After being poisoned by mushrooms, all the strange creatures became fascinated by me.

The southern border official said: "You can leave now."

Nanjiang said: Remember to bring the parachutes we prepared in advance.

But the southern Xinjiang region didn't move; the swollen bodies didn't move, and the children didn't move either!

Why?!

How many days and nights they prepared! With the body of this ridiculous child who could barely move!

First, their closest loved ones left them, then the eerie live stream shut down, leaving no possibility of returning. The props were cleared, the superpowers failed, and they lost their adult bodies. They had no strength, were prone to getting cold, sick, and dying. In the beginning, they couldn't even take care of themselves and needed help with eating and drinking!

How ridiculous, how hopeless, yet how could they give up? Their loved ones were still waiting for them!

So they used their intellect, their unity, everything they could, their last glimmer of hope, their last laughable stroke of luck in their desperate situation—and finally, today, at this very moment, they were reunited with their loved ones, and they were finally able to leave the bizarre world.

—But you're telling me I'm the only one left to live?

—But you tell me that my love, the love I just reunited with after enduring countless days and nights of suffering, is destined to die?

Why?! Why am I being treated like this? Haven't I suffered enough? Haven't I endured enough misfortune? Haven't I put in enough effort? Why me, why us?

Why give me hope, only to cruelly snatch it away from my grasp?

Zhuge Jiajia stood there quietly, feeling endless sorrow and anger burning within her expressionless, empty shell.

But Liu Anbang suddenly made a move.

He slowly raised his enormous hand, capable of snapping the heads of bizarre employees with his bare hands, and gently, slowly, placed it on her face, his rough knuckles wiping away a tear that had fallen onto her face without her noticing.

It was so light, like a butterfly wing brushing against her face.

Zhuge Jiajia opened her only remaining eye wide and saw Liu Anbang's almost inhuman face slowly, slowly raising the corners of her mouth.

All the anger and resentment were extinguished by that ugly smile, leaving only a stinging sensation in my nose and a huge emptiness in my heart, an emptiness that concealed a soft, enormous monster—endless grief.

Liu Anbang has already done everything he wanted to do.

The swollen body bent over, like placing a bird's egg in a soft nest, and slowly put down the child in his arms.

"Let's go." He took a step back. "Let's go." His swollen, white eyes gazed longingly at her face. "Let's go." He slowly raised his hand, like a child who had just learned to say goodbye, and waved to her.

Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

Go quickly, my love. Don't watch me obediently walk into that good night.

I'm so lucky to have met you, and I'm so glad to be here to say goodbye.

From then on, I was content and had no regrets even in death.

Zhuge Jiajia stared blankly at Liu Anbang.

The little girl threw herself into the monster's arms, biting her teeth hard into the swollen human skin to forcefully suppress the wailing in her throat.

You idiot, you bastard, how come your brain, which's been soaked in water, can't learn to think outside the box?

Why am I only angry and sad, without any lingering feelings? Why haven't I said goodbye to you until now?

I'm not leaving.

I won't leave. You've already abandoned me once on your own initiative. How can you possibly shake me off this time?

You gave me my life, my body was once conceived within you, and my flesh and blood are your flesh and blood.

This time, every single time.

If we cannot live together, we will die together.

Let them stay here and hug for a while, let them enjoy their last moments of tenderness before the final moment arrives.

—What else is there besides an embrace?

The world is always going back and forth.

Dr. James thought.

Dr. James was running, panting heavily, tearing open his cumbersome white coat, and swinging his legs with all his might. He overtook Dr. Liu, overtook the head nurse, overtook the cleaning staff, dodged falling light tubes, and jumped over tables and chairs in the aisle.

He had to escape.

All the hospital staff were running, and even the grotesque creatures that were barely clinging to life stumbled to their feet, clutching their shaky heads as they sprinted away.

[WARNING: The current instance has been cleared by other players and is about to be destroyed.]

[WARNING: The current instance has been cleared by other players and is about to be destroyed.]

The crimson bullets refreshed repeatedly in their field of vision, and the abundant power in their bodies was infinitely weakened. At the same time, the death countdown sounded in everyone's ears. They were originally small ghosts who would be buried with the dungeon as soon as it was destroyed, but there is always a way out. Just as the dungeon was cleared, all the ghost employees' eyes were attracted by the white light that bloomed under their feet.

They could hear those sounds; it was their hometown, their native world, calling to them!

It's welcoming them back!

The hospital staff wept with joy. Even though the instance was destroyed, they still had a way out—and this way might be even better: they could go home!

Now each of them possesses a strange power; they are immortal and unpredictable. After returning, they can rely on this power to enjoy a more comfortable life!

Now, all they need to do is escape, get out of here, leave this decaying copy, and the brightest future awaits them!

The eerie creatures dragged their increasingly frail bodies, running with all their might. At first, they were filled with fear, but later they burst into wild laughter. They overtook one colleague after another, their hearts pounding with sustained excitement as they cheered and ran wildly.

In the darkness, their hometown had already shown them the way; there, ahead, their hometown had already opened the first door for them!

Dr. James was the fastest runner; he was always the first. He saw the door of light and reached out his hand in ecstasy—

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

It abruptly stopped his frantic run.

Dr. James stumbled to a stop, clutched his reddened hand, and looked up blankly.

It seems... just now, someone gave him a high five?

The figure blocking the portal calmly withdrew its hand.

"What's the rush, everyone?"

A voice tinged with laughter rang out, its deliberately drawn-out tone and unhurried breathing sending a jolt through every strangely pounding heart.

"Are you in such a hurry to escape?"

He said, "Dean Lei Hong, who is working diligently, is still fighting tooth and nail with my colleagues. As his employees, it seems rather unkind and unjust of you to just abandon him like this, doesn't it?"

Qiu Wanting stood before the gate of light, single-handedly blocking the escape route of all the strange employees.

In the corridor in front of the light gate, more and more strange things appeared. They blocked the way, making a ruckus, waving their fists, and it looked like they were about to force their way through the thin defenses and trample Qiu Wanting under their feet.

"I said, be quiet."

Qiu Wanting faced the massive crowd alone, showing no fear and chatting and laughing as if nothing was amiss.

But after that sentence, all the strange creatures suddenly seemed to have their throats grabbed, their angry mouths opening and closing, unable to utter a single roar.

There was complete silence before the gate of light.

—Then let Qiu Wanting hold off the hospital staff for a little longer.

—What lies beyond the gate of light?

The white light grew stronger and stronger, surging from every crack in the eerie private hospital.

Gu Xiaomei put on sunglasses, even though they were completely useless in the bright light. Disregarding her image, she lay prone on the ground, pressing her face as close as possible to a crack, the light filling the small shadows around her eyes.

From above, she saw the scene getting closer and closer in the white light.

It was a bustling city, with trains speeding by above and crowds looking up below.

...is home.

That was her hometown.