Scummy Alpha CEO Keeps Courting Death [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 105

Lu Xibie’s arm turned into a vine, chasing after Tan Ruijing. The vine drilled into the cave.

Tan Ruijing had already transformed into a Datura flower stem and was fleeing underground. The ground showed irregular bulges extending outward.

When enveloped by the pale pink light, Tan Ruijing did not perceive danger, but felt a vague resistance, always sensing she would lose something.

Dan Ruojing, only a hair’s breadth from SSS-class, was faster. Lu Xibie was gradually left behind.

Chu Liruo: “Come back.”

Compared to chasing Dan Ruojing, purifying the mutated organisms here was more important.

The white vine emerged from the ground, its stem transforming into a human figure beside Chu Liruo.

Pale blue light wings appeared behind Chu Liruo. She pulled Lu Xibie up, and the pale pink mist light sprinkled evenly over the joint city.

A green stem was heaved out of the soil, sprawling and winding its way up. At the top, the stem branches shifted, revealing Tan Ruijing’s face. She peered toward the joint city’s location. At this moment, Lu Xibie and Chu Liruo stood above the thin clouds, with the pale pink light barrier covering the entire city.

“What ability is that?” Tan Ruijing recalled Lu Xibie’s suspected time-stopping ability. If she had used it just now, she would have easily caught up.

The one following her underground was a white vine. Had Lu Xibie also mutated?

But that pale pink light…

The mutated organisms illuminated by it seemed to be returning to an original, unmutated state.

Tan Ruijing took a deep look at the joint city and turned to head for the Mingling Joint City. Her failure to strip Chu Liruo of her ability made her wary, and she decided to plan for the long term.

The organisms within the joint city were continuously being sent to Zhigu Military Academy. Xiao Youqing formed a seal with both hands, and water poured into Wangyan Lake through the gaps. There were more aquatic creatures than expected; the original water volume was simply not enough. After several trips, the aquatic creatures in Wangyan Lake were shoulder-to-shoulder, pushing each other. This forced Di Mengzhu to contact the principals of other military academies for help during the transmission intervals.

“What? You want to release mutated organisms into our military academy?”

“Unmutated mutated organisms? Where are there unmutated mutated organisms now? Wait, I’m going to report your actions to the Federal Command Center to check if there is an unknown virus invading your optical brain!”

“Principal Di, the front lines are tense, and you must know about Tan Ruijing’s defection. What kind of joke is this?!”

After several cold shoulders, the other party hung up before Di Mengzhu could show them what unmutated organisms looked like.

[Call from the Federal Command Center.]

Just a few minutes later, the optical brain vibrated violently.

Purple light flickered above the optical brain.

[The Federal Command Center is currently checking your optical brain. Please do not operate it.]

[Please connect the communication.]

Half an hour later, a notice was sent to all major military academies.

[Federal Command Center: All military academies are to contact Principal Di Mengzhu of Zhigu Military Academy and successively accept the organisms she brings in. Precautions have been sent. Please view them yourselves…]

“The long-necked antelope is pressing against me, it’s close to me! Ahhh, the fur is so soft!”

“So this is what unmutated organisms are like?”

“What in the world did the Yejian family do?!”

“In that case, won’t we no longer have to fight the mutated organisms to the death?!”

“The soldiers of the major legions won’t have to shed blood and sacrifice either.”

…

Opening the Star Network, a new item appeared in the center of the interface that had been dominated by Tan Ruijing for days.

“Chu Liruo and Lu Xibie have reclaimed the Wuqi Joint City. The city is being rebuilt and is expected to accept residents in three days.”

This news seemed unremarkable but caused an uproar.

Since the conflict between mutated organisms and humans began, joint cities occupied by mutated organisms would be quickly destroyed, with the land and water sources all polluted. Even if recovered, it was difficult for them to become human habitats again.

Every city the Federation lost meant one less resting area for humans.

In recent years, the human activity area has been constantly shrinking. This news means that a method has been found to repair joint cities that have been occupied by mutated organisms. This is the first time since the Yejian disaster.

“Can accept residents? Did the mutated organisms not destroy the area?”

“Could it be the effect of Chu Liruo’s healing ability?”

“Why is there no holographic image…”

…

Amidst a flurry of bad news on the optical brain, this was genuinely good news.

The Federation performed a shielding process on the optical brains of the defected mutated beings, preventing them from accessing the Star Network. However, there were those within the mutated beings who were skilled with optical brains.

“It’s done.”

Tan Ruijing looked down at the message, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Being able to accept residents means that the contamination of Wuqi Joint City has been entirely resolved, and the protective shield has been restored over the joint city. It is… the power of purification?

She knew why the light felt subtly strange when it shone on her.

All of her abilities originated from mutated organisms; being unmutated is equivalent to losing her power.

Dan Ruojing: “Go and investigate what is in the Ruiwan Sea.”

“Yes!”

Feathers rustled in the air, and a grey shadow quickly flew away.

“Xinyi Joint City, Ailian Joint City, Xiyou Joint City have been recovered and will receive residents in the future…”

To find out where Lu Xibie’s ability came from, Tan Ruijing personally went to the Ruiwan Sea after her subordinates found nothing. She stood above the black sea. The churning black waves had a pungent, fishy odor, but she revealed a wide, tusked smile.

Murky yellow raindrops beat against the sea surface, and the waves turned over. Tusks pierced the lower jaw of a mutated arapaima. Tan Ruijing violently tore off the gill cover from behind, sucked the white brain into her mouth, licked her lips contentedly, and pulled out the spiritual core with her right hand to absorb energy.

After eating, the red-purple threads in her eyes became more prominent. The fishy smell she caught made her involuntarily forget why she came here. She grabbed a mutated red lionfish swimming nearby and chewed it. Bright blue blood bled into the sea and instantly turned black.

Tan Ruijing slowed her pace in occupying the joint cities, but the battle between humans and mutated organisms continued. Humans were dying in this war every moment. Lu Xibie and Chu Liruo accelerated their purification of the joint cities. In a short period, over a dozen joint cities were recovered without a fight. These joint cities originally contained many spiritual cores. After absorbing these spiritual cores, the energy within Lu Xibie’s body continuously accumulated and nourished her, boosting her strength to the peak of SS-class.

A spiritual core shattered into several pieces in Lu Xibie’s palm. Several white vines behind her burst out like scattered flowers, pushing Lu Xibie up.

Chu Liruo reached out to steady Lu Xibie: “Are you close to your limit?”

“Mhm.” Lu Xibie nodded, closing her eyes to channel the energy within her. Suddenly, her vision emptied as if she could see inside herself. The orange nucleus in her abdomen swelled red, looking like it was about to burst.

Since she was born from a white vine, it was difficult to define whether she belonged to a human or a plant. She was called human, but she had no core condensing in her chest. Defined as a creature with skills, she lacked a spiritual core. The small core in her abdomen, formed by energy, was smooth on the surface, seemingly without substance. This state felt very unfamiliar to her.

The energy was repeatedly depleted and replenished in a short period, repeatedly pushing Lu Xibie’s strength to ascend. Unlike the usual satisfaction of a breakthrough, her abdomen felt like a branding iron was pressing inside her, making it difficult for her to maintain her human form as vines scattered in all directions.

She recalled the records in books: creatures endure more pain than humans when breaking through a level.

The bloating pain in her abdomen caused the veins in her temples to bulge. Her eyes were tightly shut, trying her best to stop the small core in her abdomen from collapsing. The unfamiliar feeling of the breakthrough made her feel estranged.

Chu Liruo’s hand rested on Lu Xibie’s shoulder, and warm light emanated from her palm.

What is that?

Her abdomen felt a sharp contraction, and her sight was involuntarily drawn outside—

A mutated Satan leaf-tailed crocodile slammed Chai Yunfeng to the ground with its tail. Mutated Tiger’s Paw Mushrooms bounced and leapt into the mouths of the Group Army soldiers. Hyphae instantly pierced their tongues and attached to their throats, extending downward to cling to their organs. Their faces visibly became ugly.

“Are you okay?” A comrade beside her grabbed her arm, but as they asked, their face unnaturally contorted, and the corners of their mouth twitched. The special uniform peeled off like a snake shedding skin. A snake’s head poked out of the questioner’s mouth, opening its bloody maw to bite her.

“Ahhh!” A scream pierced the sky.

Lu Xibie shuddered and regained her composure. That scene must have been real.

It was likely even happening right now.

Lu Xibie reached out, and a spiritual core jumped into her palm. She no longer cared about the strangeness in her abdomen, and spiritual cores consecutively shattered in her hand.

All military academies, except for the faculty and students left behind to guard, had gone to the battlefield. Although they had reclaimed many joint cities these days, joint cities were still falling under the attack of mutated organisms. What she had just seen was a microcosm of that.

The discomfort in her abdomen intensified. Lu Xibie could barely control the small core on the brink of collapse. It spun rapidly, gradually deviating from its original position and rubbing against other areas.

“Boom!”

A loud sound reverberated within her body. Lu Xibie opened her eyes, and pink light drifted out of them like mist.

She exhaled. The small core in her abdomen was completely gone, but energy surged into her body like a river. Her body seemed to have become a natural vessel for energy.

“Did you break through?” Chu Liruo asked.

Lu Xibie nodded in affirmation.

Chu Liruo: “So, what is the way to save the world?”

“What if it makes you lose your ability?” Lu Xibie asked. She pressed her index and middle fingers together, drawing out a strand of consciousness and letting it float toward Chu Liruo.

A pale blue light screen appeared before Lu Xibie’s eyes.

[Plot Point 21 begins: Save the world with Chu Liruo. Reward: 100,000 evolution points.]

This was the final plot point. After receiving the evolution points and exchanging them for the last bottle of clearing agent, “Lu Xibie” would completely vanish from her mind.

The vision replayed in Chu Liruo’s mind. She opened her eyes and said firmly, “I’m willing.”

The abilities she acquired were all meant to protect herself and others. If the world returned to the state before the contamination, where humans and organisms coexisted harmoniously, then these abilities could definitely be relinquished.

Chu Liruo held Lu Xibie’s hand, interlacing their fingers. Pale pink light and warm light intertwined, and their bodies naturally rose, climbing like a pillar reaching for the sky.

The phenomenon attracted Tan Ruijing’s attention. She crawled out of the Ruiwan Sea and followed the direction of the pillar of light.

“Purify!”

“Heal!”

The clasped hands of Chu Liruo and Lu Xibie erupted with an astonishing light wave, radiating across the entire Everlasting Sun Star like a world-shattering event.

The overflowing energy was slowly disappearing from their bodies. Their suspended bodies were also gradually descending, and the abilities they possessed vanished like silk being spun.

“Are you scared?” Lu Xibie looked at Chu Liruo, who smiled back: “No.”

“What is that?”

“Huh?”

“Where is my ability?”

“What is this?”

A mutated being stared blankly at the poisonous dart frog falling from its body, feeling its body up and down.

The soldiers, who had been nervous and on edge, were surprised to find that the blood-red color in the eyes of the mutated organisms they had been guarding against was receding. Their fangs retracted, returning to their state before the Yejian disaster.

The murky air became clear again, and the seawater looked as if it had been strained by a giant net, presenting a natural azure.

Tan Ruijing tumbled on the ground, dodging the purifying and healing light, yet she could still feel her power gradually fading. Box jellyfish squeezed out of her skin, and a Datura flower dropped from her shoulder.

A shadow fell across her face. She glanced up, and the scene that had appeared in her illusion finally materialized before her—

Lu Xibie and Chu Liruo stood, looking down at her.

A soldier restrained her from behind, pressing her toward the battleship.

“Contamination mysteriously vanishes. The Federal Central Biological Research Institute is exploring the cause…”

“Mutated beings’ abilities disappear. Combined with mutated organisms no longer mutating, they separate from the mutated beings. Gifted ability users in many places report a downward trend in their abilities.”

“Ruiwan Sea turns blue. Data feedback from the Federal Central Institute indicates that contamination is approaching zero.”

“According to monitoring, the environment outside the protective shield has returned to the same state as before the contamination. Humans can normally move outside, to be announced after verification.”

…

Lu Xibie twisted the cap off the bottle, and the clear cleaning agent slid down her throat into her abdomen. The voice of “Lu Xibie” faded until it was gone.

“Is this the last bottle?” Chu Liruo asked.

Tan Ruijing froze mid-air. Her eyeballs could move, but her body was completely still. She looked around. The soldiers were frozen in place, but Chu Liruo could still talk to Lu Xibie.

She was no longer the protagonist in Omega’s Evolution Path.

Lu Xibie reached out and embraced Chu Liruo: “It is.”

The stagnant air began to flow around her ears again. She saw all things growing, new sprouts emerging from the barren land. A gentle drizzle sprinkled down from the sky. The fragrance of the soil filled the air. After the rain, the sky cleared, and soft sunlight evenly draped a new cloak over her.

Everything came alive.

Energy slowly left her body, merging into nature. The power of purification disappeared after purifying the world. Gifted ability users were ultimately only slightly better in physique than ordinary people.

“It’s been a month now. Let’s go see Auntie,” Chu Liruo whispered. Before Lu Xibie could react, the face of Rong Qianqin appeared before her eyes.

“Xibie, you really came to see me.” Rong Qianqin felt around Lu Xibie with her hands: “I can touch you. How can this dream be so real?”

Lu Xibie proactively leaned her face into Rong Qianqin’s palm: “Feel again.”

Watching Lu Xibie and Rong Qianqin’s intimate interaction, Chu Liruo stepped back, smiling involuntarily. When they returned, she would also ask Lu Xibie to go home with her. Huanyume City had many delicious and fun places worth visiting.

Since entering Zhigu Military Academy, she had virtually no time to relax. Now, she should.

The Federal Command Center, the Federal Central Institute… and other major institutions on the Everlasting Sun Star were conducting vigorous research on the cause of the world’s change. The news on all major interfaces of the Star Network showed a scene of flourishing prosperity. As the problem-solvers who resolved all this, they were already in the levitating car heading to Huanyume City.

Lu Xibie: “You can still use energy?”

“Yes, but I only have the Nightmare ability left,” Chu Liruo replied: “You can see Auntie once a month. Are you happy?”

“Mhm.” Lu Xibie nodded.

Since seeing Lu Xibie again in her dreams, Rong Qianqin changed her previous dispiritedness. She started exercising with the staff in the courtyard, climbing high, looking far, increasing her appetite, and her complexion visibly improved day by day.

“Oh, Old Rong has been glowing these days!”

Chen Rong chewed her food and shook her head: “Don’t even mention it. She talks about seeing Xibie in her dreams every day.”

Rong Qianqin: “Isn’t my silk scarf pretty? The clerk said this color is trendy now, snow-cyan. I’ll show it to Xibie later.”

Chen Rong swallowed a mouthful of yuxiangrousi (fish-fragrant shredded pork): “It’s pretty, but you can’t take it into the dream.”

“Why not?” Rong Qianqin raised an eyebrow, gathering the silk scarf with both hands: “Too lazy to argue with you. You just tell me if it’s pretty or not!”

“Pretty, pretty!”

“It’s extremely pretty!”

“Honestly, this little old lady is being vain now.”

…

“Old Rong’s sleep has also been good recently, like a different person.”

“Exactly. Before, no matter how much we persuaded her, she wouldn’t budge, completely focused on the courtyard. Now she’s starting to pay attention to her own health.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Rong Qianqin pulled open the door.

“Saying good things about you. Your lifestyle is great recently. Keep it up.”

“Of course. I need to live longer, live a long time. That way, I can see Xibie more often.” Rong Qianqin unscrewed the lid of her thermos and took a sip of red date and wolfberry water.

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