章節 3: Chapter 3: Punishing the Succubus, But Might Die
Zhou Baiyu slumped in his chair, looking as if he had lost his soul.
The information he had collected indicated that everyone was challenging survival tasks of no more than 8 hours in versions 1.01 to 1.04, with corruption levels ranging from E to C.
Therefore, theoretically, the hardest task would be to survive for eight hours in a version 1.04 C-level corrupted area.
He had originally thought that his task would very likely not be more difficult than this.
But the reality seemed... to have a slight deviation from what he had expected:
[Version 2.21 Update Announcement: As the overall level of global corruption has increased, we have decided to add some intelligence to the monsters, making their problem-solving capabilities more closely resemble humans. This is to further reduce the possibility of human survival.
And, due to the overall increase in the level of corruption, we have decided to increase the probability of humans being affected by "plague," "natural disasters," and "corruption," thereby further reducing the human population.
Furthermore, considering that humanity might completely exit the stage of history, we have enabled succubi, who are already very close to humans, to possess higher pursuits and desires, becoming more like humans in order to replace them.]
Zhou Baiyu didn't know what status humans held between versions 1.01 and 1.04.
But in the world after version 2.0, humans obviously had it very tough.
"This update content, it looks like it doesn't give humanity any way out, like it intends to completely eradicate us..."
Below this line of small text, there was a mission prompt:
[Pioneer Trial, Difficulty: S-Class.
Trial Requirements: Survive successfully for seven days at the 5th People's Hospital of Linxiang City, which has been occupied by succubi. The hospital's corruption level is A.
Challenge Failure Penalty: The pioneer will commit suicide in a random manner in version 1.0 of the world.
Challenge Success Reward: You will join "us," along with unknown rewards related to the difficulty.]
After reading through this information, Zhou Baiyu had only one thought:
"The good news is, I'm going to punish the succubi, the bad news is, this difficulty might as well just have me commit suicide."
Complaining aside, but life must not be given up. After moping for a few dozen seconds, he slowly began to analyse the situation:
"My update notice, at the very least compared to others, is much more detailed... No, it's a lot more detailed."
"Could this be related to the difficulty?"
"Pioneer? That's quite fitting, after all, I am going to the future versions."
"It seems like, in version 2.21 of the world... monsters have already occupied the core buildings of humanity. What kind of world is that?"
"Wait a minute!"
Zhou Baiyu suddenly realized something very important.
"The essence of version updates is actually historical progression; I'm about to go into the future! Although I don't know how long between 1.01 and 1.0, it's certainly a period in the future!"
"So, if I can survive, if I go to version 2.21, does that mean..."
"In that timeline, I can learn about many major events that happened between 1.01 and 2.20?"
If he could collect information about the world in version 2.21 and then return alive to the world of version 1.0...
"Then wouldn't I become a Prophet? By using information from version 2.21, could I, through the butterfly effect, make humanity... less miserable in the future?"
To go to the new version to obtain information, and then return to version 1.0, thereafter to create a future for humanity that's less tragic...
There was a light in Zhou Baiyu's eyes, and he suddenly became excited.
But soon, his eyes dimmed again.
He realized that this was no different from planning a baby's name after a beautiful woman gives you a smile.
"Thinking too much, the likelihood of me coming back alive is essentially zero, not to mention collecting information and saving the world."
Shaking his head, Zhou Baiyu shifted his attention:
"Being successful in the challenge means joining 'us', but is this 'us' the same as the 'us' in the update announcement who make various adjustments?"
"The premise of figuring all this out... is that I still have to make it back alive."
He suddenly wanted to take a screenshot, but then thought better of it, realizing it would be meaningless.
Those who hadn't seen the countdown wouldn't believe in the so-called end of the world, in an age where everything could be faked and entertainment was to death.
After all, for the people of today who can no longer be stirred, if you tell them the next version is the end of the world, they would just say: Is that so? Well then, hurry up and bring on the destruction.
As for the skyrocketing suicide rates... Earth loses around one hundred fifty thousand people every day, and except for those who truly pay attention to the data, most would not notice.
Thus, to everyone but Zhou Baiyu, the world remains the same, and he couldn't even seek help.
Zhou Baiyu wrote everything down, and then he rebooted the computer.
He looked up at the ceiling.
After organizing the second will, he had only four hours left.
If there were only four hours left in life…
"Then I really should take up a knife and push for the next installment of 'Prophet' to benefit mankind," he said.
From the moment he returned to this room, Zhou Baiyu seemed to have lost his usual gentle and cheerful demeanor.
He closed his eyes, a smile appearing on his face.
This smile seemed no different from his usual one, but for some reason, it now looked a bit… dangerous.
His entire temperament had greatly changed.
"Living in a dangerous world, being gentle is meaningless," he muttered with his eyes closed, letting time slip away bit by bit as if he was going through some sort of "account switching" operation.
But he did not have multiple personalities, nor did he have schizophrenia or any mental illness.
Years ago, Zhou Baiyu had become a lecturer for a health product company in Linxiang City because of his talent for evoking emotions.
One of those motivational speakers who gives people a boost of energy.
Telling people about the culture of aggression, that everyone has their own purpose, and that opportunities don't wait for anyone.
Then—buying the company's health products and becoming the company's cash crop.
Those who were carried away by their emotions and impulsively bought the products ended up, many of them, with broken families and bankrupt lives.
At that time, Zhou Baiyu had not realized how terrifying his talent was.
Until one day, as he passed by the company's entrance—
There was a loud bang, and a body fell before him, mangled and bloodied.
It was an honest man, coaxed by other lecturers into spending all his money on the company's products.
Later on, the honest man's house was auctioned off, his wife ran off with someone else, and ultimately, he couldn't withstand the pressure of life…
He jumped to his death.
The man's death had nothing to do with Zhou Baiyu, as he had been brainwashed by another lecturer.
But this corpse happened to fall right in front of Zhou Baiyu.
The splashing blood dirtied his fine suit and sullied his clean face, the blurred flesh and blood shocked him profoundly.
After that day, Zhou Baiyu left the company.
He chose the wrong career in his pursuit of money and gave some people false hope.
Having witnessed the death of a life firsthand, he started to atone and bring genuine hope to those who wished to end their own lives.
But that required him to become gentle and cheerful, so Zhou Baiyu kept pretending.
Pretending for so long, he felt as if he had developed two entirely different personalities.
One was gentle as jade, like the tender male protagonist of a female-targeted game, the other flamboyant and unpredictable, never knowing what he would do next.
Now, with a life-and-death game and challenge before him, he needed to be… more "himself."
...
...
In the last few hours, Zhou Baiyu resupplied with food and water and took a brief rest, trying to be in the best possible condition.
When the countdown had only ten seconds remaining, he lay quietly on his bed.
The sideways glance indicated that he was keeping an eye on the countdown.
Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four…
Three…
Two…
One…
The room's lights were still on, but Zhou Baiyu—had disappeared.
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