July 3, 2159 AD.
A small asteroid that had never been detected suddenly appeared above Earth.
Like the scythe of the Reaper, it plummeted without warning straight into the western Pacific Ocean. Humanity had no time to react—the catastrophe had already struck.
Yet, just when everyone thought the disaster had ended, an even greater terror swept across the globe: hundreds of massive interstellar warships hovered over the skies of every continent.
The true apocalypse had only just begun.
These extraterrestrial beings possessed technology far superior to Earth's. They not only had advanced mechanical armies but also superhumans capable of manipulating the elements.
Facing such a formidable enemy, human defenses crumbled step by step. The global population plummeted, with survivors numbering less than one in ten thousand.
In a hidden underground military base, refugees were frantically running for their lives, cries and shouts echoing incessantly. Only a young man stood quietly against a wall, eyes vacant, as if none of it concerned him.
Suddenly, a loud explosion shattered the silence of the base.
"Boom!"
The heavy metal gate was blown open, leaving a massive breach. Through the smoke and dust, a giant mech strode in, its heavy footsteps causing the ground to tremble, icy gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
"Filthy humans, you are the universe's scourge. For the glory of the great Shadow Empire, you must be completely exterminated!"
The mechanical voice echoed within the base, each word dripping with ruthlessness.
Before the words even faded, a specially designed small nuclear missile launched from the mech, heading straight for the crowd.
Just as the nuclear missile was about to detonate, a dazzling white light suddenly burst forth from the young man, enveloping his entire body. In the next instant, his figure vanished from where he stood.
"Boom——!"
A devastating explosion engulfed the entire base. Flames shot skyward as steel and concrete turned instantly to dust under the shockwave. The underground military base completely collapsed, returning to silence.
"Reporting to headquarters: mission accomplished. Earth's humans have been thoroughly eliminated. S-tier mech unit 393221A requesting permission to return." The mech sent the message coldly and turned away from the ruins.
One week later.
In a bustling city, everything about this place felt novel and astonishing.
Lucas had been prepared to die, but just before the nuclear explosion, he had unexpectedly arrived in this unfamiliar world.
The city's technology was incredibly advanced. Flying cars and AI robots were everywhere, making it even more extravagant than worlds depicted in science fiction movies.
Lucas initially thought he had escaped his grim fate and could embrace a beautiful new life. But soon, he realized this world was not the paradise he had imagined. Without an identity, he was nothing more than an "illegal immigrant" who could be deported at any moment.
A bold idea suddenly surged in Lucas's mind: if only he could, like the protagonists in those web novels, awaken a powerful SSS-level talent! If he possessed an SSS-level ability, perhaps Earth's destiny could be changed!
With this thought, he couldn't help but daydream, imagining himself transformed into an omnipotent "savior."
But right at that moment—"rat-tat-tat-tat!"—the fierce rattling of machine-gun fire ripped through Lucas's daydream!
He didn't even have time to think. Instinct took over, and he broke into a sprint! Bullets grazed his hair, sending sparks flying off the ground and walls behind him!
He had gotten used to these sudden brushes with death. Ever since three days ago, when those damn police robots suddenly listed him as a "criminal suspect," he'd been dodging and hiding, ready to run for his life at any second.
"What the fuck is wrong with those programs? Why'd they flip on me so fast?" Lucas cursed under his breath as he kept running. He really couldn't figure it out—he was just an ordinary guy, so how did he end up on the wrong side of the law?
A rigid robotic female voice sounded behind him: "Unknown pilferer, code 0911. According to case tracking, you have committed theft and fled the scene three times this week and resisted arrest. Your criminal level has been upgraded to E! Headquarters authorizes the use of tranquilizer bullets and other E-level devices. Stand where you are and raise your hands!"
A bunker-like building appears not too far away. Lucas quickens his pace and dashes right to the entrance.
A downward-sloping passage comes into view—by the looks of it, it might be an air-raid shelter. Before jumping in, Lucas feels a slight surge of relief. He flips off the robots and the empty sky behind him, then leaps down into the shelter.
"Warning! Warning! Warning… You have entered a restricted area without authorization. You will lose 500 credit points. Repeat…" The robot hovers overhead, as if wary of something inside the shelter, and doesn't pursue him further.
"Huff… huff…" Lucas leans against the shelter wall, slowly squatting down to catch his breath.
"Warning! Warning! Warning…" That cold, electronic female voice suddenly echoes from deeper within the shelter.
Lucas jumps in fright, then listens carefully for a good while before sitting back down, too exhausted to get up again.
"Aurelia," he mutters, "don't do anything crazy. I can hear the sound of your mechanical arm scraping. Come check out what I scored today."
A soft sigh rings out, like someone speaking through a thick mask: "If you manage to find some machine oil, maybe next time I sneak up on you, you won't notice me coming…"
As the voice trails off, a stunningly beautiful woman steps out from the passage. Her long hair drapes gently over her shoulders like flowing spring water, and her figure is perfectly proportioned in every way. Her facial features are both charming and exquisitely shaped.
But despite her flawless looks, there's an icy layer to her expression—no trace of emotion. She also walks extremely slowly, like someone suffering from a serious illness. With every step, there's an occasional shrill squeak, like a knife scraping steel.
Lucas looks at the woman and sighs. "Next time, I'll try to go a little farther out and find the machine oil you need."
Expressionless, the woman replies, "All right." Her voice is still muffled, hard to make out.
Lucas frowns just a little. "I've told you how this works twice already. When someone does something nice for you, you should at least say 'thank you.'"
The woman responds slowly, "I don't see a need to show appreciation for something that hasn't happened yet."
"Suit yourself," Lucas sighs. "Robots are so damn rigid."
At hearing herself described as a "robot," the woman's eyes flicker several times, but she says nothing.
This breathtaking female android is the first companion Lucas made in this world. Rumor has it that when he was found, the two of them were buck naked and tangled up together in an extremely indecent position on the ground.
Lucas sighs again and pulls a few items out of his backpack, handing them to Aurelia so she can check out his latest haul.
He's got three packs of cookies, two bottles of water, two boxes of candy, and a couple of unidentifiable objects.
Aurelia casually picks up a pack of cookies, and her eyes flash with a quick scan as she rattles off, "C20H30O-H2O-H2CO3… Defined as carbohydrates, edible, can break down into glucose in the human body. Database search for similar items: Oreos, Chips Ahoy, etc.…"
Lucas quickly stuffs the food back into his arms. "We don't need a breakdown, I know what it is. I also know exactly what this stuff eventually turns into in a person's body!"
Aurelia, unbothered, replies, "The chemical composition of human excrement is extremely complex. I doubt you actually know all the compounds it contains…"
"Enough. I don't need a lecture on that. Let's focus on the important stuff."
At Lucas's prompt, Aurelia goes quiet and starts studying the two unknown objects.
One is a screwdriver-like tool that doesn't look too useful. Aurelia turns it over in her hand, frowning a bit. "Unknown metal. Database classification… position R3E9A8 is damaged. Memory repair initiated… now repairing… time to complete: thirty-two hours…"
"Sounds like there's a ton of missing data in that head of yours," Lucas remarks. "All you've been doing these days is nonstop repairs."
Aurelia doesn't answer. She picks up the other item, which looks like a picture frame. Her eyes dart with rapid flashes, as if analyzing it.
Suddenly, an electric arc jumps from the frame in her hand, and images and sound burst into view. The word "NEWS" floats in the picture, accompanied by a pleasant female voice narrating corresponding footage.
Aurelia's fingers swipe across the frame a few times, revealing a piece of information: January 7th, 2539. Dr. Adam, the creator of Noah One, has been commissioned by the Alliance to develop the next generation of human genetic modifications. Reportedly, Noah One has fully cracked the gene codes of 250,000 life forms, including humans. Over the next five years, the Earth Alliance plans preliminary genetic modifications on volunteers to help them better adapt to life in space. Emerging humanity will no longer focus on just physical or cerebral advancements but will aim for simultaneous, balanced development…
"Holy shit! I've ended up five hundred years in the future!" Lucas slowly slumps against the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling with unfocused eyes, speechless for a long moment.