They had returned.
The lunar mission was complete. The squad landed back at the ground base. Magnetic fields stabilized. Weather membranes retracted. The particle man deconstructed. The aerial beasts had already returned to the skies.
Everything looked the same as when they left. But He Xuan was the first to notice something off.
"Zombie magnetic frequencies have increased."
Lin Lan flipped open his notebook.
"Tier Five."
Zhao Yang frowned.
"All the Tier Fours… leveled up."
They didn't rest. They went straight into battle.
Tier Five zombies had stronger magnetic fields, faster movements, and more complex attack patterns. Chen Mo charged to the front, activating Phase Four of the Shattered-Time Fist. Spatial tremors roared like thunder.
His power had reached Peak Tier Three. Single-strike output was seventeen times the human muscular limit. He could execute three rebound jumps in one second. His punches could pierce through three layers of magnetic shielding.
But this time, he struggled.
The zombies were no longer scattered mobs. They fought with coordination and tactical awareness.
Lin Lan's weather membrane was torn twice. Hu Hao's mental sync was disrupted. Zhao Yang's blood mist lost frequency control.
He Xuan recorded:
"Enemy magnetic fields now exhibit tactical intelligence."
Lu Ye opened the Eye of the World.
"There's a commander."
They fought their way to the edge of the base— and finally saw it.
Tier Six. Power Type. The Yaoguang Zombie.
It stood in the center of the ruins. Tall. Magnetic field stable. Eyes clear.
It didn't look like a zombie. It looked like a silent general.
Its strength was three times Chen Mo's. A single punch could collapse localized space. Its magnetic tremors covered a hundred meters. It didn't need speed— it crushed with raw force.
Chen Mo tried to approach— but was knocked back with one blow.
Zhao Yang's blood mist was shredded. Lin Lan's weather membrane couldn't adhere to its field. Hu Hao attempted sync— and was repelled.
But he didn't retreat.
He was Late Tier Three, Mental Type— the strongest in the squad's mental layer.
He tried again, timing his connection while the Yaoguang Zombie wasn't attacking, hoping to suppress its consciousness.
But the zombie moved.
One punch— straight to Hu Hao's chest.
Magnetic field shattered. Consciousness ruptured. Body destabilized.
Hu Hao collapsed. No life signal.
The Yaoguang Zombie spoke. Its voice was low— like an echo rising from the earth.
"Hu Hao. Mental Type. You shouldn't have charged me." "Zhao Yang. Your blood mist is beautiful. Too bad you haven't learned to look back." "I was once human. I still remember the children at the base."
Chen Mo frowned.
"It's speaking."
He Xuan whispered:
"Language system restored. Consciousness layer intact."
Zhao Yang froze. For the first time— he felt despair.
Hu Hao was their strongest mental type. Their rear guard. Their core.
And because he was the strongest— the zombie chose him.
This wasn't a failed fight. It was a precision kill.
Zhao Yang whispered:
"It shouldn't have been him."
His blood mist began to tremble. Magnetic frequency destabilized.
He ascended to Tier Four.
Awakened Ability: Rewind Reality Can rewind to the factual state five seconds prior— reconstructing magnetic fields and consciousness layers. Dual source: blood absorption and crystal core intake. Crystal efficiency increased. But physical cost was extreme. Each rewind felt like being hollowed out.
He forced himself to try.
First attempt—failed. Hu Hao still died.
Second—failed. The zombie struck early.
Third—Zhao Yang disrupted the magnetic field in advance. Blood mist locked the zombie's movement.
Fourth—he used a crystal core to replenish stamina. Forced a rewind.
Fifth—he succeeded.
Hu Hao didn't fall. The zombie's punch missed. Magnetic field disrupted. Consciousness layer shaken.
Zhao Yang collapsed to his knees, face pale.
He Xuan recorded:
"Zhao Yang · Tier Four Initial · Ability: Rewind Reality · Status: Severely fatigued."
Lu Ye activated the Eye of the World. Particle-man construct complete.
He chose fire-type particles— fusing lunar soil with high-temperature particles. Soul bound.
The particle-man was elegant but alien. Hair like flame. Skin semi-transparent. Movements precise.
Chen Mo stood behind the particle-man. Shattered-Time Fist fully charged.
The particle-man guided the magnetic field. Chen Mo struck.
Fire and force fused. Spatial tremors tore through the air. The Yaoguang Zombie was hit.
It didn't retaliate. It just looked at them— as if remembering.
Then it burned.
He Xuan recorded:
"Yaoguang Zombie · Deceased · Crystal Core Tier Six · Type: Power"
The core wasn't given to Zhao Yang. Nor to Chen Mo.
Lu Ye looked at Qin Hao.
"You take it."
Qin Hao blinked.
"Me?"
Lu Ye nodded.
"You have life-type potential. The core can awaken life rewind."
Qin Hao absorbed the core. Magnetic field began to restructure. Energy burst complete. He ascended to Tier Four Initial.
Awakened Ability: Life Rewind Can revert a death state to pre-activation— reviving a target once.
It wasn't used this time. But they knew— it would be.
Because if Zhao Yang died, they'd lose their darkest offense, their only time-type ability, and their roommate.
From now on, Qin Hao would safeguard life. He didn't join large-scale combat— but he would be their anchor.
The squad fell silent.
Lin Lan handed over water. Zhao Yang sat, catching his breath. Chen Mo patted Hu Hao's shoulder. Lu Ye recalled the particle-man. He Xuan closed his notebook.
No cheers. Just quiet conversation.
The Yaoguang Zombie was dead. But they knew— this wasn't the end.
That power. That memory. That pressure—
It would return.