Transforming Succubus: Almost Doomsday

The calm appearance of Guang Tongchen was a facade hiding a tempest within.

Jiang Xianwu, this kid... he really dares to speak his mind. However, he understood that Mutators have very few means of protecting themselves in the early stages.

Yet he always felt that these words were more dangerous than a challenge through force.

Especially now, with a demon lord-level being resting on Jiang Xianwu's back—if they really started fighting...

He might not be able to save Jiang Xianwu in time. Moreover, with his current strength, he might not even be a match for An Ya.

Guang Tongchen couldn't help but be anxious for Zhou Baiyu, deep down.

What he didn't know was that An Ya had already taken Zhou Baiyu's words to heart.

"I never thought that a forerunner could actually kill me..."

A reasonable disparity in information, innate goodwill, and Zhou Baiyu's accurate imitation of An Ya's tone of voice.

It wasn't even imitation but more like a shoddy author padding out their word count by copying that segment of dialogue.

The more An Ya thought about it... the more she felt it was indeed something she would say when feeling resentful.

Even for a moment, she felt as if she was experiencing déjà vu, being killed by a murderer in the midst of darkness...

Then, with despair and unwillingness, she had uttered those words.

And so, she genuinely believed it.

"Tell me, what must I do to survive?"

Zhou Baiyu wasn't one to play coy, he showed great sincerity:

"Choose another city to spread your corruption, at least not in Songjiang City."

"In Songjiang City, you will face an unavoidable death. Go elsewhere, discreetly carry on with the research on your grandfather's legacy, execute your corrupt schemes. Try not to expose yourself."

"The ship will dock in Songjiang City, but once you arrive at Songjiang, I suggest you turn back immediately, or go to another city, or just grow stronger slowly at sea."

These words weren't just flattery.

Zhou Baiyu thought about it; if the SSS-level outcome wasn't to kill An Ya, then it would certainly involve changing her trajectory.

This trajectory should align with Bai Ling's. First, attracting Bai Ling to tilt the faction balance in one's favor, and then altering the opponent's original path.

He replicated the method, and in An Ya's eyes, Jiang Xianwu was a man bringing information from the future.

Her attitude toward the forerunner had indeed changed.

But it wasn't only Zhou Baiyu who had an information advantage. That mysterious Dr. A held even more clues than Zhou Baiyu could imagine.

An Ya held a certain fondness for Zhou Baiyu, but compared to the goodwill she had for Midel and Bai Ling, there was a playful malice mixed in.

An Ya's eyes turned a bloody red.

"Thank you for the information, but how can I trust you?"

Zhou Baiyu had anticipated this question, and even he knew that this wasn't a real issue.

"We're just playthings of the gods. Take a look at this."

Zhou Baiyu took out the blue reagent tube. His action would completely change some of An Ya's perceptions.

The moment she saw the injector... An Ya was shocked.

"How is that possible... How can something left by my grandfather be with you?"

Zhou Baiyu sought precisely this reaction:

"Do you think forerunners are people who travel to the future across versions?"

"No, forerunners are just players, playthings of the gods as you said. But you could never have imagined that this tube of reagent was actually a reward I received after surviving the casino's challenge."

"After passing the casino's trial, I obtained this reagent, and even an experience boost card. Do you want to see it?"

Zhou Baiyu put away the reagent and took out an experience boost card emblazoned with the letters 'EXP'.

"An Ya, this concept should be easy to understand, right?"

As a descendant of Dr. A, An Ya naturally understood—reward items meant... was the world being gamified?

Zhou Baiyu said:

"Believe it or not, if my companions and I were to head over to the neighboring hot spring parlor and kill the monster that is a fusion of countless female bodies, you would see the reward items appear in our hands right then and there?"

"However, time is pressing, and once the ship reaches Songjiang Port, we'll be leaving, so you'd better make a choice whether to believe us or not."

"If you do believe us, then please also show your sincerity."

The appearance of the item was too shocking.

That reagent tube can be said to be the ultimate research of Dr. A, only two tubes in total.

One tube had been injected into herself, the other disappeared with the doctor's departure. It was certain that it shouldn't be on this randomly chosen cruise ship.

Now, seeing the reagent appear before her, An Ya's heart was greatly shaken.

And Zhou Baiyu's words also made her realize something—If the pioneers are players, then what is she?

The answer sent chills down her spine.

It was just as shocking as when every NPC endowed with intelligence came to realize that they were living as an NPC in a game world.

Suddenly, she burst into an insanely hysterical smile:

"Hahaha... So that's how it is... Hahahaha..."

"So that's how it is, hahaha..."

Zhou Baiyu truly worried that An Ya had gone mad.

He had never expected that this injection could bring such a huge shock to An Ya.

"Pioneers! You think you're players, the only force that can change and save the world?"

"You must be filled with a sense of superiority as a savior now, huh? Damn it! Damn it!"

An Ya's tone was filled with intense loathing.

Zhou Baiyu thought to himself, something was not right with her emotions; why did this crazy woman seem suddenly provoked?

He recollected An Ya's previous words, she had said that the pioneers were doomed to fail. The pitiable pioneers were merely playthings of the gods.

Zhou Baiyu instantly realized—

An Ya had always thought that it was the pioneers who were the most pitiable, being arbitrarily manipulated by the gods.

But now, his words had also made An Ya realize something—The playthings of the gods were not only the pioneers.

Perhaps, in an instant, An Ya had come to understand that she might just be the boss of a certain level in some version of the game.

From being high and mighty with ambitions to fight corruption with corruption, An Ya suddenly became the boss to be conquered by "players"—

The so-called corrupt beings, demons... appeared to have all become mere tools, to be slain by the pioneers, even dropping items... This was even lower than the status of the pioneers!

This tremendous disparity was something An Ya found hard to accept.

Zhou Baiyu said:

"That's about enough, there's really no need for such a strong reaction."

"Is it so unreasonable for gods to play with mortals? Haven't those placed high above and endowed with great power always toyed with mortals throughout history?"

"Just like the rich on this cruise ship, those who became wealthy first run faster than anyone at the sign of the apocalypse, and then they watch from their privileged position how ordinary people struggle in the end times."

"Aren't the gods the same as those masters?"

"As for us, we investigate the truth, seek the origin, gain power, and keep enhancing ourselves. Once we're strong enough, if gods want to play with mortals, then we slay the gods, if demons want to cause chaos, then we slaughter the demons."

"If those gods can't behave themselves, let there be an eternal night of the gods."

Zhou Baiyu spoke with conviction, and An Ya patted his shoulder, signaling for him to put her down.

Zhou Baiyu looked at An Ya, puzzled, as they stood face to face.

In the bizarre library, countless crimson eyes watched them with a vacant gaze from the reading area.

"You're not very powerful, but you do talk prettily. The ship is about to dock; does that mean you are about to disappear?"

"Yes, you'll witness with your own eyes how 'players' or 'playthings' vanish before you."

An Ya nodded, Zhou Baiyu's words were shocking, but she had fully digested them by now.

A mocking smile appeared on her face:

"Thank you for the information, you are quite entertaining, pioneer. I am willing to cooperate with you, and I look forward to meeting you in some future version."

Such a mocking smile yet uttering such cooperative words... Zhou Baiyu felt something was off. He always had the feeling that this woman was up to no good.

An Ya took a notebook out of her lab coat.

"Take this, if you're able to. Heh, I hope after reading these notes, you can still... maintain your previous momentum and talk about slaying gods and slaughtering demons."

It seemed An Ya's greatest malice, the reason the pioneers were doomed to fail... it was all in this notebook.

These were Doctor A's research notes on the pioneers, which An Ya had not finished reading. She had just read the basis for the pioneers' inevitable failure and had not continued.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have felt such a huge gap and shock from Zhou Baiyu's words.

Zhou Baiyu took the notebook, and information surfaced in his eyes.

[Item Name: Doctor A's Mischief.]

[Specialty: Enormous amount of information.]

[Introduction: A spiteful item that will plunge pioneers into brief panic. Male pioneers go silent after reading it; female pioneers shed tears. Once read, you will completely change the pioneers' view of the Advanced World.

It's worth mentioning that you should seek out more of Doctor A's Mischief; this naughty old man really did uncover some of the secrets of the gods.]

[Status: Can be mutated, but it's not necessary.]