At that moment, a sudden change swept through the sea of fire.

Fine demonic runes spread rapidly from her feet, soon covering Fang Chang from head to toe. At the same time, shadow power intertwined with them, turning the Lava Demon, once tied to flames and hot winds, toward something else entirely.

Inside her, Demonic Power began to boil. With the shadow power granted by naming—power imbued with divinity—she elevated her very being.

The system chimed.

[Low-tier Demonic Power advanced to mid-tier Demonic Power, then to high-tier Demonic Power, and finally to Archdemon-tier Demonic Power.]

[Single evolution of the Beast Patchwork: Demonic Body formed. Demonic Body mutated and evolved into Vengeful Flame Archdemon.]

A flood of knowledge came with the Demonflame. It was knowledge inherited from the demonic bloodline in her feet, including some magic and demonic runes—but most of it was basic and incomplete.

Fang Chang didn't care. Her mind was completely consumed by hatred.

Her body, which had shrunk after giving birth, returned to its former shape. The little leather shoes on her feet were drawn into the transformation and evolved as well. They still looked ordinary, but inside, they were entirely different.

[Vengeful Flame Archdemon Talents: Demonflame, Bone-Stripping Wind, Demonic Body, Hatred, Demonic Shaping, Spatial Manipulation]

Tattered bat wings. Curved ram's horns. Two wavering flames flickered in her eyes, and fire coiled around her pale skin. She took one step forward, and within ten meters, the ground melted into churning lava.

By combining her own resentment with the power she had seized from a divine naming, Fang Chang had evolved. The demonic mutation she chose as the Beast Patchwork's next evolution gave her so much power that, even after she recovered her full strength, her total energy capacity had increased by half.

If an ordinary person achieved something like this, they'd instantly gain the power of a top player, just as Fang Chang had when she was modified.

She was only one step away from becoming a Demon King.

Her power contracted, and her demonic form vanished. Fang Chang returned to her ordinary appearance. The Demonflame and hot wind around her disappeared in an instant, and most of the heat was drawn away. Only wisps of smoke rising from cracks in the ground spoke of the terrifying temperature from moments ago.

She took another step and crossed hundreds of meters, arriving beside Chen Xiaotan. She'd regained her composure, but the blank look on her face somehow seemed even more terrifying than her earlier frenzy.

“You…”

“Come on. I'll take you to see the sights.”

Fang Chang grabbed her hand. At last, she could look down at people again, but she no longer felt like teasing anyone. She patted the zombie bird on the head. “You can go now.”

The zombie bird looked as if a great weight had been lifted from its shoulders. It vanished into the sky without looking back.

The two landed and walked through the abandoned city, step by step. With Fang Chang's presence there, no zombie dared come over and cause trouble.

Chen Xiaotan wasn't in the mood to admire the scenery, and she didn't dare disturb Fang Chang. After what she'd just witnessed, this newcomer player seemed more terrifying to her than gods or demons.

Even with all her experience, she'd never met anyone this powerful.

They walked for a full two hours, crossing an abandoned little city, before Fang Chang finally stopped. She sat down wherever she was, leaned against a telephone pole, and fell into thought.

Chen Xiaotan didn't dare go far, so she sat down beside her.

“Tell me, should I hate her?”

At last, she had a chance to speak. Chen Xiaotan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Fang Chang could still be reasoned with. She hurriedly asked, “Who do you hate? The person who modified you?”

“Yeah!” Fang Chang propped her head up with both hands, her eyes full of sorrow. “She gave me this incredible power, enough to protect myself. And the woman I supposedly married was someone I met only once. She was the one with a one-sided crush on me. We didn't even have any real feelings for each other. It was only because of the child that we ended up connected in some inexplicable way.”

Chen Xiaotan didn't dare give her a straight answer. If someone else had asked, she might've said power was all that mattered. But she'd been through different things, and her answer would be different too. She was afraid that saying it out loud might provoke Fang Chang.

So she changed the subject. “Who exactly is your wife?”

“The Zombie Queen—the highest form of zombie evolution. All zombies have to obey her. That's why I said I'm the queen consort.”

“No wonder.” As Chen Xiaotan spoke, a daring thought occurred to her. “Actually, it's possible your wife and child are still alive.”

“Hm?”

Fang Chang sat up straight, her gaze suddenly sharpening.

Chen Xiaotan gave a small cough. Under Fang Chang's scrutinizing gaze, she knew this might provoke her, but she had to answer anyway. “You said that big shot likes modifying people and conducting experiments, and that you're a finished product. So what better material could there be than the Zombie Queen, who commands countless zombies?”

Demonflame rose from Fang Chang's shoulders. The heat alone seared one side of Chen Xiaotan's body, leaving it burning with pain. Before she could even dodge, Fang Chang snuffed out the flames and gave her an apologetic smile.

“Thanks for reminding me. It helped me calm down a little. Now that I think about it, that mysterious connection between us is still there. They should still be alive. And if they're alive, there's still a chance to save them.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I refuse to believe that in a world this big, with a lab making that much noise, nobody knows anything!” Fang Chang let out a long sigh and stood up, confidence shining in her eyes. “First, I'll search this world and see if I can find anyone who knows something.”

“And then?”

“I'll find out whether Li Zirong has left this world. If she hasn't, great. If she has, I'll use The Game to hunt her down for the rest of my life!”

Chen Xiaotan thought the odds seemed pretty slim.

“The Game is huge, and there are so many worlds. How are you ever going to find her?”

“First you set a goal, then you make a plan. I barely understand how The Game works. Even if I made the most detailed plan, it'd be useless. Just the gap in what we know could make all my effort go to waste.” Fang Chang lifted her chin and looked at Chen Xiaotan. “From now on, you're my strategist!”

Chen Xiaotan took half a step back. “Why?”

“Because you're the second player I've ever met! And…” Fang Chang gave her a playful smile. “You took advantage of me so many times before. This is how you'll pay me back!”

Chen Xiaotan gave an awkward laugh. “You think I'd agree? Helping you go up against some big shot I've never even heard of…”

“You will,” Fang Chang said with certainty. “Otherwise, you wouldn't have come with me to this world, would you?”

Chen Xiaotan answered with silence.

“I don't know why, but I have a feeling you wouldn't hurt me.”