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After that incident, Jing Xia visited Chirpy three more times.
Each time, the little creature tried its best to put on a show of being cocky and narcissistic while chirping incessantly to make Jing Xia feel that it was still lively and energetic. But no matter how much it pretended, Jing Xia couldn't ignore the obvious fact that Chirpy's small body had noticeably thinned.
The flesh was gradually disappearing.
The once tiny, mung bean-like eyes now appeared much larger because the cheeks were no longer as round and plump. Jing Xia would always spend a few minutes talking to Chirpy, but beyond that, there was no more time to spare.
Because it had to participate in experiments.
Not the cruel, cold, and ruthless experiments that S1 had once endured. The method of gently extracting blood and cells was already much better than Jing Xia had imagined. But every time he saw Chirpy's body twitch through the glass window, his heart would wrench violently but was unable to break free.
It was sacrificing itself for him.
Jing Xia's fingers dug deeply into his palms, but there was nothing he could do.
When there were only three days left until the final day, Evolved Beings from all over China and even nearby countries had gathered at the S City Base. However, this was only a small fraction of the Evolved Beings from East Asia and Southeast Asia.
In the face of this sudden apocalypse and the Mutated Beasts that deeply threatened human survival, countries that were once at odds no longer had the energy for internal strife. However, the continents of America, Europe, Africa, and others still hadn't arrived at the S City Base to offer support.
Not because they didn't want to, but because they were blocked.
The American continent was separated from China by the vast Pacific Ocean, while Europe and Africa were too far away. The Australian continent had already lost contact with humanity—
This land, known as the primitive wilderness before the apocalypse, was surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.
Its land was home to ferocious beasts, and its oceans harbored the most venomous creatures in the world.
In such a situation, with only tens of millions of people, humans dared not imagine its current fate.
Even if they wanted to send people for rescue, they couldn't break through these natural barriers.
All the supporters from neighboring regions gathered together and formed an army of nearly ten thousand people. At first glance, this force of only ten thousand seemed vastly inferior to the millions-strong armies of the pre-apocalypse era. But this army was entirely composed of Evolved Beings.
And not just any Evolved Beings—these were individuals of exceptional ability.
While they might not be able to take on a hundred enemies each, at the very least, they could all kill a B-level Mutated Creature with their bare hands without breaking a sweat. There was still a considerable difference in individual skill levels within the group, but overall, they could be considered a formidable force.
On the evening of the third-to-last day, Jing Xia went to see Chirpy one last time.
The remaining three days were spent without any further training, as they prepared to conserve their energy for what might be the final battle.
Not long after Jing Xia arrived at the laboratory, Qi Yang walked toward him while removing his latex gloves.
His movements were a bit awkward; his left hand smoothly took off the glove and tossed it into the nearby trash bin, but he had to use his teeth to remove the glove from his right hand.
Qi Yang's actions appeared fluid and graceful, with a hint of wildness, but to Jing Xia, they seemed somewhat jarring—
His right hand was still useless.
"I can't guarantee if I'll be able to complete the experiment in time." Qi Yang said with his face showing signs of fatigue. Dark circles were evident under his eyes, which made more pronounced by his pale skin. "But I can assure you of this, Jing Xia. When everything is over, you'll see a whole... Chirpy."
This was the first time Qi Yang had spoken Chirpy's name.
A faint, candid smile tugged at his thin lips, causing Jing Xia's heart to stir and his eyes to widen gradually. "Really... can Chirpy be saved?"
"Yes." Qi Yang nodded. "A month ago, when I spoke to you, there was a twenty percent chance. At that time, I didn't tell you because I wanted you to be mentally prepared for failure. But now, with the research on Stab-3 nearing its end, I can make some promises."
Jing Xia suddenly felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
He turned his head to look at the mutated hamster lying in the corner of the glass enclosure, seemingly exhausted to the point of unconsciousness. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his nose tingled with emotion, but he didn't let the tears fall.
Because he had almost lost it, he could be even more grateful for its survival.
Qi Yang followed Jing Xia's gaze to the thin, mutated hamster.
The frame of his glasses was slightly askew, and he raised his left hand to adjust it. This action caused his left sleeve to slide down revealing a section of his forearm.
On that pale, emaciated forearm were several scars, each about five centimeters long.
They were jagged and cutting directly across the veins that resembled the ugly tracks of centipedes. Beside these prominent scars were fainter white marks. If Qin Chu had seen this, he would have exclaimed, "Such terrifying self-healing ability!"
Indeed, the shapes of these white marks clearly indicated they were made by a sharp blade, likely for the purpose of drawing blood. Each cut was deep, and just looking at them could evoke the sharp pain of the blade slicing through the skin.
Qi Yang lowered his gaze before casually letting his hand drop and using his wide sleeve to cover the gruesome scars on his arm.
Meanwhile, Jing Xia had already stepped forward to look at the sleeping Chirpy and was completely unaware of what was happening behind him.
In preparation for the enemy's unilateral declaration of war three days later, each of them had made tremendous sacrifices.
It really was a total war this time.
Not just the S City Base, but also the B City Base, the N City Base, and even regions beyond China—South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and more. Yet, these regions still dispatched some of their elite forces to assist the S City Base, because everyone knew that the enemy's primary target was S City.
Before the apocalypse, it was the world's largest cargo port. And now, it had become the beacon of humanity's hope and fearlessly facing the terrifying enemy that loomed on the horizon.
On the final night, Jing Xia sat by the bed while gazing up at the starry sky.
In the pitch-black night, there were no stars to be seen, yet the handsome young man persistently kept his head raised and kept staring at the vast, boundless sky.
Even the moonlight seemed dim as if obscured by an endless surge of darkness as it barely emits a faint glow.
A faint glimmer flickered in his peach-shaped eyes as Jing Xia stood there silently and not uttering a word for a long time.
"Professor Qi and Professor Lu have jointly developed a remote-controlled electromagnetic cannon. It consumes a tremendous amount of energy, but as long as the aim is precise, it can guarantee the remote elimination of at least one S-Class Mutant tomorrow."
Ji Chuancheng's deep, magnetic voice broke the silence in the room.
Jing Xia slowly turned his head to look at him, only to find the other man gazing at him with his usual profound, dark eyes, filled with the same tenderness and understanding that had been there for over two decades. And this gradually calmed Jing Xia's restless heart.
Reaching out, Jing Xia took the warm tea Ji Chuancheng handed him. The weather was slightly chilly, so he cradled the teacup to warm his hands.
"Just one S-Class Mutant isn't enough," Jing Xia said as his gaze drifted toward the land engulfed by darkness. "In three months, I can't imagine how much those Mutated Beasts have evolved. This time, I'm not sure if we can join forces to suppress that Mutated Orca again."
Jing Xia's expression was somber and despondent.
No matter how much he tried to comfort or delude himself, he knew that humanity's chances of winning tomorrow's battle were less than thirty percent.
"Over a year ago, you drove to my doorstep and kept knocking on my door."
Hearing this, Jing Xia looked up at Ji Chuancheng in surprise and was unsure of the other man's intention in bringing this up now.
Ji Chuancheng continued, "My study might be in ruins now, but it was there that you once told me that humanity has the hope to defeat the Mutated Beasts. During the second Beast Tide battle you experienced, humanity emerged victorious." His voice paused briefly as he looked down at Jing Xia with a serious expression. "Now... do you not believe in me anymore?"
Jing Xia was momentarily speechless.
He still remembered that time that when he had just been reborn, his only thought was to find Ji Chuancheng as quickly as possible. Because this man was the leader who had led humanity to its first and only victory, and because of him, humanity had tasted triumph for the first time.
A faint smile gradually appeared on Jing Xia's lips as he suddenly felt the sorrow and fear that had plagued him for so long vanish without a trace.
"Yes, I believe in you."
They now had far better conditions than in their previous lives.
The Research Institute hadn't been damaged in the first Mutated Beast assault, and people like Professor Qi and Professor Lu were still alive. There was also Qi Yang, someone he had never met in his past life, who had already brought about earth-shaking changes to the S City Base and significantly increased humanity's chances of victory.
There was also Chirpy, Yu Kai, and countless Evolved Beings who had come from all over the world to lend their support.
And... Ji Chuancheng.
They were no longer the same people from their previous lives that were with limited resources, no scientific guidance, and only knowing how to blindly fight back. Even though their enemies were far stronger now, they had also gained more formidable power.
It was still too early to admit defeat.
Jing Xia turned his gaze once more toward the deep, silent sky.
Unnoticed by him, Ji Chuancheng's eyes remained fixed with his tender and affectionate gaze tightly focused on the handsome young man.
His fingers gradually tightened around the cup with its warmth fading, as if he had returned to that evening over a year ago.
This young man had stormed into his study with his back to the calligraphy Ji Chuancheng had inscribed years ago, his eyes filled with trust and certainty as he looked at him.
With just one glance from the young man, Ji Chuancheng was willing to believe everything and give his all.
Because he believed in him, he would exhaust every effort to live up to that trust.
Including... the tomorrow that was about to arrive.
The heavy, oppressive clouds in the sky weighed on everyone's hearts, as if hinting at the impending darkness.
Yu Kai sat by the bed while polishing his beloved sharp blade; Qin Chu leaned against the window railing and gazing into the distance while lost in thought; countless Evolved Beings lay quietly in their bed with their eyes wide open and staring fixedly at the pitch-black ceiling, unable to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the laboratory on the third underground floor of the Research Institute, Qi Yang and a group of assistants remained tirelessly at work.
Under Zhang Bendan's reluctant gaze, Qi Yang raised his right arm that was holding a blade in his left hand, and without hesitation, made a long cut on his pale right wrist. Bright red blood instantly spurted out, but the prepared assistants caught it all and did not waste a single drop as they stored it in a container.
The wound healed extremely quickly as it just bled for less than three or four minutes before it completely closed, and not even a trace of blood seeped out. However, Qi Yang's complexion grew even paler.
Without a moment's hesitation, he made another cut.
Cut then collect the blood again.
This process repeated five times before it finally ended with the glass container now filled to the brim with thick, viscous blood.
Qi Yang's body swayed slightly backward, but he quickly steadied himself with a step back.
His serious and trusting gaze swept over Zhang Bendan and every assistant present. Qi Yang nodded lightly and said, "This is our final experiment. All the materials have been collected. If we fail again... we may never have another chance to research Stab-3."
Everyone remained silent and not uttering a word. Qi Yang slowly smiled as a teasing grin spread across his face. "Then let's begin, you fools."