Chapter 54: Victory!
The moment the warm liquid touched his tongue, his veins suddenly throbbed in pain—his heart pounding violently, thump! thump!
Yan Chuanbai jolted, wanting to pull away, but it was already too late.
Qi He’s lips pressed against his, and instinctively, he licked them once more.
It was like a spark ignited into a blazing fire in an instant.
Yan Chuanbai’s long-suppressed desire erupted with a roar. His breath deepened; he kissed back with fierce intensity. The person opposite let out a faint moan, which was quickly swallowed by him. Muffled sounds spilled between their lips, his eyes burning with startled yet fervent love—
The one he loved was willing to live and die with him.
“…Qi He.”
Their lips and tongues entwined, tugging and tangling together.
Qi He winced from the sting, furrowing his brows slightly and letting out a muffled grunt. The blood between their mouths was drawn back by his tongue.
His heart expanded and raced violently—he couldn’t tell whether it was because of the kiss or the virus spreading through him.
But his body was indeed changing.
—The higher the level, the greater the price. The infection from the source couldn’t be fully suppressed, even by the antibodies.
Blue-purple veins began surfacing beneath his pale skin, spreading to his wrists with an eerie, intoxicating beauty.
Their breaths tangled, hot and uneven.
After a moment, their lips parted.
Qi He leaned back slightly, lifting his lashes; his lips were stained crimson.
His gaze blazed with breathtaking brilliance. After infection, his body had stepped into the realm of death, yet under the threat of that brink, his spiritual power burst forth—he had finally broken past the limits of being human.
Level 5S.
Yan Chuanbai’s gaze still lingered on his flushed, damp lips, heated and entangled with desire. Qi He knew this was an uncontrollable surge after his outburst. He pressed his lips together and said hoarsely,
“…That’s enough, Yan Chuanbai.”
Yan Chuanbai’s eyes moved from his lips up to his face with difficulty.
He knew that when Qi He said “that’s enough,” he meant it was time to devour the source.
He answered quietly, “Alright.”
The once-depleted spiritual energy was now fuller than ever.
The two of them stood facing each other inside the Source.
With just one look, they attacked at the same time. Qi He used his ability to push apart the surrounding masses of flesh—
All the resistance that had hindered them before vanished in that instant.
There was no need for self-destruction this time—because now, they had two 5S-rank beings.
…
Qi He spread his arms wide, his fingertips seeming to gather an immense force. The pulsing flesh around them was slowly compressed by his power—then burst apart!
The flying debris was blocked outside by a barrier of force.
After evolving to 5S, the most striking change was this: spiritual power could now deal tangible, physical attacks.
The Source twisted in agony, letting out a piercing shriek.
Meanwhile, Yan Chuanbai stopped devouring and began to release instead—
—but this time, what he unleashed was extreme cold and toxins.
In endless cycles of freezing and thawing, the poison spread within, and together with Qi He’s spiritual assault, the interior dissolved into chunks of rotting flesh.
That, in turn, made it easier for Qi He to strike through.
Boom… boom… boom!
The maddened Source “rose” again.
Countless vines lashed wildly in all directions—but the next moment, twin waves of frost swept across them.
Wood-type vines snapped out, binding tight; metallic blades fell in unison—
The combined external assault pinned it back down, nailing it viciously to its place!
The fissures on the surface of the fleshy mass remained tightly shut, refusing to give up its internal “prey.”
Several figures descended one after another outside the Source.
The highest-ranking officer, Xi Moqing, had already taken over command.
Looking toward the suddenly berserk Source, he seemed to understand what was happening. Lifting one hand high, he gave a calm and decisive order:
“All units—”
“Commence counterattack!”
—
At the same time, across the four great bases, stirred by the will of the Source itself, the long-delayed waves of mutants and zombies surged toward the human strongholds in unison.
Atop the fortress walls of Headquarters, under the command of the military, everyone held their ground to the death.
General Gong commanded the artillery units to cover the rear, while all A-rank ability users had already been deployed to the front lines.
Firepower swept through the lower-tier zombie swarms, while the ability users coordinated in formation to surround and attack the higher-tier mutants.
They withstood wave after wave of assaults.
…
Base I.
From the ground, torrents of zombies surged toward the high walls.
Mutant creatures tried to burrow underground to infiltrate the base, but the newly reinforced defense grid blocked them, forcing them to burst up through the soil in front of the walls instead!
Yu Tianxing led the military division, exercising the highest command authority.
Inside the base, the ability users had divided into several smaller squads, each cooperating to fend off the oncoming tides of mutants.
Bang! A gunshot echoed.
Ye Yi stood at the very front, drawing the horde’s focus.
As the masses of zombies turned toward her, a small figure darted swiftly forward—
“Captain, fall back!”
Ye Yi stepped back sharply, and Mo Jiayan unleashed a cloud of toxic mist.
The zombies’ movements slowed for a few brief seconds.
At that very moment, the ground erupted violently!
Sand and debris shot into the air, flinging zombies backward in all directions.
Ye Yi turned her head to see Zhou Shun, commander of Team 3, standing off to the side.
Zhou Shun looked quite pleased with himself. Curling his lips into a confident smile, he called out,
“Team 2, no need to thank me.”
“……”
Ye Yi had no energy to respond and turned her attention back to the fight.
Mo Jiayan hoisted her long cannon, firing boom, boom, boom into the zombie horde, her expression perfectly calm.
“Uncle, you’re too old to be showing off like that,” she said dryly. “It’s not like you make a living off your looks. Totally unnecessary unless it’s for business use.”
Zhou Shun: “……”
Both teams: “……”
Ye Yi pulled everyone’s focus back.
“Stay sharp!”
And once again—another wave of attacks crashed down.
From daylight into darkness, and from darkness into a new dawn—the assault and counterattacks never ceased for even a moment.
Spiritual energy was being drained to its absolute limits…
Suddenly, a mass of black clouds loomed from the horizon.
Everyone froze for a heartbeat—flying zombies.
The already grim battlefield turned even worse. After such prolonged fighting, their mental energy was nearly depleted, and the endless, wave after wave of zombies blotted out the faint glimmer of hope.
A heavy silence fell over the front of the base.
…How much longer can we fight? Can we still hold the line?
In that stillness—a burst of flame suddenly shot into the sky, setting the heavens ablaze.
Ji Yan stood atop the high wall.
The long arc of fire he ignited struck first, incinerating a zombie that had already flown close. Ye Yi snapped her head around, immediately reacting:
“Team 2, with me—get up on the wall for support!”
Ji Yan lowered his hand and shouted down to those below:
“What are you all standing around for? Did you forget what Instructor Qi taught us—”
The blaze reflected fiercely in his eyes.
“Never—stop—fighting!”
…
“Never stop fighting!”
On the ruins, Gong Lianyu bellowed the same words.
Around him, his teammates were collapsing from exhaustion, yet as soon as his cooldown ended, he rallied again.
That single shout seemed to jolt everyone awake.
Snap! Powers reignited.
He followed Qi He’s previous strategy—replicating the five-sense amplification and first recharging Shu Ling’s energy.
Gradually, their spiritual energy began to recover.
Xi Moqing tugged down the brim of his military cap, lifted his hand, and the metallic spikes around him gleamed with a cold, sharp light.
“Commence—thirty-eighth wave of attack!”
The Source had visibly shrunk in size.
External forces were constantly wearing down its regenerative ability, while it continued trying to consume “nourishment” and fend off the battle raging inside it.
The tightly sealed fissure on its surface—had never once opened.
Xi Moqing and the others had no idea what had become of the chief and deputy commanders who had entered the Source.
The only thing they could do—was keep attacking.
And then, as yet another dawn approached—
A faint thread of morning light was about to leap over the horizon. The sky was a dull gray, colorless and hazy. Everyone was utterly spent. No more tactics, no more coordination—only the raw instinct to fight remained.
Suddenly, a voice burst through the earpieces—Guan Shang’s voice:
“It’s going to blow—watch out!”
Everyone jolted to attention and leapt back—
At that exact moment, cracks began spreading rapidly across the Source’s surface, and then, with a deafening BOOM!!!, it burst open, scattering fragments in all directions!
Something splattered against the helicopter’s windshield.
From the headset came a rare, breathless mutter:
“…shit.”
Gong Lianyu happened to be switching abilities right then. In a single second, he copied Qi He’s power and threw up a force barrier.
Beneath the downpour of exploded flesh and blood, two figures fell to the ground.
It was Qi He and Yan Chuanbai.
Both had collapsed from total exhaustion, their bodies showing clear signs of infection. Without a moment’s hesitation, the wood-type vines lashed out, wrapping around them and yanking them back to safety.
Zhuge Dun, his entire body covered in mutated armor, slammed down in front of them with a resounding clang!
Everyone faced the downpour of corpse rain head-on.
The flesh masses hit the ground with wet, cracking sounds—and some of them were still twitching faintly.
Xi Moqing drew a deep breath and shouted:
“Don’t let them regroup!”
A surge of blazing fire roared across the battlefield.
Le Yunyu burned through the last of his spiritual power, igniting the very earth itself. The fierce, searing flames lit up the horizon—and a single brilliant beam of light pierced the sky.
The third day’s sun rose.
And atop the ruins—the shattered remains of the Source’s flesh finally lost all signs of life.
At the other end, on the headquarters’ high wall—the Source’s spiritual power had vanished.
The remaining zombies and mutants seemed to have been affected as well—their movements stalled for a moment, turning sluggish and chaotic.
General Gong’s eyes flickered with sudden realization. A spark of light flashed in his gaze as he gave a sharp, decisive command:
“All units, prepare—”
“Give it everything you’ve got—launch the final assault!”
…
Sunlight spilled across the entire battlefield.
On the ruins, Gong Lianyu suddenly lost strength, dropping to one knee, both hands braced against the ground. Sweat dripped down, one bead after another, yet his lowered face was filled with dazed exhilaration.
“—Victory!”
—
Drip.
The last drop of fluid fell from the IV line.
There seemed to be a group of people standing by the bedside—taking notes, moving about. After checking over the monitors, someone removed the needle. A calm, gentle female voice spoke:
“Condition stable. Let’s step out for now.”
The group left in a quiet flurry.
The door closed with a soft click.
For a few moments, the ward was silent.
On the bed to the left, Qi He’s lashes trembled slightly. His eyes opened to a blank white ceiling.
It took him a couple of seconds to orient himself before he pushed himself up.
The blanket slid down from his chest, revealing a pale, clean arm. He looked down at his hand—then turned his head toward the neighboring bed.
Yan Chuanbai lay there.
His side profile was calm and sharply defined.
A faint trace of bluish-purple veins still showed at his neck, but the discoloration on his face had already faded—his features once again handsome and composed.
Qi He lowered his gaze and smiled faintly.
—It seemed that an S-rank healer truly could cure the zombie virus.
Of course, it might also have been thanks to the antibodies their bodies had once produced.
But either way—they had survived.
And their spiritual energy still remained at 5S-rank.
He paused for a moment, then remembered: “…System?”
There was no response around him.
Qi He looked around—the bedside was clean and empty, and his “Lamb” was nowhere in sight. His gaze shifted to Yan Chuanbai across the room: before entering the Source, he had thrown the system out.
He knew Yan Chuanbai would catch it for him.
But now—where was it?
Qi He thought for a moment, then got up and walked over.
He stopped beside Yan Chuanbai’s bed, his gaze sweeping back and forth before he reached under the blanket—
His palm slid from the firm chest down to the abdomen, then to the sides, feeling around where the pockets should be.
Smack! His wrist was suddenly caught in a firm grip.
Qi He looked up, meeting Yan Chuanbai’s eyes as they opened.
In those deep pupils, his own reflection wavered—tinged with the faint spark of heat just risen. Yan Chuanbai’s fingers tightened slightly. After two seconds, he spoke:
“…What are you feeling around for?”
Qi He froze for a beat.
Just as he opened his mouth, the other’s voice overlapped his:
“You don’t have to sneak around—you can do it openly.”
“My smart watch. Where is it?”
“…”
The ward fell silent for several seconds.
Then Yan Chuanbai released his wrist and said naturally, as if nothing had happened: “It’s not with me.”
Qi He: “?” Wrong person?
As if sensing his thoughts, Yan Chuanbai propped himself up, leaning against the headboard.
“When you went in, I gave it to Zhuge Dun. He’s the shield—he could protect your belongings better. And besides—”
His voice trailed off for a few seconds.
Yan Chuanbai lowered his gaze; his fingertips slid down, curling around Qi He’s, threading their fingers together.
“…From the moment you entered the Source, I was ready to follow you in at any time.”
Qi He’s fingers twitched slightly.
A few images flickered through Qi He’s mind. He calmed himself and looked at the side of Yan Chuanbai’s neck. “You should be out of danger now. You just need a period of recovery.”
Yan Chuanbai was quiet for a moment, then curved his lips. “Was it Xiao Hai?”
Qi He nodded, a note of admiration in his voice. “Kids really do grow fast.”
When he’d sent the boy to headquarters, he had only been a suspected S-rank. Now, he could already cure the zombie virus.
Yan Chuanbai met his gaze. “The ‘bet’ you mentioned—was this what you were betting on?”
“Partly. But not just this.”
Qi He turned his head, glancing around.
They were in a medical ward at the Headquarters base. His eyes paused on the military insignia hanging on the wall. He looked at it for a few seconds, then curved his mouth slightly.
He had been gambling—
Gambling that after transforming into a 5S-level zombie, General Gong, or rather the military and the human base, wouldn’t abandon them.
Fortunately, he’d won the bet again.
Yan Chuanbai followed his gaze, seeming to understand. He smiled. “You’re the one who said we must absolutely trust our teammates.”
“That’s right.”
Qi He withdrew his gaze.
Speaking of teammates, he straightened up. “I’m going to find Zhuge Dun and get my watch back.”
Just as he turned, a sudden force pulled him back—
Thud! Qi He braced a hand on the edge of the bed.
He looked up and met Yan Chuanbai’s eyes. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave me?”
“…”
Their eyes met—meaning layered and direct.
Qi He’s heartbeat quickened slightly.
Then, Yan Chuanbai leaned in toward his gaze.
A hand pressed against Qi He’s lips—soft lips sinking into his own. Seizing the moment, a heat flared in Yan Chuanbai’s eyes.
“Can I take this,” he murmured, “as your answer to me?”
————————————————————
Author’s note:
System returning: Heaven itself is about to change!
