Chapter 25: It Was Already Decided

But... how could she possibly survive this certain-death situation?

Ying Su's path seemed completely blocked, as if everything was a final, desperate struggle.

No, no, Ying Su, think again. Is there any way to break this deadlock?

Had she missed something?

Had she forgotten something important?

In her less-than-a-year lifespan, had she learned any crucial information from the system that could break this situation?

Doctor Anna... Sylvia...

Olivia... the Trickster... the Big Eye...

Ying Su's mind raced frantically. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck.

Even if it might just be a lie meant to deceive her, wasn't it worth trying now?

"Olivia, go to room 414!"

A self-proclaimed prophet had told her that if she had no other options, the machine there could save her.

Ying Su always encountered these bizarre things—talking parrots, blood clots that developed into lovers...

But no matter what, things couldn't get any worse than this, right?!

However, the Hounds of Tindalos were unexpectedly fast. In no time, they were almost upon her.

Olivia immediately made a decision. She threw Ying Su forward, letting her complete the final stretch, while she herself stayed behind to buy time.

Even though she knew she was no match for the hounds, Olivia still turned to fight for Ying Su.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ying Su scrambled up from the ground and reached the machine.

Item Number B414 Resource Exchanger

A five-meter-long, three-meter-high opaque square transmission device—the place where Ying Su had gained more of her system.

It was also the final destination for many of her predecessors.

Could it really save Ying Su?

Maybe that parrot was just lying to her. Perhaps it was in cahoots with the containment facility, part of a trap designed to kill her for good.

After a brief hesitation, Ying Su climbed onto the machine.

She pushed all her chips forward.

She called.

Life and death hung in this moment. If she wanted to crawl out from under those monsters, she couldn't afford to lack this kind of resolve...

The machine activated, swallowing Ying Su into darkness.

...

Number B414 Containment Level D Name: Resource Exchanger

Item Status:

Its characteristics are...

B414-2 Test:

Some fresh meat, a lab rat, and some industrial products.

The fresh meat turned into a few gold nuggets.

The lab rat turned into a one-meter-long cat-like creature. Its...

...

B414-3 Test:

An E-Class personnel was placed into the transmitter.

The subject transformed into a sloth.

Their memories were retained, and communication was possible. The subject exhibited distress due to their new body.

After being placed into the exchanger again, the subject reverted.

All physical tests showed no difference from before entry.

...

Ying Su opened her eyes.

She had survived.

The moment she left the Resource Exchanger, she understood what the parrot meant when it said this machine could save her.

The Resource Exchanger followed some rule of exchange, but it wasn't a complete one-for-one swap. Like in B414-3, the original body was taken, and another body was exchanged in return.

Perhaps what was taken wasn't just the body...

Maybe this machine took much more, but at the very least, it had changed Ying Su.

Changed her into a form the Hounds couldn't recognize, couldn't continue to chase.

She might no longer be Ying Su, but had become something else entirely.

Yet her spirit and thoughts remained.

Only...

Ying Su spread her wings, covered in white feathers, and let out a cry with an unfamiliar vocal organ.

"Caw... Caw!"

A white cockatiel.

But how was she supposed to change back?

According to the file, she just needed to go into the Resource Exchanger again and come back out to revert. But the Hounds would surely catch up again.

Forget it. Even if she doesn't change back...

Just as Ying Su was thinking this, an uninvited guest arrived.

Another white cockatiel.

It landed on top of the machine and simply looked at her.

"..." What was Ying Su supposed to say?

Thanks? Accusations? Or pretend she knew nothing?

But faster than that, Ying Su froze.

She thought of more things.

Because the parrot hadn't just said that one sentence.

There was another one...

"I told you, you'd believe me eventually," the parrot spoke.

"Haha... Ha caw caw caw—!" Ying Su laughed, the sound maniacal and demonic. She understood now. She understood everything! She lacked nothing now!

The other simply watched her laugh with calm, steady eyes.

After a long moment, Ying Su asked, "Then what are you waiting for?"

"For you to ask that question."

After a moment of silence, Ying Su regained her composure. It sounded like a question, yet also like a statement. "Did I win?"

"You won." Ying Su nodded.

Then, Ying Su died.

She was killed by herself.

...

〖Number ■■ Error...... System Error…༒@？…CCB Save and Load System Activated.〗

〖Current Save Points: 1〗

〖Load Attempts Remaining: 5〗

Ying Su opened her eyes. The different color spectrum of non-human eyes made her uncomfortable, but there was nothing to complain about.

"Huh? What a pretty bird. Come home with me?"

A voice came. Before Ying Su could react, she was already caught. The hand was small, probably not an adult's.

And judging by the skin texture, it was likely a girl.

But honestly, Ying Su was still completely bewildered. She knew some things now, but much more remained a mystery.

And... why had she revived here?

Wasn't her save point inside the containment facility?

Where was this?!

Soon, she was placed into a cage. It didn't look like a proper birdcage, but more like a small animal enclosure.

She could see her roommate.

A hamster running on an exercise wheel.

Imprisoned again.

The待遇 had worsened this time. From a basement to a monitored prison cell, now to sharing a room with a rodent.

But whatever. At least she had escaped the Hounds' pursuit. She was temporarily safe now.

Then, Ying Su looked outside the cage. Through the plastic walls, she could see the person who had brought her here...

Uh... she couldn't see...

Ying Su's field of vision had severely shrunk after becoming a parrot. All she could see now were two pairs of plump thighs in black pantyhose swaying in front of her.

Due to the angle, she couldn't see the person's face at all.

She looked at her surroundings again. This was a small hamster habitat with air holes in the walls, completely transparent plastic.

An exercise wheel, a sand bath, and a small board that could be called a bed.

But this room, perfectly comfortable for a hamster, felt rather cramped for Ying Su.

With her feathers included, she was twice the size of the hamster and couldn't move freely in this space.

Then, the owner added some food for them—some pellet-like things, similar to dog food or something. The hamster pounced on it like a starving ghost and started eating.