Did Mu Yining love Shen Mingxuan? She didn’t know herself. Before the end of the world, they had only just met when everything changed. Shen Mingxuan had fled alongside her, taking great care of her with gentleness and consideration. In an environment like the apocalypse, Mu Yining had slowly come to accept him. She just never expected that from the very beginning, Shen Mingxuan harbored wild, treacherous ambitions!
“Mu Yining, I gave you chances, but you understand nothing. You don’t understand a man’s self-esteem, nor do you understand a man’s basic needs. You only care about yourself—unreasonably selfish! Weier understands me, loves me, knows my mind, and supports me. We’ve been together for two years already. She can satisfy my needs, whereas you are like a block of wood. I’m sick and tired of you like this.”
In the five years of the apocalypse, Mu Yining had rushed about every single day just to survive. Her skin had long since turned rough like a farmwoman’s, and she was malnourished, sallow, and emaciated.
“So then, is it my fault? Heh, I really underestimated you two. To think I kept you well-fed and well-provided for out of guilt for being too busy, wanting to make it up to you… only to raise two dogs instead! Though, even a dog would be better than you two!” Mu Yining laughed frantically, looking at the pair before her with immense disgust.
When the base was first established, Mu Yining had rescued Qiao Weier while out searching for supplies. At the time, Qiao Weier was surrounded by a gang of men; had Mu Yining not intervened, one wouldn’t even need to imagine what would have happened next. Only after bringing her back did she learn that Qiao Weier possessed a water-type superpower. In the apocalypse, countless people died of hunger and thirst. Unless one had lived through the end times, no one could truly understand how precious water was. Thus, she placed Qiao Weier by Shen Mingxuan’s side, simply because she trusted Shen Mingxuan unconditionally. Only today did Mu Yining regret ever meddling in other people’s business back then.
Mu Yining secretly tried to mobilize the energy inside her body, only to find she couldn’t succeed no matter what. As a Level 7 ice-type user, being completely powerless threw her into a subtle panic. Holding high authority for so long, she clearly understood that right now, she stood no chance.
Shen Mingxuan saw through her intentions and walked in coldly. Catching her off guard, he raised his blade and slashed down. The newly developed drug from the lab had been crafted specifically for her—how could things possibly go as she wished? Mu Yining’s legs trembled violently. This ruthless man, a Level 4 plant-type user, didn’t even use his powers; instead, he severed her Achilles tendons without the slightest hesitation. She wanted to fight back, but the pain became sharper and clearer, and with her superpowers suppressed, she could only be slaughtered at his mercy. Mu Yining’s eyes blazed with rage as blood poured continuously from her feet. Yet even so, she did not let out a single groan.
At that moment, a middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat walked in through the door.
“Researcher Zhang, I’m leaving this woman to you. Once the power crystal is extracted, you won’t be left empty-handed,” Qiao Weier said, dressed in a white dress and wearing high heels. The clicking sound of those heels approached Mu Yining step by step, striking right into her heart. Even though she was not far from death, her face remained utterly expressionless.
A woman’s jealousy was the most terrifying thing. Qiao Weier simply couldn’t stand Mu Yining’s haughty, arrogant face. In the past, she envied her beauty; when Heaven showed mercy and Mu Yining’s face deteriorated day by day, Qiao Weier couldn’t have been happier. But now, even on the brink of death, Mu Yining’s composure disgusted her. She wanted to see what would happen once that face was ruined and those eyes were gouged out.
Unable to wait any longer, Qiao Weier looked toward Shen Mingxuan with a pitiful, delicate gaze. Shen Mingxuan was most helpless against such a look. He led the researcher outside, silently granting Qiao Weier’s request.
The ground was already soaked in blood. Mu Yining was extremely weak by now, barely able to lift her eyelids, only to see Qiao Weier crouching in front of her holding a dagger. The tip of the blade slowly plunged into her right wrist. Watching the pain and hatred in Mu Yining’s eyes, the suffocating rage in Qiao Weier’s chest finally smoothed out significantly.
“Qiao Weier, you will die a horrible death! When I die, you’re coming to hell with me!” Mu Yining gasped for breath, the agonizing pain pushing her to her limits as she let out a low growl.
“Whether I go to hell is hard to say, but as for you, you’re definitely dying today.” Qiao Weier tortured Mu Yining slowly. Both of her wrists were completely severed, the bones inside clearly visible. Looking at Mu Yining’s wide-open eyes and her endurance, as if those sharp eyes were placing a curse on her, Qiao Weier raised her foot without hesitation. Her sharp, thin high heel stomped onto Mu Yining’s face, plunging right into her eye socket. She then activated her superpower, pouring a surge of water all over the already battered and bloodied Mu Yining. Watching Mu Yining’s face contorted in unbearable agony, she only felt a thrill.
“Ah…” Suffering immense pain in her eyes, Mu Yining finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. Her agonized scream startled Shen Mingxuan outside. He rushed inside, but upon seeing the scene, he said nothing at all—he had only assumed something had happened to his Weier.
“The power crystal must be extracted while she’s alive to exert its maximum potential.” Seeing Mu Yining struggling in agony, the researcher genuinely couldn’t bear it. But he wanted to live; to survive, it was blatantly obvious which side he had to stand on. As Base Chief, Mu Yining’s reign ended today, and there was nothing he could do. Level 7 superpower users were extremely rare, and the crystal inside their brain was extraordinarily precious—once an ordinary person consumed it, they would become superior to all others.
Hearing the researcher’s words, Shen Mingxuan led Qiao Weier away, gesturing for the researcher to finish his job as quickly as possible.
Mu Yining was completely drained of life. Her eyes were ruined, her limbs immobilized, and death was inevitable. She had no power to change it. If she were given another life, she would surely make these people wish they were dead!
Carrying his instruments, the researcher crouched by Mu Yining’s head. “Base Chief, I only have today because of your kindness. But I have elderly parents and young children to support—I don’t want to die. I’m sorry, I can only give you a quick death. In the next life, I’ll work like an ox or horse to repay you.”
By now, Mu Yining had calmly accepted reality. Death was coming either way, so how could she blame others? She could only blame herself for failing to see people for who they really were.
“You should go. Find an excuse to leave the basement. I’m going to detonate the power crystal in my head. Since I’m dying, how could I go without anyone buried alongside me?”
The researcher looked at Mu Yining’s face. Those eyes were ruined beyond recognition, yet at this moment, he felt absolute terror.
“You…? Has your superpower recovered?!”
“Someone who wants to die will always find a way. I’m giving you a chance to live. Go now—take it as my thanks for speaking up for me just now.”
Summoning every ounce of strength left in her body, a faint fluctuation of superpower energy surged within Mu Yining. Gritting her teeth, she persisted, her desire for death growing stronger by the second. The pain across her body had long gone numb. With a loud roar, she finally gathered the energy…
Hearing the commotion outside, the two people turned back in a hurry, but everything was already too late…
Drenched in cold sweat, the researcher used the excuse of retrieving tools to destroy the lab as a pretext to stand near the basement exit. He still couldn’t believe the scene before him. Before he could step out of the main gate, an explosion thundered from behind, instantly reducing the entire basement and the upper floors into complete ruins.