Chapter 5: Mutator

"Mutate?"

Zhou Baiyu gazed at other parts.

He looked at the attendant's head and discovered that as long as he focused, corresponding content appeared.

[Item Name: Decoration growing on the neck.]

[Specialty: It's attractive, but zombies will be disappointed and leave.]

[Introduction: They are loved by succubi for their attractive heads, but their Divine Sense has been thoroughly cleansed, rendering them mere decorations. Although alive, they are not considered living beings.

That is precisely why you can use mutation on it.]

[Status: Cannot mutate (insufficient ability).]

The carriage started, moving very fast and naturally, it was extremely bumpy.

Such jolting did not affect Zhou Baiyu inside the carriage.

His thoughts lingered on the strange status bar.

"So, I can make inanimate objects mutate? I don't yet know the function of this mutation, but literally, it should cause the item to change."

"This style of description, why does it feel like some tacky game?"

The information in his eyes, and the talk of version updates, always made Zhou Baiyu feel that this apocalyptic journey was cloaked in a "game" veneer, disguising a terrifying core within.

But since it's wrapped in the gaming exterior, could there be other game elements as well?

Zhou Baiyu began to stare at his own hands, but saw no gamified descriptions.

Clearly, he could only see descriptions of things that can be mutated.

However, just when Zhou Baiyu thought he couldn't check his own "attributes," the thought flashed, and information suddenly appeared in his mind.

[Identity: Attendant.]

[Profession: Mutator.]

[Status: Corruption level 7.4.]

[Assessment: Among the many predecessors' initial identities, this is the profession with the highest death rate, but at least you can say you died handsomely.

As for your profession... well, it's the most random of the nine major professions. Let me put it another way, it's the profession with the most diverse ways to die.

I will update your introduction and assessment based on your performance anytime, though the dead don't need evaluations.]

[Personal Exclusive Traits: "Sixth Sense Player" "Orator" "Unstable Growth" "Unknown Trait" (Unknown Trait will unlock when the corruption level reaches 100.)]

Well, that was a bit of sarcasm.

Zhou Baiyu's current thought was—"Skills were all allocated to looks, but I transversed into a world where good-looking people get eaten".

But he was not discouraged.

"These exclusive traits should be my initial abilities. Maybe they are key to breaking out."

"As for the corruption level... I'm not familiar with this concept yet."

Zhou Baiyu also had another initial ability—mutation.

He actually really wanted to try mutating that giant carrot; the urge was quite strong.

But at this moment, he must be cautious, as there were many things he had not figured out yet. For example, what exactly is a deviation value.

Like whether there's a limit to the number of times he can mutate, or if there will be things like "mana consumption" involved.

Or if it would cause a big commotion, alerting the guards outside the carriage.

If this is a life-saving divine technique, then he must use it cautiously.

However... with a 99% deviation rate, it seemed that this skill was highly unreliable.

Slowly digesting various messages, Zhou Baiyu closed his eyes and began to plan his next moves.

...

...

Eerie plant roots twined around buildings, black vines added an eerie desolation to these edifices.

The ground was cracked, and occasionally, strange white bones would emerge from it.

It was as if a monster the size of a city was buried underneath, its bones piercing the surface.

Every building's facade had strange tentacles gently wriggling, covered in crimson eyes.

The eyes occasionally opened and closed.

Once an area's corruption level reached a certain point, a certain sense of silence and aberration would appear.

And when the corruption level reached above B, it would breed some bizarre entities.

They enveloped these huge human constructions as if they were part of the buildings themselves.

After a two-hour-long ride, Zhou Baiyu finally arrived at the city taken over by monsters.

He sat in the carriage, marvelling at the changes to the city.

Of course, he couldn't see the sights outside, but occasionally the wind would cause the curtains to flutter, and through the waving ribbons, he caught fleeting glimpses of the world outside the carriage.

This city still retained faint traces of its past days, but more prevalent were feelings of unfamiliarity and fear.

After an unspecified duration... Zhou Baiyu heard the sound of a bell.

It was like an ancient bell used to drive away animals, clanging steadily.

This meant that the destination had been reached.

Inside the carriage, three men suddenly opened their eyes. Their gazes still appeared blank, yet they slowly began to move.

The bell sound was another means of controlling the attendants, besides the succubi.

But this so-called awakening was merely a transition from a state of feigned death to one of hypnosis.

The one ringing the bell, a third-class beast, then said:

"Move."

The carriage curtains were drawn back. From the eighth carriage, four handsome men, completely naked, lined up and walked down.

Zhou Baiyu was not nervous, since this body seemed capable of perfectly executing various movements.

Flexibility, muscle endurance, strength, core—all were impeccable.

Thus, imitating the three attendants, he did so effortlessly.

His mind became even more serene, his expression unchanging just like the other three attendants.

And through his nostrils, he could already smell some rotting stench.

This vast Fifth People's Hospital of Linxiang City was like a hellish slaughterhouse.

The instant he approached the hospital building… Zhou Baiyu felt exceedingly greedy eyes from the windows.

Teasing laughter filled with innuendo rang out.

Even just a quick glance allowed Zhou Baiyu to see the succubi's exaggerated figures that existed only in comics.

They pressed against the glass, twisting their bodies, their eyes fiercely fixed on the incoming humans.

This scene was definitely what countless otakus fantasized about when being thrust into the anime world by a dump truck.

But Zhou Baiyu felt no thrill at all.

After all, these women had snake-like tails and horrifying horns on their heads.

Especially in the courtyard of the hospital department, hung full of shriveled—corpses.

These dead people, hanging there as if dried salted fish, reminded him of the succubi's twisted sense of humor.

Densely packed, all strung up on ropes, swaying with the wind.

Walking with a wooden step among the hanging corpses, Zhou Baiyu caught glimpses of wounds and mutilation on some of the mummies, learning much about the succubi's evil predilections.

[Item name: Love Swinging in the Wind.]

[Skill: Has a certain intimidating effect.]

[Description: Some of these guys, like you, were conscripted here, or they overestimated themselves by choosing this version of the world but failed the challenge, remaining here forever.

Do not mind why they are hung outside; to the succubi, it is an expression of love, hence these corpses can be called Love Swinging in the Wind. Do you desire love?]

[Condition: Mutatable, with a variance rate of ninety-nine percent. Mutate?]

Obviously, he couldn't love.

Seeing such a horrifying scene yet remaining as calm as the other attendants truly showed his bravery.

"Choosing this version without knowing one's own strength… does it mean, choosing which version you can actively decide?"

Digesting the information in the description, he forcibly maintained his composure, following behind the attendants.

The ringing had ceased at some unknown time, and Zhou Baiyu along with other attendants, walked into the hospital building occupied by the succubi.

The interior of the building had been completely transformed.

He had just stepped inside when several attendants, guided by human beasts, began to disperse everywhere.

During this process, both third-class beasts and succubi of various ranks interacted.

The humans were exceedingly humble, like the most loyal servants.

Soon, inside the staircase, only the last three attendants remained, along with the human guide.

Originally, Zhou Baiyu thought… he and the other three attendants would be given to several different succubi.

But he underestimated the Matthew effect after the monster infighting.

As the highest quality, top tier offerings, Zhou Baiyu and the other three attendants were all exclusively for the succubi leader on the seventh floor.

Hospital building, seventh floor.

Entering this level, Zhou Baiyu distinctly felt, this level was different from the others.

Purple crystals were embedded in the walls on both sides of the corridor, reflecting the beautiful profiles of the four attendants, completely obscuring any resemblance to a hospital.

The succubi seemed to naturally love shiny ornaments.

The entire hallway was dazzlingly brilliant, aside from some natural minerals, there were also some corrupted beings' beloved eerie Crystal Stones.

Zhou Baiyu stepped on the carpet, looking around at the Crystal Stones emitting cold blue gem light, his nostrils filled with the rich fragrance unique to demonic plants…

Just as Zhou Baiyu was following the other three attendants, about to reach the end—

The room at the end, its lavish door suddenly opened.

It was the room of the succubi leader, the door revealing a murderous intent that made Zhou Baiyu's hair stand on end.