2026-01-25 13:48:35Xin and Mei didn't wait. They jumped onto the flying bike and roared toward the center of the city. The giant glass Spire stood tall against the dark sky, but it didn't look like a beacon of hope anymore. It looked like a tomb.
When they landed at the base, Captain Han was waiting. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Around him, dozens of soldiers were sitting on the ground, staring at nothing. Their eyes were wide open, but they weren't "there."
"They won’t wake up," Han said, his voice cracking. "It started with the civilians we rescued from the fortress. Then it spread to my guards. They just... stop talking. Then they start screaming in their sleep."
Xin walked up to a young soldier. He used his new Pulse Sense. In his mind’s eye, he didn't see blood or bones. He saw a thick, oily purple mist wrapped around the man’s brain.
"It’s a Mind-Stalker," Xin said. "A parasite from Earth-6. It feeds on fear. If we don't pull it out, their minds will dry up and die."
"How do we fight something inside a head?" Mei asked, clutching her wrench.
"Host," the Engine’s voice rang out, now much clearer. "To save them, you must enter the 'Bridge.' You must project your consciousness into the Spire’s central core. Level 11 allows for Mental Projection."
"It means I have to go inside," Xin told them. "I’ll be asleep out here, but my mind will be in there. Mei, you have to watch my body."
Mei looked worried, but she nodded. "I've got your back, Window Boy. Just don't get lost in there."
Xin sat in the center of the Spire’s lobby. He placed his hand on the cold glass floor and closed his eyes. The silver mark on his chest hummed.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, Xin wasn't in the lobby anymore. He was standing in a version of Jiangnan City that looked like a twisted painting. The buildings were leaning at impossible angles. The sky was a swirling vortex of purple and black.
This was the Nightmare Zone—the shared dream of everyone trapped by the parasite.
"Help... please..."
Xin turned around. He saw Old Chen. But Chen was trapped inside a giant glass cage. Around the cage, hundreds of small, spider-like creatures with human faces were crawling.
"Chen!" Xin ran forward, but the ground turned into liquid. He began to sink into a pool of black ink.
"You can't save them, Xin," a voice whispered from every direction.
A monster stepped out of the fog. It was ten feet tall, with no face and long, needle-like fingers. It moved like a puppet on strings. This was the Mind-Stalker Prime.
"In this world, your 'Level' doesn't matter," the monster hissed. "Only your fear matters. And you are filled with it."
The monster pointed a needle finger at Xin. Suddenly, Xin felt his strength vanishing. He felt like the weak, skinny kid who was bullied in school. He felt the weight of every person he couldn't save during the invasion.
[Mental Stability: 40% and falling.]
[Warning: If stability reaches 0%, the Host will become a permanent resident of the Nightmare Zone.]
"I am afraid," Xin said, his voice shaking as the black ink reached his chest. "I’m afraid every single day. I'm afraid I'm not good enough. I'm afraid I'll fail everyone."
The monster laughed. "Then give up. Let the darkness take you."
"No," Xin said. He looked at Chen in the cage. He thought of Mei waiting by his side. "Being a hero isn't about having no fear. It’s about being terrified and doing the right thing anyway!"
Xin didn't reach for a sword. He reached for his memories. He remembered the smell of the noodles Mei brought him. He remembered the sound of Chen’s laugh. He focused on the warmth of the people he loved.
The silver mark on his chest exploded with white light. The black ink under his feet turned into solid gold.
[Ability Triggered: Heart-Link.]
[Level 12 Unlocked: The Sun-Blade.]
A sword made of pure, warm sunlight appeared in Xin’s hand. It didn't burn like fire; it felt like a summer afternoon.
"Get away from my friends!" Xin roared.
He swung the Sun-Blade. The light cut through the purple fog like a hot knife through butter. The spider-creatures disintegrated instantly. Xin reached the cage and shattered the glass with a single touch.
Old Chen blinked, his eyes returning to normal. "Xin? Is that you? I was dreaming about a giant bill I couldn't pay..."
"It’s okay, Chen. Follow the light!"
Xin stood tall, holding the Sun-Blade high. The light began to spread across the twisted city. The leaning buildings straightened out. The purple sky began to turn blue.
The Mind-Stalker Prime screamed, its body melting under the "sunlight."
"This is not over!" the monster wailed. "There are others... Earth-7... Earth-8... they are watching!"
"Let them watch," Xin said. He swung the blade one last time, cutting the monster in half.
In the real world, Xin’s eyes snapped open.
All around the lobby, the soldiers and civilians began to gasp and sit up. The purple mist evaporated from their skin. Old Chen, sitting in a chair nearby, rubbed his eyes and looked at Xin.
"Kid? Why am I at work? I thought I was at a very weird party," Chen muttered.
Mei let out a huge breath and slumped against the wall. "You did it. You actually did it."
[Mission Complete.]
[Upgrade Path: Mental Guardian.]
[Current Level: 12.]
Captain Han walked over, looking at Xin with new respect. "You didn't just save their lives, Xin. You saved their souls. But that thing... it said other worlds are watching?"
Xin stood up. He felt stronger, but his heart was heavy. He looked at the silver mark on his chest. It was glowing with a calm, steady rhythm.
"Earth-6 was a scout," Xin said. "The others are coming. And they won't just attack our buildings. They'll attack who we are."
"What do we do?" Mei asked.
Xin looked up at the top of the Spire. "We stop cleaning windows. We start building a shield. If the multiverse wants a fight, Jiangnan City will be ready."
"Host," the Engine whispered. "Your heart rate is steady. You are ready for the next evolution. To reach Level 20, we must find the 'Star-Steel' hidden in the ocean."
Xin smiled at Mei. "Looks like we're going for a swim."
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 150 – The Original Ark
The cube stopped at 9:00 AM.Xin looked out. Nothing but black. Then the Ark appeared. Not wreckage. Whole. Massive. Lights on every deck."It's beautiful," Elena said."It's a tomb," Xin said. "The architect's final prison."The cube docked with the Ark's main airlock. The door opened. Atmosphere inside. Warm. Clean."Stay close," Xin said.They walked in.---The Ark's interior was pristine. No damage. No age. The architect had preserved it perfectly."He built this after the reset," Elena said. "While the objects were growing. He built a perfect copy of the original Ark.""Why?"Xin touched a wall. Gold lines spread from his fingers. The Ark recognized him."Because he couldn't let go."They walked through corridors. Past quarters. Past labs. Past everything the architect had recreated.Then they reached a door. Different from the others. Sealed. Red light."The private lab," Elena said.Xin put his hand on the door. The gold lines spread. The door opened.---Inside was small. One
Chapter 149 – The Signal Returns
The first sign came at 6:00 AM.Xin was in Sector 44. Helping rebuild a warehouse. His arm was in a sling. His shoulder still healing.Then his chest burned.He dropped the beam he was carrying. Fell to his knees."Xin!" Pip ran over."The Heart-Link. I felt it.""It's dead. You killed it.""It just pulsed."---Shen arrived at 6:10 AM. His face was tight."Sector 7 just reported a signal. From nowhere. No source. No transmitter.""What kind of signal?""The same frequency as the old Heart-Link."Xin stood up. His chest was still warm."Foundation is gone. The clones are dead. The architect is dead. Who is sending that signal?"No one had an answer.---The second sign came at 6:30 AM.Elena ran into the settlement. Out of breath."The cube. It's moving.""What cube?""The one we flew. The architect's lab. It's floating toward Sector 7.""By itself?""No engines. No crew. Just moving."Xin looked at Pip. "Someone is flying it.""Or something."---The third sign came at 7:00 AM.Wei's
Chapter 148 – Last Stand
The timer stopped at 0:47.Xin's hand was inside the socket. Gold light poured out of his arm. The panel cracked."What did you do?" the clone shouted.Xin pulled his hand out. The socket was melted. Dead. The reset couldn't start."I broke it."The clone lunged. Xin sidestepped. The clone hit the panel. Electricity arced. The clone screamed. Fell.Three clones left. Two were down. One was running.---"The last one is heading for the Ark's core," Yara said through Pip. "If it reaches the core, it can broadcast the reset signal manually.""Stop it," Xin said.Mei ran after the clone. Shen on her left. Pip on her right.Xin followed. His body was done. But he kept moving.The clone reached a ladder. Climbed fast. Mei fired. Missed. The clone disappeared into a hatch."Where does that go?" Shen asked.Pip's eyes silver. "The core. Direct access. Two minutes."---Xin grabbed the ladder. Climbed.His broken arm screamed. He used his teeth to hold on. Pulled himself up rung by rung.The h
Chapter 147 – The Bottom
The cube stopped moving at 9:45 AM.The door opened. Xin stepped out. No gravity. His boots magnetized to the floor.Below him was nothing. Black. Empty. No stars. No light. Just void."Where are we?" Pip asked.Elena pointed down. "The original impact point. Where the Ark fell during the first reset.""I don't see anything.""Keep looking."Xin looked harder. A shape emerged from the black. Massive. Broken. Metal twisted around metal.The original Ark.---It was ten times larger than any object. Parts of it were still intact. Parts were shredded. Red lights flickered in the wreckage."The backups," Wei said. "They're in there. All twelve. I can see their heat signatures.""They're awake?""No. Still dormant. But something is keeping them alive."Xin started walking. Across the cube's surface toward the wreckage."Xin, wait," Shen said. "We need a plan.""Plan is find the backups and stop them before they wake up.""There's a gap," Mei said. "Twenty meters of open void between the cu
Chapter 146 – The List
Chapter 146 – The ListThe Foundation found the first backup at 8:15 AM.Not through the encryption key. Through old Ark records. Personnel files from before the reset."His name is Cole," Wei said. "He was the architect's logistics officer. He's in Sector 7. Working as a dock manager.""Does he know he's a backup?""No. The architect never told any of them. They're sleeper agents."Xin looked at the map. Sector 7. Green. No corruption."We need to secure him before he activates. Shen, take the ship. Bring him in."Shen nodded. "Alive?""Alive. But don't let him touch any Needle."---The ship left at 8:20 AM.Xin stayed in Sector 99 with Pip and Elena. His body was failing. The gold light was gone. His left arm was dead again."You need medical," Pip said."I need five more hours.""You won't last five hours."Elena touched his arm. Her small hands were cold. "The object crews. They have medical tech from the old Ark. Better than anything in the sectors.""Where are they?""Elara Vos
Chapter 145 – Tarin's End
Xin moved first.He tackled Tarin before she could raise her hand. Both of them hit the Needle's base. Red light flashing."You can't stop this," Tarin said. "The collective is already in your crew."Xin looked back. Shen was on his knees. Eyes white. Mei too. Wei was down. Pip was fighting it. Silver eyes flickering."Pip!" Xin shouted."I'm... holding..." Her voice was Yara's now. Fighting hard.---Tarin threw Xin off. She was strong. Stronger than she looked."The collective chose me because I'm pure. No doubts. No guilt. I know exactly what needs to be done.""Destroy the Heart-Link. Kill millions.""Temporary death. They'll come back. Better. No free will to corrupt them."Xin stood up. His left arm was dead. Hanging at his side. His nose still bleeding."You're insane.""I'm efficient."She raised both hands. The Needle's red light intensified. Xin could feel the collective spreading. More sectors. More people."Foundation," he said. "Block her."I cannot. She is using the Need
You may also like
The Least Common Denominator
MokouFriedChicken27.8K viewsThe Amazing Sidekick
krushandkill15.4K viewsTHE CHOSEN ONE (Reunion)
Kim B17.3K viewsEarth Is In Trouble But With The System, Escape Earth..
Raishico14.4K viewsBound for Greatness
Finn Nox65 viewsGod Of Last Regret
D.D13 viewsThe God-Tier Beast Architect
Aurora Sky181 viewsThe Sovereign's Fury
JacobAde344 views