Tang Xiao: …...?
What kind of madness is this now?
Tang Xiao stared into Jun Tesi’s eyes. Jun Tesi didn’t avoid his gaze and instead looked straight back at him, a flicker of unease…
And a hint of anticipation.
He was waiting for Tang Xiao to give him an answer.
For those three years—no, even longer—Jun Tesi’s eyes had always been on Tang Xiao. He had watched Tang Xiao conduct experiments, climb step by step up the ranks of the Third Eye, and watch his successes and failures.
But what about Tang Xiao? How did he see him?
Jun Tesi didn’t know what he was hoping for, but still, he silently waited for Tang Xiao’s answer. His golden eyes flickered as if he was afraid of the answer he might receive—yet also afraid he wouldn’t get an answer at all.
Tang Xiao could see that Jun Tesi wasn’t joking. He quietly looked back at the people hanging from the tree, and this time, he searched his memory palace carefully, making sure he had never seen them before.
Tang Xiao said, “I’ve never seen them. Even if I had to guess their identities, I wouldn’t know where to start. How about a hint?”
Jun Tesi: “I’ve already given you enough hints. Any more, and with your intelligence, you’d guess it outright.”
So there was no hope for a clue. Tang Xiao sighed and shifted his gaze back to the captives, trying to gather information from their clothing.
Unfortunately, the mycelium wrapped too tightly around them. He could only make out that they wore black robes. Their faces—perhaps due to mushroom corruption—were deformed beyond recognition. Some had no eyes in their sockets, only delicate, multicolored mycelium growing out.
Guessing their identities… That meant Jun Tesi was targeting them not for personal reasons, but because of their profession or affiliation?
But in that case, the only profession that had ever wronged Jun Tesi was research personnel. No one else even had the opportunity to offend him.
…Or could it be that these people hadn’t offended Jun Min Si at all?
Seconds ticked by. Jun Tesi asked, “Have you figured it out?”
“…Are they members of the Huigui Sect?” Tang Xiao hesitated for several seconds before asking.
“No.”
Tang Xiao’s heart sank.
“…Just kidding.” Jun Tesi broke into a bright smile. “You got it right. I’m very happy.”
As he spoke, he suddenly commanded the mycelium. The screaming stopped. Each of the captives, barely breathing, looked like they wished they could slam their heads against something and die—yet they had even been stripped of the right to take their own lives. Some stared blankly, their minds already shattered; others continued to beg for mercy.
The mycelium lowered them to the ground. Now, at last, the members of the Huigui Sect saw Tang Xiao standing beside Jun Tesi. The moment they saw his face, they seemed to realize something. Those who had been numb suddenly prostrated themselves before him, slamming their heads into the ground, apologizing, begging him to end their suffering.
Their will to live had already been worn away by the torture. Now, they only wanted to escape this hell.
“They’re the ones who tried to assassinate you—twice.” Jun Tesi spoke softly beside his ear. “Not just you, but also Dr. Feng and Dr. Xiao. They were behind it all. Oh, and they’re also traitors to humanity. During the war, they played a significant role in the downfall of many bases.”
At these words, any sympathy Tang Xiao had for them instantly disappeared. He turned to Jun Tesi in confusion. “Then why did you just—”
Jun Tesi affectionately nuzzled his ear. “Giving them a quick death would be letting them off too easily. Don’t you agree?”
Any sense of crisis Tang Xiao had felt moments ago evaporated in an instant. He gave Jun Tesi a speechless look.
“You’re torturing them anyway, so why suddenly ask me that? Are you happy that I misunderstood?”
“Well, when you first saw them, your face was full of fear,” Jun Tesi said, aggrieved. “You must’ve thought I was venting my rage on humans indiscriminately, taking it out on them, right?”
Tang Xiao shut his mouth.
“You’re not going to argue?”
“I don’t want to lie to you, Jun Tesi.” Tang Xiao sighed, cupped Jun Tesi’s face, and stood on tiptoe to lean in close. “I know—I don’t understand you well enough yet. Back then, when we were together, most of my attention was focused on research. So now, I’m here to study you.”
“My dear research subject, you have to give your researcher some time to get familiar with the topic, right?”
With a smile, the young man leaned in so close he was nearly kissing him. Yet, strangely, Jun Tesi tilted his head back, covering his face, as if he didn’t want Tang Xiao to see his expression. He struggled to control his body temperature—his current pale skin made it far too easy to see a blush.
Too cunning.
Jun Tesi thought. He couldn’t resist this kind of sweet talk at all.
“Tang Xiao, you’re a master of romance.”
“Not at all. This is the first time I’ve ever said something like this to anyone.” Tang Xiao blinked. “Just like your postcards, it’s all from the heart.”
“Jun Tesi, you’re the only one who’s ever made me want to say these things.”
Suddenly, Tang Xiao’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He watched as Jun Tesi’s exposed skin began to flush red.
[Blackening Value decreasing… 70%]
Tang Xiao heard the voice ring in his ears again.
Jun Tesi abruptly lowered his hands. The softness and shyness in his golden eyes vanished, replaced with cold alertness as he swept his gaze across the surroundings—first at the half-dead cultists, then at Tang Xiao.
Tang Xiao: “What's wrong?”
“Did Xiaoxiao hear any sound just now?”
Tang Xiao was startled but maintained a calm exterior. “What sound?”
Jun Tesi lowered his hand. “Nothing, forget it.”
Originally, he had planned to stir up Tang Xiao's guilt and use that opportunity to make further requests, but now, it seemed, he had been countered instead.
Jun Tesi lowered his head, intending to kiss Tang Xiao’s lips, but Tang Xiao blocked him with a finger. “There are still people watching.”
Without even turning his head, Jun Tesi flicked his mycelium, and instantly, blood threads appeared in the eyes of those cultists. In less than a second, they were all blinded.
Although these people deserved every bit of suffering they endured, and Tang Xiao had no sympathy for traitors, witnessing such a private execution happen right before his eyes made the corners of his mouth twitch. He sighed and pushed against Jun Tesi’s chest, trying to change the subject. “So, what’s the surprise you promised me for guessing correctly?”
The heat on Jun Tesi’s face faded as he re-tied the cultists to the tree. Holding Tang Xiao’s hand, he used mycelium to blindfold him and led him back to the laboratory area. “Come, I’ll show you the surprise I prepared.”
Tang Xiao cooperatively looked forward, guessing in his mind what it might be. Flowers? A new postcard? Surely it wouldn’t just be Jun Tesi himself again.
The blindfold was removed.
Tang Xiao looked at the bustling laboratory and widened his eyes.
Looking closely, all the researchers had the same face.
Tang Xiao turned his head to Jun Tesi, then back at the multiple figures in white lab coats, all of whom looked exactly like Jun Tesi. For a moment, he wasn’t sure how to react. “This… is your surprise?”
This was pure horror.
“Is Xiaoxiao not happy? This way, we have enough manpower.” Jun Tesi spoke as if it were the most natural thing. “Now, we don’t need anyone else.”
“You’re both the researcher and the experimental subject?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Jun Tesi was indifferent. “I can control them. I won’t be worse than anyone else.”
Tang Xiao thought to himself—this wasn’t just a matter of control or knowledge.
So many identical Jun Tesi’s faces staring at him… He was going to have nightmares.
But Jun Tesi was clearly determined not to let any outsiders remain in the base. Even if Tang Xiao was unhappy, Jun Tesi insisted that there were no other humans left outside. If they needed more labor, this was the only way.
Hearing this, Tang Xiao didn’t argue further and silently accepted it.
With Jun Tesi's participation, the research progressed significantly faster. Initially, Tang Xiao assumed that Jun Tesi, having never done this before, would be clumsy and need guidance—he was even prepared to teach him, treating it like mentoring a grad student. To his surprise, Jun Tesi worked just as efficiently as he did. Every movement was fluid, and he never needed to ask what came next—he simply knew.
There was a clear difference between someone who had never been in a lab and someone who had experience. Puzzled, Tang Xiao asked, “Did you learn to do experiments after I left?”
“No,” Jun Tesi replied. “But I spent a long time in the lab. As humans say—’a long illness makes the patient a doctor,’ right?”
Tang Xiao didn’t respond, instead turning to say, “Let’s run an auxiliary experiment to test this.”
“Alright.”
The Jun Tesi standing to Tang Xiao’s right put down the equipment he was cleaning and walked over to assist with the parallel experiment. His movements were steady—not too fast, not too slow.
Tang Xiao was quick and proficient; he had performed these gene mutation experiments countless times. Like the oil seller in The Old Man and the Oil Seller, he could do it with his eyes closed, seamlessly pouring oil through a narrow hole. Normally, two assistants were needed to keep up with him, just like kitchen staff supporting a master chef—otherwise, it would slow down efficiency.
But every time, Jun Tesi seemed to predict Tang Xiao’s speed, efficiency, and even his movement patterns. The moment Tang Xiao reached out, the exact item he needed was already in his hand—never missing a beat, never even a second late.
For a brief moment, Tang Xiao felt as if he were doing the experiment with himself. Yes, only he himself would know his own habits so perfectly and match his train of thought so precisely.
After finishing part of the experiment, Tang Xiao was sweating slightly. Holding a test tube, he looked at Jun Tesi with a thoughtful gaze.
Jun Tesi blinked. “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”
A knowingly innocent question.
“No, you did well.” Now, he couldn’t even nitpick for an excuse.
Jun Tesi, unaware of what Tang Xiao was thinking, happily kissed his ear. “Now we can work together.”
He had once been extremely jealous of those scientists who collaborated with Tang Xiao in the lab—because in the field of research, only they were Tang Xiao’s comrades.
But now, he wasn’t jealous anymore, because he was one of them. In fact, he was the only one.
The researcher, the research material, the experimental subject—they were all him.
What could anyone else use to take Xiaoxiao from him? (smug jpg)
Tang Xiao patted Jun Tesi’s head comfortingly and continued with the experiment, occasionally glancing at the other Jun Tesis in the lab.
After observing for half an hour, Tang Xiao finally pinpointed what felt off—their actions were all exact replicas, even down to the small habits of conducting experiments, mirroring Tang Xiao perfectly.
If Jun Tesi was deliberately imitating him, there was no need to copy every minor quirk—it wasn’t even a good habit.
Tang Xiao was puzzled, so he asked directly. Jun Tesi stared at him for a moment without answering, then chuckled. “Does Xiaoxiao want to know why?”
“I do,” Tang Xiao replied honestly. “Is this a new ability you’ve awakened?”
“It’s not…” Jun Tesi’s voice turned slightly hoarse. “Xiaoxiao can know, but… there’s one condition.”
“What condition?”
“I won't hide anything from you, Xiaoxiao, so I hope you won't hide anything from me either.” Jun Tesi pulled Tang Xiao's hand. “Are you hiding something from me?”
Tang Xiao was stunned. Hiding something? There shouldn't be…
Wait.
The game, the mission.
Jun Tesi—he probably still didn't know about the players and the game's existence, right?
If he found out… would he be angry?
Tang Xiao hesitated about whether to reveal this part, but at that moment, Jun Tesi suddenly noticed something. He lifted his head and murmured, “It's happening again.”
What?
“Sorry, Xiaoxiao, something came up. Stay here and continue the experiment.” Jun Tesi lowered his head and left a kiss on Tang Xiao’s forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Mm, go quickly and come back soon.”
Tang Xiao felt a little strange. Jun Tesi should be the strongest being in this world, so what could possibly require his attention?
Before long, Jun Tesi left the base, and all of his clones in the lab disappeared as well. Tang Xiao paused the experiment, planning to rest in the dormitory for a bit. Just then, the system's voice rang in his ears again.
[Game loaded successfully!]
“System?” Tang Xiao's eyes widened as the blue interface reappeared before him.
[Congratulations, player, for returning to the game. Rewards are being distributed!]
[Congratulations on completing the world main storyline: The War for Humanity’s Survival. Your contribution value has reached 90%. The following rewards are now being issued:
Legendary Title: ‘Savior’—When equipped, all human faction members automatically start with a ‘Respect’ favorability rating.
Lottery Draws (100), Subject Experience: +1 level, Remaining Attribute Points: 585
Current Favorability Points: 998,754,238 (continuously increasing)]
Tang Xiao was shocked as he looked at the semi-transparent game panel before him.
Why? He hadn't logged in using the game helmet.
What exactly was this game?
[Special Mission: Reduce the Target's Blackening Value to Zero]
Description: The successfully evolved King of Mushroom has become an entirely different species. His current state is extremely dangerous, and he is investigating the secrets of both the player and the game. Please do your best to appease the target.
Current Progress: 70%
Reward: Unlock the next main storyline—’World Fusion.’
Failure Penalty: The game system will be destroyed by the King of Mushroom.]
After leaving the base, Jun Tesi's body instantly dissolved, merging with the mycelium within the land.
And so, he saw the shifting particles and lines gradually undergoing strange changes.
Jun Tesi didn’t know what this meant. After all, Tang Xiao was a biologist, not a physicist, and he only possessed Tang Xiao’s biological knowledge.
However, he instinctively understood that whenever these particles fluctuated, a singularity connecting the two universes would appear. In the real world, this manifested as a foggy zone where living and non-living things within the area experienced interweaving phenomena.
Previously, to ensure Tang Xiao would step into this world, Jun Tesi had relocated all the humans who appeared in the fog, preventing them from reporting its true nature after returning. That way, the trap he had meticulously laid would not fail.
But now that Tang Xiao was already inside his nest, Jun Tesi no longer cared about these people. By all logic, he should have just ignored them.
However, most of the fog-covered areas were in the wild.
Thinking about how much Tang Xiao cared for his kind, Jun Tesi sighed and casually tossed the displaced humans near the Alliance.
He failed to notice that among these people was a rather familiar face.
When Tang Chen woke up, his nerves instantly tensed. Sensing an unfamiliar presence approaching, he swiftly opened his eyes and instinctively reached for the weapon at his waist—only to grab nothing.
“Hey, calm down! We mean no harm.” A man in a red vest, who seemed accustomed to such reactions, raised both hands to show he was unarmed. “Look, no weapons. I've seen many people like you appear suddenly—there's nothing to worry about. We're very friendly.”
Same language?
Tang Chen asked, “Where is my weapon?”
“Sorry. People like you who suddenly appear tend to cause some casualties upon waking. Besides, those are controlled weapons. We can't return them to you until we confirm you're not a threat,” the red-vested man said.
“We?” Tang Chen caught onto the keyword. “Where are the others?”
“Relax, they're in different rooms. Lately, we've had a lot of people from other worlds showing up. Oh, by the way, this is the Alliance's East District Shelter, which specializes in taking in people who accidentally end up in this world.”
Tang Chen didn't speak for a moment. Seeing his reaction, the red-vested man skillfully added, “Yeah, yeah, I know you don’t believe me. Most people react the same way when they wake up. You can go see your companions—they're right next door.”
Tang Chen stayed silent, his mind racing. He followed the red-vested man out of the room and saw staff members walking through the hallways. Some greeted acquaintances with smiles, while others hurried by, carrying coffee and bread.
It didn’t look like the end of the world at all. It seemed almost identical to their own reality.
Tang Chen was confused. What was going on? According to the intelligence gathered by players, wasn't this world overrun by rampaging mushrooms? Weren't humans on the verge of extinction?
Why did it seem… nothing like that?
“Boss!”
At that moment, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the corridor, waving excitedly in Tang Chen’s direction. “You're finally awake! We've been waiting for half a day!”
“Qiu Yifan.” Seeing his familiar teammate, Tang Chen exhaled slightly in relief. “Where are the others?”
“They're all here,” Qiu Yifan said. Seeing Tang Chen's expression, he immediately understood what he was wondering about. “I’ve been investigating for the past few hours, and I’ve discovered that the situation in this world isn't quite what we imagined. Let's talk on the way.”
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