The Succubus’s Demise and a Partner’s Evolution

The Eye of Love Detection conducted its inaugural scan on a human.

“As expected, this shoddy system does have its uses; it’s surprisingly accurate.”

Lin Ran grumbled internally, then drew the fruit knife he had concealed in his pants pocket.

“Lin… Lin Ran, why are you pulling out a knife…?”

The instant Xia Li’s gaze fell upon the fruit knife, a profound terror seized her features.

She gazed at Lin Ran with a piteous, vulnerable expression, her eyes welling up and tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

“Is it because I just killed your slime? I apologize… I truly understand my mistake… Please, don’t do anything to me, I beg you.”

“Zhang Wei wasn’t killed by me… no… it was the slimes, the slimes killed him, that’s why I despised them so much. But now I understand, they’re your companions, aren’t they?”

“Don’t kill me… don’t kill me…”

Her desperate, pleading sobs sounded more genuine than the performance of any acclaimed actress.

Lin Ran found himself unable to discern if her tears were truly authentic.

Her lightly made-up face, with its cosmetics slightly disheveled by the stream of tears, now possessed an unexpected, fragile beauty.

Truly, it was the face that had been crowned campus beauty for two consecutive years, wielding a fatal allure over any man.

Witnessing this scene, Lin Ran’s heart seized with an uncontrollable pang of agony, and his murderous intent was once again forcibly diminished.

Alas, he knew she was a succubus, and this was merely one of her unique abilities.

Yet, he had not forgotten the gruesome demise of the slimes, nor the horrific death of Zhang Wei.

What was even more regrettable, however, was that he caught sight of Xia Li’s hand, concealed behind her back, clutching a fruit knife.

“If a slime could somehow stab a blood-gushing hole into a neck, then I’d truly be eager to witness such a sight.”

Lin Ran pinched his temples, strenuously compelling himself to regain composure, thereby mitigating some of the succubus’s alluring effect.

Raising his fruit knife once more, he braced himself for battle.

Realizing her feigned vulnerability was futile, Xia Li sighed with a hint of resignation.

“How utterly dull. Senior, couldn’t you have just played along a little? I’m so beautiful; couldn’t you have shown a bit of tender regard for my charms? Hmph!!”

Uttering these words with disarming nonchalance, she, too, produced the fruit knife she had been hiding behind her back.

On one side stood an adult male, 1.85 meters tall, his physique enhanced by the system, boasting a modest musculature.

On the other, a seemingly frail girl, 1.58 meters tall, with slender limbs.

Both wielded fruit knives, yet their respective strengths appeared to exist on entirely different planes.

And yet—

“Swoosh!”

A sound of air being sliced rang out, and Lin Ran barely registered her movement; he only perceived a sudden shadow cast beneath him, realizing she had already closed the distance.

‘So incredibly fast!’

‘Was this the true physical prowess of a succubus!’

He instinctively took a step back, but it was insufficient to evade her, and a gash appeared on his face.

He swiftly delivered a powerful kick, yet Xia Li merely recoiled half a step, landing gracefully in her original spot, completely untouched by the blow.

Observing Lin Ran’s capacity to retaliate, Xia Li regarded him with growing interest.

“Senior, you could have relied on me a little more. I didn’t even realize I was so powerful; I dispatched Zhang Wei in just a couple of moves.”

“That man, I don’t know what was wrong with him. Even when the slimes appeared, he didn’t spare them a glance, just lunged at me like some rutting monkey. I had no choice but to kill him; I’ve never encountered such a repulsive (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘xiàtóu,’ referring to someone who is a complete turn-off or disgusting) man.”

“Senior is truly remarkable~”

Her voice drawn out languidly, she held her fruit knife, her gaze upon Lin Ran so intense it felt as though it could ‘draw silk’ (TL Note: A vivid Chinese expression describing an intense, longing, or seductive gaze, often implying a strong attraction or desire).

If she claimed to like him, Lin Ran might actually believe it.

At the very least, it was the kind of ‘liking’ that would make him the first person she considered when seeking a scapegoat (TL Note: ‘Jiepanxia,’ literally ‘receiver of the plate,’ refers to someone who takes over a bad situation or burden from another, often implying being a patsy or a rebound).

Such a woman, he resolved, would never remain by his side.

Her propensity for harming slimes, her murder of Zhang Wei, and her unpredictable abilities all exuded an undeniable sense of peril.

Combined with her utterly dreadful personality, Lin Ran would under no circumstances accept her.

Grasping Lin Ran’s unspoken meaning from his gaze, Xia Li let out another helpless sigh.

“Ah, well—as expected, Senior still refuses me. It was just like this when I pursued you before.”

“Senior is so intelligent, and your strength is immeasurably greater than that shut-in’s. Moreover, those slimes, for reasons unknown, have been tamed by you.”

“If Senior doesn’t accept me, then you’ll certainly become a significant hidden threat in the future—”

Xia Li’s eyes, fixed on Lin Ran, sharpened with sudden intensity.

“In that case, I’ll simply have to… eliminate Senior first, to prevent any future complications.”

Before her words had fully faded, her figure shot forth like an arrow.

This time, however, Lin Ran was prepared!

His already commendable physical attributes, augmented by the system’s additional 10% bonus, enabled him to react just in time to her assault!

Leaning left to evade the strike, he simultaneously unleashed a punch that landed squarely on Xia Li’s shoulder.

Bolstered by his amplified strength, Lin Ran actually sent her flying directly onto the restroom’s vanity.

Naturally, such minor damage was inconsequential to a succubus.

The scrapes on her body healed with astonishing speed, and she merely popped a broken finger back into its proper alignment.

“Senior, you’ve hurt me~”

Xia Li, propping herself up on the vanity, spoke in a tone laced with feigned娇嗔 (TL Note: A Chinese term referring to a woman’s coquettish, endearing, or petulant charm, often used playfully to express dissatisfaction or affection).

Clearly, this was her way of indicating that she still possessed ample reserves of strength.

Lin Ran, however, merely felt a wave of goosebumps crawl over him, finding it utterly repulsive.

He had already surmised that a one-on-one confrontation with the succubus was unwinnable for him.

Yet—

He was not alone.

Lin Ran had deliberately aimed to strike her onto the vanity, and for good reason.

Just as Xia Li slowly rose, stretched languidly, and assumed an offensive posture.

“Lim, execute my command!”

Lin Ran’s loud shout sent Xia Li immediately glancing about with extreme vigilance, unsure from where the slimes would materialize.

She was afraid.

It wasn’t the slimes’ combat prowess she feared, a fact evident from Zhang Wei’s silent demise and her own subsequent shriek.

She harbored a visceral fear of slimes, much like others might dread caterpillars, spiders, or cockroaches.

With the apocalypse having begun only hours ago, an ordinary girl could not possibly have evolved to instantly defy her instincts and engage slimes in combat.

Thus, her earlier shriek.

And thus, her current expression of utter dread.

Yet, after a considerable moment, the surroundings remained eerily silent, and she could not spot a single slime.

“There were so many when I first entered! Where have they gone?!”

Xia Li, growing agitated, demanded loudly.

Against humans, she possessed unwavering confidence, aware of her current, astonishing strength.

But those disgusting, squirming, slimy, wet things—she didn’t even want to lay a finger on them!!

Her attacks thus far had been merely probing, and this was precisely the reason why.

She was consumed by the worry that those slimes might suddenly emerge from any direction.

“Gurgle—”

It was a sound akin to bubbles rising to the surface of water.

Following the direction of the sound, Xia Li lifted her head in abject terror.

Dozens… no, hundreds of slimes were oozing out from the cracks in the ceiling!

The very instant Xia Li’s awareness registered their presence, they began to rain down from above.

“Squish!”

“Squish!”

The slimes landed in quick succession.

Some slimes moved to open the faucets, others adhered themselves to Xia Li’s body, while the majority simply assaulted her with impacts, striving to inflict even the slightest damage.

Yet, the most critical player was Lim.

While Xia Li was entangled by countless of her brethren, her vision obscured, her limbs flailing wildly, and she plunged into a state of disarray.

Lim surged onto the fruit knife, enveloping the entire blade with her own body.

Then, within her gelatinous form, she began to generate a potent, corrosive digestive fluid—

Hiss—

A torrent of bubbles rapidly erupted from within.

By the time Xia Li felt the sudden lightness in her hand and glanced down, the fruit knife had been reduced to nothing but its hilt.

“You wretched water blob! What have you done?!”

“Revolting! Utterly disgusting! Get away from me, now!”

Deprived of her knife and entirely coated in viscous slime, Xia Li’s profound revulsion had already caused her to almost completely forget Lin Ran’s presence.

She could only lash out at the slimes, stomping with her feet, smashing with her fists, and even attempting to crush them by sitting down.

Had they been ordinary slimes, as unguarded as that flower-picking slime, she might indeed have eliminated a considerable number.

But—

This was a slime collective, commanded by Lim, organized, disciplined, and operating within a water-rich environment!

When struck, they would go limp, contract their bodies, and actively evade.

Without a fruit knife to puncture their surfaces, and with her body ensnared by slime, Xia Li’s punches became soft and ineffective, utterly incapable of breaching their defenses.

Even if they were momentarily shattered, they would be replenished by water and the viscous bodies of their brethren, thus avoiding fatal injuries.

She had been utterly neutralized.

At this rate, her demise was merely a matter of time.

“To be corroded to death by slimes is a rather agonizing fate. Given that we’ve had a brief acquaintance, I shall grant you a swift release.”

Her skin was relentlessly corroding, and the tactile sensation of the slime caused her to retch uncontrollably.

Lin Ran’s approach ignited a faint spark of hope in her eyes.

“Lin Ran, save me now!”

“What do you desire? My combat prowess? My apology? My very body!”

“I can do anything for you, I won’t ever again—”

Before she could utter another word, her throat was pierced through by the fruit knife.

Just as she had killed Zhang Wei.

Blood flowed freely, and her body temperature ebbed away with her life.

The ordeal was over.

Confronting the corpse, Lim once more extended her mimetic tentacles, posing the same question—

“Can this be eaten?”

This time, however, Lin Ran did not deny her.

He was quite weary, having thoroughly explored this dormitory, and was ready to return.

Just then, the system’s notification chimed.

[Ding! With a couple’s united heart, even metal can be broken! You and Lim have cooperated to resolve a major problem!]

[System Tip: Relying on each other in a relationship can also increase affection!]

[Affection +5! Current Affection: 75 (Like)]

[Gained Casanova Level Experience * 50!]

[Affection has reached 75, releasing strategy quest — “Reliable Partner”]

[A reliable partner naturally needs mutual support to grow stronger together]

[Quest Goal: Affection reaches 95, and Lim’s physical attributes approach 70% of the host’s (current 20%)]

[Quest Reward: Obtain Class]

‘A Class?!’

Lin Ran, who had felt utterly exhausted moments ago, instantly perked up at the sight of this word.

His fatigue was immediately washed away by surprise, as if nothing had happened.

There was no helping it; as an old bookworm and a hardcore gamer, he understood and loved this concept immensely.

‘It’s like Warrior, Mage, Priest, Summoner, Assassin, Necromancer, and so on, right?’

‘Now this is what the apocalypse should be like!’

‘It’s the apocalypse; the system can’t possibly assign him classes like [Delivery Driver], [Clerk], or [Salesperson] again, can it?’

‘It… couldn’t, right…?’

Moreover, at this rate, reaching 95 affection was merely a matter of time.

The only troublesome aspect was Lim’s strength.

Lin Ran rested his chin in his hand, falling into contemplation.

‘She’s just a slime. Even if she can level up and evolve, for her physical attributes to reach 70% of mine will likely take a considerable amount of time.’

‘By the time I acquire a class then, I might already have been devoured by some monster, returning to the cycle of nature.’

‘And this idiotic system, does it really determine strength based on physical attributes?’

‘This assessment standard is too hardcore; the system must be a muscle fetishist, right?’

‘Doesn’t it leave any chances for delicate, young, slender, soft, and cute characters?’

Just as he was grumbling, the system’s notification chimed once more.

[Ding—Congratulations, Host! Lim’s physical attributes have successfully reached 70% of yours! Quest completion 1/2]

[Please achieve the affection quest as soon as possible to claim your reward~]

‘What?’

Lin Ran’s mind stalled for a moment.

‘Wasn’t it 20% just now?’

‘It hasn’t even been a minute; how is it 70% already?’

‘What, did my complaining complete the quest?’

‘Is this system actually the [Strongest Complaint System: I Get Stronger by Complaining] in disguise?’

Lin Ran instinctively looked towards Lim.

It was then that he noticed something unusual.

After he had stabbed Xia Li, Lim had been stained red with her blood.

Now, however, that redness was fading at a visible rate.

No, not fading.

It was being absorbed, being digested!

In some stories or game settings, slimes seem to possess a special ability… mimicry and shapeshifting.

And the trigger condition for shapeshifting is usually the consumption of the corresponding creature.

‘Could it be that because she ate Xia Li, the slimes are really going to change…?’

‘Hmm… shouldn’t I say, ‘Transform for me!’ here…? ‘

As this thought surfaced, reality provided him with the answer.

Lim’s gelatinous body began to undulate, no longer maintaining a stable spherical shape.

Its outline started to stretch and extend, as if a pair of hands were molding clay, attempting to sculpt her into some form.

Gradually, a vague, small human silhouette slowly began to take shape.

…