After the bonfire party, Tang Xiao and Jun Tesi spent the night at Fu Yichen’s house.
Of course, on a channel Jun Tesi wasn’t aware of, he and Fu Yichen discussed players and the game throughout the night, finally gaining some of the missing information.
For instance, Tang Xiao learned that other players couldn’t allocate attribute points like he could, which confirmed what his older brother had mentioned before. He also found out that they only had one life—if they died, they had to leave the game permanently.
However, after the time reversal, things seemed to have changed slightly. For example, characters of players who died before the reversal might still be alive after it, but by then, most players had already left the game.
The next morning, Tang Xiao noticed a significant increase in the city's search efforts. The most obvious sign was the presence of more patrol personnel in streets and alleys, making it harder for them to move around and complicating the process of leaving the base.
Fu Yichen noticed this as well, so he offered Tang Xiao a suggestion. “Do you want to hide somewhere farther from the base for a while? It’s my mother’s friend’s house. It’s in a remote area where few people go. We’re leaving tonight, so maybe you could hide there and wait for the security measures to ease before finding a chance to leave.”
Jun Tesi’s abilities should have been enough to get him out, but Tang Xiao recalled how exhausted Jun Tesi had looked after using his powers the night before, so he agreed.
Thus, Fu Yichen led them down small paths to avoid patrols, passing through a small grove before reaching a secluded two-story villa. As he had said, they barely encountered anyone along the way, possibly because an infectious disease had once broken out there, leading to its gradual abandonment.
Fu Yichen brought them to the villa’s entrance and knocked on the door. No one answered. He frowned, then retrieved a key from beneath a flowerpot, explaining as he did so, “The people living here are elderly and sometimes hard of hearing. My mother takes care of them, so over time, we got to know each other well.”
“Will they mind?”
“It’s fine. They loved making friends when they were younger. They might even be interested in hearing your stories.” As Fu Yichen spoke, he called out inside the villa a few times but received no response. He then went upstairs to check.
Tang Xiao took the opportunity to observe the small villa. Though it appeared slightly rundown from the outside, the interior was clean and cozy. The details throughout the house suggested that its inhabitants had a good sense of living.
This piqued Tang Xiao’s curiosity about the people who lived there.
Suddenly, Jun Tesi reached out and clasped Tang Xiao’s hand. “Xiaoxiao, there’s a scent of death.”
Tang Xiao froze, instinctively raising his guard. He lowered his voice and asked, “Did the King of Mushroom track us here?”
“No,” Jun Tesi shook his head, his gaze lifting toward the ceiling. “It’s coming from above.”
A chill ran through Tang Xiao’s heart. He pulled Jun Tesi along and ascended to the second floor. As soon as they reached the top, they saw Fu Yichen standing at the doorway of a room, his expression incredibly complicated.
Tang Xiao and Jun Tesi stepped behind him and saw the scene inside.
The room appeared to be the villa’s master bedroom—spacious, warm, and decorated like the rest of the house. A large bed stood in the center, and on the nightstand lay a framed photograph and a bottle of medicine, displaying a picture of two men together.
In the middle of the bed, two white skeletons lay tightly embracing each other.
Between the gaps of the bones, clusters of dreamlike purple mushrooms had grown densely.
It was eerie, yet strangely beautiful.
“They’re flesh-eating mushrooms,” Jun Tesi’s calm voice murmured beside Tang Xiao’s ear. “They’re a type of mushroom that prefers cleanliness. They usually grow near corpses, consuming the flesh and internal organs before decomposition sets in, using them as nutrients for growth. They also emit a fragrant scent that masks the stench of decay.”
“...” Fu Yichen remained silent for a long time before finally finding his voice. He stepped into the room, picked up the medicine bottle from the nightstand, and spoke in an eerily steady tone. “This is sleeping medication. Jeremy—the owner of this villa—asked me to bring him flesh-eating mushroom spores a week ago. Turns out, this is what he intended to do.”
“Were they a couple?” Tang Xiao stepped beside Fu Yichen, looking at the framed photo.
“Yeah.” Fu Yichen’s voice was muffled. “Same-sex couples aren’t uncommon here. Jeremy’s partner, Marlin, had a heart condition. The day he asked me for those spores was the same day Marlin passed away. I originally thought he wanted to use the mushrooms to let Marlin leave cleanly. Marlin had a severe cleanliness obsession—he once said he couldn’t imagine what his body would look like after death. But because of religious beliefs, he couldn’t accept cremation.”
“I never expected… he would choose to follow.”
Tang Xiao didn’t know what to say. He simply patted Fu Yichen on the back.
Fu Yichen shook his head. “I'm fine. They were already old. Being able to die painlessly before the disaster began… it’s not the worst outcome.”
As he spoke, he handed the key to Tang Xiao.
“You can use the villa anytime. But… could you help me bury them? Just in the yard.”
“En.”
When Tang Xiao and Fu Yichen were about to leave, they noticed that Jun Tesi was still standing beside the bed, staring at the two skeletons as if contemplating something profound.
Something called death.
By the time Tang Xiao and Fu Yichen finished their task, the sky had already begun shifting toward dusk. Two small mounds now rested in the yard, with simple wooden boards serving as makeshift gravestones. Fu Yichen turned to him and said, “I’m leaving now.”
“Mm. Stay safe.”
“You too.”
Just as Fu Yichen was about to leave, Tang Xiao couldn’t hold back his question. “If the time reversals keep happening… how long will you keep going?”
Fu Yichen lifted his arm and waved backward.
He said nothing—yet it felt as if he had said everything.
Tang Xiao didn’t ask again. He simply watched Fu Yichen’s figure disappear into the sunset.
Then, he returned to the villa, but to his surprise, Jun Tesi was nowhere to be found. He searched the first floor, then the second, before finally finding him in the master bedroom.
Jun Tesi sat at the edge of the window, half of his body hanging outside, his gaze fixed on the remaining purple flesh-eating mushrooms on the bed.
Tang Xiao followed his line of sight and was unexpectedly struck by how beautiful the mushrooms actually were. Their colors were dreamy, transitioning from blue to purple, with the purple part resembling wisteria blossoms.
If they grew in large clusters, the corpses would seem to be resting in a sea of violet. No wonder the villa’s owner favored this mushroom.
“Xiaoxiao,” Jun Tesi suddenly spoke, his gaze shifting to Tang Xiao. “Will you go back to Third Eye?”
Tang Xiao frowned. “Why are you asking again? I already told you—I’m not going back.”
“What if I tell you to go back?”
“I still won’t.”
Ever since they ran away together, Tang Xiao had made up his mind—once he let go of the bowstring, there was no turning back.
“But this way, you’ll die.”
Jun Tesi finally broke the silence, saying out loud the truth they had both known but had been avoiding.
The King of Mushroom was searching for Tang Xiao.
And now, Jun Tesi’s body was collapsing day by day. Each passing moment brought him closer to death.
Even though making love to Tang Xiao could slow the process, it was only a delay. The end would still come. If Jun Tesi stopped using his powers completely and focused solely on healing, perhaps he could prolong his life—but that was impossible. They were still being hunted by humans, and soon, they might even be pursued by beasts. Every battle they fought would push Jun Tesi closer to death.
And once Jun Tesi died, Tang Xiao wouldn’t survive either. If he didn’t return, he was doomed to die in the wild, which wasn’t much different from being devoured by the King of Mushroom.
The once-calm ocean had finally been disturbed.
Tang Xiao lowered his eyes and sighed. “Why are you suddenly talking about the future?”
Their elopement was built on a single principle—living in the present, never thinking about the future.
Because they both knew—they had no future.
The moment they talked about the future, they would inevitably touch upon the grand topic of humanity. And on this issue, they had never truly agreed. Either Jun Tesi compromised, or Tang Xiao did.
Even though Tang Xiao had once forcibly tied their future to humanity’s future, that no longer held true after Jun Tesi lost his own future.
That was why, after fulfilling his mission, Tang Xiao chose to run away with Jun Tesi. It was the only way to not betray his beliefs.
But now, the fragile understanding they had managed to maintain was suddenly broken by Jun Tesi himself—bringing up a question that Tang Xiao had been avoiding all along.
What would he do after Jun Tesi died?
Jun Tesi gazed at Tang Xiao in silence. His amber eyes, at this moment, almost blended with the hues of the setting sun, carrying a quiet sorrow.
“Because I don’t want Xiaoxiao to be devoured by the King of Mushroom.”
The mere thought of Tang Xiao’s body being corroded by other mushrooms filled Jun Tesi with unbearable pain.
He had been thinking about this question for a long time.
“So… do you want to die with me?”
Until now, this thought had never even surfaced in Jun Tesi’s mind—perhaps because all living beings instinctively avoid death. Tang Xiao had never spoken to him about it either.
But today, in that fleeting moment, as he witnessed the two skeletons on the bed lying in an embrace, Jun Tesi suddenly felt something he had never known before.
A mushroom’s view of life and death is simple—life is a beginning, death is an end. Death is also nourishment, a cycle, a means to foster the blooming of new life.
This had always been an unquestionable truth in Jun Tesi’s mind—cold and absolute, like the laws of nature. Yet, at this moment, humans had given death another meaning.
Through those two intertwined skeletons, Jun Tesi seemed to glimpse an answer.
They had loved in life and clung to each other in death.
So, death could also be warm and beautiful.
And perhaps, death did not have to separate them.
The moment he spoke the invitation aloud, Jun Tesi felt a brief pang of regret.
“Forget it. Just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Life is the most precious thing granted to every being at birth. Even Jun Tesi himself once believed that his love for Tang Xiao should come after life itself.
Their entanglement had started with the desire to survive—how could he possibly expect Tang Xiao to agree to this?
Maybe it was the overwhelming joy of their elopement that made Jun Tesi unconsciously greedy for more. Or perhaps it was some unspoken unease along their journey that drove him to seek reassurance, over and over again, of Tang Xiao’s love.
“Alright,” Tang Xiao met Jun Tesi’s gaze and answered calmly.
“...Huh?” Jun Tesi’s body trembled, and he almost fell from the second floor, only to be caught by Tang Xiao’s quick reflexes.
Jun Tesi completely ignored the fact that he was on the verge of plummeting, his eyes fixed on Tang Xiao. “What… what did you just say?”
“I said alright.” Tang Xiao gripped Jun Tesi’s arm tightly, looking utterly exasperated. “What’s so surprising? The moment I left with you, I was already prepared to die along the way.”
His actions were already considered treason. No matter how much Third Eye tried to protect him, there was almost no chance they could place him in the Alliance’s offshore base. A scientist tied to a mushroom was far too dangerous.
From the moment they eloped, Tang Xiao had no intention of simply surviving within the system any longer.
“Now get up! Do you want to fall off—mmph!”
Jun Tesi’s arms and lower body instantly transformed into mycelium, entwining around Tang Xiao’s limbs as he pulled himself up—then, in his excitement, he kissed him deeply.
“I’m so happy. I’m so happy I don’t even know what to do.”
Even if it means death, as long as it’s with you, a mushroom can long for it too.
[Jun Tesi Favorability: 100. Even death cannot separate us.]
[Congratulations. You have completed 50% of your personal main storyline. Upon reaching 100%, reward settlement will begin.]
Tang Xiao’s expression shifted slightly, but he allowed Jun Tesi to kiss him eagerly, like an excited puppy.
Was dying together really something to be this happy about?
Did this mushroom even realize it? Life was the most important thing to him, and yet, at this moment, he was excited about the death they would share.
There were obviously better choices right in front of them.
That night, Tang Xiao and Jun Tesi stayed in the guest room. Unsurprisingly, they ended up sleeping together again. As their passion intensified, Tang Xiao panted softly, then took the initiative to bite the tip of his tongue, exchanging a deep, lingering kiss with Jun Tesi. Jun Tesi responded just as fervently, but the moment he detected the taste of blood, he forcibly pried Tang Xiao’s mouth open with his fingers.
By the time Jun Tesi withdrew his fingers, Tang Xiao’s tongue had already healed. Still feeling paranoid, he flipped Tang Xiao over, meticulously checking for any other wounds on his body. Only after confirming that there were none did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, anxiously asking, “Xiaoxiao, are you hurt anywhere else? Was I too rough just now?”
“...” Tang Xiao let out a deep sigh and wrapped his arms around Jun Tesi’s neck. “I’m fine. Just keep going.”
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto the bed. Tang Xiao raised an arm to block the blinding light, but when that didn’t help much, he turned his head and buried himself in Jun Tesi’s chest.
Without even opening his eyes, Jun Tesi instinctively adjusted his posture, pulling Tang Xiao into his embrace.
For a moment, they seemed like an ordinary couple in the world, indulging in the lazy bliss of a honeymoon.
It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Tang Xiao groggily woke up. His first thought was that he had forgotten to clock in at the lab.
His second thought—oh, he had already defected. It didn’t matter anymore.
Tang Xiao immediately flopped back down, ready to go back to sleep. But Jun Tesi stopped him. “Xiaoxiao, irregular eating habits can cause stomach problems for humans.”
Tang Xiao kept his eyes closed. “No need to worry about that. This body won’t have a future anyway.”
It was only then that Quintes recalled what had happened yesterday. Tang Xiao buried his face under the blanket, thinking that this mushroom would behave and let him sleep for a little longer. But instead, Jun Tesi got up from the bed.
Tang Xiao ignored him and tried to slip back into sleep—until five minutes later, when a loud clattering sound came from downstairs, followed by the aroma of fried eggs and bacon. With a sigh, Tang Xiao got dressed, wrapped himself in a blanket, and went downstairs. As expected, he found Jun Tesi wearing an apron, busy in the kitchen.
Seeing Tang Xiao come down, Jun Tesi brought out a plate of fried eggs and bacon, along with milk and bread, and placed it in front of him.
“I already told you I don’t need to eat regularly anymore,” Tang Xiao sighed. “Death is right in front of us, after all.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want to miss a single meal with you, or any moment we have together,” Jun Tesi said, sitting across from him with a smile. “Hmm… unless Xiao Xiao thinks the bed is a better option? I wouldn’t mind that either.”
Tang Xiao’s instincts told him that by ‘bed,’ Jun Tesi didn’t just mean sleeping.
Feeling the lingering ache in his lower back, Tang Xiao wisely kept his mouth shut and focused on eating.
Jun Tesi simply watched him with a faint smile, his gaze intent, just as he had done when they were in Third Eye. But this time, there was nothing in their way. No need to hide. They were completely free.
Tang Xiao found Jun Tesi’s stare a bit unbearable and tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. “So, have you decided where the final place will be?”
Jun Tesi was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t actually thought about that.
“We need a place where our bodies can be completely destroyed,” Jun Tesi said. “That is… if Xiaoxiao doesn’t want the King of Mushroom to find our remains.”
“The ocean won’t work?”
“There are mushroom species that live in certain parts of the ocean,” Jun Tesi explained. “And there’s a chance our bodies could wash ashore or be eaten by fish. If the King of Mushroom captures those fish, I’m not sure what effect it would have.”
That was uncertain, and they didn’t have time to test it.
“Hmm… then how about a volcano?” Tang Xiao suddenly noticed something, standing up from the table to pick up a newspaper from the living room.
It was reporting on a continuously erupting active volcano in a certain region.
“We’ll go here,” Tang Xiao said. “It’s about 100 kilometers away from here. Can you manage?”
Jun Tesi calculated for a moment. “That should be doable.”
“Alright. Then we’ll set Yak Volcano as our destination.” Tang Xiao’s expression remained unchanged, but as he turned away, he quietly folded the section of the newspaper with the report’s date.
Jun Tesi didn’t notice a thing. “Okay.”
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