes.]

Zhou Baiyu knew that the appearance of the prompt meant the game was over.

He ended the Moment of Nihility.

Then he gently ruffled the little boy's, or rather Little Bun's, hair:

"Did you have fun?"

"It was fun, big brother! You're the first one who has ever played a game with me voluntarily. Thank you, I'm very happy." Little Bun had completely returned to his innocent state.

This scene, however, seemed terrifying to Huang Miu.

Zhou Baiyu was unconcerned, pondering some matters.

"Huang Miu, did you receive any prompts? Like an increase in goodwill?"

Huang Miu shook his head:

"Nope. But when I left the previous compartment, the workers' goodwill towards me increased."

Zhou Baiyu frowned.

Indeed, Huang Miu hadn't played with the little boy, and his attitude hadn't been as proactive as Zhou Baiyu's—it was understandable.

But the increase in Little Bun's goodwill suddenly reminded him...

When leaving the first compartment, the workers' compartment, he hadn't interacted with the workers at all throughout the process.

So why would the workers feel goodwill towards him? And this increase in goodwill from the workers was something both he and Huang Miu had gained.

It was a terrifying thought upon further reflection.

Zhou Baiyu suddenly realized:

"All of the workers were pitch-black; neither Huang Miu nor I saw their faces."

"Everyone there was permeated with the scent of ash from a funeral."

"Is it possible that they're not real workers?"

"In the whole process, Huang Miu and I were following the rules. Though it was perilous, as long as we found the method, the first compartment was not hard to get through."

"But I earned Little Bun's goodwill because I actually played the game with him voluntarily."

"Yet Huang Miu and I didn't do anything to interact with the workers."

Zhou Baiyu vaguely thought of an answer.

"The only thing is, I didn't follow the rule—I chose the Mutated Card Set."

"That led to me not eating those foods with the chirping sounds..."

This answer made Zhou Baiyu's scalp tingle.

The food made chirping sounds.

Both he and Huang Miu had gained the goodwill of the workers...

Huang Miu had made chirping sounds when he was hungry.

At that instant, Zhou Baiyu was sure—

Those mice were the real workers.

The entire reasoning process was brief, and Zhou Baiyu quickly calmed down.

"Little Bun also displayed some behaviors that don't fit a child."

"That baby, its timing for crying was also very sophisticated... at least it dared not cry when the man in the black cloak was around."

"Carolyn and the old lady also didn't choose to give me a hard time during my game of hide and seek."

"It's very likely that the rule passengers here are undergoing some sort of shocking change."

Zhou Baiyu made a mental note of these possibilities and didn't immediately choose to use his privilege.

He and Huang Miu quietly sat in the seating area.

The entire train seemed to have returned to silence once more.

When the attendant passed by with the trolley, Zhou Baiyu said:

"I need a copy of the rule guide; can I trade it for the privilege I've earned?"

The attendant stopped, silently staring at Zhou Baiyu, as if contemplating whether the deal was worthwhile.

After about ten seconds, the somewhat clumsy attendant shook his head:

"You need to add money."

He continued to push his cart, calling out in the hallway.

Zhou Baiyu didn't care. Fifteen rules had already been unlocked, and he could figure them out slowly by himself.

The long journey of fourteen days was nothing but a battle of wits with these few rule passengers.

He silently observed the others, mulling over their characteristics in his mind.

Huang Miu, meanwhile, gazed out the train window at the paradise-like scenery, lost in thought.

Both were very quiet.

Such silence was soon broken by the old woman's coughing.

"Cough cough cough cough... cough cough cough... such a fine tea egg, it would be a shame not to eat it."

The shuffling footsteps of the elderly granny resonated.

Zhou Baiyu and Huang Miu exchanged glances, both becoming alert.

It was also at this time, following the announcement of Attendant No. 2, that a crisis suddenly descended.

[Rule Sixteen: The elderly granny is a warm-hearted old person who likes to give things to others, be it food, drink, or items.

Respecting the elderly and loving the young is a traditional virtue, so please do not refuse the old lady's offers. Eat what she gives you immediately, drink what she offers you immediately. After raising your favorability, she will give you some useful items.]

Zhou Baiyu glanced back and saw the kindly-faced granny approaching with a mushy tea egg in hand.

At this moment, Huang Miu had yet to grasp the severity of the situation:

"Well... it looks like whatever this old witch gives us, we must accept by force?"

"A tea egg won't be the end of us."

Huang Miu felt that compared to a child's play, the tea egg in front of him wasn't a threat.

But a sentence from Zhou Baiyu made Huang Miu immediately realize the seriousness of the problem.

"Rule Nine—The food inside the passenger compartment is normal food, but it must be consumed when hungry."

"Are you hungry? If you're not, then you've broken the rule."

The color drained from Huang Miu's face.

Perhaps it was the strong effect of the card set; both Huang Miu and Zhou Baiyu were in good shape, free from fatigue and hunger.

"Induce vomiting?" Huang Miu said as he reached for his throat, ready to force himself to throw up—something he had had to do in the apocalypse when he'd eaten something inedible.

Zhou Baiyu shook his head and said:

"But we haven't eaten anything, so even if we wanted to, we couldn't vomit."

The granny's steps drew closer, sounding like a death knell.

Huang Miu then suggested a good idea:

"Wouldn't it be okay as long as she can't get close to us?"

Zhou Baiyu immediately understood what Huang Miu meant:

"Clever, you mean... to lead her on a wild goose chase?"

Huang Miu nodded and decisively stood up, heading towards the seats farther away.

Zhou Baiyu had to admit, Huang Miu's mind was indeed agile.

The biggest problem with the elderly was their slow movement speed and sluggish actions.

It seemed that the granny could only specify a target once she got close.

So as long as they kept their distance, she wouldn't be able to deliver the tea egg into their hands.

Although this method was not a cure-all, at the moment it could indeed buy more time for reflection for both himself and Huang Miu.

They decisively began to move, keeping a certain distance from the granny.

"When this old witch gets close, we'll find a way to circle around and then run to the other end."

Huang Miu was brimming with confidence; it had always been Jiang Xianwu solving the problems, and now it was finally his turn to contribute an idea.

But just then, the granny suddenly spoke.

"You young lads, slow down, slow down... I'm bringing you tea eggs."

Huang Miu suddenly found his legs as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

His face turned pale, and he swore in a low voice:

"Fuck, miscalculation, this old hag can actually call us out by name???"

Zhou Baiyu was not surprised.

The situation was like fighting a boss; you dodge one phase, and the boss has a second phase. Who knows if the boss has a third or fourth phase.

The granny's footsteps grew closer.

Before long, both Huang Miu and Zhou Baiyu could smell the scent of the tea egg.

Huang Miu now only regretted why he wasn't hungry.

"It's all over, all over... we've just finished with the junior, and here comes the senior, we're done for, done for, done for!"

Zhou Baiyu was still not flustered. He sifted through the details of the previous rules in his mind.

"Respect for the elderly and love for the young, it seems that compared to respect for the elderly, there's only love for the young left. Fortunately, I didn't waste the opportunity."

If the rules wanted him dead, then he couldn't be blamed for using the rules to beat the rules.

He decided to use the privilege he had won. As the granny approached, he spoke loudly:

"Mantou, we want to play a game with you."

A short distance away, Mantou wore an innocent, childlike smile, biting into what was perhaps his umpteenth lollipop.

And the granny walking down the aisle suddenly froze in her tracks.