When ‘Tang Xiao’ recounted these past events to the original Mbius Mushroom, his expression remained indifferent, as if he were merely telling someone else's story.
And in a way, perhaps it was. In his timeline, those events had long since faded into the distant past. At this point, even the emotions he once felt—’Tang Xiao’ had mostly forgotten them.
Telling the ‘tree’ all this… maybe it was just because he wanted to be remembered.
For someone to remember him, and them.
“And then?” The Mother Mushroom asked curiously. “You’ve traced back so many times—when did you first get involved with the Mbius Mushroom of your own universe?”
“Let me think…” Tang Xiao tilted his head. “I went through many more time reversals afterward, but actually saving 428… That must’ve been around the two-hundredth time. I don’t really remember anymore.”
231st time reversal.
“This here is our lab. Consider yourselves lucky—you get to see this thing before it gets disposed of.”
Here it was again.
Tang Xiao had followed the same path to get here, once more starting over as a new recruit. As the NPC-like Babbit introduced the facility, his mind went blank for a rare moment. His eyes were hollow, as if sinking into an abyss of despair.
The King of Mushroom…
Just thinking about that final boss sent a sharp throb of pain through Tang Xiao’s temples. He had reversed the time so many times—he’d tried nuclear strikes, biochemical cleansing, and even engineered viruses targeting the King of Mushroom, yet all of them had failed.
It was as if the King of Mushroom were an ultimate raid boss in a game—designed without the possibility of defeat.
Last time, the biochemical weapon Tang Xiao’s team had developed proved immensely effective in the final war. It wiped out 50% of the wild mushroom population, allowing humanity to counterattack. Just when Tang Xiao thought they were about to win, nature exacted its most brutal revenge.
Because the mushrooms had parasitized plants, their mass death wiped out 50% of Earth’s greenery. Sandstorms and extreme weather ravaged the surviving humans, and the ecosystem collapsed——And the King of Mushroom still lived. Not only that, it had evolved new resistances. Humanity had lost once again.
The King of Mushroom was evolving too fast. Was there truly no way to kill it?
‘Bang!’
Tang Xiao stopped in his tracks, turning his head coldly toward the experiment subject, who was pressed against the glass wall. Its round, bulging eyes stared straight at him, filled with hunger and greed.
The other researchers recoiled in fright. Only Tang Xiao remained still, as if he had already foreseen this.
It wants to devour me.
He recalled the intelligence he had gathered from his previous time reversals.
In the most recent cycles, Tang Xiao had come to a stark realization—his power alone was not enough. He began reaching out to other travelers, leveraging their ability to awaken in reality to establish contact with the real-world government and inform them of his capabilities.
Using his foreknowledge, he helped the real-world authorities prepare in advance. He even gained command over the travelers, guiding them down different paths in an attempt to introduce new variables—to see if a different future was possible.
But strangely, those who deviated from the norm were quickly hunted down by the Huigui Sect.
Everyone knew the Huigui Sect was nothing more than the King of Mushroom’s lapdogs. This meant—was the King of Mushroom actively searching for the one who kept changing history?
The King of Mushroom was looking for him. Perhaps, it wanted to consume him.
And just like the King of Mushroom, Experimental Subject 428 also wanted to devour him.
Because 428 was a spore of King of Mushroom. Until now, Tang Xiao had only studied samples from 428. But this time—maybe he needed to do something different.
When 428 attacked him again, he skillfully survived using the kitchen’s oil pan. But for the first time, Tang Xiao allowed the experimental subject to continue living—after it drank his blood.
“...There’s still more research value in it,” Tang Xiao said, standing in place. “Even just in terms of material degradation alone…” His calm and thorough analysis flowed effortlessly. He was no longer the naive researcher he once was—after over two hundred regressions, his time spent in research far exceeded anyone present. Even his casual remarks swiftly caught Bader’s attention.
“Fine, we’ll keep it for now.” Bader made the decision without hesitation. Then, he turned toward Tang Xiao with an appraising gaze. “You’re quite something. If you have any other ideas in the future, don’t hesitate to bring them up. We can discuss them properly.”
Bader’s tone was uncharacteristically accommodating. The newcomers looked on with mixed expressions of curiosity, admiration, and envy. But Tang Xiao’s heart remained as still as a dead lake. He had long since outgrown the phase of caring about such things.
“In fact, I do have some other thoughts…” Tang Xiao pulled up a smile, completely unfazed by his injuries. “Would you mind sparing me half an hour?”
The others: ???
Brother, aren’t you critically injured?! Look at yourself!
Even Bader was taken aback by Tang Xiao’s persistence. “...Go to the medical ward first,” he said, visibly shaken. “We’ll talk after that.”
Tang Xiao received minimal treatment—just enough to ensure he wouldn’t immediately die—before promptly using Bader’s email address to contact him. After so many time reversal, he knew exactly what kind of dilemma Bader was facing. So, he attached a research paper on a crucial technology.
Before long, Bader summoned him for a private meeting.
No one knew what transpired between them. But when Tang Xiao reappeared in the lab—his status had skyrocketed. He was no longer a mere recruit. Bader himself had personally announced it—Tang Xiao had risen above Babbit, now second-in-command of the entire laboratory.
Everyone was stunned. Bader’s declaration was absolute. There was not even room for anyone to protest.
Babitt's face twisted immediately. “Why? On what grounds?”
Bader looked impatient. “There's no reason. If you can't accept it, then please leave this lab.”
Then, as he turned to face Tang Xiao, his expression changed instantly to one of warmth. “Just focus on your research here from now on. If anyone opposes you, let me know, and I'll kick them out. If you need any resources, just ask.”
Tang Xiao nodded coldly and spoke without hesitation: “I want to prioritize the development of Subject 428.” The list of resources he needed was extensive and costly, making even Bader , currently a Level 5 Scientist, wince. However, he still agreed.
Compared to the value Tang Xiao could bring him, these costs were nothing—at least, that’s how Bader tried to console himself.
Several newcomers in the lab were dumbfounded. It was one thing for Tang Xiao to earn Bader’s appreciation, but what was happening now? Why was Bader letting a newcomer step over a veteran like Babitt?
Everyone turned their eyes to Tang Xiao, only to find that this strange newcomer didn’t spare them a single glance. His focus was entirely on Subject 428, locked in containment.
Once Bader left, Tang Xiao immediately issued an order. “What are you all standing around for? Get moving, continue the research.” At first, no one moved, glancing at Babitt for guidance. But when Tang Xiao ruthlessly expelled one of the newcomers from the lab, the rest had no choice but to follow his orders, whether they wanted to or not.
Still, everyone had the same question in their minds—how did he do it?
How did he manage this? The answer was simple—coercion and enticement.
The Tang Xiao of the first timeline would have cared if Bader stole his research.
The Tang Xiao of countless loops? As long as he could end it all, any method was acceptable. He knew Bader’s current predicament and held research results that would ensure Bader didn’t lose his Level 5 scientist’s status. He also had leverage—evidence of Bader’s dealings with the Huigui Sect. What better puppet could he ask for?
Tang Xiao treated 428 as a new variable—an experimental subject that was still alive. He reopened the research on 428, this time feeding it the flesh of mutant beasts, occasionally mixed with drops of his own blood. 428 devoured everything indiscriminately, but when it was Tang Xiao's blood, its eyes locked onto him like a predator eyeing a fresh cut of meat.
Tang Xiao remained unfazed, simply collecting new experimental data from 428 and applying it to other projects aimed at countering the King of Mushroom.
He didn’t notice that as 428 absorbed more and more genetic material, its eyes were becoming clearer—flickering with an intelligence eerily similar to that of a human.
One day, after work, Tang Xiao returned to his dormitory. The moment he opened the door, a sudden chill ran up his spine. Instinctively, he ducked, but it wasn’t enough—strands of mycelium shot out from the pitch-black room, wrapping around his limbs and dragging him inside.
In the next instant, countless eyes opened within the writhing mycelium, staring at him hungrily.
It escaped.
Tang Xiao thought calmly. Well, nothing I can do now—Load Game.
He was long accustomed to unexpected dangers in these endless loops. With a single thought, his consciousness snapped back—Tang Xiao opened his eyes. He was back in the kitchen.
Tsk, here again? The precision still needs improvement.
He sighed internally but remained expressionless. He had been trying to fine-tune the exact moment he returned to, but it was still difficult to control. Like now—he only meant to rewind a single day, but he ended up back here instead.
Oh well. I’ve done this plenty of times. Let’s go again.
But this time, something was different.
Tang Xiao didn’t realize it at first. After all, 428 behaved the same way—entering the kitchen, attacking him. But on the final attempt, it saw through his plan. Instead of falling into the trap, it preemptively knocked over the boiling oil pot.
As scalding oil splashed onto Tang Xiao, his pupils contracted sharply. Even before the pain hit, his gaze locked onto the charging creature.
He had grown indifferent to pain and death after so many resets, but at this moment, something primal screamed in his mind—If it devours you, it's over!
Load Game!
In that fraction of a second, Tang Xiao finally mastered precise time-jumping. He rewound to one minute before. Setting the trap again, he sacrificed half of his body to severe burns but managed to stall until the security forces arrived.
“What… what happened here?” Bader and the others stood at the kitchen doorway, staring in shock—at the half-dead experimental subject, and the half-dead researcher.
Suddenly, Tang Xiao bent over and started laughing.
“Hahaha… Hahahahahaha! So it was you. You're the biggest variable I was searching for”
Until now, Tang Xiao had thought that in this endless cycle, only he and the King of Mushroom retained their memories. But now, there was also Experimental Subject 428.
And 428 wasn’t the King of Mushroom—otherwise, the Third Eye would have already cornered him.
This just made things even more interesting. Why were only 428 and the King of Mushroom able to retain memories? Why did both of them want to devour him? What would happen if one of them succeeded?
Tang Xiao didn’t know what would happen to them. But just now, for the first time, he was certain—if he was devoured, everything would end.
He had reset so many times. For the first time, Tang Xiao saw a dead end. But at the same time—it was also the only hope.
Perhaps despair and hope were always two sides of the same coin.
“So, from that point on, you decided to win him over?” the Mother Mushroom asked curiously.
“No,” Tang Xiao propped up his chin, speaking casually. “It wasn’t that simple. He wanted to devour me. I wanted to study him. We were just… torturing each other. Until we realized we couldn’t get rid of each other.”
With Bader’s lab at his disposal, Tang Xiao devoted himself even more to researching 428, significantly increasing its blood supply. Day by day, 428’s data showed exponential growth.
To control this increasingly powerful experiment, Tang Xiao began using Bader’s funding to explore every possible method—pheromones, brainwaves, hypnosis—anything that might restrain 428. But none of it worked.
And with the newfound strength came a new problem. Every time 428 reached a certain threshold of power, it would trigger a ‘Monster Attack’ event.
428 would break free and ambush Tang Xiao—on his way home, in his dorm, lying in wait for an opportunity to hunt and devour him. Tang Xiao would always resist. If he got ambushed, he would rewind immediately, never giving 428 the chance to consume him. Then he would mobilize the lab’s security forces to weaken 428 again, forcing it into temporary submission.
This would keep it at bay for a while. Until, once it deemed itself strong enough, the cycle repeated.
By the twentieth encounter— Something changed.
428 had evolved.428 had evolved.
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