Chapter 26: I Once Looked Up to You, But I Won't Keep Looking Up Forever

What is true genius?

Once, Chen Xing was the kind of prodigy people whispered about in awe.

Neighbors' envy, teachers' praise, parents' indulgence—

Before arriving at the Ashen Wastes, Chen Xing’s life had been like a fairy tale. Everything was perfect, blissful, untouched by hardship.

Until the Beast Tide came.

Her parents vanished. Her younger brother wept uncontrollably. The beasts were merciless, relentless.

In an instant, her world shattered—plunging from paradise into hell.

Yet, as the strong adapt and even reshape their surroundings, while only the weak complain about fate—

Even then, before she met the Yujin Organization, before undergoing Star Core Surgery,

Chen Xing, fueled by an extraordinary combat instinct and an unyielding will to survive,

managed to drag her younger brother Chen Kong—always crying, always helpless—through the most treacherous three months after the disaster.

But the crucible of survival forged a new person.

The innocence, the softness—gone.

In their place: maturity beyond her years, and a coldness that numbed even her own heart.

It was in this transformed state that Chen Xing unexpectedly met Tian Dao Siming—

a boy, just her age, who was also struggling to survive among the ruins.

It was a frigid, silent night.

With all her supplies gone, Chen Xing had no choice but to leave the shelter she’d built for Chen Kong.

She ventured alone into the nearest supermarket, risking everything for scraps of food scattered among the rubble.

She had to avoid not only the bizarre, powerful beasts—each with strange abilities and deadly instincts—

but also the desperate survivors, the other refugees who had barely made it through the apocalypse.

Because when hunger takes over, people lose all sense of morality.

They’ll steal. They’ll kill. They’ll do anything.

Deep inside the ruined supermarket, a child moved like a shadow through the wreckage.

Chen Xing crouched low, advancing carefully between the fallen shelves.

Every step was deliberate. She scanned the ground for broken glass, for hidden traps,

afraid even the slightest sound might draw the attention of a lurking predator.

Just as she managed to crawl out from under a collapsed shelf and pull a dusty can from the debris,

a voice cut through the silence from behind her.

"Hey… you hungry?"

The sudden sound made her jump. Her heart slammed against her ribs.

She spun around, gripping her small knife tightly, eyes wide with suspicion.

Through the dim moonlight filtering through the broken windows, she saw him.

A silver-haired boy, about her age, sitting cross-legged atop the corpse of a massive spider,

staring at her with quiet curiosity.

It was Tian Dao Siming—though at that moment, Chen Xing had no idea who he was.

She didn’t know if this encounter was a blessing or a curse.

So instead of answering, she let her face harden into a snarl,

trying to look fierce, trying to scare him off.

But Tian Dao didn’t flinch.

He pulled the small knife from the spider’s eye socket, then leapt down with effortless grace.

"Here," he said simply, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a can of fruit.

He offered it to her—openly, without hesitation.

Chen Xing froze.

She stared at the can in his hand, stunned.

She didn’t know whether to take it or not.

Tian Dao misread her hesitation.

"Dislike this?" He pulled the can back, then rummaged through his bag.

After a moment, he pulled out a sealed pouch of dried beef jerky and held it out again.

"Better?"

The sight of the precious food snapped Chen Xing back to reality.

Her expression softened. She looked at him, eyes flickering with confusion and something deeper.

"Why… why are you giving this to me?"

Tian Dao answered with a calmness that felt unnatural.

"Oh, nothing. I just… really like your eyes."

"Because I thought you deserved help."

Like my eyes?

The words were strange, almost absurd.

But Chen Xing—sharp, observant—understood instantly.

He wasn’t complimenting her appearance.

He was recognizing something deeper:

That she hadn’t abandoned her humanity like so many others.

That she still held onto dignity, even in the face of starvation.

That sudden, unexpected kindness—

It shattered the dam of emotions she’d been holding back for months.

The exhaustion, the fear, the loneliness—

All poured out in silent, trembling sobs.

She broke down—right there, in front of a stranger.

Tian Dao, visibly unprepared for tears, panicked.

He fumbled in his bag, pulled out a pack of tissues, and handed it to her.

After wiping her face, Chen Xing lowered her head, cheeks burning.

"Th-thank you..."

Tian Dao scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Uh… no problem."

A silence followed.

Too heavy. Too awkward.

To break it, Tian Dao pointed at the giant spider corpse behind him.

"If you’re coming back here, watch for signs of other beasts.

If there’s no movement, it means someone—or something—has already claimed this place.

You need to be extra careful.

Otherwise, you might end up walking straight into a trap—like today."

Without waiting for a response, he shouldered his backpack and turned toward the exit.

The tension in the ruined supermarket was unbearable. He couldn’t stay another second.

But just as he reached the door, Chen Xing called out.

"Um… what’s your name?"

Tian Dao paused, back still turned. He waved a hand over his shoulder.

"Tian Dao. Tian Dao Siming."

Then he vanished into the dark, silent ruins—gone without a trace.

Chen Xing stood there, clutching the beef jerky he’d given her,

whispering the name Tian Dao Siming over and over in her mind,

sealing it in her heart like a vow.

For weeks afterward, she returned to the supermarket—again and again—

hoping to see him, to thank him in person, to tell him her name.

But she never found him.

She grieved.

She feared he was dead—eaten by a beast, or killed by some cruel survivor.

It wasn’t until she was discovered by Yujin Organization scouts,

and taken to the base with Chen Kong, that she saw him again.

But the reunion was not what she’d imagined.

Tian Dao didn’t light up. Didn’t smile. Didn’t even recognize her.

He treated her like a stranger.

Like she was nothing—just another face in the crowd.

He had said he liked her eyes.

And now, he didn’t even remember her.

The gap between her hope and reality was crushing.

A storm of emotions—disappointment, shame, pride—swirled inside her.

She decided then and there to never tell him what happened that night.

Because she couldn’t admit that she was just a passing moment in his life.

She couldn’t admit that the one person she wanted to see again…

had already forgotten her.

From that day on, Chen Xing began a silent, furious competition with Tian Dao.

To outsiders, it looked like pride. Stubbornness.

But only Chen Xing knew the truth.

It wasn’t about winning.

It wasn’t about proving she was better.

It was about making him see her.

Because once, Tian Dao’s eyes had not seen her.

But one day—no, must—they would.

---

In the training room of the Yujin Organization,

Chen Xing snapped back to the present.

She stared at Tian Dao, standing in the center of the combat circle,

her voice steady, unwavering.

"Tian Dao… I once looked up to you.

But I won’t keep looking up forever.

Because… people never look back."

"Huh?"

Tian Dao blinked. His sunglasses slipped slightly.

Wait—what was she even talking about?

This wasn’t a fight. This was a sparring session.

And why was she looking at him like that? With such… pain?

He had no idea what she was feeling.

But the moment she said it, something in the air changed.

Kalolin, watching from the sidelines, tilted her head.

She looked from Chen Xing’s intense face to Tian Dao’s confused one—

then her eyes narrowed.

A flicker of danger sparked in her gaze.

Not amusement. Not concern.

Recognition.

In that instant, Kalolin saw not a teammate—but a rival.

A real threat.

But Chen Xing didn’t notice.

Because in her world, there was only one person.

Only one name.

Only one soul she needed to prove herself to.

End of Chapter

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end