Chapter 35: Corinne Joyce, Substitute Puppet

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Corinne Joyce, Substitute Puppet

Ronald Lynn fell silent at Justin Brooks’s words.

He remembered what Jen looked like when he returned yesterday.

The most cheerful member of their team now couldn’t sleep through the night. He would reflexively draw his gun at any unusual sound, and three fingers on his left hand bore the permanent scars of a monster’s bite...

"The higher-ups didn’t send us to find Players just to arrest them."

Justin Brooks’s voice sounded especially heavy over the rain. "It’s to gather all the strength we can before the true apocalypse arrives, to face this so-called apocalyptic era."

...

Seraphina Sullivan watched their figures disappear into the curtain of rain, only then did she fully relax.

She took the supplies out of her Space again, methodically putting everything back in its place.

The rain outside continued to fall, and its pitter-patter made the room feel exceptionally quiet, inexplicably stirring a touch of sadness in her.

’This is no time to get sentimental.’ Seraphina Sullivan patted her cheeks, psyching herself up. ’I have to survive in the real world, and I need to have an easier time in the instances!’

Taking a deep breath, Seraphina Sullivan opened her laptop and began typing furiously.

The blue light from the screen illuminated her focused expression.

’The internet isn’t down yet, I have to hurry up and learn!’ She quickly created a folder named "Survival Guide" and began frantically downloading various materials:

The Complete Guide to Firearm Use and Maintenance

Illustrated Close-Quarters Combat Techniques

The Encyclopedia of Wilderness Survival

The Practical Handbook of Emergency Medicine

Methods for Making Simple Traps

After downloading each file, she immediately backed it up to an external hard drive and also saved a copy in her Space.

Her fingers danced across the keyboard, her eyes shining with concentration.

’Having weapons is useless if I don’t know how to use them.’ She clicked open a military instructional video, taking notes as she watched. She had to learn how to use the weapons she’d gotten from Nicholas Jensen, which were stored in her Space.

’Recoil control, aiming stance, clearing malfunctions... I have to master all of this.’

As the rain grew heavier, she also downloaded a few guides on responding to storms and floods.

After organizing the data on her computer, Seraphina Sullivan geared up and prepared to go out for supplies.

She put on a plain black raincoat she had made during the Parasite Apocalypse instance using her Tailor skill. Despite its ordinary appearance, the raincoat was powerful enough to withstand even acid rain.

However, when she arrived at the supermarket, the scene before her made her freeze.

An ID scanner had been installed at the supermarket entrance; every customer had to scan their ID to get in.

The items on the shelves were all marked with "limit one per person" tags, and uniformed staff stood by the cash registers, supervising closely.

"Food purchases are rationed, one inflatable boat per household..." a clerk repeated the regulations mechanically, his eyes warily sizing up every customer.

Seraphina Sullivan instantly understood why Justin Brooks had used that strange device to record her ID information that morning.

’So it was to monitor people’s purchasing records. And perhaps they have other intentions as well.’

This way, whenever anyone wanted to buy something, they would be flagged and prevented from buying too much.

Of course, the authorities probably just didn’t want people hoarding supplies and causing unnecessary chaos.

She pretended to be an ordinary shopper, only picking up daily necessities within the purchase limits.

While waiting in line to pay, she overheard two housewives in front of her whispering:

"Did you hear? Some rich kid tried to hoard supplies and wouldn’t let anyone else buy a thing..."

"My nephew said his department has already arrested several people for jacking up prices."

"Tsk, tsk. The apocalypse isn’t even here yet, and people are already causing trouble..."

Seraphina Sullivan kept her head down.

She discreetly scanned the supermarket’s security camera layout from the corner of her eye. At least three new cameras had been installed, and the number of guards had doubled.

As she left the supermarket, she noticed several unmarked black vans in the parking lot with heavily tinted windows.

A man in plain clothes was holding a tablet, checking it against a list of the customers coming and going.

Seraphina Sullivan hadn’t bought much, so she wasn’t afraid.

Just as Seraphina Sullivan reached the gate of her residential complex, rain dripped from the brim of her hood, dampening her eyelashes.

She just never expected to run into someone at the gate—someone unexpected, whom she never wanted to see again for the rest of her life.

A sickeningly familiar voice called out from behind Seraphina Sullivan:

"Seraphina~"

The voice was delicate, laced with a deliberate, aggrieved tone—like poison mixed with honey.

Seraphina Sullivan tensed up. She turned around slowly and, sure enough, saw the last face she ever wanted to see.

Corinne Joyce.

Corinne Joyce held a clear white umbrella and wore a light pink dress, looking the very picture of pitiable innocence.

But Seraphina Sullivan was all too familiar with this facade. The slightly downturned corners of her mouth, the reddened rims of her eyes—it was all a carefully calculated expression.

"Corinne Joyce," Seraphina Sullivan said, her face impassive and her voice colder than the rain, "how do you have the nerve to show your face to me?"

Tears immediately welled up in Corinne Joyce’s eyes. "Seraphina, I know you’re still angry with me, but I was so worried about you..."

Seraphina Sullivan almost laughed out loud.

Seeing Seraphina’s reaction,

Corinne Joyce’s eyes immediately reddened, and her lips trembled slightly. "Seraphina, I know you’re still mad at me, but..."

"But what?" Seraphina Sullivan cut her off with a cold sneer. "But you ’accidentally’ slept with my ex-boyfriend? Or did you ’accidentally’ ’share’ the corporate project I was working on with a competitor?"

Rain dripped from the ends of Seraphina Sullivan’s hair. Her gaze was darker than the unnatural storm.

Corinne Joyce, once her closest friend. It was simply a case of Seraphina Sullivan being a poor judge of character, failing to see the viciousness hidden beneath Corinne’s innocent facade.

Her backstabbing was more vicious than anything an open enemy could do.

Corinne Joyce inwardly seethed, but she couldn’t let her anger show.

She had to choose someone to be her substitute; that way, any damage she took in an instance would be transferred to them. The only problem was that the conditions for using this Talent were rather demanding.

A glint flashed in Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes. She and Corinne Joyce had already completely torn away any pretense of friendship.

’Given Corinne Joyce’s personality,’ she thought, ’she would never appear before me again unless there was a reason.’

Seraphina Sullivan looked at Corinne Joyce and activated her [Eye of Resume].

[Name: Corinne Joyce]

[Gender: Female]

[Professional Skills: Talent·Substitute Puppet (Can transfer one’s own damage to a designated target). Activation Condition: The target must willingly accept a gifted item from Corinne Joyce and always keep it on their person.]

[Weaknesses: Afraid of being poor]

Reading this, Seraphina Sullivan had a moment of sudden realization.

’Corinne Joyce is a Player now, too. And her Talent requires finding a scapegoat.’

’No wonder she suddenly showed up. She’s probably set her sights on me, her dear "old friend."’

Corinne Joyce put on a guilty expression. "I came here today specifically to apologize for everything I did..." she said, starting her performance.

Seraphina Sullivan sneered, deliberately taking a few steps back to put some distance between them. "Don’t bother! If anything, I should thank you. You didn’t steal my man, you stole my problem."

Corinne Joyce: "..."

The Ex-Boyfriend: "..."

Hearing Seraphina Sullivan’s words, Corinne Joyce’s expression twisted for an instant before she quickly schooled it back into a pitiful look.

Seeing this, Seraphina Sullivan thought that Corinne’s Talent shouldn’t be Substitute Puppet. Something like "Face-Changing" would be far more appropriate.

"Seraphina, this is for you..." She pulled a bracelet from her bag. "Please take it as my apology..."