Bang!
Before the mycelium could pierce through Tang Xiao’s body, 428 rescued him just in time, holding him close to evade the attack of the King of Mushroom. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted away.
“Futile struggle.” The King of Mushrom spoke coldly. Dark brown mycelium, like puppet strings, spread across the ground into an inescapable net, surging toward the fleeing pair.
Without looking back, 428’s flesh wings unfolded, revealing countless eyes. The mycelium on them split into multiple strands, each forming razor-sharp blades that swiftly sliced through the approaching net.
During this brief exchange, 428 had already carried Tang Xiao near the base’s city walls. Tang Xiao snapped back to his senses, pulled out an inactive agent from his backpack, and slapped it against 428’s back. Understanding instantly, 428 wrapped his mycelium around the bottles and flung them toward the King of Mushroom the moment they cleared the wall.
The specially formulated gas slowed the King of Mushroom’s movements. Taking advantage of these precious seconds, 428 pulled Tang Xiao further away.
The nerve pain that had been gnawing at him since earlier finally eased, allowing Tang Xiao to analyze the situation.
Panting heavily, his pupils contracted slightly.
He knew that time reversal wouldn’t work forever. One day, he would reach the true end. But after so many resets, he had always assumed that the end would come when he could no longer bear the pressure and collapsed.
He never imagined that the end would come now—at the worst possible moment.
Tang Xiao instinctively tried to reverse time, but in the next instant, he forcibly suppressed the habit he had built over hundreds of resets. No. It was already too late. Based on what he had just seen, there was a real chance that the next reset would be intercepted by the King of Mushroom.
Then what about reality? Could he still return to the real world? Normally, activating his ability during the late stages of the war would send him back, though the mechanics behind it were unclear. But now, if he didn’t use his ability, could he ever return?
And if this truly was the final round, how could he defeat the King of Mushroom? There was no time left. He hadn’t had a chance to explore beyond the Third Eye’s map for new possibilities. The only thing left by his side was…
Just…
Only…
The creature carrying him was panting heavily, its mycelium failing to heal immediately after being severed. It was clear that the King of Mushroom’s inexplicable control and manifestation had affected 428 as well.
Yet even so, 428 hadn’t abandoned him. He endured the crushing pressure of the King of Mushroom, shouldering it all to protect Tang Xiao.
They had finally shaken off their pursuer—at least for now. 428 stopped beneath a ruined tower to rest, scanning the surroundings warily.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Xiao asked, momentarily pushing down his complex emotions. He followed 428’s gaze and was shocked to see the city’s infected and mutant beasts converging, as if responding to a signal.
Damn it. He had almost forgotten—the King of Mushroom could control these creatures.
Tang Xiao gritted his teeth and looked at 428. “We have to break through before the encirclement forms. If we wait, the whole base will be surrounded by mutant beasts.”
From what he had seen along the way, the base was already lost. There were barely any survivors.
428 nodded silently, then once again lifted Tang Xiao into his arms and chose the direction with the least number of mutant beasts.
The moment they were exposed, the beasts let out low growls. Every infected and mutant in the base snapped their heads up, surging toward them. Those closest to their escape route charged recklessly.
Fire, wind blades, and claws tore into 428, leaving deep wounds. Though he retaliated with his mycelium, shredding the attackers within seconds, even a brief delay was enough for the enemy to fulfill their purpose—stalling him.
428’s form was built for combat, but that came at a cost: reduced regeneration, speed, and defense.
To make matters worse, it was as if the mutant beasts had received orders—they relentlessly attacked his knees. After one particularly heavy blow, an already torn wound failed to close, leaving him further vulnerable. Meanwhile, the infected continued pouring in from all directions.
The King of Mushroom was likely nearby, waiting for them to wear themselves out—waiting to reap the rewards.
Tang Xiao’s expression turned dazed. He could almost feel a mocking, frigid gaze bearing down on him, whispering: See? No matter how many times you try again, the outcome remains the same.
Yes. He and humanity… could no longer afford to lose.
Tang Xiao reached into his backpack. Only one vial of inactive agent and a single smoke bomb remained. He shut his eyes briefly.
Another wind blade slashed toward 428’s torso. His wounds had yet to fully heal, and for a fleeting moment, the mycelium core—the ‘heart’—was exposed. Before 428 could react, the person in his arms suddenly struggled and shoved him aside.
The wind blade grazed 428 but tore through Tang Xiao’s abdomen instead. Blood gushed forth. 428’s pupils contracted. For a brief moment, his mycelium eyes reflected the scene, and he froze, unable to react.
In any other battle, such hesitation would have been fatal. But strangely, even the surrounding mutant beasts had paused their assault. Taking advantage of the momentary stillness, Tang Xiao ignored his injury, yanked the last vial of inactive agent and the smoke bomb from his bag, and threw them.
Boom!
As the smoke spread, the King of Mushroom commanded the beasts to block the base’s exit. But he never expected that, under Tang Xiao’s direction, 428 would double back instead.
They returned to their previous hiding spot, though now both looked far worse for wear. Especially Tang Xiao—his abdominal wound was hastily wrapped with mycelium, and his face was deathly pale.
428 silently used his mycelium to tighten the makeshift bandage. His expression was rare—lost, confused. As if asking: Why did you do that?
“…428.” Tang Xiao took a deep breath and forced a weak smile. “You have to survive. No matter what, you have to live.”
As long as it wasn’t the King of Mushroom’s victory.
As long as it wasn’t humanity’s extinction.
As long as that ending never came, he could accept anything. He had relived this too many times. So many that it had become his obsession. This goal was all that had kept him going for so long—so, so long.
If they failed now, then what had all of it been for?
“Eat me,” Tang Xiao said. “It’s your only chance to escape.” He gripped the creature’s shoulders, pulled his head down, and forced his lips against his own shoulder. “Do it. You know I can’t reverse the time anymore. This is the end, right? Eat until you’re satisfied. Then…”
Take the King of Mushroom’s place. End this war.
He didn’t say the last part aloud. 428’s lips were pressed against Tang Xiao’s skin, the scent of blood thick in the air. But the hunger in his heart remained unanswered.
Tang Xiao blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected 428 to speak at a time like this.
“…Is this… love?” 428 stiffly repeated the most common lines he had heard in romance dramas. His inhuman golden eyes locked onto Tang Xiao. “…Do you… love me?”
In the dramas, lovers were willing to die for each other.
428 didn’t fully understand love. He valued survival above all else. But if there was a feeling strong enough to override that instinct, then perhaps… it was what humans called love.
After all…He didn’t want to eat Tang Xiao.
And Tang Xiao… was willing to be eaten.
Was that love?
But why… does it feel so strange?
Tang Xiao focused slightly, looking into 428’s persistent gaze. He realized that this seemed to be a crucial question, one that would determine the choice 428 was about to make.
“Of course.” Tang Xiao answered without hesitation. “I love you.”
“You… love me?”
“You love me?”
“Ha, yes.”
“You love me?”
428 kept asking, and Tang Xiao kept answering. But for some reason, with each repetition, an uneasy feeling slowly rose in his heart.
The monster was still the same clumsy, emotionless creature that didn’t understand human hearts.
But why, this time, did it not believe him?
“If you truly love me, is that why you’d rather be eaten?” 428’s golden eyes, lowered slightly, gazed at the pale-faced young man. If that were true, then why was his heartbeat so steady—without a hint of nervousness or hesitation?
“I don’t want to eat you.”
Tang Xiao saw the look in 428’s eyes, and it almost made the words he was about to say next catch in his throat.
In the monster’s golden pupils, he saw the reflection of a human face.
It had been a long time since Tang Xiao had looked at himself in a mirror. Perhaps he had been subconsciously avoiding it. He knew that, in reality, his actual age should have far surpassed his current appearance, yet he had always remained young. This disconnect between his soul and body made him instinctively avoid anything that could reflect his face.
But at this moment, for the first time, he saw himself clearly in 428’s eyes.
It was a face filled with exhaustion and relief.
A buzzing sound echoed in Tang Xiao’s mind, leaving it completely blank.
428 had probably already noticed it—seen through everything. This was never a matter of love or not love. Tang Xiao was just too tired, too desperate, as if as long as he got a promise from 428, he could walk towards his end without hesitation.
Under the monster’s pure gaze, a deep sense of shame suddenly overwhelmed Tang Xiao. A massive wave of humiliation and unwillingness surged through him, almost instantly consuming his entire mind.
This had nothing to do with love at all. He had simply been in too much of a hurry to throw away his responsibility—onto 428.
A bitter smile appeared on Tang Xiao’s lips. What now? It seemed he had chosen the worst possible path. He hadn’t even wanted to call it a ‘transaction,’ instinctively avoiding the fact that he was running away, wrapping it all up as love.
But even a blank-slate monster like 428 could still tell the difference between love and not love.
The plan was no longer viable. They had met too late.
A numb soul could not bear the weight of love, and a newly born monster still longed for human affection.
That was the one thing Tang Xiao could never give.
At that moment, the movement suddenly came from the ground. Brown mycelium speared up from the earth like javelins, piercing through 428’s body. Tang Xiao’s eyes widened in shock. He had been trapped in his tangled emotions for too long—so long that he hadn’t even realized the inactive agent’s effect had worn off.
The King of Mushroom, after swiftly wounding 428, turned its greedy gaze upon Tang Xiao. He sat on the ground, trembling, clutching his wounded abdomen. He had already lost all strength to resist.
Just as the mycelium was about to seize Tang Xiao’s body, 428 suddenly stood up again. With near-mad aggression, 428 charged at the King of Mushroom. Every limb, every flesh wing, every part of his body became a weapon, entangling the enemy’s movements.
In this form, 428 was the most powerful weapon—though originally, it had been a form designed for hunting Tang Xiao.
Yet now, it was being used for the exact opposite purpose, fighting the King of Mushroom in a brutal battle.
As Tang Xiao watched this scene, the thought of escape reached its peak. What happened next—he could no longer remember. All he knew was that he saw 428 lose. He saw him being absorbed by the King of Mushroom’s mycelium. And yet, even as he gripped his only weapon, he didn’t dare to get closer. In a subconscious act of desperation, he activated his ability—fully expecting to die. But in the next moment, instead of appearing at the base of the Third Eye, he returned to reality.
He was back. Back in the real world.
Tang Xiao lay dazed on his bed, staring up at the familiar ceiling of his home.
He was back.
But he could never go back.
What should he do…? It felt like… he had abandoned 428.
At that moment, Tang Xiao felt a wave of crushing exhaustion. He knew it was a side effect of traveling between worlds. Using the last of his strength, he pressed the emergency alarm button. Then, he could no longer hold on. His consciousness sank into darkness.
In his dreams, he found himself back in the game world, in the stillness of night.
Tang Xiao often woke from nightmares, unable to sleep for long periods of time. No one knew about this habit of his. All this time, he had fought his nightmares alone, entangled night after night in an endless cycle of pressure and negativity, sinking and resurfacing in an abyss.
…Maybe he should just leave it at that. Give up. He could never win anyway, right?
How many times had it been repeated already? How many more times would it take for him to stop? To finally let go?
Just as his consciousness was about to sink completely into the abyss— A powerful force wrapped around his waist, dragging him back.
In that instant, a faint light broke through the darkness. Tang Xiao squinted, taking a long time to recognize the two shining golden lights before him— 428’s golden eyes.
Mycelium still wrapped around him, spreading across the bed, across the entire room, turning it into something like the depths of a forest. And 428 was the lone ruler of that forest, vigilantly scanning every corner of the room before turning back to Tang Xiao in confusion.
As if asking: ‘Where is the danger?’
Tang Xiao collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh.
But strangely enough, from that moment on— As long as 428 was keeping watch at night, he never had another nightmare.
Not until now.
The next day, Tang Xiao woke up in the hospital. He was jolted awake by a nightmare of 428 being devoured by the King of Mushroom. Instinctively, he reached for the mycelium at his side—But his fingers grasped only empty air.
Oh. That’s right.
He was gone. Forever. He would always, always remain in that universe.
----------
No comments:
Post a Comment