The closer they drew to the first basement level, the more mutants appeared.
As the cacophony of noise was automatically translated by his brain, Tang Qiuqiu heard them repeating two words over and over:
"Resurrection."
This was why the White Lion hadn't let him come down; he was the only one who could understand these sounds. Every mutant here was anticipating Xin Ye’s sacrifice so that another could be reborn.
Once Xin Ye had been trapped in the room, the other mutants’ mission was ninety-nine percent complete. The remaining one percent was simply guarding the door to ensure the process wasn't interrupted. The four teammates were struggling to break through, caught in a frustrating stalemate, when a communication request pinged on Leng Xianye’s multi-function watch.
The number was unknown, but the ID prefix suggested someone from headquarters.
Leng Xianye clipped the receiver to his ear. "Who is this?"
"It’s me, Fu Shu. I couldn't get through to Xin Ye, so I called you." Fu Shu had just reached the perimeter fence; the sight of the bundled metal rods struck him as amusing. "Sister Ting was too embarrassed to say it herself, so she sent me. It’s almost five in the morning. Do you need backup?"
Leng Xianye didn't say a word.
Fu Shu, ever understanding, continued, "Right, then I’m 'volunteering' my support. Mostly because Sister Ting felt guilty for forgetting to tell you what that fence was for, so she kicked me off the transport. That fence is just a marker. At night, the mutants' activity range extends *beyond* the fence. In other words, by entering the shelter directly, you’ve already been surrounded."
Leng Xianye’s fingertips twitched slightly.
It truly lived up to its status as an S-rank mission. He had thought the number of mutants inside the shelter was already terrifying; he hadn't expected there to be more outside.
Despite receiving no response from Leng Xianye, Fu Shu decided to act anyway. "Send me your coordinates. I’m coming now."
***
This was the eighth time Xin Ye had watched the White Lion die by his hand, only for it to rapidly recover and stand back up.
They had been at this for nearly an hour. Xin Ye was heavy with exhaustion, but a specific doubt nagged at him. "Is my physical stamina dropping?"
【No, that’s the effect of the White Lion’s ability,】 Xun Yin said, leisurely sipping tea. 【Do you feel like you’re about to melt into a liquid? That’s right. You’re being prepped for the 'cauldron.' The longer you stay in this room, the deeper the influence of the lion's power. Once you truly become liquid, the lion will reshape you, attaching your flesh and blood to that employee’s skeleton. Want to guess if it’ll work?】
"No thanks," Xin Ye replied. "I’m a germaphobe."
Xun Yin: 【A germaphobe in your line of work would be dead already. Stop making things up.】
"Sorry. I’ll make up something more plausible next time."
Banter aside, since he had agreed to complete this mission himself, Xin Ye had no intention of asking Xun Yin for help. It was like using "skip" ads in a mini-game to bypass a puzzle; if you did it too often, you’d eventually lose the ability to clear levels on your own.
The candle the White Lion had brought had rolled to the side, its flame miraculously still flickering. By its light, Xin Ye spotted the opening of a passage behind the lion. That must be how it had reached the hidden room so quickly.
For the next few minutes, Xin Ye focused on maneuvering, trying to wrestle for position and get closer to that secret tunnel.
His obvious intent was easily intercepted. The White Lion’s attacks grew more ferocious, leaving several gashes on Xin Ye’s face, but he managed to kill the beast once more.
As his blade sank into the lion’s throat, Xin Ye’s vision blurred for a moment. When it cleared, the scarred corpse of the mutant before him seemed to possess a strange, haunting beauty.
It was an indescribable sensation—like watching a skyscraper collapse in an instant. You knew it represented tragedy and death, yet you were so mesmerized by the spectacle of the ruin that you couldn't look away.
Even as the lion’s blood soaked his hand, he remained frozen, his right palm still gripping the hilt of the dagger buried deep in the creature's throat.
【This is a special ability unique to certain mutated animals, like a 'Charm' skill in a game,】 Xun Yin intervened at the critical moment, his voice as dry as someone reading a textbook, pulling Xin Ye back to his senses. 【Wake up. Weren't you going to run? While its body is still recovering, get through that passage.】
Xin Ye snapped out of it, shaking his head violently. He shoved the lion’s carcass away and scrambled into the tunnel. The scent of lion blood still lingered in his nostrils, but he felt he wouldn't be deluded again.
"Thanks." He felt the word needed to be said.
Xun Yin’s hand, currently typing on a keyboard, faltered slightly.
Talk about "planting willows by accident while the flowers fail to bloom."
When Xin Ye finally crawled out of the secret passage, he found himself in the wreckage of the second-floor room. Seeing the shivering, rescued albino animals, he pieced together the White Lion’s original plan.
Having received a thank-you, Xun Yin was in a good mood and offered a friendly reminder: 【You’ve killed the White Lion nine times and escaped. There are six minutes left in the ninety-minute window. How do you plan to salvage this situation?】
Xin Ye glanced at the small animals huddled in the corner. Their bodies were covered in indelible scars. Lacking any means to resist, they could do nothing but press themselves closer to the wall.
He felt a wave of helplessness.
The mission was "Clearance" because the mutants in the shelter would interfere with the Mutation Investigation Department's operations. The dried corpses below and the White Lion couldn't be truly killed due to their unique mutations, yet these remaining small animals posed no threat to humans.
【Five minutes left.】
Xin Ye chose to leave the room first to find his teammates. Perhaps they would have a better solution.
He ran down the corridor. The first light of dawn filtered through the shattered windows in fragmented patches. Morning was coming, but the path ahead remained a hazy grey. He had no choice but to keep moving forward.
【Four minutes left.】
"Xin Ye!"
A voice suddenly called out from behind. The familiarity made Xin Ye stop and turn.
He saw a man wearing the same uniform as him, one foot planted on the windowsill of the corridor, the other leg already inside. The man leaned forward, watching him.
It was Fu Shu.
Fu Shu raised his left hand, shaking his multi-function watch while holding a spherical object. "Sister Ting sent me to bail you out. I only asked Leng Xianye for your coordinates, but he sent the whole situation report too. Tsk, a man of few words but a meticulous heart, isn't he?"
"Oh, that Tang Qiuqiu from your team messaged me too. I’m an expert at clearing mutants with regenerative abilities. Sister Ting actually sent the right person for once."
His lips were curled in a faint, constant smirk, looking less like he was on a mission and more like he was on a spring outing. "The key to countering regeneration is the total deactivation of all cells. Where’s that lion? Take me to it. It’ll only take one grenade."
【Three minutes left.】
The voices of Fu Shu and Xun Yin overlapped like two reagents poured into the same beaker, triggering a chemical reaction. Xin Ye suddenly snapped into action. He turned back, grabbing Fu Shu’s hand as he passed the window and dragging him into the building.
"Follow me!"
He didn't notice that Fu Shu still had his receiver on.
Back in the room, the White Lion hadn't yet climbed up through the passage. Xin Ye immediately began shoving a nearby shelf to block the entrance. Fu Shu lent a hand, and as they pushed the shelf into place, a violent impact slammed against it from below.
Eyes of mixed pale blue and crimson appeared through the gaps in the shelving. The small animals, previously too terrified to move, swarmed forward, nipping at Fu Shu and Xin Ye’s pant legs. Their efforts were negligible.
Fu Shu chuckled and waved at the White Lion, showing the big cat the spherical object in his hand. "See this? Wow, it’s an improved anti-mutant grenade."
【Two minutes left.】
Xin Ye didn't have the luxury of joking with the mutant like Fu Shu did. His brow was furrowed as he calculated the impact of the grenade. "There are... one and a half corpses in the room connected below. If we destroy those, the mutants here will probably give up on attacking ability users. Is your grenade powerful enough?"
"It is. But once I throw it, we need to run fast. You’re coming out the window with me." Fu Shu was already reaching for the pin.
Xin Ye nodded. "Alright. I’ll count down from three. Three—"
"Fire!—" As soon as Xin Ye hit three, Fu Shu pulled the pin and dropped the grenade through the gap in the shelf.
Then, he ditched Xin Ye and bolted.
Xin Ye: "?"
He scrambled out of the room right after him. "Can you wait for me?!"
The White Lion stopped trying to push the shelf. The grenade bounced off its body and rolled down. Sensing the danger of the round object, it tried to catch it in its mouth to prevent it from harming the remains hidden in the basement room.
On the other end of the comms, Lian Muyun had taken over the line. He froze upon hearing the exchange, then flared up in anger. "Is this how you provide backup? How dare you bully our Captain!"
Tang Qiuqiu, crouching nearby with his head in his hands, suppressed his emotions and chanted "I'm sorry" a hundred times in his head. They had already coordinated with Fu Shu and escaped to the shelter's main gate.
Fu Shu had only run so fast to tease Xin Ye. Reaching the window, he planted a foot on the frame and reached a hand back. Xin Ye wasn't slow either; seeing the outstretched hand, he grabbed it without hesitation.
【One minute left.】
Just as Fu Shu gripped Xin Ye’s hand, the floor beneath them shuddered. The grenade had detonated underground. With the foundation compromised, the upper floors were destined to collapse.
Fu Shu was momentarily stunned by Xin Ye’s complete trust in reaching for him, but he reacted quickly, pulling Xin Ye as they leaped out the window.
He said, "Don't worry. I've jumped from this height many times in the lab."
He positioned himself beneath Xin Ye, shielding him in a protective embrace as they fell. Xin Ye didn't have time to protest before they were plummeting together.
The teammates standing outside the gate witnessed the two of them falling.
"Xin Ye!—" they screamed his name, moving to rush inside to pull them to safety.
But there was no time left.
【Thirty seconds.】
Back hit the ground; blood splattered. Falling from the second floor while protecting another person should have been devastating, yet Fu Shu’s expression remained unfazed. Xin Ye’s eyes widened as he tried to pull the man up. "You..."
"Sister Ting had most of my pain receptors removed. I have regeneration, I’m fine," Fu Shu said, glancing at the building behind them as debris began to fly. Unable to move due to his injuries, he used all his strength to shove Xin Ye away. "Get out of here, quick."
【Ten seconds.】
Xun Yin’s voice was like a heartless clock, seemingly indifferent to the interactions of the characters in his "book."
Xin Ye reached out. For some reason, the words Xun Yin had told him during the preliminaries surfaced in his mind.
*【Fu Shu died at a time you didn't know, in a place you didn't know.】*
That was the Fu Shu of the previous timeline.
【Five seconds.】
This was Xun Yin’s voice now.
They were all actors in a play, unable to master their own life or death.
Under Fu Shu’s incredulous gaze, Xin Ye used the final seconds to return to his side, shielding him from above. Even though he knew the man had regeneration and might not die without his help.
But Fu Shu had just said it: if every cell was deactivated, even regeneration couldn't save you.
【Three, two, one.】
The shelter collapsed completely. In the surrounding withered woods, countless mutants appeared, rapidly closing the circle around the group. Though the first light of dawn pierced the dark night, despair still shrouded the ruins.
Xin Ye gripped Fu Shu’s shoulders and closed his eyes.
...
In his mind, the sound of a finger snapping echoed.
Following it was the thunderous roar of giant stones hitting the ground, yet nothing ever struck him or Fu Shu.
Xin Ye opened his eyes to find a massive orb of black energy hovering above his head, along with several "Unbreaking Threads" anchored to broken walls, catching the falling rubble.
Leng Xianye and Xing Yue had activated their abilities from behind to shield them. Tang Qiuqiu, in cat form, and Lian Muyun reached them instantly. Lian Muyun hoisted Fu Shu onto his shoulder, while Tang Qiuqiu shifted back to human form to help Xin Ye up.
"Let's go. We're getting out," Lian Muyun said.
Because the White Lion in the building had truly died, the dried corpse mutants were severed from the mental control of the high-intelligence mutant. Having lost their objective, they stopped in their tracks, sitting blankly outside the shelter. They watched the building—a place filled with memories of abuse, yet a place they had guarded for years—crumble into dust.
The story of this place had finally reached its end.
Once they were certain Xin Ye and Fu Shu were clear of the danger zone, Leng Xianye and Xing Yue released their powers. The six of them escaped to a safe distance, sitting near the crude fence to catch their breath.
Xun Yin spoke softly into the ear of the still-dazed Xin Ye: 【Congratulations. Mission accomplished.】
Xin Ye buried his face between his knees and gave a low "Mm."
He knew he had only made it out by leaning on Xun Yin’s protection once again.
The Mirror Image was summoned immediately to administer vaccines and bandages. Yi Ting, having received Fu Shu’s message, parked the transport nearby.
Stepping out of the vehicle, she saw Xin Ye taking gauze and alcohol from the Mirror Image, preparing to personally tend to the wounds on Fu Shu’s back.
Fu Shu tried to refuse on the grounds of his regeneration, but Xin Ye ignored him completely.
Yi Ting stopped her approach, instead using her multi-function watch to send Fu Shu a message.
"Subject F, I just saw a very rare expression on your face. I’ve decided to record it in the surveillance report."
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
浮书 | Fu Shu | An S-rank support/combatant, revealed to be an experimental subject.
实验体F | Subject F / Experiment F | Fu Shu's designation within the organization.
不断丝 | Unbreaking Threads | Xing Yue's ability to create durable, silk-like strands.
复活 | Resurrection | The primary motivation of the White Lion mutant.
镜像 | Mirror Image | The physical manifestation of Xin Ye's "Mirror Self" ability.
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