The underground stopped producing rodent-like beasts.
The armed forces noticed this subtle change but had no idea where it originated. Nevertheless, it was a welcome relief. Previously overwhelmed by attacks from below, the troops could now focus on handling the beasts coming from above ground.
What was strange, however, was the sense that an unseen, powerful individual was aiding them. Whenever the army was about to be overrun, something would shift—either a large group of beasts would inexplicably burst into flames, or the ground would suddenly collapse, swallowing the creatures. Upon inspection, the soldiers would find the beasts decapitated by an unknown force.
Despite the apparent strength of this mysterious helper, no one had seen them. Their gender, age, and whether they were single were unknown. A scout reported these bizarre occurrences to the commander, scratching his head and asking, “Who exactly is saving us? And why won’t they reveal themselves?”
The commander was silent momentarily before replying, “It must be reinforcements from the Alliance.”
The scout hesitated. “Is... is that so?”
“Yes,” the commander said with a blank expression. “A powerful superpower from the Alliance has arrived. They’re helping us from the shadows. The Alliance’s full support will likely arrive soon. Spread the word and ensure the front line holds on for a bit longer.”
“Understood.”
The scout, though uncertain, relayed the commander’s announcement.
He had a vague feeling that the truth might not align with the official explanation, but the troops needed to believe this mysterious savior was an early-arriving reinforcement.
As expected, the news bolstered the troops’ morale. Soldiers found renewed hope, and with the hidden superpower’s unseen assistance, the previously faltering defensive lines miraculously stabilized.
Reports from the front line soon reached the base's central command. Leon murmured in confusion, “Alliance reinforcements?”
He glanced at the recently ended communication, which had explicitly instructed them to hold out for at least another hour.
An hour—by then, the beast tide would have likely breached the base.
Leon had almost given up hope, but now, a glimmer of possibility emerged.
He didn’t care why this superpower refused to reveal themselves. Following the front-line commander’s lead, he spread the news that reinforcements from the Alliance had arrived, urging the troops to hold out a little longer.
Every extra minute of resistance increased the scientists’ chances of survival.
Even if that time came at the cost of more lives.
Leon coldly made this harsh calculation and couldn’t help but smirk bitterly. He hadn’t expected to act with such selflessness one day.
Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, Leon turned to his assistant. “Have the scientists finished evacuating?”
“Most of the scientists on the list have already been evacuated to the shelters, but a few went to retrieve some documents.”
“Tsk, even if we have to force them, get them into the shelters. Deploy all available armed forces in the base—delay as much time as possible.”
“Understood.”
With the arrival of reinforcements, the previously weakened morale stabilized once more.
“Hold on! Support will be here soon!”
As if in response to these words, every time the defensive line was on the verge of collapse, a miracle would occur—large swathes of beasts would fall like harvested wheat. This strengthened the soldiers' belief that a powerful superpower had come to their aid, even though no one had actually seen this so-called superpower.
But they had seen hope.
“Just a little longer! The Alliance reinforcements have arrived! The main forces are right behind us—don’t fall before dawn!”
“Got it, Captain!”
They also dispatched the Orca Team to the front lines. Truthfully, their team was designed for exploration and was not well-suited for direct battlefield combat.
But at this point, any team with combat ability was being sent to the front.
Gu Mo had just taken down a charging beast when he suddenly turned around, his pupils contracting. “Captain, watch the sky!”
The rainy night masked movements in the air, but at Gu Mo’s warning, the captain abruptly looked up—hundreds of enormous black crows, almost blending into the darkness, were swooping down. Flying-type beasts had finally appeared, using the rain as cover to dive into the battlefield like black bombs.
The captain watched helplessly as razor-sharp talons slashed toward him like a storm, about to sever his head.
Suddenly, a blood-red light sliced through the air, drawing a line between life and death. A sharp screech rang out as the crow split in half and crashed to the ground.
Warm black blood splattered across him, but the captain barely noticed. His attention was entirely captured by the figure before him.
A long black cloak concealed their appearance entirely. With each swing of their crimson scythe, flocks of black crows dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Like the descent of Death itself.
“Are... are you the superpower sent to support us?” the captain hurriedly asked.
But the figure didn't even turn back before vanishing on the spot.
The captain stood stunned, unable to process what had happened. Gu Mo ran over and called out, “Captain, are you alright?”
The captain snapped out of it. “I'm fine. That powerful superpower just saved me.”
“Huh? They were here? Damn, I missed it!” Gu Mo scratched his head, then curiously asked, “What did they look like?”
“I don't know. I couldn’t see.”
The captain was equally puzzled as to why the person refused to show themselves, but now was not the time to dwell on it. Though the figure had already left, the captain still shouted several thanks before continuing the battle.
What they didn’t know was that the powerful superpower they imagined was actually the network of mycelium spreading beneath their feet. These people... look familiar. Jun Tesi thought. Where had he seen them before?
Oh well, it didn’t matter. After all, to him, all humans looked about the same—except for Xiaoxiao.
Jun Tesi passed indifferently through the underground, heading to the next battlefield.
Time ticked by. Leon watched as the casualty count continued to rise, his emotions fluctuating with each report. Several times, he ordered his assistant to prepare Apollo for activation.
Then, at a certain moment, a green light finally flickered on the Alliance’s communication device.
Inside the underground shelter, everyone whispered prayers for the Third Eye. Even those who had lost faith in it after the leader’s death or had considered returning to the Alliance now clung to it as their only hope in this crisis.
“Where’s my girlfriend? Why isn’t she allowed in?”
“Dr. Lin, please remain calm. The shelter has limited space—this is just the first group to enter. There will be more waves of—”
“How are the people outside?”
“I’m sorry… Everyone is safe.”
“Isn’t it no different from not saying it?”
The shelter was filled with noise and tension, but Tang Xiao ignored it all. He was writing down paused experimental records on a scrap of paper while an invisible game panel hovered in front of him.
The countdown of the world's main storyline.
100 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes.
He had originally thought he had at least half a year. But now, it seemed he had misunderstood. Half a year might have been the time humanity could hold out, but the Third Eye itself wouldn’t even last that long. It had only been a little over two months, and the Third Eye’s base was already facing a catastrophic crisis.
At this rate, there wouldn't even be time left for research. Even if they made it to the Alliance, the problems there were likely just as complicated.
“Dr. Tang, what are you doing?” At that moment, Lodge noticed Tang Xiao’s silence. But when he looked over, he found the man still scribbling on paper.
“As you can see, organizing my thoughts.”
Lodge’s words drew the attention of others. Seeing Tang Xiao still focused on his research, as if unaffected by their dire situation, Aberk and Yu Ming exchanged glances, unsure whether to feel admiration or something else.
Was he really not afraid at all?
“Aren’t you worried about what’s happening outside?” Yu Ming couldn’t help but ask.
“I can’t control what happens outside,” Tang Xiao replied. “The only thing I can do right now is this.”
With that, he buried himself once more in organizing the ideas that had just surfaced in his mind. Unfortunately, there was no equipment available, and he couldn’t conduct any experiments.
Seeing Tang Xiao remain so calm, Lodge, who had been anxious and restless, gradually felt himself settle down as well. He let out a wry smile. “That’s true. Worrying about what’s happening outside won’t change anything. All we can do is wait for the outcome.”
“Do you have any extra paper? Give me a sheet. I’ve got some accumulated questions—can I ask you?”
“Of course.”
“Ah, then me too!” Seeing them all shift their focus to research, Yu Ming instinctively followed suit.
Aberk sighed. “You guys really leave me at a loss for words.”
Then, after a long sigh, he added, “Oh well. Even if we end up dead, at least this data can be left for the Alliance. Give me a pen and some paper—I’ll record the unfinished experimental data from earlier.”
“You might as well write a will instead,” a scientist they didn’t know scoffed from the side. “The base is already doomed, and there’s no guarantee we’ll survive. What’s the point of writing that stuff now?”
“It’s fine. This is my will.” Tang Xiao, eyes fixed on the formulas on his paper, said it casually.
The scientist fell silent. He looked at Tang Xiao, his expression complicated.
Back when the higher-ups announced that Tang Xiao would be in charge of this project, he had been among those who opposed it. He believed Tang Xiao was too young, and this project was too important to be given to someone inexperienced. Since Xiao Bai had been the chairman of the Third Eye at the time, many assumed Tang Xiao had taken a shortcut to secure this position, which only made him more disgusting.
But now, he thought—maybe things weren’t as simple as they seemed.
At the very least, in a life-or-death situation like this, they, the so-called seasoned experts, didn’t have greater resolve than Tang Xiao did.
He looked down at his half-written will, addressed to the family he had left behind in the Alliance. He clenched his teeth, hastily scrawled a few more lines, then grabbed a new sheet of paper and began listing unverified ideas that had been lingering in his mind.
The sound of pens scratching against paper gradually replaced the noise in the shelter. Some were writing their wills in tears, while others, influenced by Tang Xiao’s actions, quietly resumed discussing unfinished research. The more religious scientists murmured prayers.
From time to time, the muffled booms and tremors of the battle outside reached them. The scientists waited in silence for the final result.
Finally—
“The Alliance reinforcements have arrived!”
A staff member’s excited voice rang through the shelter, and everyone instantly turned to look at him.
Aboveground, military fighter jets roared across the sky. The Alliance’s insignia was clearly visible to every soldier on the battlefield. Bombs rained down on the beast horde, while squads of superpowers slashed into the enemy like a razor-sharp blade.
By this time, the beast horde had already breached the inner city. Only one last defensive line remained. Leon had been preparing to launch Apollo the moment that final line was broken.
But they had managed to hold on until reinforcements arrived.
The assistant let out an ecstatic shout. “They’re here! The reinforcements are finally here, Dr. Leon!”
“Yeah…” Leon felt his mind buzzing. When he finally came back to his senses, he realized his back was drenched in cold sweat. If they had been just five minutes later, he might not have been able to stop himself from pressing the launch button.
Thankfully, they had made it in time.
Jun Tesi, sensing the fighter jets overhead, withdrew underground.
The suffocating despair in the shelter finally lifted. Some scientists, overcome with emotion, tore up their unfinished wills and tossed the scraps into the air. Those with family outside couldn’t suppress their sobs.
“The superpowers are clearing out the remaining beasts,” a staff member announced. “The area is largely secure now. Please rest here a little longer before heading out—but be sure to maintain order.”
No one was really listening. The shelter was filled with cheers. Tang Xiao pushed through the crowd and found the staff member.
“Can you tell me the exact situation outside? Is it the Alliance’s army?”
“Something like that. At first, it was an Alliance’s superpower who arrived ahead of the main forces—probably because they were faster,” the staff member said excitedly. “They were unbelievably strong. Held off the entire battle single-handedly. If not for them, Third Eye would’ve been finished.”
“Just one superpower?”
“At first, there was only one person. He was probably from the special forces and arrived early. But he was incredibly strong and even displayed multiple abilities. He might be one of the legendary SS-rank superpowers.”
One person, multiple abilities.
Tang Xiao froze for a moment, then suddenly asked urgently, “What does he look like?”
“I don’t know. I only heard from the people outside. Maybe we’ll find out after the battlefield is cleared—if he’s still alive by then.”
Tang Xiao pressed his lips together. “Can we leave the shelter now?”
“Uh… You can, but things are still a bit chaotic outside—”
Before the staff member could finish, Tang Xiao was already striding away, heading directly toward the Level 5 project’s experimental area. Along the way, he saw several Level 1 and Level 2 scientists and staff members, but everyone was too busy to notice who was coming or going.
Tang Xiao arrived at the Level 5 experimental area and scanned his bracelet to open the door.
Luckily, his permission hadn’t been revoked yet.
As the door opened, he stepped inside, glanced around—and his heart sank.
Jun Tesi was gone.
At a time like this, where else could he be?
Tang Xiao recalled what the staff had said about an unknown but overwhelmingly powerful fighter appearing on the battlefield—one who wielded multiple abilities. His gut feeling grew stronger. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he quickly checked the previous pheromone experiment area as well. But there was nothing.
Jun Tesi…
What the hell happened?
Panic gripped Tang Xiao’s heart. He searched everywhere he could think of, but Jun Tesi was nowhere to be found. Even calling his name in deserted areas yielded no response. The last time this had happened was when Jun Tesi had gone alone to fight the King of Mushroom.
Could he really be on the battlefield?
Tang Xiao pressed his lips together, forcing himself to stay calm. His feet instinctively turned toward his own dormitory.
The moment he opened the door, the scent of gunpowder hit him. On high alert, his hand immediately moved to press the emergency alarm on his bracelet—
A thin strand of fungal fiber stretched out from inside and wrapped around his wrist. “Tang Xiao, it’s me.”
“Jun Tesi?”
“Yeah, I’m inside.”
Tang Xiao let out a breath of relief, quickly stepped in, and shut the door behind him. Following the mycelium, he walked to the living room. “What the hell have you been up to—”
The words caught in his throat as he saw the sight before him.
Jun Tesi was half-leaning against the living room wall, slowly regenerating his injuries. Puncture wounds, lacerations—even burns—covered his body. His right arm was missing. Just looking at him was enough to imagine the sheer brutality of the battlefield.
“How did you get hurt this badly?” Tang Xiao’s eyes widened. “That multi-ability superpower on the battlefield… it really was you.”
“Yeah,” Jun Tesi muttered.
“Why?” Tang Xiao unconsciously stepped closer and sat beside him, asking softly.
Jun Tesi was in the process of regenerating his damaged eye. Upon hearing the question, he turned his head slightly and mumbled, aggrieved, “Because you refused to run away with me.”
He had no interest in other humans. He had no desire to save them. If Tang Xiao had agreed, he would have taken him and fled in the chaos without hesitation.
But he had always known—Tang Xiao would never leave.
Because Tang Xiao loved research. Because Tang Xiao cared about the people here.
If given a choice between this place and Jun Tesi, Tang Xiao would undoubtedly choose to stay.
Jun Tesi had never been his first choice.
Deep down, he had long understood this. That was why he so desperately wanted Tang Xiao to choose him. Even that ridiculous experiment from before had been for this reason—he had thought Tang Xiao would pick him.
But when the real disaster struck, Tang Xiao chose to stay behind.
Even though staying meant putting his life in danger. Even though, when he had fought against Jun Tesi before, he had been so determined to protect his own life. Why was it different this time?
Jun Tesi couldn’t understand at all.
Tang Xiao remained silent. Jun Tesi continued, as if talking to himself, “It’s fine. I know you care about this place… so I’ll protect it too. And when the day comes that this place falls, or when human beings perish, will you go with me?”
Silence remained.
Tang Xiao sighed lightly. “Jun Tesi, I'm sorry.”
“Why?” Junthis didn't understand.
“Because I’m human.”
“I don’t get it.”
Jun Tesi’s eyes were filled with pure confusion. He truly couldn’t comprehend why any living being would willingly choose a dead end.
Faced with this Jun Tesi, Tang Xiao, however, felt a peace he had never experienced before. He looked directly into his eyes and said softly, “Survival is indeed every creature’s instinct, but some things are more important than life itself.”
“There’s nothing,” Jun Tesi replied. “Nothing is more important than life.”
“Then why do you fear devouring me?” Tang Xiao didn’t argue with him, only gave an example. “Evolution is your instinct too, isn’t it? If you devoured me and evolved, even the King of Mushroom wouldn’t be your match. You wouldn’t have to run anymore; you could rid yourself of the threat of death.”
“Because—” Jun Tesi hesitated for a moment. But he was no longer the ignorant mushroom he once was. Quickly, he found the answer in his mind. “Because of love. I love you, Tang Xiao. So I don’t want you to die.”
Love had triumphed over his instinct to evolve.
“Besides, I don’t care about defeating the King of Mushroom,” Jun Tesi added with conviction. “As long as I keep growing stronger and escape his threat, we can survive together.”
For the old Jun Tesi, survival was the top priority, followed by evolution.
But now, the order had shifted slightly—first was survival, second was Tang Xiao, and only third came evolution.
Jun Tesi’s blunt confession caught Tang Xiao off guard. His eyes widened slightly, and after a long moment, he chuckled. “Alright. But what if one day, devouring me was the only way for you to survive?”
“It won’t happen.” Before Tang Xiao could even finish speaking, Jun Tesi had already cut him off, his tone firm. “That will never happen.”
Was he afraid of the scenario itself, or simply terrified of making that comparison?
Tang Xiao gazed at him in silence.
Jun Tesi’s breathing was unsteady, but as he slowly processed his own reaction, his expression dimmed. “So, to you… humans are more important than life itself?”
“Yeah.” Strictly speaking, Tang Xiao wasn’t even from this world.
But he thought, if his own world faced the same catastrophe, he would probably make the same choice.
Once again, silence stretched between the two of them, one human and one mushroom. Tang Xiao no longer looked at Jun Tesi, yet he could sense the rift forming between them.
They had encountered countless conflicts before, but none had ever been this deep.
This unsolvable.
Tang Xiao opened his game panel and checked Jun Tesi’s favorability point. He didn’t know what he was feeling. Maybe he was afraid it would drop. Or maybe… he hoped it would.
But the number remained at 93. It hadn’t changed at all.
“I see,” Jun Tesi finally spoke.
Would he leave now? Tang Xiao wondered bitterly.
“I will try to evolve,” Jun Tesi said. “I don’t have full confidence yet, but I should have a little more time.”
Tang Xiao looked at him in astonishment. “You can still evolve?”
Now that he thought about it, Jun Tesi had evolved once before—that’s how he had taken human form.
“Yeah. The next stage will be the final one.” Jun Tesi turned his head. “I need to accumulate a large amount of nutrients… and ideally, some of your genes.”
Seeing the shock in Tang Xiao’s eyes, Jun Tesi quickly clarified, “Of course, I won’t devour you.”
“What are you thinking? I wouldn’t just offer myself up so willingly either, okay?” Tang Xiao laughed helplessly. He knew Jun Tesi was doing this for him, and for a moment, he felt both exasperated and touched. “Do you want a reward?”
“I do.”
Jun Tesi turned around and embraced Tang Xiao, lowering his head and pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips. Slowly, his tongue traced along Tang Xiao’s lips, prying them open little by little.
It was the reward he had always loved most. And yet, for some reason, this time… there was a faint bitterness to it.
Maybe he had become greedier, Jun Tesi thought.
He didn’t want Tang Xiao to kiss him because he was human. Or because it was part of his evolution.
He wanted the kiss to be pure—if not love, then at least a simple fondness.
But he knew that was impossible.
Outside the base, the beast tide had finally receded. Those who were still alive showed expressions of sorrow, grief, and joy. Inside the base, in countless corners, people embraced one another, celebrating the fact that they had survived another day.
In this post-apocalyptic world, this was the most ordinary—yet most precious—scene.
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