"Ding… Ding … Ding! System A236 loading is complete. System A236 successfully fuses with the host…"

"System A236 is binding mission target for the host. Binding target in 10, 9, 8… 1. The target is determined: Lou Yuan, Male, 27 years old, physical fitness AAA, mental strength SSS, endurance AAA. Potential rating SSS…"

"Novice task: Get Lou Yuan to take the initiative to touch the host. 

Task rating: E (simple)"

"Asking the host to complete the initial task within three days to receive the novice gift package. Failure to complete the task within the given time will result in an E1 level punishment."

Shi Lingxi woke up to a series of mechanical sounds. He felt that his head was about to be blown off due to the pain. He hugged his head in his hands and resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall. It was painful to even think.

It didn't take a long time before the pain eased and he began to think of his current situation.

"Apocalypse… Zombie! Mutant beast! Yes I was bitten! I got bitten by a zombie first, then by a mutant beast… "

Shi Lingxi's eyes suddenly widened, he quickly pulled up his pants to look at his ankles and calves where he was bitten by the zombie and the mutant beast. But the skin was smooth and flat. Not to mention the bite marks, even the traces of the last three years were gone. He pulled up his pants even further. Not just the lower legs, even the upper parts, his arms and other body parts were devoid of any wound marks he accumulated throughout the years. At the same time there was a layer of dark brown impurities attached to his skin, the stench was intolerable…

Shi Lingxi raised his arm to take a sniff. He has not taken a bath for half a month. It became more stinky after fighting with the zombie and mutant beast. With his three years of experience in the apocalypse, he is well acquainted with the smell of rotten flesh. The stench from his body seems to be different from that.

Shi Lingxi's expression suddenly dulled after he thought about the problem. He continued to think for a while before looking around at his surroundings.

He was in a dark cave. Not far away from him was the E2 level beast he had killed. Before completely losing his consciousness, he thought it would be his first meal when he becomes a zombie. He was somewhat curious about his future life as a zombie. 

Now, not only his wounds were healed, but his body and mind were also not infected, which is almost impossible. 

In the past three years, this common knowledge is almost universal. Except for advanced ability users who have less than 10% resistance to virus, once an ordinary person got infected, they will turn into a zombie within two hours.

"What the hell is this?" Shi Lingxi's eyes widened again when he saw a set of pink characters appearing above the body of the E2 level beast.

Name: E2 level mutated carnivorous canine (juvenile fox)

Power core: 1 E2 level power core (used)

Rating: E+ (life threatening to the host)

"Am I hallucinating?" Shi Lingxi dragged his body over and looked at the data carefully. He really isn't hallucinating, there really are pink characters floating on the mutated beast. 

"What a strange color…" Shi Lingxi's focus, as always, deviated from normal.

He still can't move very much, but the pink font makes him feel more uncomfortable than the data itself, and it looks like the corpse is blowing pink bubbles.

It looks quite disharmonious in this rotten cave.

Shi Lingxi leaned against the wall and continued to rest until his body recovered.

He moved to the corpse of the mutated beast, and checked its body briefly. With his strength, he could only kill an E1 level beast if he cooperated with other people.

Under normal circumstances, he is bound to die if he faced an E2 level beast. He was just able to kill it because a strange energy bursts through from his body which killed the beast and shattered its nucleus.

"Well, take it out for a detailed autopsy later and maybe you can find something." He currently has insufficient tools and can only get such a preliminary conclusion.

Shi Lingxi's gaze finally fell on the floating data. He was now sure that these datas aren't just his hallucination. There are only two possible reasons. One, his eyes have a problem. Two, the world has changed again. However, no matter the reason, Shi Lingxi didn't feel much. He has already become numb.

Three years ago, Shi Lingxi was sixteen years old. Since his parents were both university professors, he went to school early. At the age of sixteen, he was admitted to a different university.

But on the day their military training was over, bloody rain poured from the sky. The rain lasted for three days. The sky cleared but the world suddenly changed.

That rain changed the future of all life on earth. All living beings have undergone a genetic modification from the red rain, resulting in two completely extreme changes—zombification and mutation.

Zombification is similar to the zombies in movies and novels. They lose their sanity and vital signs, leaving only the instinct to hunt. Animals, other than human beings, were also killed.

Mutation transformed the gene structure of some humans while retaining most of the vital signs resulting in a new type of humans called ability users. Some animals and plants have also undergone mutation.

These people and species are the darlings of this apocalypse era. 

But only those who were fortunate have successfully mutated and the number is scarce. Most of the survivors are ordinary humans with no abilities. 

Shi Lingxi is also one of those ordinary people. He spent three years following the flow of people, travelling from Southern part of Xiamen to Beicheng. However, in a small town near Beicheng, he was betrayed by his companions and chased into a forest by zombies. While escaping, he lost his footing and fell into a cave. 

Shi Lingxi still doesn't understand how he managed to survive after being bitten by both zombies and mutant beasts. 

"System A236 reminds the host that there are still 2 days and 23 hours left until the deadline of the novice task. Asking the host to hurry up and complete the task ahead of time. There will be an effort bonus in addition to the novice gift package. Kindly requesting the host to pay attention."

Ten minutes later, Shi Lingxi stupidly asked "System A236… where are you?"

"System A236 has been loaded into the host's body and integrated with the host. The host can view the tasks using the left wrist interface."

It's still the smooth mechanical sound. If it wasn't for his experience and the anomalies around him he might have wondered if someone was joking with him. 

"Did you stop my body from being zombified?" Shi Lingxi asked while slowly lifting his left wrist. Sure enough, he saw an electronic interface emerge which still has the pink colour that made him feel uncomfortable. But if its the system A236 that emerged out of nowhere and saved him then he will tolerate it. 

"The fight between the host and the mutant beast activated the fusion of powers of the system and timely stopped the zombification process. Kindly asking the host to work hard to complete the task to upgrade the system and increase the system's containment level."

Then without further inquiries from Shi Lingxi, A236, a fairly intelligent system continued to inform:

"System A236, level E1 (upgradable), curb E level zombification, adds E level mutation. Complete 10 E level tasks to upgrade to the next level. Repeated completion of the same task in invalid."

Undoubtedly, this system saved him. It can also protect him from E level zombies and mutant beasts.. The task issued must be completed. Otherwise, not only won't he be able to survive in this doomsday world, he won't also be able to avenge himself.

Shi Lingxi's eyes fell on the flashing word 'TASK'. A novice task appeared in front of him. 

"Novice task: Make Lou Yan take the initiative to touch the host first.

Task rating: E (simple)."

Shi Lingxi who thought he had to fight zombies and mutant beasts couldn't help but stare silently, dumbfounded. He then frowned and protested very seriously, "This is not easy!"

Lou Yuan! It's Lou Yan! The most powerful ability user of Beicheng base. He is also one of the best in the whole country. Although he is not the mayor of Beicheng base, he is the leader in everyone's mind. It's impossible to get close to him.

Three days… Even if you give him three months, he won't still be able to do it. And what touching? What a strange task! He thought there might be a problem with the rating of this system!

His protest lasted for a long time but the system didn't give him any response. It is clear that the system will not change the evaluation mode for the rating. He is not the creator of this strange system thus he has no way to correct the rating criteria. 

"Can you give me another target…" Shi Lingxi browsed down and realised that the future tasks are inseparable from this Lou Yuan. In order for his future road to not be blocked, he can only change this impossible mission target. 

"The target cannot be changed unless the host dies. System A236 reminds the host that the mission target is selected fully in accordance with the host's mate selection criteria. The human death rate is too high. There are no other candidates who can meet the host's mate selection criteria in the existing population."

Shi Lingxi was stunned speechless by the system. His worship for the strong was actually translated into mate selection criteria. But since it can't be changed then he won't to waste his breath arguing with the system anymore.

Shi Lingxi didn't notice that there was a heart shaped object flashing in the bottom right corner of the screen. Lou Yuan's position was recorded in the spouse section.

"We have to get out of here first." If you can't get out of here, everything else is off the table. He didn't want to talk to the system anymore. He got up and looked at the entrance of the cave from which he fell into. 

The exit was so narrow that he got trampled when he was chased by the zombies, his foot was also bitten and then he was dragged down by the mutant beast in the cave. From the smell and traces in the cave, it is undoubtedly the lair of the mutant beast. 

Shi Lingxi picked up the dead beast. He took two steps back and then rushed to the wall to climb up. The process was much smoother than he expected. It's a magical feeling. His posture has not changed much, but his whole body feels much lighter and the coordination has improved

He was stuck again in the narrow entrance. He poked his head out and looked around. The zombies chasing him were gone. He firmly planted his legs on the inner wall, his hands came out first and then he pulled himself up. 

This is the barren forest he had ran into. Not far away from here was the town where he had settled with the companions who betrayed him. Three or four hours had passed since the morning when he was thrown into the zombies to be killed.

He looked down at his wrist. There was accurate time on it. 

May 8 2037, 13:07:38

"System A236, show me my physical data…" Shi Lingxi whispered while picking up the backpack he had lost before the fall and left the place quickly. 

The zombies and mutant animals around Beicheng base have almost been cleaned up by the army and the ability squads. But there were still some zombies roaming around. The zombies in the surrounding cities were also moving. Who knows when will they move here…

A large scale cleanup is carried out every two months. According to the news he heard yesterday, the army and ability users from the Beicheng base will arrive today. Don't know whether they are here yet.

He observed his surroundings and as he ran, System A236 answered, "The hosts body has been enhanced by level E, the data is as follows:

Shi Lingxi, Male, 18 years 7 months and 21 days old.

170 cm in height.  49 kg weight (extreme malnutrition)

Physical strength E-, mental strength S, endurance B-

Beastification ability B 

Beast skill 1: proficiency 0, grade A (when beast power is activated you can get a random animal part)

Beast skill 2: proficiency 0, grade C (when beast power is activated you can obtain a random beast skill)"

"Power? I have an ability?" There was a tinge of surprise in Shi Lingxi's cold voice. In the past three years he has become deeply aware of the importance of abilities. Not only can he live well and protect himself, but he can also gain some right to speak. 

Beast power… Comparing his and Lou Yuan's data he knows what it was like, but he didn't feel too disappointed. From an ordinary person to an ability user, this is already a qualitative leap. In addition to the potential and qualification, the strength of an ability user also depends on who is using it and how one will use it.

With his previous memory, Shi Lingxi returned to the nearby town. He kept walked until he saw the patrolling army.

The presence of these troops must be related to the large number of zombies and zombie herds near the forest. Shi Lingxi must quickly return as he will not be able to survive even a day here. Some zombie herds have a very keen sense of smell and possess wisdom. They will single out and target those who are alone.

"Who's over there?" 

Some abilities are particularly useful in investigating the surroundings. Shi Lingxi has just awakened his powers, it's impossible for him to hide in front of these trained ability users. Moreover, there are also various kinds of rapidly developing technologies for detection. 

Within the ordinary people, scientific research talents, who all bases protect and fight for, live fairly well. Shi Lingxi must return to Beicheng. He believes that if his parents are alive, they will also be well protected. 

Shi Lingxi stepped sideways and raised his hands "I am from Beicheng. My name is Shi Lingxi."

Even though Shi Lingxi said so, several guns were still raised and pointed at him. The feeling of infrared light falling on him was completely different. He almost had the illusion that his body was going to explode.