Su Chen froze. He hadn’t expected his former sister-in-law to have put in a good word for him.
He took his time drying his black hair. After absorbing a Soul Sand Ore with his Jade Pendant, he returned to the large bed.
As his breath drew near and his fingertips dipped beneath the sheets to touch her soft curves, Yan Ruoruo’s eyelashes fluttered. A rare trace of emotion flickered across her face. Moments later, his tall, sturdy figure was pressing down on her.
A beautiful night.
A scene of shared splendor.
The following morning.
The secluded campsite was surprisingly peaceful. In contrast, most of Dongfu City had been plunged into a fierce battle, suffering a sudden invasion by numerous Parasite Bodies in the dead of night.
A great tide of black mist formed by Iron-Eating Insects surged over the city walls, flooding the streets. Wherever it passed, wooden structures and metal frames alike were devoured completely.
Meanwhile.
Driven by the Bloodthirsty Fungus’s consciousness, the Parasite Body monsters that had been missing all day and night also launched their attack.
Although few in number and drained of their Rune Essence, their mangled bodies of flesh and blood still possessed considerable combat strength. The sheer mass of the Forest Wolves, tigers, and leopards, combined with their sharp teeth and claws, was enough to pose a significant threat to humans.
In fact, given the physical frailty of Rune Professionals, a single moment of carelessness could spell disaster.
Additionally.
Two types of extremely troublesome flying insects joined the attack.
One was the Spore-Sac Cicada, a grayish-brown insect the size of a basketball. Its abdomen was swollen like a tumor and filled with highly concentrated, active Bloodthirsty Fungus spores.
Once they locked onto a populated area, they would dive and self-destruct. In addition to the force of the explosion, a large cloud of hallucinogenic mist would rapidly spread to envelop the area.
The second was a carapaced flying insect with giant mandibles. If the first was a "sower," this one’s role was that of a "hauler." Its massive pincers could easily sever a person’s neck, and it specialized in snatching the heads of Rune Professionals and flying away with them.
But all of this was merely a feint. The true trump card was undoubtedly the humans modified by the Bloodthirsty Fungus. They no longer lurked or launched sneak attacks, instead openly forming teams to enter the city and plunder valuable targets.
The momentum of the relentless siege did not recede until seven in the morning.
The Legacy Sanctuary and the Rune Store, located on the city’s southernmost border, as well as a weapon workshop that had just been established at dawn, were all completely preserved after a battle to defend Athena.
’There are still some capable people in the city.’
A little after eight in the morning, inside a three-story building at the campsite, Su Chen stretched his limbs as he stepped out of his RV, listening to the official broadcast.
To test the transformation his body had undergone and feel the changes in his cardiorespiratory system, he immediately began a high-intensity warm-up. Balancing on his right hand, he held his torso and legs perfectly horizontal, suspended in the air.
His core locked tight, his waist was as rigid as a beam, and his legs were straight as javelins, with even his toes pointed to form a sharp, straight line.
This near-inhuman, one-handed horizontal hold depended entirely on the perfect synergy between his musculoskeletal density and his breathing rhythm.
With his upper body bare, the morning light cast his muscle groups into sharp relief, as if carved by a knife and chiseled by an axe. The fluid lines of his musculature clung tightly to his frame—austere, perfect, and utterly without excess.
One minute later.
Su Chen’s breathing remained steady and his heartbeat was firm and powerful, but... his right wrist had started to tremble.
’As I thought. A Strength Attribute of 18 is still too weak.’
Aside from his core strength and endurance, his wrist strength alone was clearly insufficient to support such a demanding warm-up.
Su Chen didn’t force it. Realizing he was about to hit his limit, he immediately lowered himself.
Then...
He switched to his left hand and resumed the one-handed horizontal hold.
’*...the water treatment plant scheduled to restart has been severely contaminated by spores, two vertical farming centers have been destroyed, and three resource warehouses containing supplies and Rune Essence have been looted. All signs indicate that the Bloodthirsty Fungus is engaging in conscious, targeted destruction.*
’*Experts emphasize that this fungus is sentient. Based on consolidated reports from various intelligence sources, it can be confirmed that even in the early Parasite Body stage, it was capable of reading human thoughts and used this ability for deception and intimidation.*
’*Currently, many areas are still awaiting purification. We ask all citizens to please refrain from leaving their residential compounds.*’
The radio continued to report on the current situation in the city.
Su Chen realized how grim the situation was.
Although the city’s defense had been a success—they had killed some of the modified humans, wiped out large numbers of the invading parasite swarms, and even saved the Rune buildings on the border, especially the crucial Legacy Sanctuary—the cost had been immense.
The damage to the city was severe. Many sections of the newly repaired walls had collapsed, and various supply depots had been precisely targeted and destroyed.
Most critically, the humans had lost many Rune Professionals. Not only were their Runes taken, but their very heads were carried away by the giant-mandibled flying insects, clearly intended as flesh-and-blood sacrifices for the next stage of evolution.
’From a strategic perspective, this was a complete and utter defeat,’ Su Chen thought.
On the surface, Dongfu City had indeed been successfully defended.
But most of the enemies wiped out in the battle were merely puppets controlled by the Bloodthirsty Fungus—insignificant pawns.
The dead modified humans were decent spoils of war, but the human losses were far greater.
If they continued to take such a passive beating, in less than half a month—perhaps even just ten days—Dongfu City would collapse just from trading pieces. All of its combat personnel would be completely exhausted.
And the Bloodthirsty Fungus...?

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