Advancement Mission! Seeing Xu Yan Again!

"?"

Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow at Xilin's description.

Thinking back to that morning, he realized she seemed to have been sleeping longer ever since that little succubus tail had appeared behind her.

"Could it be the change in environment?" Bai Xuan asked.

After all, Xilin had lived in the Holy See before, which was quite different from this world.

"Maybe." Xilin narrowed her beautiful eyes. She could not explain it herself.

"Then get some proper rest today. Even saving the world calls for a balance between work and rest," Bai Xuan said.

"Mm..." Xilin nodded gently, but the complicated look in her eyes refused to fade.

She closed her eyes again and prayed in silence.

Bai Xuan, meanwhile, turned his gaze to the Transcendent Dragon Egg.

[Dragon Egg: Incubating. Time remaining: 45h...]

"Forty-five hours left."

Bai Xuan murmured to himself, then looked back at the World Book.

Several missions had significantly improved his attributes, yet his level had remained stuck at F-grade.

In this world, attributes and levels were linked in a peculiar way: the higher the level, the more effective the same attributes became. S-Rank strength, for instance, was far more powerful at E-grade than at F-grade.

And raising Bai Xuan's level was closely tied to the World Book.

He reached out and lightly touched the "Level" entry.

A message appeared.

[Advancement Mission]

[Mission Difficulty: F+]

[Do you want to start the Advancement Mission?]

[Note: Only you may participate in the Advancement Mission. You may retry it, and you will not die during the mission, but failure will reset your progress.]

"An F+ Advancement Mission..."

Bai Xuan thought it over quickly.

At his current strength, ordinary F-grade missions were no problem, but taking on an F+ challenge alone might be risky.

Why not try? I might pass.

With that thought, he selected [Yes].

If he could try as many times as he wanted without risking his life, what was there to fear?

[Advancement Mission: Heart-Eating Ghoul]

[Mission Difficulty: F+]

[Mission Location: World Illusion]

[Mission Description: None]

[Mission Hint: None]

[Mission Reward: Combat Setup +1]

"No description or hints?"

Bai Xuan scanned the sparse mission information and frowned slightly.

After a moment's thought, he started the teleportation.

This teleportation was entirely unlike the others. No Magic Circle appeared. Instead, his heart gave a violent thump, as though it had stopped, and his consciousness sank into darkness.

When his vision cleared, he was standing in an unfamiliar hotel corridor.

"Where am I?"

He looked around warily before his gaze settled on the door ahead of him—room 1001.

Is the mission target... in there?

Bai Xuan was about to push the door open when a woman's bell-like laughter drifted from inside, mingled with snatches of coy speech:

"Oh~ You're incredible~"

"I love you so much~"

"Become one with me~"

"..."

?

Bai Xuan froze at the sounds coming from the room.

It sounded intimate, but he knew perfectly well they were not doing anything naughty in there!

He took a deep breath, kicked the door open, and shouted, "FBI! Room inspection!"

The instant the door flew open, his eyes met those of the woman on the bed. Both fell into stunned silence!

"You two..."

Bai Xuan narrowed his eyes. The sight before him sent a chill down his spine—

The Ghoul Xu Yan was straddling a woman, smiling brightly. The woman beneath her... had been completely hollowed out!

Blood soaked the white sheets. The room was a gruesome mess!

"Oh~ You were eating."

Bai Xuan nodded as if it all made sense, then said:

"I thought you two were getting frisky. Never mind, then. Carry on."

With that, he reached to pull the door shut.

It was rude to interrupt someone's meal...

All right, the truth was that the scene inside was revolting, and neither woman was wearing clothes!

"Now that you're here..." Xu Yan slowly stood up and sneered, "Don't think you can leave."

Before she finished speaking, the space around them warped and flickered!

When Bai Xuan came to his senses, he found himself inside the room. The door behind him was firmly shut, and no matter what he tried, he could not open it.

"Tch!"

Bai Xuan's heart sank as a powerful sense of unease swept over him.

He had never imagined the Advancement Mission would pit him against the Ghoul Xu Yan alone!

But Xu Yan's previous mission had been rated F-grade. How had she become F+?

What was going on?

While he puzzled over it, Xu Yan rose to her feet.

She licked the blood from her fingertips, her smile turning colder:

"I hate being interrupted while I eat~"

"But~"

"There's a scent on you that I find absolutely irresistible~"

"Come here~ Let me have a look~"

"?"

A special scent?

Is it because I'm carrying Xu Yan's Heart?

But his escape route was cut off. His only choice was to fight with everything he had!

Bai Xuan took a deep breath and awakened the Venom Scorpion on the back of his shoulder, readying himself for battle.

"Is that...?"

Xu Yan's gaze fell on the Venom Scorpion. Surprise flashed across her eyes, then she covered her cheek and burst into uncontrollable laughter:

"Hahahaha~ So that's it! No wonder I find you so irresistible... You—"

Her laughter stopped abruptly.

Her expression turned sinister, and her lips curled into an eager grin:

"You have my power inside you~"

Before she finished speaking, four Scorpion-Tail Kagune shot out from her back!

"??"

Bai Xuan had mixed feelings about that.

He distinctly remembered Xu Yan having only two scorpion tails when she fought Xilin.

How did she have four now?

Could it be...

She was badly injured before she came to Ninghang City?

While Bai Xuan's thoughts raced, Xu Yan sauntered closer.

"Do you know why I only eat women?" she asked excitedly. "It's because I love myself so much~"

"But I can't eat myself~ So I have to eat women who resemble me~"

"And you~"

"You carry my scent. What an irresistible delicacy~"

"I can't wait to taste you~"

"?"

Hearing that, Bai Xuan finally understood why Xu Yan only targeted women.

She was a narcissist through and through!

What a freak!

Wait—

If this is Xu Yan's true consciousness, maybe I can get some information out of her?

But first, he had to survive.

"Come now~"

Xu Yan reached Bai Xuan and gently caressed her flushed cheeks with both hands. "Become one with me!"