"The primary zone has lost control, the primary zone has lost control..." The broadcast had become piercingly sharp, as if urging the passengers to flee immediately. Death was drawing closer.

"You open the hatch, I'll hold him off," Zhang Xiao decided instantly. He placed a hand on Zhong Yun's waist and shoved him toward the "escape pod." Under the counter-force, he lunged toward the man himself.

Zhong Yun flinched, already at the escape pod door. He shook his head; this was not the time to be distracted. He quickly pulled open the numerical keypad and input the hatch code.

He was grateful for his formidable memory. The crew member on boarding had only recited the eight-digit code once, per duty, but he hadn't forgotten it at this critical juncture.

With a soft beep, the hatch slid open, revealing the egg-shaped escape pod within.

A thunderous boom echoed, accompanied by a violent shudder that made the entire starship feel like it had flipped over. Amidst the violent tremors, the three people in front of the escape pod were thrown against the metal bulkheads, each left dizzy and disoriented.

When the shaking finally ceased, Zhong Yun was the first to regain his senses, immediately looking toward the sole remaining hope for survival: the escape pod. Thankfully, it was still securely seated in its launch cradle, not having dislodged.

"...The engine room has exploded, the ship is severely compromised, and will disintegrate in thirty minutes. I repeat..."

Silence.

Zhong Yun’s face changed drastically. His eyes immediately flicked to the man. The man was trembling all over. His eyes revealed a look of desperate terror. Suddenly, his contorted face twisted into a ferocious snarl, his gaze toward Zhong Yun filled with infinite murderous intent.

Zhong Yun narrowed his eyes. He knew that if he didn't deal with this person, he would never be allowed near the escape pod. And it had to be fast; if others found them, the situation would become complicated.

Zhang Xiao understood this truth as well. He exchanged a look with Zhong Yun, kicked off the wall, and hurtled toward the man. A mass of milky-white energy was already coalescing in his hand.

However, those who could board this ship were no ordinary individuals. In the face of death, people often unleash powers far greater than their usual capacity. Although the man was younger, he was not someone Zhang Xiao could handle in just a quick exchange.

Taking advantage of Zhang Xiao tying him up, Zhong Yun opened the escape pod door and climbed in. "Zhang Xiao, quick!" he shouted, simultaneously pulling out an item and tossing it toward the man.

Zhang Xiao and Zhong Yun had trained together for two months, developing a silent understanding. He pushed off the wall with his toes and shot toward the escape pod like a cannonball.

Suddenly, Zhang Xiao felt his momentum slow as a hand gripped his ankle like an iron shackle, accompanied by a pained grunt.

That hand did not stop Zhang Xiao's progress; instead, it dragged the man along toward the escape pod.

Zhang Xiao turned his head to look. What met his eyes was a bloodied, utterly monstrous face. Embedded in the man's right chest was a metal shard, half the size of a fist. A small section was still exposed—Zhang Xiao recognized it as the communication device issued during boarding.

The man had suffered such a grievous wound, yet he continued to cough up blood. The bloody froth he spat floated in the air before splattering onto his face and clothes. The flecks of blood reflected in his bloodshot eyes, making him appear even more terrifying.

In those eyes, besides the hopelessness of survival, there was a frantic madness of having nothing left to lose. Zhang Xiao felt his scalp tingle, a blast of icy coldness shooting up his spine straight to the crown of his head.

In that instant, he read the message in those eyes: I cannot live, and you will not live either.

To stop him, the man had willingly allowed his lung to be pierced. With no hope of survival, he chose mutual destruction.

A person resolved to die is incredibly difficult to deal with, especially when their strength is comparable to one's own.

Zhang Xiao's body halted just before the escape pod. He was half an arm's length away. His blood instantly chilled. His hand instinctively curled, reaching for something that wasn't there.

A clamor of voices drifted from down the corridor. A figure appeared around the bend, rushing toward the escape pod. Trailing behind him was a large crowd of people, turned feral by the instinct for survival, pulling at each other, terrified of being beaten to that last sliver of life.

They've arrived.

Zhang Xiao’s heart sank to the bottom. His hand was only half a meter from the escape pod door. This distance, usually covered with a simple reach, was now the chasm between life and death.

Just half a meter—fifty more centimeters, and he would live.

An intense surge of unwillingness and despair welled up in Zhang Xiao. Was he really going to die here?

Will he pull me in? Zhang Xiao couldn't help but look toward the hatch with desperate hope. If only Zhong Yun would extend a hand, just one hand...

Impossible. Thinking from Zhong Yun's perspective, he would never pull him in. Because he was still dragging a man by the foot. If he pulled Zhang Xiao in, he would have to deal with the man behind him. Normally, the two of them working together could eliminate that threat in under ten seconds.

But did they have ten seconds now? Not even one.

Ten meters away, a pack of red-eyed, wolf-like survivors were charging. Any delay, and they would descend upon him, making escape impossible.

Faced with death, how insignificant human morality became.

Zhang Xiao was already despairing. He suddenly whipped his head around, looking at the person clinging to his leg, who had also stolen his chance at survival. A crazed smile appeared on his face, his eyes conveying intense mockery.

See? I can't live, and you won't either.

Before I die, I will make you regret ever existing in this world.

Zhang Xiao roared internally, glaring at the man who had stripped him of his life force, an overwhelming hatred surging through him. He was determined to make this man wish for death.

Suddenly, a strong, powerful hand gripped his wrist. He looked forward in disbelief—Zhong Yun's face appeared before him.

That plain, unremarkable face, easily forgotten upon first glance, was currently shining with dazzling brilliance.

You idiot.

Zhang Xiao felt choked up. He used every ounce of his strength to grip Zhong Yun’s hand back, then twisted his head, raised the foot that wasn't being held, and violently kicked toward the blood-stained face.

With a dull thud, the sensation against his foot told Zhang Xiao the man's nose had caved in. Yet, the grip on his ankle did not slacken in the slightest.

He lifted his foot to kick downward again. In the momentary gap, he saw a look of sarcasm flash across the man's ruined face, as if mocking his death throes.

"Hold tight," Zhong Yun's calm voice sounded near his ear. Zhang Xiao was already being dragged to the hatch. He lowered his foot and quickly braced himself against the door, using all his might.

He had gripped the escape pod. The hope of survival flared within him once more.

No, not yet.

He glanced back. The first of the pursuers was only seven meters from the escape pod. He and Zhong Yun were still in extreme peril, life and death balanced on a razor's edge.

It’s over! Are Zhong Yun and I both going to perish here? Damn it, if it weren't for me, Zhong Yun wouldn't have... He looked up at Zhong Yun, and beneath the guilt, there was the powerful surge of sharing life and death.

In this life, how many people could one find willing to sacrifice their lives to save another?

In that moment, Zhang Xiao felt that even if he died here today, it would not have been in vain.

Zhong Yun's face showed no expression. A flash of violet light flickered across his body. He raised his fist.

This is...

In Zhang Xiao's mind flashed the image of the bald instructor's massive body flying backward. Zhong Yun's astonishing strike had not only captivated the instructors but had also profoundly moved every cadet present.

Suddenly, the air in the corridor began to converge toward Zhong Yun. The wind whipped everyone's clothing wildly.

However, apart from Zhang Xiao, no one noticed this strangely appearing wind. They discovered with wild elation that because of the wind, their speed "swimming" toward the escape pod had increased.

"Break!"

A fierce shout resonated, making everyone's eardrums buzz. Zhang Xiao had prepared himself, his mouth wide open, yet he was still left dizzy and disoriented.

Simultaneously with the shout, an incomparably sharp column of energy swept past Zhang Xiao's back. The powerful gust almost forced his hand to slip from the door he was clinging to.

With a crack, Zhang Xiao felt his foot yanked down, followed by a sudden warmth on his leg. He didn't look back. Judging by the fate of the bald instructor, he could easily imagine the end of the man holding him. Having shed the burden, Zhang Xiao scrambled into the escape pod. A large pool of shocking blood stained his boot; the blood was still hot.

The pursuing crowd was blown about sideways by a tornado saturated with the scent of blood, and then they watched in despair as the escape pod door slowly closed.

Inside the capsule, Zhong Yun’s hand gripped the activation lever. A flicker of reluctance crossed Zhang Xiao's heart. Once the pod activated, the launch bay door would have to open, and the moment it did, the dozen people behind them would certainly have no chance of survival.

Zhong Yun’s face remained expressionless, but Zhang Xiao could see his comrade's reluctance in his slightly trembling hand.

"I can't die."

Zhong Yun murmured, veins bulging on his hand as he prepared to pull the lever. A hand reached out and overlaid his own.

"We can't die," Zhang Xiao said, a faint smile touching his lips. "Whatever happens, we face it together. Even if it means becoming murderers."

The activation lever was pulled, by two hands working as one.

Amidst the continuous ding-ding-ding of the alarm, the launch door opened, and a powerful suction pulled everyone in the corridor out into the void of space, permanently turning them into cosmic dust.

As the countdown reached zero, Zhong Yun closed his eyes.

They had survived.

When the countdown ended, the escape pod shot out, soaring toward the vast, boundless universe. Zhang Xiao looked behind him. Through the transparent canopy, the massive, leviathan-like starship was hovering motionless, a huge gash ripped across its hull—it was clearly finished.

He pressed the external protective shield and turned back without hesitation. Their concern now should be how to secure rescue before their energy reserves ran out.

For a long time, neither of them spoke. To conserve power for as long as possible, every non-essential system had been shut down.

This escape pod was constructed to advanced civilization standards. Alone, one person could survive in space for a year. With Zhong Yun and Zhang Xiao conserving, they could last seven or eight months.

Seven or eight months sounded long, but in the scope of the entire cosmos, it was merely a fleeting instant. The hope of encountering a passing vessel in such a short time was slim.

However, Zhong Yun was not worried. If nothing went wrong, Xiao Ling would arrive in her Mars vessel within a few days. With the Mars's powerful sensors, detecting the escape pod's distress signal, which contained the pre-arranged code between Zhong Yun and Xiao Ling, would not be difficult.

But fate often enjoys playing tricks, especially in a universe where anything can happen.

After drifting in space for a full day, a shrill alarm startled them awake. That familiar sound struck them like frightened birds, sending a tremor of fear through them the moment they heard it.

"Attention. A star three billion kilometers ahead is showing anomalous activity. A Level Three stellar storm is predicted. Please evade. I repeat..."

The two were terrified out of their wits. A Level Three stellar storm? A single blast would instantly atomize them.

"Set speed to maximum and escape the storm's influence zone." Zhong Yun did not hesitate, slamming the escape pod's power output to its limit.

The escape pod accelerated in one direction at top speed. Only then did the true power of this craft become apparent; in less than half an hour, its speed reached near light-speed. And this was just a lifeboat.

They flew at top speed for a full day before finally clearing the stellar storm’s area of effect. Zhong Yun and Zhang Xiao finally let out a breath of relief. They ran the standard diagnostics check, and the result chilled them from their core to the soles of their feet.

The long-range scanner was broken. This meant they could no longer proactively detect their direction. They were now like headless flies, set to drift aimlessly through the universe.

Losing direction in the infinite expanse of the cosmos was no different from being handed a death sentence.

Am I really going to die here?

At this moment, a sliver of doubt crossed Zhong Yun's mind.

After a day of maximum-speed flight, the escape pod had enough remaining energy for four months of operation.

Could they receive rescue within those four months? Neither of them knew for sure.

With the scanner defunct, a difficult choice lay before them: Should they remain stationary and wait for a passing vessel, or keep flying through the vastness of space, hoping to stumble upon something?

Both remained silent, the invisible pressure almost suffocating. Faced with the threat of death and such a minuscule chance of survival, neither could remain composed.

After a long pause, Zhong Yun lay down. The entire cabin offered about ten cubic meters of space; if sitting became tiring, they could stretch their limbs.

"It seems we are truly doomed this time," Zhong Yun sighed softly. "I never thought I'd die in this wretched place. It’s rather frustrating."

Zhang Xiao also sighed. "Where you die doesn't matter."

"That's not the same. A fox mourns its fallen head. Dying in one's homeland is the best final resting place," Zhong Yun said.

"Fox? What's that?" Zhang Xiao asked curiously.

"An animal, one you haven't seen," Zhong Yun explained casually. He certainly wouldn't mention that a fox was an animal native to a beautiful blue planet countless light-years away.

That was his home.