Developing Superpowers in Another World

Chapter 232 – The True Effects of the Divine Medicine

 

After completing these tasks, Tu Ran headed toward the third floor of the cruise ship, where Ding Naiqing was located.

Not long after she left, a series of massive waves crashed onto the deck, sweeping all the remaining debris into the ocean.

When Tu Ran reached the third floor, the battle was already in full swing.

Yao Bei and her team had descended from the fourth and fifth floors, killing a blood-sucking monster with rabbit-like fangs.

Meanwhile, Ding Naiqing, along with Shen Yunhe, Yao Bei, and others who had arrived to support them, were engaged in a fierce struggle with a bird-like monster that had wings but seemingly couldn’t fly very well.

Both battles were intense, and for a moment, Tu Ran didn’t know which group to assist.

Suddenly, Yao Bei’s voice came through her earpiece.

“We can handle things here. Go find Papara and any other survivors. I’m worried there might be more genetic monsters on the ship—stay with them.”

Taking advantage of the fact that both genetic monsters were preoccupied, Tu Ran hurried off to search for survivors.

The third floor of the cruise ship featured a massive swimming pool that took up a lot of space. What should have been a clear pool was now stained red with blood, and strange, foam-like objects—possibly fish intestines—floated on the surface.

Tu Ran glanced at it briefly before quickly turning her face away.

She circled around the pool and entered the interior of the ship, where the leisure area was located. It was equipped with all sorts of amenities for eating, drinking, and entertainment.

Music was still playing over the speakers—popular hits of the time. The sofas and floor were littered with empty liquor bottles, and various colored lights flickered constantly, giving the place the feel of a club.

That is, if you ignored the overwhelming stench of blood and the bodies sprawled all over the place.

The corpses were dressed in black combat suits, carrying firearms—likely private security guards.

According to the reports, there were supposed to be one hundred security guards on board.

Tu Ran scanned the room, and her eyes fell on countless bodies, all of whom appeared to be guards. There were so many that she couldn’t count them all at once.

But they were all dead, and their deaths had been gruesome.

Tu Ran averted her gaze and stepped over the bodies, moving forward. Amid the music, she heard faint footsteps—soft and barely noticeable.

She immediately followed the sound and stopped behind a single sofa tucked in a corner. There was movement behind it. Carefully, she approached the sofa, peering down from above, and saw a man with blonde hair.

Blonde hair—just like in the profile photo. Papara was described as having blonde hair.

The man was curled up in the corner, his head buried in his knees, so Tu Ran couldn’t see his face.

“Look up,” Tu Ran commanded directly.

Startled by the sudden voice, the man flinched violently. He wanted to scream but quickly realized he couldn’t, so he clamped his hand over his mouth, terror written across his face as he looked up.

His face was smeared with tears and snot, his hair was a disheveled mess, and there was blood splattered all over his face from an unknown source. His expression was so distorted that Tu Ran wasn’t sure if he was really Papara.

She asked outright, “Papara?”

“Y-yes… I am,” he stammered, his voice still trembling.

He was clearly terrified.

“Where are the others?” Tu Ran glanced down the hallway.

There were several rooms with their doors tightly shut.

The footsteps she had heard earlier had come from that direction.

“I… I don’t know,” Papara stammered, shaking.

Tu Ran took a step toward the hallway.

Papara immediately called out to her, “Where are you going?!”

The moment he shouted, he realized his voice had been too loud. Panic washed over him as he looked around frantically before shrinking back into the corner. He lowered his voice and pleaded, “Don’t… don’t go anywhere. Just stay here with me.”

Tu Ran shot him a glance. “You stay hidden here. I’m going to find the other survivors.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned and began walking away.

This time, Papara reacted even more violently. He stood up abruptly and clung tightly to her arm.

“Don’t go! You can’t go anywhere! Whether those people are dead or alive doesn’t matter! You have to stay here and protect me!”

Tu Ran felt a headache coming on.

She tried shaking off his hand, but his grip was unrelenting.

“How about you come with me?” she suggested.

“No!” Papara screeched, clutching her arm even tighter.

Tu Ran frowned.

Had he gone mad from fear? No wonder Ding Naiqing had said his mind wasn’t quite right.

With such a burden holding her down, Tu Ran couldn’t go anywhere. She could only lower her head and send a message to Yao Bei, explaining the situation.

“You’re telling me Papara isn’t with the other survivors?” Yao Bei’s breathing was heavy—clearly, they were still battling the genetic monsters.

“No, I only found him in the lounge. But there’s movement in a room at the end of the hallway. The other survivors might be—”

Before Tu Ran could finish her sentence, Ding Naiqing’s shocked voice interrupted her. “Sister Ran, that’s not Papara! I locked Papara and the other survivors in the innermost room!”

Tu Ran froze.

In the next instant, she plunged her longsword straight into “Papara’s” heart.

“Papara,” still in shock, stared at her wide-eyed.

“You… you…”

“You, you, you… my ass!!”

He had dared to deceive her!

Tu Ran swiftly pulled out her blade and slashed at its neck.

“Papara” finally accepted that its disguise had been exposed, and its facial features began to melt and distort.

What appeared before Tu Ran now was the face of a strikingly beautiful woman.

Tu Ran had seen this face before—on a billboard atop a skyscraper.

She was a somewhat well-known celebrity.

Something like… Eiffel?

Just as the longsword neared her neck, Eiffel’s body flickered, and she stepped back, narrowly dodging Tu Ran’s attack.

Tu Ran immediately pulled out the handgun from her lower back, aiming it at Eiffel’s forehead.

At the very moment she pulled the trigger, Eiffel dropped to her knees.

Tu Ran hesitated—this was the first time she had ever encountered a genetic monster or any mutant that displayed submission in a human way.

This wasn’t normal.

Typically, genetic monsters were more like beasts, and mutants were purely animalistic. Neither had human intelligence or emotions. Even when showing weakness, it was in an animalistic manner.

“Spare me, I was forced into this,” Eiffel suddenly pleaded.

Tu Ran’s hand, holding the gun, trembled. This genetic monster could actually speak!?

She had clearly mutated! Just moments ago, she had even taken on Papara’s face.

Up until now, every human who drank the Divine Medicine had turned into a genetic monster. While they gained powers that no ordinary human could possess, they lost their minds, becoming nothing more than beasts.

But this woman before her… she had gained powers without losing her humanity.

Wasn’t this the very effect the creators of the Divine Medicine had originally promised?

“Please, spare me!” Eiffel begged again.

Seeing Tu Ran’s lack of response, Eiffel crawled forward on her knees, attempting to grab Tu Ran’s leg.

Tu Ran quickly stepped back, putting distance between them.

“Don’t come any closer. If you have something to say, say it from there.”

Despite Eiffel’s human-like appearance, Tu Ran remained cautious, not letting her guard down.

Eiffel, aware of her horrifying appearance—neither fully human nor fully monster—stayed kneeling, refraining from moving forward. She began recounting her story.

“I’m an artist in the Wells Family Entertainment Company. The others who mutated were too. We weren’t particularly high-ranking within the company.”

 

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