The Crown of Thorns

The sudden transformation left the five of them frozen in shock.

The white cocoon formed almost instantly, and an invisible aura spread around them.

"Gulp..."

Someone swallowed hard, and cold sweat gathered on their foreheads.

Despite its small size, the cocoon gave them the illusion of facing a top predator. It was as if the fear was etched into their DNA.

The captain's furious shout came through their earpieces, snapping them out of their trance. However, their hands, gripping their guns, were as stiff as iron, and no one dared to make the first move.

All members of the team were elite, having killed hundreds, if not thousands, of infected individuals. Yet, they couldn't accept the fear that gripped their hearts.

With a roar, one of them in the middle pulled the trigger, firing the first shot. The others quickly followed suit, unleashing a barrage of bullets.

"Ding ding ding..."

Bullets pierced through the car windows, hitting the thin strands of the cocoon, but instead of penetrating, they sparked and ricocheted off, as if striking a steel plate.

The magazines quickly emptied, but the white cocoon showed no reaction, not even a scratch.

"Rip."

A sound like fabric tearing echoed.

The group exchanged glances and couldn't help but step back simultaneously.

Because the car door had opened.

A bare foot emerged from the vehicle, followed by a slender, well-proportioned leg.

The skin was flawless, like a masterpiece crafted by a master potter, radiating a deathly pale whiteness.

She stepped out, carrying a body that was still dripping with blood.

The blood droplets fell, but they couldn't cling to her; they slid off like raindrops, shattering into tiny beads on the ground.

She ignored the five people in front of her.

Gently, she placed the body she was holding on the ground, treating it with the tenderness of someone handling a precious treasure.

Kneeling down, she affectionately wiped away the blood splatters on his face, then nodded in satisfaction.

The clean face contrasted sharply with the messy body, sending a chill down their spines.

After everything was in order, she finally turned around.

They finally got a clear look at her.

Her features were exquisitely sculpted, her expression cold, her thin lips devoid of any color.

Her pitch-black eyes had no whites, empty and seemingly ready to devour anyone who looked into them.

Most striking was the black petal at her forehead.

Complex, twisted tendrils rooted in her brow, resembling a crown made of thorny vines.

Four large, carbon-black leaves enveloped her entire body.

The garment seemed to grow from her very skin, the leaves spiraling protectively around her, revealing her long, graceful neck.

It exuded an eerie, yet mesmerizing beauty.

"Die."

Cheng Jun, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, uttering her first word.

Her voice was soft, yet carried a chilling lethality.

The ground trembled, and the thick foundation was pierced by a tremendous force. Several slender root-like tendrils shot out of the road like lightning, impaling the five men in the forehead.

The entire rescue team, all elite soldiers, were instantly annihilated without even a chance to scream.

Only the sound of guns dropping to the ground remained.

Zero Five, who was hovering in the helicopter, was also frozen in shock, his hands and feet icy cold.

Fortunately, he had a strong mental fortitude. Gritting his teeth, he shook off his fear and shouted loudly:

"Turn... turn around! Get out of here!"

"Now! Move, move, move!"

Through his earpiece, he bellowed frantically, as if venting his terror.

The helicopter's rotors began to spin, and it immediately tried to escape the scene.

Cheng Jun merely glanced at it and then turned her head away.

"Yes, that's great! I'm in the air; she can't touch me!"

"Monster, just wait until I get back... You'll see!"

Zero Five, seeing the creature crouch back down, felt his tension ease by half. Clenching his fists, he couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph, trying to mask his inner fear with bravado.

Suddenly, Zero Five's pupils shrank to pinpricks, reflecting a long, thorny whip.

"Boom..."

The helicopter in mid-air exploded in a flash of sparks. The rotor blades were sliced apart like butter by a hot knife.

The unbalanced aircraft spun wildly, twisting and exploding into a fiery ball in the sky.

Pieces of the disintegrated fuselage rained down, scattering across the ground.

Cheng Jun, as if having eyes in the back of her head, extended tendrils from her skirt, flicking away the falling metal fragments.

She approached Shen Yi.

His pale face was devoid of color, looking as serene as if he were asleep.

Her pitch-black eyes, for the first time, showed emotion. She wanted to cry but had long since lost the ability to shed tears.

Cheng Jun cradled his face in her hands and held him close, murmuring softly:

"I knew... I always knew. That day, you secretly kissed me, didn't you?"

"I wasn't asleep, you know."

She stroked Shen Yi's lips, whispering pleadingly,

"Please wake up."

"If you wake up, I'll let you kiss me, let you hold me... I'll agree to anything."

"I only have you now..."

In the long silence that followed,

All the joy, warmth, mundane moments, and bittersweet memories came flooding back, hitting her heart like a boomerang.

It was the naive beginnings in the apocalypse;

The daily care and little gestures;

The silent understanding after getting to know each other;

The gentle morning greetings;

The smiles exchanged in the fields under the afternoon sun;

The quiet companionship through long nights.

Cheng Jun's heart twisted with pain. Suddenly, she hated herself.

She hated herself for not opening her eyes that night, for being too afraid to open them. If only she had just opened her eyes and embraced him...

She pressed her cheek against Shen Yi's, feeling the coldness of his skin as his warmth faded.

Regret filled her heart.

"You can't die. I won't let you die!"

Abruptly, Cheng Jun tore off Shen Yi's clothes.

She gently touched his chest with her fingers, injecting strands of fungus into his flesh. Bullets were pushed out one by one.

His blood had almost drained completely, but the fungus filled the gaps in his body.

Cheng Jun gritted her teeth and plunged a large amount of black fungal liquid deep into his flesh.

The liquid moved through his body, reshaping it, and a surge of vitality quickly restored Shen Yi to his former state.

In contrast, her own face turned pale, her body covered in cracks, resembling a porcelain doll on the verge of shattering.

But Cheng Jun paid no attention to this, her eyes filled with anticipation as she watched him.

Soon, his fingers twitched slightly, and Cheng Jun eagerly grasped his hand.

Then, his eyes opened.

They were a dull gray, completely devoid of the familiar warmth.

This was just an infected body she had created; the soul within was already gone.

Disappointment washed over her, and she let her arms fall limply, curling up into a ball.

Her eyes closed, looking like a fragile doll on the brink of breaking.

Exhaustion crept in; the effort hadn't left her unscathed.

When she opened her eyes again, the sky was filled with sunlight.

The intense heat melted into her body, and the crown on her head unfurled.

Cheng Jun turned her head. Shen Yi stood rigidly in place, his eyes wide, as if guarding her.

She felt a bit comforted and stood up, surveying the surrounding ruins.

Cheng Jun felt lost; she didn't know where to go.

When he was with her, there was a destination; now that he was gone, there was no one to turn to.

After standing in a daze for a while, she finally made a decision.

She had come into this world in a whirlwind; she would leave the same way.

Looking in the direction of Huaijing, tendrils sprouted from her feet, lifting her up. Her legs dangled, but her body moved forward steadily.

Shen Yi followed closely behind her.

The two small figures walked across the land.