When Jing Shu woke up this time, an overwhelming exhaustion still weighed on her limbs like lead, but the crushing pressure in her chest had definitely eased compared to before. The air inside the tent felt stale and thin. Once she confirmed that her immediate surroundings were secure and the silence outside remained unbroken, she closed her eyes to begin examining her newly upgraded Cube Space.
Her excitement surged, a warm spark against the lingering fatigue. If her guess was correct, the Cube Space had finally advanced from its second form to the third.
The first form had been rudimentary. After the initial unsealing of the Cube, her consciousness could manifest inside the space as a observer. She could see every item tucked away in the corners, use her mind to organize the piles of supplies, and even plant crops in the soil. However, she couldn't see herself. She was a presence without a body, a silent ruler governing her own little world with absolute control.
The second form had introduced a semi-realistic interface that almost overlapped with her physical reality. Every individual cube could combine into any shape and appear instantly before her eyes. This allowed her to manipulate the contents of the Cube Space while navigating the real world, even enabling her to multitask during conversations with others. It made daily management effortless and efficient.
Ever since that particular upgrade, she could control the space anytime and anywhere. The interaction had become more intuitive and visual; it was almost as if the space hovered right in front of her eyes as a translucent layer of reality. She could freely switch between these first and second forms depending on her needs.
Jing Shu had always assumed the third form would involve complete materialization—the space becoming fully real and no longer just a projection. But she never expected the sensation that followed.
One second she was lying on the cramped cot inside her tent, and the next, she was suddenly standing upright inside the Cube Space itself.
Hundreds of glowing cubes floated in neat, silent rows in front of her, their white light soft and steady against the backdrop of an endless darkness. The void around her stretched out into a deep, quiet abyss with no visible end. Beyond that curtain of darkness lay the familiar rows upon rows of supplies she had spent so much effort collecting.
At the center of the space stood the farmland, which had now doubled in size. The new half remained empty and waiting, neatly arranged beside the Spirit Spring, while the original half was heavy with the scent of ripening vegetables, fruits, and grains.
Jing Shu stood by the edge of the field, staring down at her own muddy cotton jacket in disbelief. She had just crushed a few fallen chili peppers underfoot, and the sharp, spicy aroma drifted up to her. Crouching down, she grabbed a handful of the dark, damp dirt. It was cool and gritty against her skin. She could feel it. It was real.
Cautiously, she walked toward a cherry tree that was heavy with fruit. She plucked a few dark-red cherries, their skins taut and cool, and popped them into her mouth. Sweet, tart juice burst across her tongue. The flavor was vibrant and lingered long after she swallowed.
These cherries, also known as big cherries, had originally come from Chile. A few days ago, when she had been inspecting seeds with Wang Dan, she had stolen one to plant, thinking it would be nice to have a treat later. Only ten or so days had passed since then, but the cherries in her Cube Space had already ripened to perfection.
Wait. That wasn't the main point.
The real shock was that she was physically inside the Cube Space. She wasn't there as a spirit or a mere consciousness. Her entire body was actually present.
"The Cube Space can be entered now?!" she exclaimed.
If that were true, then the apocalypse wouldn't be nearly as dangerous anymore. Whenever she found herself in trouble, she could simply hide inside the Cube Space. It could already simulate perfect environments for plants and animals, so there was a chance it could also replicate the necessary conditions for human survival. Perhaps she could even live inside it permanently someday.
But her joy was short-lived.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back inside the tent. She was still in the same position as before, her hand slightly raised as if to reach for something. Nothing in the tent had changed. Even the lingering taste of cherries in her mouth remained, serving as proof that the experience hadn't been a dream.
Had she really entered the Cube Space just now?
To confirm her theory, she set her phone in front of her, turned on the camera, and started recording. Then, she activated the third form again. The world around her shifted instantly, the canvas walls of the tent replaced by the glowing cubes and the deep darkness of the space.
This time, she plucked peaches, pears, and apples, eating several of each in quick succession. The fruit was crisp and refreshing. Finally, she stuffed a handful of cherries into her mouth and exited the space while she was still chewing.
When she opened her eyes in the tent, she quickly swallowed the cherries and grabbed her phone. As she watched the video, her heart sank. While her consciousness had been inside the Cube Space, her physical body had stayed completely still in the tent.
"So what, this third form lets my consciousness fully enter the Cube Space? The 'me' inside it isn't my real body? What the hell is that supposed to be, some kind of conscious manifestation?" she muttered, frowning at the recording.
She ran several more tests, moving her arms and trying to touch the boundaries of the space, but she still couldn't figure out the true function of this third form.
Was it just for sneaking food?
Honestly, it fit the situation. Every time she entered the space through the third form to eat something, there were no traces or smells left in the outside world. She could eat whatever she wanted, anytime and anywhere, just by closing her eyes.
Still, there was no way the third form existed solely for the sake of snacking convenience. Jing Shu couldn't wrap her head around it. There had to be something more significant.
Wait.
She scanned the Cube Space again and froze. The black liquid she had traded almost all her bugs to obtain before fainting was gone. It was completely gone. Before the upgrade, she had stored nearly a cubic meter of that thick, mysterious substance, and now there wasn't a single drop left.
Then the realization hit her. Normally, Cube Space upgrades only took a few hours, but this time she had been unconscious for days. Even now, her mind felt foggy and heavy, as if someone had stuffed her brain full of cotton. Perhaps the Cube Space had absorbed all the black liquid to fuel its evolution, and that was why the process had taken such a toll on her.
The upgraded Cube Space also felt different somehow. She couldn't tell exactly how the atmosphere had shifted, but there was a subtle change in the air that she couldn't explain. Maybe it had mutated.
Since she had poured all her attention into the upgraded space—and could barely stay awake for more than two hours before passing out again—she hadn't taken part in much of the aftermath of the rescue mission. Luckily, everything had gone smoothly without her presence.
What did surprise her, though, was hearing that Jun Bao had left with Hong Bin, Lǚ Liu, and Yang Yang. Apparently, they had gone to search for areas rich in black liquid, since the substance possessed huge research value.
When she heard that, Jing Shu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had promised Jun Bao she would handle the black liquid and had even talked about joining the shares of his research company. Now, her Cube Space didn't have a single drop left to offer him.
Meanwhile, Li Dayou and his crew were transporting the seeds toward Wu City. The local villagers had been handed over to the rescue teams, and they were all traveling together along with the seed convoy.
In the minibus, the only familiar face left was Hao Yunlai. He looked heartbroken every time she drifted back into sleep, his expression full of silent worry. Everyone else was new. They were a completely different rescue team than the one she had first met.
Not long after her investigation, she dozed off again.
The next thing she knew, she was back inside the Cube Space, holding a tenth-tier Rubik's Cube. She twisted the segments absentmindedly, the clicks echoing in the void. Then, she suddenly noticed something. Practicing with the cube here made her mind sharper, her thoughts faster, and even her hands more nimble.
Maybe that was the real secret behind the third form.