Vol 7: Devil Trigger
Name: Jiang Xueming
Gender: Female
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Arm span to finger distance: 180 cm
Boxing weight: 668 pounds
Body fat percentage: 15.8%
This is Xue Ming's female character account's physical data.
In a guest room above the Sky Dome Station's main building, 9527 bit her nails, swallowing nervously. She raised her arm to observe the bristling hairs on her skin, then grabbed her little finger to compare the physiological stress responses of the two.
At this moment, Little Finger could also feel a manic and depressive Inspiration Pressure from the direction of the bathroom. This spiritual pressure was constantly harassing their minds, like a whip with a steel blade.
There was a rustling sound coming from the bathroom. Xiao Qi could tell that it was Xue Ming changing clothes.
Speaking of the employer's spiritual pressure, Bai Ziqing described it as a very special existence.
Corundum, within pyroxene, represents pure, flawless energy, similar to the symbol of clear quartz as the "king of energy."
However, while aluminum oxide is considered a synthetic gemstone, it doesn't even qualify as a gemstone. It's an engineering material that has served as a tool for most of human history. It can be used for grinding and casting steel.
Xue Ming was the same way; he never cared about appearances or empty fame.
During the egg stage, when she couldn't control the Inspiration Pressure, Xiao Qi felt that her employer was like an irregular, sharp, multifaceted entity that would bleed if touched.
During the period from nymph to pupation, the employer began to focus on his inner self, drawing all his outward spirit back into his body. Xiao Qi felt that Xue Ming had become enlightened and gentle.
Although it wasn't the first time Xiao Qi had seen Xue Ming's female form, at this moment, Xiao Qi's physical essence almost mistook the employer in the bathroom for a complete stranger.
The powerful spiritual pressure sensed like ocean waves, like the rhythm of breathing, like the beat of a heartbeat, repeatedly washing over Bai Ziqing's mind, making her feel as if she had been electrocuted, her whole body standing on end.
Inspiration comes from the soul, which exists based on two hardware components: spiritual essence and physical essence.
Without a doubt, after Xue Ming switched character accounts, the hardware upgrades alone turned the Inspiration Pressure into a runaway horse.
He is a composed and steady man, embodying the unity of body and soul.
She is an unruly Dior Homme arrogant person with off-the-charts stats.
Under the intimidation of this spiritual pressure, Little Finger instinctively feigned weakness and pleaded for mercy in her Jiali female form, asking anxiously, "Master, is this really alright? I've told Jiang Xueming time and again that this isn't plastic surgery, but a rebirth of both body and spirit."
Xiao Qi was unsure of what to do. When she had dealt with this Bailu PLUS product before, she didn't feel anything unusual during the cozy holiday filled with the daily routines of life. The burning kiss marks and fist marks on her face were all signs of happiness and sweetness.
But at this very moment, the employer needs to gather intelligence, cut down enemies, and go to war—
Xiao Qi couldn't help but start to worry and question.
In this scenario, could she really do better than him?
Inspiration Pressure are emotional and have temperature. People with strong personalities and high spiritual pressure can even transmit olfactory and gustatory signals, as well as visual color temperature light-sensitive signals, through human synesthesia.
Just like Bu Liuxing, you can feel his intense enthusiasm just by standing next to him, and your body temperature will rise. You might even find yourself unable to enter the subway station without realizing it.
When Xue Ming was in the pupal stage, her spiritual pressure was very hypnotic, like listening to a math teacher's lecture or hearing a lullaby. No matter how anxious or tired her brain was, it would become calm and peaceful under this rational rhythm.
Even now, Xiao Qi can feel a very strange manic-depressive spiritual pressure from about ten meters away.
It's like a wild beast coming to the countryside, facing an unfamiliar jungle, wanting to spy on the predators in the dark woods, to find out the details of other creatures in the hunting grounds. It is full of curiosity, cruel and cunning, and will do anything to survive. The sense of aggression is so strong that it is an immense pressure that makes it hard to breathe.
The little finger felt it was incredible, because [B·Side] had undergone such miraculous transformations in many people or creatures, but it was extremely rare for such a case to change so drastically after being attacked by soul power, to the point that even a clear mark like Inspiration was almost unrecognizable.
The bathroom door slowly opened, and a woman in a black dress emerged from the rising steam.
Jiang Xueming's hair wasn't completely dry yet, hanging on both sides of her collarbone. She had already transformed into a woman and was staring blankly at 9527.
She had prepared Flash Butterfly Armor outfit for the woman well in advance. It was a dress with a skirt armor that could protect the leg arteries and major blood vessels. The one-piece design and the rifling stitching made the outfit very difficult to put on.
When she was getting dressed, she felt like she had crawled into a giant barrel, from which she could pull out a weapon from under her skirt through the slit.
The tight-fitting, breathable, quick-drying pants clung to her strong, muscular thighs, and she had to be careful when putting on her hiking boots to avoid tearing them with her skirt.
She tested the fit of the hood to her head, pulled up the bulletproof helmet, the IFF indicator light on the visor lit up, and closed the white stand-up collar for a closer fit, so that she could immediately assess the extent of any bleeding from vital areas.
In Xiao Qi's eyes, that outfit resembled a stiff and aloof Nun's habit.
Jiang Xueming immediately said, "Give me the serotonin."
Upon hearing the instructions, Xiao Qi took out antidepressants from the medicine box and handed them to her employer, something her employer had instructed her to do long ago.
She saw her employer put on gloves, take the injection, and inject himself in the neck.
Xue Ming up her mask and explained to Xiao Qi in a clear, feminine voice.
"I heard a strange female voice coming from my throat. It's so strange, really strange. The sense of security I used to have for living a peaceful life has vanished. You can feel my spiritual pressure, right?"
Xiao Qi nodded quickly. "Yes, I remember now. I also felt a similar spiritual pressure from Bailu before."
Xue Ming took Xiao Qi's hand and held it close to the waiter's face, asking, "The serotonin is starting to take effect. How do my eyes look now?"
Xiao Qi carefully touched Xue Ming's eyelids, observing her closely, and then said in a nonsensical tone, "Her eyelashes are beautiful, and there are no wrinkles at the corners of her eyes."
Xue Ming cursed, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll give you a kissing attack!"
Xiao Qi blushed slightly and immediately straightened up. "Your pupils have dilated a bit, and you don't have that constantly focused, constantly alert feeling anymore. The bloodshot eyes have also decreased."
Xue Ming finally felt relieved; it seemed the serotonin had worked.
Xiao Qi continued, "Your spiritual pressure is stabilizing; it's not as frightening as it was before."
Xue Ming analyzed logically and with evidence. "Every time I enter this state, the speed of nerve signal transmission increases, and my five senses become more acute, as if my brain is exposed to the air. But this insane hormone level has almost transformed me into a different personality. This body has paranoia—everyone seems wrong to me. Fortunately, serotonin can alleviate this anxiety."
Xiao Qi asked curiously, "Do you have to keep taking medication all the time?"
Xue Ming was troubled by his allergies. "No, I won't abuse this antidepressant. It's a neurotransmitter, and this use is just an experiment to see its effects. Unless absolutely necessary—if this feeling starts to interfere with my decision-making and affect my combat capabilities—I will use serotonin as a sedative."
Before he could finish speaking, Seventh Brother saw this steel black rose begin counting ammunition and stuffing weapons under her skirt.
Jiang Xueming felt an inexplicable sense of excitement while organizing the equipment.
He had never had any particular feelings about firearms in the past.
--But from her perspective, just glimpsing the silver cores of the copper-tipped bullets, seeing them neatly pressed into the magazine, she could picture a head bursting with red and white blood and brain matter.
This made her heart race and her adrenaline surge. When she touched the cold, hard COMBAT MASTER—the dragon-scale grip of the combat master—the muscles in her arm instantly awakened. Thousands of shooting training sessions had instilled muscle memory that made her instinctively check the status of the bolt and slide, preparing to pull the devil's trigger.
She is capable of unleashing a bloodbath at any moment.
The body's metabolism speeds up, and the effect of serotonin only lasts for a short half minute.
This series of changes left her standing frozen involuntarily, trying to regain control of her body from this inexplicable pleasure, and to bring her fingers and eyes back under her control.
But Jiang Xueming didn't know was—
--In Bai Ziqing's view, the employer's handling of the weapon was more swift and smooth, but the smile that Xue Ming Sister inadvertently revealed was chilling.
Unlike the previous employer's ambiguous, highly sales-oriented smile.
It was a heartfelt feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze, like the innocent joy of a child who couldn't sleep the night before hearing the news of a spring outing.
The violent spiritual pressure emanating from her employer also transformed into a sweet scent, as if she were a creamy chocolate mille-feuille cake the moment she picked up a weapon.
Xiao Qi's breathing quickened. Seeing her employer frozen in place for a long time without moving, she called out her sweet nickname.
"Honey? Why aren't you moving?"
Jiang Xueming squinted, noticing the unnatural curve of his lips, and explained to the waiter, "You just logged into a new character's game account, so you need to rearrange the skill hotkeys, right? And review the talent rune slots again, right?"
Xiao Qi smiled very sweetly, and it was clear that the employer was genuinely happy.
Jiang Xueming frowned, looking somewhat lost. He stuffed the Combat Master into the quick-draw holster, hugged the Eye of the Blood Wolf, and reached out to pinch Xiao Qi's cheek, noticing the waiter's two bright little tiger teeth.
Xue Ming resisted the urge to kiss him, wanting to explain her wonderful feelings to the waiter, "Don't worry, I feel great! I've never felt so good!"
Xiao Qi followed Xue Ming outside and started talking about something completely unrelated. "I used to love playing video games!"
Xue Ming understood immediately, almost as if she and Xiao Qi were of one mind, with no communication barriers whatsoever. "What games do you like?" she asked.
Xiao Qi started chatting about family matters. "My master also likes to play games! We play almost every kind of game!"
"Then what?"
"Then I thought! Your state is just like when I first played League of Legends and picked Olaf! Wow! That felt so good! When I got that character, I immediately lost my mind. The lower the character's health was, the more excited I got!"
"So you're considered Olaf's Guangdong branch husband?"
"Hahahaha! Then I played King of Fighters with my master, and when he played Iori Yagami, he would shout the same lines as the game character!"
"How do you address Teacher Su Ling?"
"She's hilarious! She likes to win and then do a three-part laugh with that red-haired visual kei punk guy, their synchronization is incredibly high -- it's like [hum hum hehe hehe hehe hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!]"
"Completely devoted themselves to it."
"Why don't you learn it too?"
"No, I refuse."
"Let me learn it!"
"No!"
"You have an image to maintain, huh? Come on, Sister Xue Ming!~"
"No, that's not allowed."
"I think if you could fully immerse yourself in the character and become one with it, your combat power would definitely skyrocket!"
"Although I haven't known this body for very long, I don't think I can laugh in three stages."
"How will you know if you don't try? You just smiled, didn't you? You look beautiful when you smile! I'm almost smitten with you."
"I refuse."
The two walked and talked, preparing to show their [JoeStar·Anonymous] identity documents as the person in charge, and explained the safety matters of their little finger to the lobby manager of the Sky Dome Station's board of directors' counter.
The steel mace, now devoid of lion bones, burst into flames the moment it touched Xue Ming's hand.
Before its owner could speak, the voice assistant, seemingly in perfect harmony with the woman's mind, used flames to construct a giant monster with a human face and a tiger's body.
The passengers who were still handling their business immediately turned around to look at the strange, inexplicable stick and the two women holding it.
The lobby manager smiled awkwardly, "Ladies, now everyone knows who you are. I will definitely complete the task you assigned me. Could you please quiet down the BOSS's bones?"
Xue Ming stomped the stick hard, trying to make the spirit inside behave itself.
The floor tiles were covered with spiderweb-like cracks the size of car tires, which was quite embarrassing.
She never imagined she possessed such abilities.
He quickly pulled Xiao Qi away, ready to leave.
Xue Ming walked a few steps away, then immediately rushed back to the manager and said...
I'll pay you back for the floor.
The lobby manager watched the two young Nun rush out the door in a flustered manner, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"These two strange yet adorable girls are actually the new head of the nameless group?"
On the square terrace of the Sky Station, next to the bathhouse is the White Cherry Blossom Bar.
Bu Liuxing and Tang Ning have started to compete in drinking and shooting skills with their mouths.
The little Earth Dragon looked at her employer's crazy appearance with worry, knowing only that there was a saying in the human world, "A thousand cups of wine are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend."
However, according to their plan, they had to rush to James Park for rehearsal early this morning, and there wouldn't be enough time to wait until they sobered up.
She whispered to Teacher San San, "Is everything alright?"
Teacher San San shrugged dismissively and replied in Cantonese, "I don't know."
Just then, Jiang Xueming retrieved the Universal Elixir from the boardroom counter, exchanged it with a passenger for a box of Guangling San buns, and casually tossed it onto the table.
--She then went to the counter to pay for her two companions' bill.
A Xing was so drunk he was barely conscious. He patted Tang Ning on the shoulder and spoke incoherently.
"My Ming Ge is incredibly capable! Let me tell you."
"He can definitely help you get revenge, he... he..."
Tang Ning's cheeks were also flushed. She didn't see clearly what the snacks on the table were. She swallowed them whole and uttered words with her mouth still full.
"Ugh ugh ugh?"
Meteor grabbed the paper bag of steamed buns and said with a grin, "Hey! Thank God for his blessing, here's my hangover cure! Wow! Lady Luck is on my side."
Tang Ning swallowed the steamed bun, broke out in a cold sweat, and instantly sobered up.
"No! Mr. Meteor! It was that lady who brought us the snacks! I need to go thank her! She was even going to help us pay the bill!"
Meteor regained his senses after eating the bun and immediately stood up.
"That won't do! Ming Ge said that if a woman pays for you for no reason, she's either after your money or your body. We need to be careful! Boys need to protect themselves when they're out and about!"
Before the two brothers could even reach the bar...
Jiang Xueming and the bartender showed their passenger IDs, but the Chaos Seed couldn't recognize her HC card at all, nor could it identify her pheromones—she was furious and had no choice but to ask Xiao Qi to swipe her card to pay the bill.
Turning around, he saw Robert Tang Ning and Bu Liuxing standing there, neither of them daring to come up and greet him for the time being.
Tang Ning was simply intimidated by Xue Ming's Nun attire; the aura of "keep away" was practically written all over the girl's face, so he didn't want to disturb her.
--Meteor recognized Ming Ge's game account, but he was a little confused when he saw Bailu PLUS's appearance, unsure of how to address her, feeling awkward. So his attention immediately fell on Ming Ge's legs.
His years of fitness experience made him feel extremely amazed when he examined those legs. The muscle lines revealed by the quick-drying pants under the skirt resembled those of a lithe antelope, enough to kick a vampire's head in the head.
Meteor was stunned for a long time, then felt a surge of joy and blurted out a compliment without thinking.
"Great legs! It's a real shame they don't squat 300 kg for four sets! They're strong and powerful legs!"
Xiao Qi's body language was very expressive at the time. Her face was almost scrunched up like an old lady. She pointed at the ceiling, then at Xue Ming, then at Xue Ming's legs, then at the shooting star. She was pointing frantically but couldn't say a word.
Tang Ning stood there like an ice sculpture, unsure of what to say.
As usual, Jiang Xueming asked Liu Xing a question.
Did you exercise today?
Meteor nodded vigorously and immediately reached out his hand. "I finished practicing this morning!"
Jiang Xueming gave him a high five, "Me too!"
After this strange friendship ceremony concluded, Xue Ming hurried towards the Merlin statue at the Sky Station, intending to return to the surface.
Meteor's mind hadn't quite caught up yet; he was pondering whether he should call him Ming Ge or something else, Sister Ming.
--I've called Bai Ziqing" sister-in-law" for so long, but I've never addressed her as "Seventh Brother" with any respect.
If I change how I address him now, will Ming Ge be upset with me?
While Meteor hesitated, his eyes couldn't leave Ming Ge's perfectly proportioned, healthy physique, and his body turned almost 120 degrees along with his head.
Teacher San San slapped the employer's face so hard it looked right.
Meteor: "No. I was just looking, that's my Ming Ge! She's so good at it!"
Teacher San San: "I know! I understand! You're just admiring his muscles."
Meteor covered her face, looking aggrieved. "Then why did you hit me?"
Teacher San San is very emotional. "There are some things you'll get angry about even if you know the reason, that's just how women are."
She kept explaining, pulling over her best friend Xiao Qi, and pointing at Xiao Qi's dashing face. "If your sister-in-law were a man, and I! I drool over her pectoral muscles and her legs every day—wouldn't you be angry?"
Meteor exclaimed in surprise, "Such a good thing? Let's train together! I've gotten so strong already, and you haven't even drooled over me. Anyone who makes you drool must be incredibly powerful! I need to ask them for some pointers!"
Teacher San San suddenly felt powerless; all her persistence turned into disheartening despair—in the eyes of this man whose brain was all muscle, perhaps all he could see was protein.
Robert Tang Ning was completely bewildered; he had no idea what was going on.
The little Earth Dragon girl was the same, holding a steamed bun in one hand and stuffing it into her mouth, reminiscing about the mustard green vaccine taste she never got to try in her childhood at Mimir Hot Spring, while scratching her head with the other hand—she would use her tail to scratch her employer's head whenever she had a spare moment.
Inside the Merlin Grand Elevator--
--Bu Liuxing, 9527, and 3301, the three of them talked at once, supplementing each other's points, and finally explained Jiang Xueming's true identity to Tang Ning.
In fact, Xue Ming didn't care about these things.
Tang Ning together by the pull of fate, Downing met them, and coincidentally, Winston Spencer was his butler, which saved Xue Ming a lot of trouble in making battle plans.
Even without Winston, Xue Ming would have found a suitable person to handle this matter.
She scribbled in her journal, arranging the seating for the funeral in James Park, and then took a wind chime from her backpack and handed it to Tang Ning.
Tang Ning asked in confusion, "What is this?"
Xue Ming casually replied, "It's a sacred object given to me by my teacher. I haven't used it yet. You can keep it for self-defense."
Tang Ning was a very straightforward man. "I won't accept such a valuable treasure!"
Xue Ming's cold words extinguished his enthusiasm.
"I'm giving it to you because I've never used it before. I don't know if it will work or not, so please try it out for me first—and remember to return it to me if it works."
Xiao Qi clutched her stomach and chuckled mischievously.
Tang Ning looked completely bewildered—she was in an awkward position, unsure whether to accept the offer or not.
He only knew that Jiang Xueming, whom Meteor had mentioned, was a down-to-earth person who lived a practical life, but he didn't expect her to be this practical—she had no reservations about becoming a woman in order to deal with vampires.
The reason for giving him this wind chime now is simply because Tang Ning is still in his first transformation period and is the weakest link in the team. The implication is that even someone as shrewd as Uncle Winston, who can kill vampires with a baseball bat, is better than Robert Tang Ning and doesn't need a sacred object for protection.
Tang Ning muttered to herself, "I feel like I'm being looked down upon."
"So you'll get stronger then? If you're weak, just practice more." Jiang Xueming tilted his head and glanced at him casually.
"Yes! You're right!" A fire ignited in Tang Ning's heart, and she began to study how to use the old bell.
Xiao Qi sneaked up to her employer, her eyes filled with surprise. "Hey! Employer, your expression just now! It was so sarcastic! You never used to be like that! Wow! You've got so many expressions now! It's so interesting!"
"I don't know what happened either." Jiang Xueming recalled his sister Bailu's expression, "I feel that this body is very similar to Bailu's, and she also likes to do this—the only thing I can be sure of is that we were indeed born from the same mother."
Xiao Qi negotiated with her employer. "How about we use your account when we go for walks and have meals together from now on? My dream is about to come true! Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Boss, for letting me look at handsome guys during the day and fight with pretty girls at night!~"
Jiang Xueming instantly reverted to her cold and aloof demeanor.
"Bai Qingqing, I have a request."
Xiao Qi stopped joking and became serious and persistent.
"You say."
Jiang Xueming cradled the waiter's face in her hands, their foreheads touching, feeling each other's warm breath.
"I beg you, don't joke like that. I won't agree. I can't guarantee I can protect you on this journey. I don't even know if I'll survive. Telling me these things before the war is like nailing holes in my heart."
Xiao Qi pursed her lips, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes.
Jiang Xueming gently patted Xiao Qi's cheek.
"I'm willing to seek justice for you, I'm willing to use this avatar to do things, because she's strong enough, and perhaps she can take back the Steel Heart. I'm willing to do all of this—it's just that when you talk about these things, I'm very scared. I'm afraid I don't have the ability to keep my promise."
Xiao Qi was both sad and angry, cursing, "I'm ready, I won't think nonsense anymore, damn you vampire. I'm going to make char siu from the tenderest part of Mary Stuart's body and eat it all in one go right in front of her!"
Jiang Xueming was very serious. "You can't eat the stale, cured meat on her body."
Xiao Qi's eyes reddened with anger. "Then feed her to herself! I'll make her reap what she sows! Let her taste the bitterness I suffered!"
Jiang Xueming kissed Bai Qingqing, the scent of lavender mosquito repellent lingering between their lips and teeth. It was also a solution that killed blood-sucking insects, and this perfume was very expensive—it was called Six God Floral Water.
After being hit with a kiss, Xiao Qi didn't faint in embarrassment as usual. Instead, she was full of energy and determination, determined to seize the future with her own hands.
Jiang Xueming handed Xiao Qi his sidearm, a modified Sig Sauer P320. As a pistol, it has an effective range of 100 meters, excellent performance, and is extremely lethal; it is also a current secondary weapon in service with the US military.
"--Very good, very energetic."