The wind howled through the frozen landscape, and the snow fell endlessly.
A group of crows perched on bare branches, their red eyes fixed on the small settlement below.
The wooden houses were simple and crude, and the only sound was the occasional crunch of snow as someone walked by. The people who lived in the settlement were all numb and listless, their eyes empty and devoid of life.
It was as if the entire settlement was under a curse.
.......
Ye Qingcheng looked around at the simple wooden houses and sighed.
He didn't know how he had time traveled, but he was clearly in the past.
The wooden houses were awl-shaped, wide at the bottom and pointed at the top.
They were dark and damp, and the wooden piles were covered in mold.
Ye Qingcheng was only wearing a layer of dirt and a light quilt, and he was freezing.
He got up and started walking around the small wooden house to warm up.
After absorbing the memories in his mind, he learned that he was now on a planet called Blue Star, which had a technological development level similar to Earth in his previous life.
He was living in a country called the Eastern Federation, and his original owner was an 18-year-old student named Ye Qingcheng.
Although the name Qingcheng sounded feminine, the original owner was actually a purebred old man.
A year ago, a huge crack appeared in the sky inexplicably, and endless monsters crawled out of the crack.
These ferocious monsters were called evil gods by the people of Blue Star.
At first, humans didn't know much about these evil gods, and they were beaten back steadily.
Humans were initially able to hold their own against the evil gods and monsters that came through the space rift, thanks to their high-tech weapons.
However, the situation soon changed for the worse when a strange black mist began to pour out of the rift and spread all over the world.
The black mist had a devastating effect on humans. It weakened their technological weapons and turned countless people into bloodthirsty zombies.
These zombies were incredibly strong and fast, and they quickly overwhelmed the human forces.
The situation is now dire for humanity.
They are fighting a losing battle against the evil gods, monsters, and zombies. It is unclear if they will be able to survive this new threat.
The human defensive line, which had been established with great difficulty, collapsed instantly under the combined attack of the black fog invasion and the zombies.
The world was plunged into chaos, and countless cities fell overnight, becoming ghost prisons. The only surviving humans fled in panic, seeking safety outside the cities.
[A mysterious power has been detected, and the religious system has been activated. Please name the religion.]
Ye Qingcheng was happy to find a system to help him survive. He was no longer afraid.
[Please name a religion. If you do not do so within one minute, the system will automatically destroy itself. The timer is now at 59 seconds...]
Ye Qingcheng heard a clock ticking in his head and said "dawn."
He didn't know why, but it felt right.
[Named Success, Religion: Church of the Dawn]
[You gained the unique talent skills "Assimilation" and "Enhancement."]
[You gained the exclusive skills of the leader of the dawn, "Holy Baptism" and "Faith Collection."]
[You gained the skills "Healing" and "Eye of Insight."]
The system's prompt caused countless memories to flood into Ye Qingcheng's mind.
The pain was excruciating, but it passed quickly.
"Powerful Skills!"
Ye Qingcheng was excited after absorbing the memories.
He learned that he had two powerful skills: Assimilation and Strengthening.
Assimilation allows him to obtain the abilities of his believers, and Strengthening allows him to enhance his own abilities.
With these two skills, Ye Qingcheng could become incredibly powerful.
"Now, all I need to do is go out and find believers!"
Ye Qingcheng felt good after getting the system.
The sky was gray and the ground was covered in frost.
The wind was cold, but he didn't care. He had forgotten what the sun looked like.
Ye Qingcheng was disgusted by the strong stench of feces and sewage that filled the air.
He had just crossed over to this world, and he was already feeling uncomfortable.
"When looking for believers, it is best to avoid older people. Older people are more experienced and skeptical, and they are less likely to be convinced"
Ye Qingcheng decided to recruit minors as believers.
He disappeared down the messy path, thinking about his next move.
........
"Mom, please don't die. What will Xinxin do without you?"
Li Xin, a young girl, was crying over her mother's sickly body.
Her mother's body was pale and stiff, and it was clear that she was dying.
Li Xin's cries were ignored by the people around her, and she was aware that she and her mother were being watched by malicious eyes.
She knew that at night, when everyone else was asleep, the people who were watching her would come for her and her mother.
A man warned Li Xin that her mother's illness was contagious, but she didn't move.
She had seen too many people die, and she knew that people were often seen as food in a world without food.
Her mother was her only support, and she was afraid of losing her.
She didn't know if it was luck or tragedy that her mother had malaria, but it was now her only hope.
Li Xin was in a desperate situation.
She knew that staying in her current location would mean death, but going outside would not guarantee her safety either.
The people who were watching her would still find her and kill her.
"Mother..."
Li Xin picked up a crude and jagged blade. Overwhelmed by despair, she shut her eyes and attempted to cut her throat.
"Stopped..."
But before she could harm herself, a caring and strong hand held her thin arm.
"The night may be long, but the dawn will always break."