Chapter 62: Dealing with Corinne Joyce, Military Discussion

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Dealing with Corinne Joyce, Military Discussion

Corinne Joyce was fantasizing about the future.

Howard Quinn had died in a dungeon because of her, after her Substitute Puppet Talent transferred the fatal damage to him.

That’s right—Howard Quinn had also become a Player, only to die in a dungeon.

’That idiot, Howard Quinn... He should have at least lasted through three dungeons before dying.’ Corinne Joyce pursed her lips, thinking of the guy who had taken a fatal wound for her and died miserably in the dungeon.

It was precisely thanks to Howard Quinn’s sacrifice that she had survived this long.

The red wine in the glass gleamed like blood under the light.

Corinne Joyce narrowed her eyes, already scheming about her next target. ’The college student next door? Or that trainer from the gym across the street? I need to find someone easy to Control...’

DING-DONG—

The sudden sound of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts.

Corinne Joyce frowned, put down her wine glass, and walked barefoot to the door.

Through the peephole, she was surprised to see Sean Chandler’s sullen face.

’Tsk, what’s he doing here at this hour...’

Corinne Joyce muttered to herself, but unlocked the door anyway.

In her eyes, she and Sean Chandler were partners.

They were two of a kind, surviving the game only by harming others.

Through the peephole, she saw Sean Chandler standing outside, expressionless.

Although she felt something was off, the thought that he was her most loyal lapdog made Corinne Joyce lower her guard.

"Come in." She opened the door.

She turned and walked toward the living room. "Why are you back so early? Have you taken care of Seraphina Sullivan?"

However, her question was met with silence.

Hearing no reply, Corinne Joyce turned impatiently. "I’m talking to you—"

Her words were cut short.

A hand like an iron clamp suddenly seized her slender neck, lifting her entire body off the ground.

Corinne Joyce’s eyes widened in terror, meeting Sean Chandler’s completely unfamiliar gaze.

His eyes glowed with an eerie red light, and a mechanical smile played on his lips.

"You... What are you doing... Let go..."

She struggled desperately, her legs kicking wildly in the air. Her meticulously manicured nails scratched bloody marks onto Sean Chandler’s face, but he didn’t even flinch.

Corinne Joyce’s pupils contracted violently, reflecting the terrifying transformation happening to Sean Chandler—

His body began to twist and swell, his muscles bulging as if being inflated, ripping his clothes to shreds.

The bones in his face made a sickening "CRACK CRACK" sound as his snout pushed forward, sharp fangs piercing his lips.

In just a few seconds, a Werewolf nearly two meters tall and covered in gray-black fur stood before her!

"[Beastification] Talent...?" Corinne Joyce managed to choke out the words.

Of course, she knew Sean Chandler’s Ability, but she never imagined he would one day use it against her.

As a Werewolf, Sean Chandler’s Power had surged, and he held Corinne Joyce by the neck with one hand as easily as if she were a baby chick.

Sharp claws pierced her delicate skin, and blood flowed down her pale neck, staining her expensive silk nightgown.

"Guh... uh..." Corinne Joyce’s legs kicked futilely in the air. Her meticulously manicured nails couldn’t even leave a scratch on the Werewolf’s thick fur.

Her vision began to blur, and all she could hear was the frantic pounding of her own heart.

What terrified her most was that she had used up all her Substitute Puppets in the last dungeon and hadn’t had time to find new ones.

This meant that if Sean Chandler killed her, this death would be final.

"Sean... Chandler..." She used her last ounce of strength to squeeze out the words, "I’ll... give you money... ten times more..."

The Werewolf bared its bloody maw, revealing a bone-chilling "smile."

Those silver-glowing eyes held not a shred of sanity, only cold, murderous intent.

CRACK!

With the crisp sound of a snapping neck, Corinne Joyce’s small body shuddered violently, then went limp like a rag doll.

Her wide eyes were frozen with a final look of terror and indignation, as if even in death she couldn’t understand why her loyal lapdog had suddenly turned on her.

The Werewolf released its claws, letting the body slump onto the carpet.

It lowered its head and sniffed. After confirming the target was dead, its form began to slowly shrink back to that of a human.

He found some of Howard Quinn’s clothes in Corinne Joyce’s house, cleaned up the scene, and then left.

...

Seraphina Sullivan was on her balcony, carefully planting the Power Apple Branches she had brought back from The Insect Frenzy Dungeon.

Suddenly, she felt a faint vibration through her spider silk.

It was the signal from Sean Chandler, indicating he had completed his mission.

The small trowel in her hand paused for a moment, but she quickly resumed her work.

"You’re the one who came after me first. I’m just fighting back," she whispered, as if trying to convince herself.

After patting down the last scoop of soil, Seraphina Sullivan stood up and dusted the dirt from her hands.

She turned to look at the hydroponic vegetables nearby. The tender green leaves looked vibrant under the LED grow lights.

She had been slowly cultivating these in between dungeons, and soon she would be able to eat her own organic vegetables.

Just as she was about to start her daily physical training, the lights overhead suddenly went out with a CLICK, plunging the entire room into darkness.

’A power outage?’ Seraphina Sullivan frowned, quickly moving to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Looking down from the 32nd floor, the city that was usually ablaze with lights was now pitch black. Only a few scattered emergency lights flickered in the rain.

The gloomy weather made the city feel as if it were smothered under a dark lid.

Noisy voices began to rise from the residential complex below:

"What’s going on?"

"Where’s property management? Someone go check the circuit breaker!"

"My phone’s almost dead! How long is this blackout going to last?"

Seraphina Sullivan’s phone also began to vibrate incessantly as various messages popped up one after another:

[BREAKING! City-wide mass power outage, cause unknown]

[All traffic lights are out. Citizens are advised to stay indoors]

[The power’s out? This is so scary...]

Seraphina Sullivan keenly sensed that something was wrong.

As a veteran who had survived three Doomsday Games, this kind of sudden anomaly always put her on high alert.

「Meanwhile.」

Justin Brooks’s military unit was in utter chaos.

Inside the military command center, the atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife.

Reports of abnormal incidents from all over the country scrolled continuously across a huge electronic screen, each one horrifying.

"BANG!" A middle-aged officer slammed his hand on the table, making the water in his teacup splash out. "Are you telling me that Players are openly committing crimes with their Abilities?"

The young officer standing at the briefing podium had cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Sir, according to intelligence gathered from various regions, that is correct. We have Players using Flame to rob jewelry stores, while others are using their Mind Control Ability to coerce people..."

"Absolutely absurd!" The general laughed, furious.

"They get a few superpowers and suddenly they’re gods? These wastes of space can’t even control their basic urges. Recruiting them into the army would be a disaster!"

The staff officers in the conference room didn’t dare to breathe.

The projector switched scenes, displaying a set of shocking statistics.

In the past 72 hours, malicious incidents involving Players had surged by 300%, a figure that included numerous felonies.