Chapter 112: Second Phase of the Punishing Virus

While Mo Chen was still debating what to do, Alice suddenly turned over. 

As Mo Chen tried to pull his hand back, he accidentally brushed against her body, and an incredibly soft and smooth sensation immediately spread through his fingertips.

He could even feel the slight give and deformation under his touch.

Before Mo Chen could react, Alice instinctively clung to him, seemingly drawn to the coolness radiating from his body.

Propping herself up, Alice threw herself into his arms. Her slender, pale arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and a long, breathy sigh escaped her slightly parted lips.

It was as though she had finally found a block of ice to soothe her burning heat.

At this moment, Alice's combat suit had already been completely burned away, so her bare, snow-white body pressed directly against Mo Chen, seeking relief from the unbearable heat. In particular, the soft, full curves of her chest instinctively rubbed against him.

"Wake up, Alice! Wake up!"

Yet Mo Chen couldn't feel any sort of attraction in this situation—only shock and panic.

The intense heat radiating from Alice's body made it feel like he was holding a furnace. His own clothes, unable to withstand the extreme temperature, disintegrated into ashes in mere moments.

Now, they were pressed even closer together.

And it was even hotter!

He hurriedly patted Alice's flushed cheeks, calling out to her.

"Alice, wake up!"

The temperature continued to rise.

He could already smell the faint odor of his own flesh scorching.

What followed was excruciating pain.

As one of the most agonizing types of injuries, burns quickly tested Mo Chen's endurance. His face twisted in agony. It was practically a medieval torture method.

Even with two viruses enhancing his body, Mo Chen wasn't sure how much more he could take—especially in its current early phase.

Under the relentless heat, his cells burned away rapidly, only to regenerate just as quickly. This cycle of destruction and recovery repeated endlessly.

Yet she showed no signs of waking up. She clung to Mo Chen even tighter, her smooth, pale arms and legs wrapped securely around his waist. 

Her previously flushed skin began to regain its natural porcelain-white color, and a soft, contented hum escaped her lips—like someone savoring ice cream on a sweltering summer day.

Mo Chen felt like he was about to explode.

And not metaphorically: he couldn't hold on much longer.

Desperate, he tried to push her away.

But she refused to budge. Instead, she clung to him even more tightly, her ample curves pressing against him so firmly that they deformed. She let out a soft, dissatisfied murmur, "Mmm~~~," as though protesting being disturbed.

Mo Chen was starting to panic.

At this moment, he finally understood the torment of being enveloped by warmth and softness.

Who could have imagined that something seemingly alluring could turn into a deadly trap?

This situation was even more dangerous than fighting a Tyrant-class Rapture!

He knew that forcing himself free wouldn't be difficult. However, if he did so, he would undoubtedly end up hurting Alice.

Her delicate limbs might even snap from the impact.

But he wasn't going to just sit there and do nothing.

He immediately pulled up his system interface.

System Store.

Punishing Virus—Second Phase.

It was something he had been eyeing for a while now.

Price: 100,000 points!

Mo Chen was dumbfounded.

This system was truly merciless!

Since the second phase of the Punishing Virus wasn't part of the beginner's pool, it had to be purchased at full price without any discounts.

Fortunately, Mo Chen's Punishing Virus progression was already at 67%, which meant he only needed 33,000 points to complete the upgrade.

He clicked Redeem.

System Notice: Punishing Virus upgraded to Second Phase—Hetero-Core.

The moment he pressed the button, a crimson glow burst forth in the cramped shelter, lighting up the entire space!

Instantly, Mo Chen felt an overwhelming surge of energy erupt within his body.

It kept expanding—growing larger and larger—until it felt like it was about to tear him apart.

It was as though his body had turned into an overinflated balloon, ready to pop at any second.

And then—

The energy suddenly collapsed inward. It contracted and compressed.

Like a black hole, it pulled everything around it into its center.

Finally, the Punishing Virus condensed into a single core, reaching its peak capacity.

Boom—!

A sound echoed inside Mo Chen's mind.

Then, everything fell silent—deathly silent.

It felt like the stillness of space after a cosmic explosion.

The black hole shattered. And when the dust settled, a cube-shaped core appeared inside his body.

Mo Chen, still tightly held by Alice, suddenly opened his eyes.

His pupils had shifted from their usual black to a dark violet tinged with crimson—a hue as eerie as it was mesmerizing.

An invisible force rippled outward like a tsunami.

It roared forward like a raging flood, expanding at speeds faster than sound and sending shockwaves through the air!

As Mo Chen's mind cleared, his pupils gradually returned to black, though faint traces of crimson still lingered, glowing ominously.

His body was now surrounded by an almost tangible haze—a mist filled with danger and malice.

He took a deep breath and clenched his fist.

Strength—unparalleled strength—surged through him.

The burning agony from earlier was completely gone. In its place was an overwhelming sensation of coolness.

Even the scorching heat that could melt iron and stone no longer fazed him.

This was the power of the Punishing Virus's second phase—the Hetero-Core—a high-density cubic structure formed through compression and concentration.

Mo Chen's body had undergone enhancements, dramatically increasing its density. The attached Punishing Virus energy also greatly boosted his resistance to negative effects.

Alice, sensing the coolness radiating from Mo Chen, clung to him even tighter. It was as if she had gone from a sweltering forty-degree heatwave straight into an air-conditioned room. Her soft sighs of relief spilled out uncontrollably.

Her face was so pure and innocent, yet the sounds she made created such a jarring contrast that je nearly lost control.

Mo Chen forcibly pushed her away.

Her delicate figure was now in full view, pale skin tinged with crimson, like red plum blossoms scattered across snow.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Alice opened her hazy, sleepy eyes. Her star-like pupils gradually cleared.

"Commander…?"

Mo Chen finally let out a breath of relief.

It seemed like the procedure was a success.

But before he could fully relax, Alice suddenly clung to him again, like a baby koala, muttering in a daze.

"Hehe, so cool... Commander, you're so cool..."

Her small hands wandered all over Mo Chen's body, as if searching for an even cooler spot.

Mo Chen felt like he was about to lose it, especially with a girl like Alice behaving so childishly.

Then, Alice's hands suddenly paused.

"Hehe, carrot... I found a carrot..."

"Bang—!"

At that moment, the wooden door to the temporary shelter burst open.

Ludmilla stormed in, her eyes scanning the room anxiously.

She had been worried after hearing strange noises inside. After much hesitation, she had finally decided to enter.

But when her gaze fell upon the scene before her—especially the position Mo Chen and Alice were in—she froze.

Mo Chen's face turned pale.

"Ahem... If I said this is all just a misunderstanding... would you believe me?"

He tried to explain.