A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

When Ke Mingqing heard the name ”Death Crow” from Xia Zili, he froze for a moment before silently grumbling, *So you all knew the people from Death Crow were coming. Why aren’t you running away?*

But he could understand. Not everyone could see the super-human species panel.

For these magical girls who had always enjoyed smooth sailing, it was hard to judge the power gap between themselves and their enemies.

Until they saw it with their own eyes, ”Death Crow” was just an ethereal, meaningless title to them.

”Exactly.” Kiyono Sakura nodded. ”Death Crow might make a move. Otherwise, the Magical Girl Company in Leijing wouldn’t have asked the Hero Company for backup and called me over as well.”

She chuckled. ”What do you think, Miss Ember?”

”If they come, we beat them back,” Xia Zili replied instantly.

”How straightforward.” Kiyono Sakura tilted her head slightly. ”But I’m not so optimistic. If we’re attacked by Death Crow, relying solely on our current roster would likely spell disaster.”

She reached out and traced the edge of her teacup. ”Therefore, even though a Death Crow attack is only a slight possibility, please notify the Magical Girl Three Giants in advance so they can prepare to return and defend.”

”They’re busy,” Xia Zili cut in.”True. I know the Three Giants have been busy fending off witch forces in Asia,” Kiyono paused. ”And I also know that you, Miss Ember, are currently caught in a storm of public opinion and desperately need a mission to prove your worth, which is why you don’t want to ask your master for help.”

She looked up at the two of them and lowered her voice.

”But have you considered... if Death Crow does come, what about your older brother? Isn’t he also on the escort team for the Comet Fragments?” Ke Mingqing and Xia Zili kept their heads down in silence for a moment before speaking up in unison:

”I’ll protect her.”

”You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll protect my brother.”

The siblings froze, then exchanged a glance.

Finally, Xia Zili looked away in slight annoyance, thinking, *You’re so weak. How could you protect me?*

”You two really are alike.” Kiyono Sakura chuckled softly. ”How nice. Unfortunately, I was separated from my brother when I was very young, so I’ve never experienced this kind of inseparable bond.”

She lifted her teacup and took a small sip.

”But regardless, I still hope you’ll seriously consider my suggestion.”

Xia Zili lowered her head in thought. She had been in a cold war with Xi Ziyue these past few days.

Xi Ziyue rarely asked her for favors, and on top of that, the battle against the witches in Europe was grim.

Under these circumstances, asking Xi Ziyue to keep an eye on things in Leijing would essentially be declaring, ”I’m just this incompetent. I have to rely entirely on you, Master.”

But Xia Zili didn’t want to see her brother get hurt either.

Compared to her pride, she cared far more about his safety.

So, after a long hesitation, she pulled her phone from the pocket of her yellow dress, opened WeChat, and sent a message to the contact named ”Xi Ziyue”. [Xia Zili: Master, if something goes wrong on the day the Comet Fragments are delivered, will you come to help?]

Xi Ziyue did not reply.

Xia Zili waited ten seconds before growing restless, thinking, *Why did I even send that? How embarrassing...*

Watching this, Kiyono Sakura laughed softly, as if she knew exactly what the other girl had just done.

Xia Zili locked her phone and took a deep breath.

Just then, An Youlu walked over carrying a tray and set the freshly brewed tea on the table.

Ke Mingqing picked up a cup and took a sip.

Deep down, he truly didn’t care whether the Magical Girl Three Giants returned to help on the day Death Crow attacked.

From a player’s perspective, no matter how things played out, it was just super-human species tearing at each other’s throats. A few extra casualties would only benefit him. In fact, Ke Mingqing couldn’t wait to see more people die when the day arrived.

But if the Magical Girl Three Giants showed up, it would ruin the fun. Even the monsters of Death Crow wouldn’t fight to the bitter end against the three strongest magical girls in the world.

Lorenzo was a madman, but he wasn’t a fool. He was a rational madman who knew how to weigh the pros and cons.

Not far away, An Youlu, who had been diligently mopping the floor, suddenly looked down, pulled her phone from her white apron pocket, and glanced at the screen.

She stared blankly for a second before hurrying over to Ke Mingqing.

”Miss Kuroki said she’s coming back right away. She asked you to wait for her here.”

”How long will that be?” Ke Mingqing asked, sipping his tea.

”About an hour. She just arrived at the airport, so the driver will need some time to bring her here,” An Youlu replied.

”I’d better head out then. My sister is here too,” Ke Mingqing said.

Right at that moment, An Youlu’s phone vibrated with a sharp buzz.

She looked down at it, and her expression instantly shifted.

”The Miss says she’s already at the door.” She shook her head with a deadpan expression, speaking at rapid-fire speed. ”This is bad, this is so bad... this is bad, this is so bad. We have to get Sakurahime out of here right now.”

Kiyono Sakura glanced over, watching them with curiosity.

”Seriously? Didn’t you just say a second ago that she wouldn’t be back for an hour?” Ke Mingqing asked.

”The Miss sometimes likes to lie about her schedule, just like now,” An Youlu explained. ”I don’t know why. Sometimes it’s really embarrassing when I get caught slacking off, but she never reprimands me.”

She paused. ”Sakurahime is a magical girl with a public identity. If the Miss sees someone like her visiting our house, she’ll definitely question me. If she suspects I’m a magical girl, I’m doomed.”

Ke Mingqing thought to himself, *That’s really not necessary. She already knows you’re a magical girl.*

But he hadn’t expected Kuroki Hitomi to be this guarded, going so far as to lie about her itinerary to the people closest to her.

*I really thought she was too innocent before.*

Thinking this, Ke Mingqing opened his Chat Panel and sent Kuroki Hitomi a message.

[Ke Mingqing: Why did you come back so suddenly?]

[Kuroki Hitomi: I wanted to see you.]

[Kuroki Hitomi: Tokyo and Leijing are very close. It only takes a little while by private jet.]

Xia Zili kept her head down in silence.

She desperately wanted to tell An Youlu that Kuroki Hitomi was no longer the Miss she knew. She was a player now, capable of seeing through An Youlu’s identity at a glance. Pretending in front of her was entirely pointless.

Watching her best friend be deceived left Xia Zili with complicated feelings, but she couldn’t say a word.

Because Ke Mingqing was still here, and she had promised him to keep it a secret.

Suddenly, An Youlu’s eyes lit up, and she suggested, ”Senior, why don’t you take Kiyono Sakura and fly away through the backyard?”

”Is that really necessary?” Xia Zili asked slowly. ”You’re making it sound like we’re sneaking around having an affair.”

”Yes. I don’t want the Miss to know that I have anything to do with magical girls,” An Youlu shook her head. ”I just want to stay by her side as an ordinary person.” ”Doesn’t the living room have security cameras? It’s all the same,” Ke Mingqing reminded her.

”It’s fine. I’ll find a way to obliterate that footage.” An Youlu’s eyes were filled with determination.

With that, she quickly shifted gears. ”Senior, senior, senior! Consider this making up for making me mad earlier—please just help me this once. Hurry and take Sakurahime out the back!”

The young girl immediately slid onto her knees on the carpet, hugging her broom and bowing her head.

Xia Zili was stunned. Watching this made her feel angry, bewildered, and utterly speechless. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, ”Fine, I’ll take her and go.”

With that, Xia Zili pulled up Kiyono Sakura across from her.

The moment they stepped into the backyard, her body was enveloped in a hazy, cocoon-like light. A second later, a girl in a gothic dress appeared in the sunlight and opened her eyes.

”It’s an honor to elope and have a secret affair with Miss Ember.” Kiyono Sakura was quite cooperative, perhaps partly because she highly respected the magical girl Ember. ”Just what exactly is going on inside your Japanese head?” the magical girl Ember grumbled as she opened a black umbrella and flew off with her.

Watching this scene unfold, Ke Mingqing couldn’t help but find it slightly amusing.

Both he and Xia Zili knew that Kuroki Hitomi was a player, but to avoid hurting An Youlu, they still had to put on an act.

And so, the living room fell completely quiet, leaving only Ke Mingqing and An Youlu inside.

Ke Mingqing waited on the sofa. An Youlu raised a hand to make a shushing gesture before walking over to open the door.

The door swung open, letting in sunlight from the coastal highway and casting a long, slender shadow. Then, a girl with a beauty mark beneath her eye walked in, wearing a long linen dress and a pair of woven, closed-toe sandals.

An Youlu nodded, exchanged a brief word with her, and headed up to the second floor to resume mopping.

Kuroki Hitomi glanced around the room before her gaze landed on Ke Mingqing. ”Wasn’t your sister coming over to hang out?”

”She just left.” Ke Mingqing shrugged.

”Then do you want to stay and hang out at my place?” Kuroki Hitomi thought for a moment. ”You can stay the night, too.”

Ke Mingqing gave a dry chuckle. ”I’ll pass. I have a feeling your maid will assassinate me.” As he spoke, he looked up and shot a glance at An Youlu, who was peeking at them from the edge of the second-floor railing.

Showing great professional integrity, An Youlu snatched up her mop at the speed of light and began symbolically scrubbing the floor, leaving trails of water in her wake.

Kuroki Hitomi seemed to have expected this response, so she asked again, ”Then should we go run a dungeon together? Du Tingbei just mentioned he found a dungeon entrance at an abandoned supermarket nearby.”

”That works. We have some time anyway; we can clear it and then I’ll head home for dinner.”

Kuroki Hitomi sat down beside him. ”Won’t you sit with me for a bit first? I just got off a plane and rode in a car. I’m feeling a little dizzy.”

”Sure. Actually, I wanted to ask—what does your attribute panel look like right now?” Ke Mingqing asked.

Without a second thought, Kuroki Hitomi raised her hand and summoned her attribute panel.

Using her mind, she dragged the panel over so it floated right in front of Ke Mingqing.

Sitting together on the sofa, their heads practically leaning against one another, the two quietly examined the data on the panel.

[Player ID: Kuroki Hitomi]

[Level: Lv.007 (3000/3500 EXP)]

[superhuman coins held: 3,500]

[Skills Held: 4]

[Player ”Kuroki Hitomi” attributes: Strength: E Rank; Agility: E++ Rank; Spirit: D++ Rank]

Ke Mingqing was shocked. *Wow... did she earn seven Attribute Points in such a short time? I’ve only gathered ten Attribute Points in total, and she’s just three points behind me.*

He slightly shifted his gaze to look at Kuroki Hitomi’s profile, thinking to himself, *But as time goes on, the gap between us will only grow larger. After all, I have far more main quests than ordinary players. Her advantage lies in her innate talent, Lucky Coin, which gives her the chance to generate an extra weekly quest or get an additional spin on the wheel. That’s why she’s developing faster than normal players.*

”Is there rice stuck to my face?” Kuroki Hitomi paused, asking softly.

Ke Mingqing shook his head, then suddenly remembered something. ”Oh, right, this is for you.”

As he spoke, he pulled a card from his inventory, materialized it in his hand, and offered it to the girl beside him.

Kuroki Hitomi glanced down at it, and the card’s attributes popped up in her vision.

[Item Name: One-Time Magical Girl Transformation Card]

[Item Description: Upon using this card, the player can temporarily transform into a ”Magical Girl Form”.]

Resting a hand against her chin, Kuroki Hitomi thought for a moment before looking up at Ke Mingqing.

”A gift for me?”

”Yeah.”

”Do you want to see me turn into a magical girl?”

She asked tentatively.

”I just figured you could use it. It’s useless to a guy like me,” Ke Mingqing said.

Kuroki Hitomi fell silent for a moment. Then, she lowered her eyes and asked softly, ”Speaking of which, I’ve done quite a few things to help you out, haven’t I?”

Ke Mingqing was momentarily taken aback, but gave a silent nod.

”Then... could you promise me one thing?” The beauty-marked girl’s tone carried a hint of mischief, no longer as placid as before. Ke Mingqing thought to himself, *So this day has finally come. You manipulative, wicked woman... let’s see what kind of tricks you have up your sleeve.*

So he said, ”Tell me. Let me hear what it is first.”

Kuroki Hitomi stuffed the One-Time Magical Girl Transformation Card back into his hand, then looked up directly into his eyes.

”Later, when it’s just the two of us in the dungeon, use this item and transform into a magical girl for me... I won’t tell anyone else.” Ke Mingqing was stunned.