"White Rabbit!" Zhou Tianming tightly gripped its "rabbit ears," "You actually used [Psycommu Alloy] for the car body! Where did you get it?" White Rabbit remained silent.
Glancing at Natarle beside him, Zhou Tianming jabbed its hood with his finger: "I'm going on a date with Natarle first. I'll deal with you later!" The two got in, and White Rabbit drove them to the amusement park entrance.
"This trip's fare—"
Zhou Tianming shot it a glare, his voice icy: "Nothing! Wait here. If I don't see you when we come out, I'll format you!" Natarle chuckled beside him, gently stroking White Rabbit's body: "I'm the primary authority holder now, don't worry."
"Bad master, good master!"
Before Zhou Tianming could react, Natarle pulled him away.
With his back to White Rabbit, Zhou Tianming's face was calm but his lips curled slightly.
"You're happy?"
"Of course," Zhou Tianming said, "This way White Rabbit can protect you all properly after I'm gone."
Natarle's smile faded.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned this now."
Holding Zhou Tianming's arm, Natarle leaned her head lightly against his shoulder.
They tried every ride—pirate ship, Ferris wheel, haunted house, merry-go-round, roller coaster.
The result...
"So childish."
"So childish."
They spoke simultaneously, then laughed together.
Suddenly, Zhou Tianming grimaced in pain, clutching his chest as bright red blood trickled from his mouth.
Biting her lower lip, Natarle supported him while scanning their surroundings, then guided him to a bench.
Soon, Zhou Tianming curled up in pain before losing consciousness.
The crowd flowed past the bench—music and voices creating a cheerful, lively atmosphere.
Yet the bench itself was enveloped in silence.
As time passed, Natarle rested Zhou Tianming's head on her lap, quietly studying his profile.
A sense of helplessness overwhelmed her, tears falling onto his face.
Around 5 PM, the sky turned fiery red as daylight faded.
Zhou Tianming awoke to the faint scent of Natarle's perfume. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, burying his face against her abdomen, his muffled voice saying: "Sorry our first date turned out like this."
Natarle's eyes were red, but she forced her facial muscles into a strained, awkward smile: "Yeah, and people thought you'd been shot. Scared the amusement park staff half to death."
"Haha." He laughed, "I wasn't attacked, just my body—"
He shuddered mid-sentence.
Alarmed, Natarle checked on him: "Tian Ming, are you okay?"
"Attack... attack... attack..."
Zhou Tianming kept muttering like someone possessed.
Natarle meant to ask, but then she saw his eyes—where there had been lifelessness, now flickered light.
Her heart clenched. Natarle held her breath, not daring to disturb him, her eyes filled with hope.
Attack!
Could my condition be considered a form of sustained attack?
If I treat my genetic defect as a continuous DoT (Damage over Time) attack, could I use Mental Commands to defend against it? [Unyielding]?
No, the duration is too short. It might work against direct damage, but it's not suitable for sustained effects.
That leaves only [Iron Wall]—using Mental Power to mitigate damage.
But the duration...
I can't maintain [Iron Wall] indefinitely. Even if I exhaust my mental capacity, I'd only manage about ten uses at most, lasting half an hour at best.
If I trigger SEED, my Mental Power still wouldn't be enough—not only would I need to sustain [Iron Wall], but I'd also have to resist the damage.
As if hitting a dead end, his eyes gradually dimmed.
"Tian Ming! Don't give up!"
Natarle's voice reached his ears. He turned his head and met her hopeful violet eyes from above.
"Don't give up! For me, for your mother! Don't give up!"
"If you die, I'll go with you!"
His mind exploded—SEED erupted abruptly.
No, no, no!
[Analyze]. [Iron Wall] took effect. Zhou Tianming felt as though time had frozen.
His heightened Concentration gathered every minute change occurring in his body.
[Analyze] rapidly processed the information, branching out in his mind like a tree sprouting hundreds of possibilities.
In that instant, his Mental Power plummeted sharply.
Not from maintaining the Mental Commands—it had suddenly dropped by over 10 points.
[Iron Wall] was working—it was defending against the damage from genetic collapse!
But it wasn't enough. There were still unresolved issues.
Suddenly, a phantom pain shot through his brain. [Analyze] didn't miss this momentary change, swiftly delving into it.
A fragment of memory surfaced—a torn shred.
When resisting an unknown mental attack, [Iron Wall] had provided defense, and his Mental Power hadn't decreased.
The shield hadn't been breached!
As long as his Mental Power was strong and thick enough, he could endure the damage.
A tiny crack opened in the despairing future, letting in a sliver of golden light.
His head throbbed, dizziness struck—Zhou Tianming was forcibly ejected from SEED state.
Clutching his head as he sat up, his expression grew increasingly grim, but his eyes burned with intensity.
Natarle had been staring intently into his deep brown eyes and now sensed the change. Her delicate hands gripped his shoulders tightly, her voice tense: "Tian Ming..."
"There are still many problems to solve!" He endured the pain and dizziness from overexerting his Mental Power. "I might not be able to cure my body, but I can hold on." A smile spread across his face. Natarle, overjoyed, covered her mouth: "That's wonderful!"
But then, Zhou Tianming fixed his blazing gaze on Natarle: "Natarle, this is Pandora's Box. Promise me—if I ever lose my mind, you must kill me without hesitation."
The joy drained from her face. Natarle pressed her lips together: "Why...?"
"With this method, surviving is simple..." Zhou Tianming's tone was grave. "All I have to do is keep 'consuming' people."
Shock flashed across Natarle's face as she stared at him in disbelief.
"Do you remember the data we found on the satellite wreckage? There was a description of a woman who seemed to be draining the Mental Power of those around her." Natarle's expression grew complicated as she recalled the information. "The same method?"
"Worst-case scenario." Zhou Tianming paused. "I can still maintain my rationality now, but if I were to lose control... To survive, I'm afraid I might..."
Natarle shook her head vigorously, fists clenched tightly.
"Natarle." Zhou Tianming looked directly at her. "This is the despair that equals hope. Promise me."
Silent tears fell as Natarle finally nodded.
With gentle tenderness, Zhou Tianming stood and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry for making you make this decision."
Unable to hold back any longer, Natarle broke into sobs against his chest.
An hour later, as the White Rabbit pulled up to the villa, loud arguing could be heard from inside.
"So! I'm the only one kept in the dark about something this important!"
Her voice choked with emotion: "And now you tell me Tianming is dying?"
Zhou Tianming opened the door to find Gao Jing glaring across the living room at Zhou Junguo and Zhou Hanxiang.
At the sound of the door, all three turned. Zhou Hanxiang and Gao Jing rushed over, but Gao Jing's legs gave way when she saw the bloodstains on Zhou Tianming's clothes. Natarle hurried forward to support her as Zhou Junguo also came running.
Zhou Hanxiang turned pale, unable to speak, her hands trembling as they clutched at the bloodied fabric.
Taking his mother Zhou Hanxiang's hand, Zhou Tianming sighed as his gaze swept over them. "So you all know. I was hoping to keep it hidden." The living room fell deathly silent, soon broken by Gao Jing's weeping and Zhou Hanxiang's falling tears.
Natarle opened her mouth to speak, but Zhou Tianming was quicker, pressing a hand to stop her.
He shook his head slightly at her.
"I just came to get some things, then I'm leaving."
"Tianming!"
"Tianming!"
Zhou Hanxiang and Gao Jing clung to him desperately.
Not caring if he hurt them, Zhou Tianming wrenched free. "There'll be an answer on my birthday."
With that, Zhou Tianming went upstairs without looking back.