He transmigrated.
Upon waking up, Tang Xiao looked around at the crowd of numb and despairing people and realized the truth.
He had been lying on his bed in his rented apartment, happily playing a game. But the moment he blinked, he found himself standing by the roadside. To survive, he blended into a group of refugees. Fortunately, no one drove him away. In fact, the people here seemed completely indifferent to their surroundings. Using the only biscuit he had on him, Tang Xiao traded for information about this world—and what he learned left him utterly dumbfounded.
Mutant beasts, mushroom infections, a dangerous wilderness, zombie mushrooms, fallen settlements...
Human survival in this world was hanging by a thread. The refugees he was with had fled after their settlement fell. Left with no choice, they were heading toward the largest and safest nearby base—an organization founded by scientists called ‘The Third Eye.’
The good news: due to the chaos in this world, Tang Xiao managed to sneak into the base with no official identity.
The bad news: human life was as cheap as dirt here. Refugees could only survive by taking the most dangerous jobs—either venturing outside the safe zone to map out the land or working as mercenaries, risking their lives.
There was only one choice left.
Tang Xiao went to an educational institution outside The Third Eye's base. “I want to sign up as a teacher.”
It was the only way he could survive in this world that worshipped knowledge. At the very least, he had gone through nine years of compulsory education and had even made it into a prestigious university. He hadn't completely forgotten what he had learned.
As the days passed, his hopes of returning to reality gradually faded. He seemed to be adjusting to life here. However, the scarcity of resources was difficult for someone from modern society to accept. His teacher's salary barely covered his living expenses. If he wanted to climb higher, there was only one option left.
So, Tang Xiao turned his attention back to something he had once abandoned. If he had known he would end up in this world, he would have studied diligently in his previous life.
But there were no ‘what-ifs.’ Knowledge in this world wasn't cheap. Even borrowing books to self-study required a significant amount of money. To gain access to knowledge, Tang Xiao joined an exploration team as a logistics member alongside his teaching job.
The team members were good people, and the atmosphere was nice. The only one who clashed with him was Gu Mo, who had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. The others treated him well, respecting scholars, and by extension, looking after Tang Xiao. They would even sneak in some questions for him.
But after spending too much time on the edge of danger, accidents were inevitable. On one mission, Tang Xiao nearly died. That was when he awakened the ability to rewind time.
Strangely, when he went for a blood test, he didn’t pass. The results showed he wasn’t an ability user. How was that possible? Tang Xiao wanted to argue, but then he remembered that The Third Eye was a research institution. Who knew whether this bizarre ability was a blessing or a curse?
He wanted to become a researcher at The Third Eye, not one of their test subjects. So, Tang Xiao concealed his ability. The following month, he secretly used it to pass The Third Eye’s selection process, successfully becoming a low-level assistant researcher.
“Alright, you’re all assigned to Dr. Luke. Work hard in the lab.” The staff member who brought them in left immediately, showing no interest in them.
Newcomers were at the bottom of the academic hierarchy—any scientist could order them around. None of them dared to complain. Once the senior researcher left, the new recruits quickly formed their own cliques. As the only outsider in this batch, Tang Xiao—a refugee rather than someone who had climbed up through the local academic system—was ostracized. He could only quietly do his work alone.
“...Dr. Luke, huh? Could be worse. At least it’s better than the last few batches. Don't be fooled—those guys assigned to Bader’s lab? That project was shut down ages ago. The test subjects were all disposed of, and they didn’t even get third or fourth author credits on any papers before being scattered. We’re actually better off.”
Tang Xiao wasn’t interested in the gossip. He was simply relieved to finally escape his previous impoverished situation. Inside The Third Eye’s base, there was air conditioning, internet, and all sorts of modern electrical appliances. In the real world, this was nothing special. But in this world, it was heaven.
Thus, Tang Xiao embarked on his happy life—
Not.
As someone who had cheated his way in with his ability, he struggled constantly in the lab. His time-rewind power only activated in near-death situations, making it impossible to use freely. He had to keep a low profile, assisting with simple tasks, familiarizing himself with lab procedures, and frantically cramming knowledge in the library after work.
There was no meteoric rise, no brilliance that caught everyone's eye. In fact, he ranked among the lowest even among the newcomers. Tang Xiao was finally paying the price for slacking off in his past life, but he had no choice but to endure it. He pushed himself to his limits, draining every ounce of his energy.
It was a grueling period. Knowledge accumulation was tedious and exhausting. He had to give it his all just to reach the starting line of others.
Like most assistant researchers, he spent this time being overworked and exploited by senior scientists. The only difference was that Tang Xiao discovered he actually had a talent for research. Dr. Luke, though not a high-ranking scientist, was a decent person willing to mentor young researchers. After a year and a half, Tang Xiao finally showed potential, and Dr. Luke extended an olive branch to him.
But then—the King of Mushroom declared war on humanity.
Dr. Luke’s mentorship plan was scrapped. Tang Xiao was left in the lurch. His rank wasn’t high enough to even qualify for the so-called ‘Hope Project.’
One day, the base was breached. Tang Xiao and several assistant researchers died.
When he blinked again, he was shocked to find himself back in reality.
Was it a nightmare? It had to be a nightmare, right?
The moment his parents found him and pulled him into their arms, Tang Xiao burst into tears. Two years in another world—he never wanted to talk about that nightmare again.
“Xiaoxiao, don’t cry! Where did you go? We were so worried about you!”
“Alright, stop scolding him. He must have suffered a lot. Xiaoxiao, you’ve gotten so thin! Let us take a good look at you.”
“It’s okay now. You’re home. Your mother and I will always protect you.”
Tang Xiao’s parents’ comforting words only made his tears fall harder. He sobbed uncontrollably, trembling as he curled up in their warm embrace.
But the nightmare wasn’t over.
When he saw news reports about the appearance of mutant beasts, Tang Xiao froze in shock. The same scenes from that world were now playing out in reality. However, unlike in the game world, humanity in the real world was stronger. Even though they were struck by the shock of world fusion, the government managed to stabilize the situation in time.
They held on for five years before the King of Mushroom broke through.
The moment Tang Xiao’s parents were killed by mutant beasts, he was sent back—back to the very moment he first arrived in that world.
Tang Xiao opened his eyes and looked at the familiar line of refugees in front of him. He muttered under his breath, “It’s just like a game save file.”
This time, he carefully examined his abilities and finally confirmed that it wasn’t death that triggered the rewind. His past experiences with movies and TV had led him to subconsciously believe that death was the activation switch. But in reality, it was overwhelming pain, the deep desire to escape, and the desperate wish to start over that triggered it.
So it was linked to self-suggestion.
Alright, this time, he would properly investigate his abilities.
With a redo, Tang Xiao easily passed the assistant researcher selection for the Third Eye base—much earlier than before. Having already trained himself into an efficient lab worker in his previous run, he now stood out among the fresh recruits and was successfully chosen to join Bader’s lab.
However, for some reason, an experimental subject called 428 repeatedly targeted him. Thanks to multiple deaths, Tang Xiao completely figured out his ability, but at the same time, he developed a deep sense of hatred and fear toward 428.
After all, no one likes pain. No matter how aesthetically pleasing something might be, no one would ever like a monster that had killed them multiple times.
428 was eventually disposed of. Tang Xiao watched the outcome with indifference, leaving behind only some of its remains for research purposes.
Because of his outstanding performance this time, his research career started off smoothly. Unfortunately, due to Bader’s project failure, he was delayed for quite some time and only became an official researcher two years later.
Then, the King of Mushroom’s war began once more. This time, Tang Xiao successfully applied to join Project ‘Hope.’ He wasn’t anything important—just a regular bottom-tier researcher.
The project failed again.
As before, the base was overrun, and Tang Xiao was killed. But this time, he felt exhilarated. He woke up in reality with a head full of knowledge and research data and immediately turned himself into the government. Sure enough, the information he provided caused a massive stir. Tang Xiao successfully entered a government research project to continue studying the zombie mushroom.
But again, they failed. The beast tide broke through the capital’s defenses. Tang Xiao had a chance to escape, but he chose to stay at his post.
“…Time. There’s still not enough time. I need more time.”
“This time, I have to stand out. I know so much about the future, and I have the advantage of real-world scientific knowledge. I must climb to a higher position within Third Eye. That’s the only way to gain access to classified projects. For my world, for my family…”
“Let’s go again.” As the beasts broke through the final defenses, Tang Xiao plunged a knife into his own chest.
[Load Game]—he urged himself. Just treat it like a game.
“You’re Tang Xiao? Your research results are quite impressive. Oh, and about that previous incident—don’t worry, I’ve already dealt with that dangerous experimental subject. Now, let’s talk about something else. You don’t seem to have a mentor yet. How about…”
“Yes! It would be my honor! Please guide me well, Professor Bader.”
“Damn it. I thought being a Level 5 scientist’s student would make things easier, but this bastard professor turned out to be the type who steals his students’ research results. No way. I can’t even get promoted to an official researcher like this. Reload!”
“…Your name is… Lodge? A genius? You’re talking about me? Haha… I’m no genius.”
“Stop following me.”
“Is that Huigui Sect brain-dead? Even now, they’re still causing trouble? Humanity is on the brink of extinction, and they’re still fighting amongst themselves? Shit, I forgot—there are always traitors and turncoats among humans. Goddamn idiots.”
Drinks poison. [Load Game]
“Finally! Finally exposed those religious lunatics. I hate Third Eye. What kind of organization are they? They’re full of traitors and spies!”
“But at least I got to meet the leader. I leveled up. Not a bad trade. It seems my self-suggestion technique worked—I no longer need to die to activate the rewind. Now, I just have to think ‘Load Game,’ and it activates. Much more convenient.”
“Xiao Bai… He really is as ruthless as the rumors say. But I’ve learned a lot under him. The lab environment is the best I’ve ever experienced. Heh, guess it’s true that when you succeed, you’re surrounded by good people. But I’m not here to make friends. They’ll all die eventually, so there’s no point in getting attached.”
“Alright, this time, I’ve successfully entered Project ‘Hope.’ Let’s see if we can make it work.”
“…Failure. Maybe I need to change my approach. Genetic editing seems more promising. Right, I remember Dr. Xiao worked on something similar before.”
“Everyone died again… I need to return to reality.”
“…Another failure. Again and again. Am I really just wasting time? I really tried my best this time.”
“Do I actually have a talent for research? Maybe someone else would make better use of this ability.”
“Wait… I have an idea. If—if I could become the leader of Project ‘Hope,’ maybe I could actually make a difference.”
“Alright, that’s my new goal. First, I need to gather allies. Xiao Bai… I remember his mother is still alive in the real world.”
“77 attempts. I finally convinced those stubborn elders. God, I hate them. At least this time, I got rid of Leon in advance—saves me from his annoying opposition every damn time.”
“…Wait. Why did the Third Eye base fall even faster this time?”
“...Leon, turns out he was actually useful. Miscalculation. Next time, I need to become the person in charge while keeping him alive.”
“Attempt #142, I finally succeeded…”
Tang Xiao stared at the results in his hands, his expression full of dazed relief and disbelief. He had failed too many times and faced countless repeated endings to the point of numbness. Even when he finally cracked the zombie mushroom, his eyes registered the outcome, but his brain remained blank.
It was as if the part of him responsible for expressing joy had broken.
But the others weren’t like that. Inside the laboratory, researchers cheered, jumping in excitement, and embracing one another. Some laughed so hard that tears streamed down their faces.
“Everyone else is dead. The production factories have already been taken over. It’s too late, it’s too late! What’s the point of us surviving if there’s no one left? What’s the point of solving this now?!” One researcher cried and laughed hysterically, pushing over all the lab equipment in a frenzy, stomping on the scattered documents.
But then, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder. He looked up—it was Tang Xiao who had stopped him.
“Dr. Tang Xiao…” The researcher instantly quieted down. It was strange—he feared no one in the lab, yet he couldn’t help but feel uneasy around this young man, forcibly appointed as their superior.
Especially when he met those pitch-black eyes, like ink-dark pools hiding something profound and unfathomable.
And Dr. Tang Xiao was always serious. He never smiled.
Never… wait. Lips?
“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Tang Xiao’s stiff lips curled upward, a crude attempt at a smile—so forced, so unnatural, that no one was sure if that’s what it really was. “We’ve won. This time, we’ll definitely succeed…”
“I will definitely save you all.”
Strange words, meant to be inspiring, yet they made the researcher uneasy.
As if… as if the words weren’t meant to comfort them at all. Rather, it sounded like Tang Xiao was convincing himself.
Like a twisted curse.
“Dr. Tang Xiao, what do you mean by 'save'…?”
Load Game.
Excitement flooded Tang Xiao's mind. There was a chance—this time, there was a real chance. He immediately followed the same path as before, infiltrating Third Eye, and making a name for himself, and this time, he completed much of the preliminary research in advance. When the zombie mushroom outbreak occurred, he managed to develop a cure before the Hope Project was even needed.
“This time, I finished early. Humanity here should be saved, right? As long as this world can withstand the King of Mushroom, it will serve as a barrier for the real world.”
“...Wait. I failed again? That's impossible…”
After the zombie mushroom crisis was resolved, the King of Mushroom reacted differently than ever before—it intensified the beast tide. The bases fell even faster.
Tang Xiao sat in a daze inside his rented apartment. Once again, he had returned to reality.
He no longer knew what he was doing. He just mechanically followed the same routine—submitted his research to the government, bought more time, and numbly joined the research institute.
This time, the battle dragged on longer. But seven years later, the King of Mushroom trampled over humanity’s last remaining safe zone.
“...What am I even doing...?”
People around him were fleeing for their lives. But he alone bent over, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.
His nails dug deep into his flesh. For just a single moment, a fleeting moment, the thought of giving up crossed Tang Xiao's mind.
But it was quickly denied by his own rationality.
After witnessing his people, his friends and family, being slaughtered hundreds of times, he and the King of Mushroom were now locked in a battle of life and death.
If curing the zombie mushroom wasn’t enough, then he would change tactics—vaccines, weapons, nuclear explosions. As long as there was a possibility of killing the King of Mushroom, he would try every single one.
Load Game.
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