[Zzzzt... Loading game… Strategy target's blackening value: 80%...]
In his dream, Tang Xiao vaguely heard a voice echoing in his mind. His brows furrowed, and his sleep was restless. After some struggle, his consciousness gradually cleared.
Sunlight had already streamed through the window, illuminating the bedside. Tang Xiao lay in the familiar dormitory of Third Eye, momentarily dazed, wondering where he was. It took him a minute or two before he recalled what had happened before he lost consciousness.
Boom. A crimson blush spread from his neck to his face, his ears so red they seemed ready to drip blood. Tang Xiao covered his face and groaned internally. Damn it. It feels like my nonexistent dignity has plummeted to an unfathomable depth. Also, how could a normal adult actually pass out from exhaustion?
…What? The other party isn't even human? Oh, then it's fine.
Tang Xiao selectively deleted the memory of the events in the bell tower from his mind. Taking several deep breaths, he barely managed to suppress the overwhelming embarrassment, forcing his brain back into normal operation.
...Just now, it seemed like he had heard a game notification?
Was it a dream?
Out of habit from playing games before, Tang Xiao tried summoning the game interface, but as expected, nothing appeared before him.
It really was just a dream, huh?
Tang Xiao couldn't help but smile bitterly. After all, he had physically entered this world—he hadn't accessed it through a game console. How could a game system possibly appear?
Although the game's main storyline was cleared, he hadn't even had time to claim his rewards before being forcibly logged out. Thinking about it now, that was a huge loss.
Just then, a rich, fragrant aroma wafted in from outside the room. Tang Xiao twitched his nose, feeling puzzled, and got up to walk toward the small living area.
On the dining table in the small living room, a plate of bread, bacon, and milk had been set out at some point. Tang Xiao touched the cup—it was still warm.
Inside the Third Eye base, aside from him, there were no other humans who could move around freely. So, this breakfast…
“Jun Tesi?” Tang Xiao called softly.
There was no response from inside the dormitory. Tang Xiao went to the bathroom, quickly washed up, changed clothes, and then sat at the table to eat breakfast.
The taste was simple yet familiar. Back when he spent three sunless years buried in research, often skipping meals, he would occasionally return to the dorm to find freshly heated food waiting. At first, it was just Jun Tesi secretly bringing meals from the cafeteria. Later, it evolved into instant food of unknown origin. Eventually, it became proper three-course meals.
By the time Tang Xiao finally noticed, almost every aspect of his life—outside of work—had been taken over by mycelium
Technically, he didn’t need to eat or drink inside the game (though the function existed), but Jun Tesi seemed to enjoy preparing meals, so Tang Xiao played along. Still, he sometimes wondered—how did Jun Tesi cook? Did he use mycelium to pick vegetables, chop them, and heat the pan?
At the thought of that image, Tang Xiao couldn't help but smile. He quickly finished breakfast.
After putting on a lab coat, he left his dormitory. For a moment, he felt as if everything had returned to how it was before the game ended. But the tightly shut doors around the dormitory building and the utterly lifeless base reminded him that everything had changed.
Alone, he headed toward the research area. Given the available equipment, Tang Xiao decided to conduct his research in the original Project 428 lab. Upon arrival, he saw Jun Tesi waiting for him inside.
That sight made Tang Xiao freeze.
Jun Tesi had changed out of his clothes from yesterday and put back on the binding uniform he used to wear at the base. If not for his altered skin tone, he would have looked exactly as he had in the past.
“Morning, Jun Tesi,” Tang Xiao greeted, forcing down the heat rising to his face and pretending nothing had happened. He booted up the equipment and asked, “Why the wardrobe change?”
“Don't you think this is more convenient?” Jun Tesi tilted his head slightly and spread his arms. “Besides, you're more used to seeing me like this. Just like before.”
Tang Xiao didn't know what to say to that. So, he changed the subject. “Let's start with a physical examination.”
Jun Tesi had no objections and followed Tang Xiao into the examination room.
Once Tang Xiao entered work mode, all the distracting thoughts in his mind vanished. With no other personnel in the base, he had to handle all the miscellaneous tasks himself—drawing blood, collecting samples, conducting genetic tests. Just running these basic analyses took a considerable amount of time.
When the results finally came out, Tang Xiao stared at the data in a daze.
…What is this?
It was completely different. Nothing matched the previous data at all.
Before, Jun Tesi's blood samples and biological readings, while bizarre and full of mysteries, still conformed to certain logical frameworks within Tang Xiao's biological knowledge.
But now? Not only did the genetic sequencer refuse to process the sample, but the data it forcibly extracted was complete gibberish.
…Forget coming up with a solution to stop Jun Tesi’s potential rampage—at this point, even the act of ‘research’ itself was nearly impossible. It was like a caveman trying to operate a quantum computer. Confusion. Complete helplessness.
Tang Xiao looked at the results in silence, sweat beading on his forehead.
Jun Tesi... what exactly is he? A mushroom? Would a mushroom produce results like these?
The zombie mushroom that had plagued Tang Xiao for three years, at least, had still been within the realm of modern science. But now…
He couldn't even figure out where to begin.
“Xiaoxiao,” Jun Tesi's voice came from right behind him. At some point, he had silently stepped down from the examination table, pressing close. “Are you thinking of giving up?”
Tang Xiao inhaled sharply, suppressing the chaos in his mind. Expressionless, he replied, “It's too early for that. When have you ever seen me give up on research?”
Jun Tesi’s lips curled slightly. His lowered golden eyes remained fixed on Tang Xiao, their depths burning with an intense, smoldering heat.
He, of course, knew—after all, this was precisely why he had fallen for Tang Xiao.
After reviewing the data, Tang Xiao temporarily left the laboratory and headed straight for the Third Eye’s library.
Since existing biological knowledge couldn't explain, he could only try approaching the problem from other disciplines and see if he could draw any parallels.
After all, human biology had only developed for a few decades—compared to chemistry or physics, it was still far too immature. From a reductionist perspective, all biological problems could be reduced to chemical problems, and advances in chemistry and physics often constrained biological progress. If the current understanding of biology couldn’t explain Jun Tesi, then perhaps Jun Tesi’s true nature was far more complex than humans had ever imagined.
Tang Xiao couldn’t help but think—if only the game panel were available right now. His affection points had already reached an astronomical number, more than he could ever spend. If he could directly allocate them to other disciplines, it would save him a tremendous amount of learning time.
But no matter how much he wished for it, what didn’t exist wouldn’t appear. Instead of dwelling on it, he focused on what he could do. Upon reaching the library, he first checked the internal network of the Third Eye and found that it was still operational, though external connections seemed to be cut off. That didn’t matter—there was more than enough knowledge and research stored within the internal network.
He was already mentally prepared for a long battle—if three years wasn’t enough, then five, ten, twenty years.
As long as his time-reversal ability remained, there would always be a way.
Big Brother… he must have seen that email by now.
—Meanwhile, in the real world.
Tang Chen opened his inbox and noticed the sender of a newly received email. The name displayed was Tang Xiao.
[ Brother, if you’re reading this email, it means I’ve already left home. Sorry, I’m still not good at saying goodbyes. I’m not going to the project Mr. Li invited me to, but I’m heading somewhere that will take just as long. I can’t tell you the details yet, but I’m safe, so don’t worry.
Please forgive me for being such a selfish younger brother and son. Help me cover for this with our parents. If I ever get the chance, I promise I’ll come back and explain everything to you. You can scold me all you want then.
Please believe me—I wasn’t lying that night.
Take care.]
Tang Chen stared blankly at the message, unaware of when his phone call had ended.
Yesterday, they had talked about…
[ “Because I want to protect my family and everyone else's families too.”
“Then I feel the same.” ]
Xiaoxiao, what exactly are you trying to do?
Tang Chen’s heart was in turmoil. He didn't just sit there—he immediately accessed surveillance footage from the villa district and contacted all of Tang Xiao’s friends and professors, checking if he had gone to them.
As expected, they all said they hadn’t seen him. Noticing the urgency in Tang Chen’s tone, some even volunteered to help search for him, but Tang Chen stopped them.
The surveillance footage successfully loaded, showing Tang Xiao leaving home in the dead of night and taking a taxi at the neighborhood gate.
Tang Chen pulled some strings to check the license plate number and found that the taxi had dropped him off at his university.
A bad feeling crept over him.
Could it be…
Xiaoxiao went back into the game world?
But why?
Mr. Li had already stated that no players had been able to send back information from that world for a long time. And with the new King of Mushroom rampaging, it was no longer a place where humans could survive. Why would he go there to die? Did he think he could do whatever he wanted just because of his time-reversal ability?
Tang Chen suddenly recalled what Li Mu had told him about Tang Xiao’s disappearance. He had said that Tang Xiao recently went through a breakup. Lining up the timelines, that would’ve been around the time he finished the main storyline and supposedly died in the game.
Could it be… Tang Xiao fell in love with someone in that world? And after learning that the situation there had worsened, he decided to go back and save them?
Why didn’t he know his little brother was such a hopeless romantic?! At the very least, he should’ve discussed it with him first!
But no matter how exasperated Tang Chen felt about Tang Xiao’s decision, he still sent this possibility to Li Xiaoyi—after all, the other party was the one in charge of matters related to the other world.
“Do you think Tang Xiao entered that world through the university area…?”
Hearing this, Li Xiaoyi was momentarily shocked and troubled. But considering Tang Xiao’s age, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Is there any way we can rescue him?”
“In truth, we’ve never stopped trying to re-establish contact with that world, but we’ve failed every time,” Li Xiaoyi said. “No one who enters the Minefield Area has ever returned.”
Tang Chen took a deep breath. “But the organization has never given up on rescue missions, have they?”
Li Xiaoyi didn’t answer—her silence was an acknowledgment.
“I want to apply for the next rescue operation.”
Several days passed, and Tang Xiao remained immersed in the library’s knowledge. Every day, aside from studying, he conducted the simplest and most rudimentary observation experiments, trying to analyze Jun Tesi’s current state. However, due to the lack of manpower, progress was slow.
Of course, the only one troubled by this was Tang Xiao. Jun Tesi, on the other hand, had no complaints at all. In fact, he was quite pleased—after all, Tang Xiao was now in a base where the only person he could talk to was him. His research, his experiments, and even his thoughts revolved around him. Could there be anything better than this?
Well… if there was, it would be when they were together.
Even after doing it so many times, Tang Xiao’s deeply ingrained cultural upbringing and personality made him incredibly shy about such things. He always resisted and struggled—human bodies were too fragile, exhausting themselves after just a few rounds. Yet, when Jun Tesi ‘lost control’, Tang Xiao would still lean in, hesitating to call for a stop even if it was too much for him.
It made Jun Tesi both deeply moved and deeply affectionate.
Everything felt like those three years all over again. For those three years, Tang Xiao was responsible for research, while Jun Tesi wiped out any infected or mutant beasts that approached the base. At night, when Tang Xiao returned, he would pitifully display his injuries, earning himself ‘treatment’ and ‘rewards’ in the shower.
Over those three years, Tang Xiao probably saw through his little acts of feigned weakness, but he never exposed them. Their bodies entwined in the warmth of the water, as if touching each other’s souls.
Although he felt a little guilty, Jun Tesi couldn’t deny it—those three years were the happiest of his life as a mushroom.
Only he saw Tang Xiao’s resilience, sorrow, and the brilliance of his unyielding spirit under pressure. Everything about Tang Xiao that those around him didn’t understand was captured in his eyes, and for those three years, he was the only one who truly understood Tang Xiao.
They had only each other.
Just like now.
Jun Tesi's lips curved into a slight smile, the coldness on his face softening somewhat. Tang Xiao glanced at his expression and felt that Jun Tesi seemed to be in a good mood today. Seizing the chance, he cautiously asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time. “Jun Tesi, the humans that were hanging from the ceiling before… who are they?”
“Xiaoxiao, do you really care about that?” The smile on Jun Tesi's face disappeared in an instant.
“...It would be a lie to say I don't.” Tang Xiao forced a smile. Over the past few days, he had noticed that Jun Tesi's jealousy had only grown stronger. He didn't like it when Tang Xiao brought up anyone who might distract his attention. The last time Tang Xiao asked about Xiao Bai and Lodge, Jun Tesi went into such a violent frenzy that Tang Xiao couldn't get out of bed for several days.
Jun Tesi had said that emotional fluctuations could trigger his berserk state.
Tang Xiao wasn’t sure whether Jun Tesi was doing it on purpose or if he was serious. From a scientific standpoint, he couldn't rule out the possibility, so he simply tried to avoid any topics that might provoke Jun Tesi.
For the sake of his own waist.
Tang Xiao attempted to use a ‘serious’ reason as an excuse for his curiosity. “Besides, we're short on manpower. The progress of my experiments is too slow. If possible, I'd like to get some extra hands to help—”
Jun Tesi let out a low chuckle, the smirk on his lips full of mockery. “They are unworthy. They don't deserve to do this kind of work.”
Why? The question swirled in Tang Xiao’s mind.
“However, you can take a look at them if you want.” Suddenly, Jun Tesi's smirk deepened. In stark contrast to his usual displeasure when Tang Xiao mentioned others, he said, “I've moved them outside the base. I'll take you there.”
For the first time in days, Tang Xiao stepped outside the base. Jun Tesi had never explicitly restricted his movements, only warning him that there were still roaming beasts outside and that he shouldn't leave the base carelessly. Tang Xiao had been so absorbed in his research and studies that he had assumed all the humans outside were already dead, and he hadn't had a compelling reason to leave.
The surroundings looked the same as before. The remaining trees were now covered in white mycelium, making them resemble a ghostly gray-white forest.
Those people… They were hanging from a massive tree made entirely of mycelium, positioned right outside the base, directly facing it. Their bodies were wrapped in mycelium, swaying slightly with the wind. Their eyes were tightly shut, their faces frozen in expressions of extreme agony, as if they were enduring endless torment.
Tang Xiao even wondered if they were already dead.
“They're not dead yet,” Jun Tesi’s voice sounded near his ear. Tang Xiao instinctively turned his head to look at him, only to find his expression unnervingly calm. “Dying like this would be too merciful for them.”
As he spoke, he made no visible movement, yet the mycelium entwined around those people suddenly came alive. The tendrils burrowed into their bodies, beneath their skin, and even into their brains. The once motionless ‘corpses’ erupted into agonized wails, their bodies convulsing as they swayed in the wind like grotesque, living wind chimes.
Tang Xiao’s face darkened. “They're going to die like this.”
“They won't. The mycelium provides them with nutrients and healing. They couldn't die even if they wanted to,” Jun Tesi tilted his head to look at him, golden eyes flashing with chilling cruelty. “Like I said, dying so easily would be too kind.”
Tang Xiao couldn't hold back his question. “Who exactly are they?”
Jun Tesi looked at him quietly, his golden eyes reflecting a calm amusement. “What do you think, Xiaoxiao? Xiaoxiao is so smart, you can guess it.”
Tang Xiao hesitated. “If you guess correctly," Jun Si added with a smile, "I'll give you a surprise.”
Guess?
Tang Xiao froze for a moment, then instinctively turned to look at the faces of the hanging figures.
If he considered it from the angle of people who had wronged Jun Tesi, then they might be researchers who had experimented on or mistreated him—perhaps some of the new recruits at Bader Laboratory.
But their faces didn't match. Tang Xiao had never seen these people at Third Eye. Given his memory, if he had met them before, he wouldn't have forgotten.
Could they be the people who went missing in the Mist?
Tang Xiao glanced at Jun Tesi again. Jun Tesi was also watching him, still smiling as usual. But against the backdrop of the ‘wind chime tree,’ that smile no longer seemed harmless—it sent a chill down Tang Xiao’s spine.
He had almost forgotten. Jun Tesi only appeared harmless when it came to him. But he never cared about human lives. The cold-blooded cruelty in him had never disappeared.
And now, compared to before, Jun Tesi was even more prone to extremes.
Why did he have to guess…?
Tang Xiao took a deep breath, trying to cool his overheated mind. “What if I guess wrong?”
Jun Tesi tilted his head, as if seriously considering it. Then, he chuckled lightly, his smile as pure and innocent as a child’s, and blinked. “Then I'll kill them.”
Watching Tang Xiao's furrowed brows, Jun Si thought— During those three years, he had been the one who understood Tang Xiao the most.
But what about Tang Xiao? In Tang Xiao’s eyes, how did he see him?
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