Mo Xiao's consciousness, as if having sunk in the endless dark abyss for a long time, began to float upward slowly like a wisp of smoke. It was an indescribable feeling, as if gradually showing a glimmer of awakening from the slumber of death.
At first, there was only endless darkness in his world. The darkness was so thick that it seemed tangible, weighing heavily on his awakening perception. But soon, faint rays of light began to seep into the edge of this darkness like silk threads, just like the first rays of dawn trying to penetrate the thick night curtain at daybreak. At the same time, chaotic and disorderly noises, like a surging tide, came wave after wave towards his chaotic mind, attempting to break through the invisible barrier that separated him from the outside world.
In the initial moments, those lights and sounds were completely a chaotic mess of noise to Mo Xiao, without any meaning. His brain was like a TV set that had lost its signal, with the screen full of flickering snowflakes, unable to decipher the meaning behind these messages at all. He seemed to be in a disordered space-time, where the real world was completely distorted, turning into a string of mysterious codes that he couldn't understand no matter what.
Mo Xiao tried to sense his body, only to find that it was incredibly heavy, as if an ancient and huge mountain, deeply buried underground by the dust of the years, tightly connected to the earth and unable to be shaken at all. Every inch of his muscles seemed to be tightly bound by countless tough ropes, integrated with every grain of soil and every rock of the earth. The sense of powerlessness of being unable to move was like an insect trapped in amber, able to only watch everything around but unable to react in any way.
When Mo Xiao finally managed to open his eyes with great effort, what came into view was a strange and unfamiliar scene.
The sky was a sickly dark purple, and the thick clouds were like huge, wriggling creatures, slowly rolling and surging in the sky. From time to time, strange electric lights flickered deep in the clouds, but hardly made any sound, as if everything was isolated by an invisible barrier.
He was in a vast plain, yet this plain was completely different from any terrain he remembered. The ground had a mottled metallic texture, presenting shades of gray, as if it were the traces left after being scorched by high temperatures and impacted by external forces countless times. On this metallic ground, huge mechanical wrecks stood abruptly. Those wrecks were distorted and deformed. Some were like giant spiders, with their eight mechanical legs broken and twisted outstretched; others were like crashed giant beasts, with their huge bodies in pieces, exposing the intricate circuits and faintly glowing energy cores inside.
Not far away, the wreck of a huge spaceship was inserted obliquely into the ground, with its bow deeply buried in the soil, like a fallen star, carrying a sense of endless desolation and destruction. The hull of the spaceship seemed to have been broken by an irresistible powerful force, with the broken part jagged, like the ferocious wound of a giant beast. The torn edges of the metal flickered with little sparks, like a group of dying fireflies making their last struggle, making a "hissing" sound, as if the spaceship was making its last wail, telling of its former glory and current tragedy.
The outer shell of the spaceship was pitted, covered with dense impact marks, as if it had experienced a fierce interstellar war. Part of the outer shell had fallen off, revealing the intricate internal structure, like the skeleton of a giant beast whose flesh and skin had been peeled off, presenting a creepy mechanical beauty. The exposed pipes were some twisted and deformed, some broken, with some unknown liquid remaining inside, slowly dripping onto the ground, making a "tick, tick" sound, which was particularly prominent in this desolate wasteland.
The wings of the spaceship had also been broken. One of the wings was leaning against the nearby wreckage, the coating on the surface had almost completely fallen off, revealing the mottled metal original color below, reflecting a dim light under the sickly sky. The weapon - mounting points on the wing were now empty, only some twisted metal brackets still sticking to their former mission, as if silently recalling the battle scenes with gunfire everywhere.
Through the broken porthole of the spaceship, the inside was seen in a mess. The seats were in disarray, most of the screens on the console were broken, flickering with disorderly light, as if trying to convey some undecipherable information. The pointers on the instrument panel were swinging wildly, but could no longer guide the spaceship. Various wires hung down from the ceiling like messy vines, interweaving into a chaotic network on the ground.
In the cockpit of the spaceship, a corpse was half - lying on the seat, its body tightly bound by the seat belt, and its head drooping weakly to one side. His face was unrecognizable, as if having suffered some huge impact, and his body was also distorted beyond recognition. The surrounding walls were splashed with dried blood, as if telling the tragic scene of the spaceship's crash.
In the cargo hold of the spaceship, the hatch was severely deformed, half - open and half - closed. The goods inside were scattered all over the place, mostly broken metal boxes and unknown equipment parts. In the corner of the cargo hold, there were also some damaged energy batteries. They might have been the source of the spaceship's power once, but now they were lying there quietly, having lost their former luster, leaving only a deathly silence.
Around were also scattered the wrecks of some small aircraft. Their outer shells were badly broken, as if instantly destroyed by some powerful force. Some aircraft were left with only a twisted frame, and the original thrusters and weapon systems were gone; others were like crumpled pieces of paper, with various parts scattered around, as if showing a sudden disaster to people.
Among these mechanical ruins, various strange creatures were wandering. These creatures had different shapes. Some were like huge insects, their bodies covered with hard carapaces, six legs moving quickly, and the antennae on their heads constantly swinging, making a sharp "buzzing" sound; some were like monsters that combined mechanical and biological characteristics, with metal bones exposed, green mucus flowing, their eyes glowing with strange red light, and emitting a low growl.
Mo Xiao tried to stand up, only to find that his body was incredibly weak. His legs seemed filled with lead, and every step he took required a huge effort. He looked around, trying to find traces of other survivors, but except for those strange creatures and cold corpses, he found nothing.
At this time, Mo Xiao felt a strong dizziness, and he had to reach out to support himself against a protruding metal wreckage beside him. When his palm touched the metal surface, a strange stinging pain came from the palm, as if countless tiny needles were pricking. He subconsciously withdrew his hand, only to be shocked to find that a faint layer of silver lines had emerged on his palm. These lines were like flowing liquid, slowly moving on his skin, exuding a faint cold light.
Mo Xiao's eyes widened, and a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart. He turned his palm over, and the silver lines began to spread along his wrist, and the skin where they passed developed goosebumps. He looked at this in horror, trying to wipe off those lines with his other hand, but they were like growing on his skin, unable to be wiped off.
Then, Mo Xiao felt his arm start to tremble slightly uncontrollably. It seemed that an indescribable force was rampaging in his muscles. He tried hard to steady his arm, but the trembling became more and more intense, and the whole arm began to heat up, with the temperature rising sharply, as if it was about to burn.
At the same time, his vision also changed. His originally blurred vision became extremely clear. The tiny scratches on the distant wrecks, the scale textures on the monsters, were all as clear as if they were in front of his eyes. He could even clearly see the tiny barbs on the antenna of a distant monster, and a drop of crystal liquid at the tip of the barb. Not only that, he could also see some hidden structures inside the wrecks. Those structures were no longer hidden under his new - acquired vision, as if an invisible filter had been removed, allowing him to see the deeper details of this world.
But this clear vision brought not joy, but more fear, because as his vision enhanced, he saw that the world around him seemed to be covered by a faint red mist, and everything became distorted and strange. The edges of every object seemed to be emitting a hazy halo, and the color of the halo kept changing, from dark red to deep purple, as if telling the abnormality of this world. Moreover, under this strange visual effect, he saw that there seemed to be an imperceptible energy fluctuation in the air. These fluctuations seemed to flow regularly, but were elusive.
Mo Xiao's ears also started to buzz. At first, it was a sharp chirping sound, and then, various subtle sounds poured into his ears like a tide. He could hear the rustling sound of insects crawling under the wreckage. The sound was subtle but clear, as if every step of each insect was amplified in his ears; the low growls of the distant monsters, carrying a primitive deterrence; and even the gurgling sound of the blood flowing inside his body. Every sound was amplified countless times, interweaving into a chaotic and terrifying movement in his mind. Not only that, he could also distinguish some subtle changes in the sounds, such as the anger or vigilance in the monsters' growls. These details of the sounds seemed to tell him the emotions and intentions of the monsters.
His breathing became rapid, and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest, as if it was about to break through his chest. He could feel that the sound of his heartbeat was like a drumbeat, echoing with the chaotic sounds around him. At this time, his sense of smell also became extremely sensitive. The stench in the air, the rusty smell of metal, the pungent fishy smell of the monsters, all kinds of smells mixed together, making him almost suffocate. But in this complex smell, he could also distinguish some more subtle smell clues, such as the faint energy smell emitted by a certain special metal, as if these smells had become another language for him to understand this world.
Mo Xiao covered his head in pain, trying to stop these sensory changes, but all in vain. He didn't know what had happened to him and why such a terrible mutation had occurred. In this strange and dangerous world, this unknown mutation made him feel even more isolated and helpless.
Just then, a cold, emotionless voice sounded in his ear: "You finally woke up, Mo Xiao." Mo Xiao was shocked and looked around for the source of the sound, but saw no one. "Don't look for it. I'm the intelligent agent beside you, code - named 001. Now, you need to eat those monsters."
"Eat them? Are you crazy? What the hell is this place? Why should I eat those monsters? And what's wrong with my body? Why has it become like this?" Mo Xiao asked angrily, filled with fear and confusion.
The intelligent agent 001 was silent for a moment, as if organizing information, and then slowly said: "This is Earth, once the home of humanity, but now, it has become a living planet, full of various mutated creatures and dangerous mechanical wrecks. You've lost your memory, and I don't know much about your past. As for the mutation of your body, it may be related to your awakening on this planet and the influence of the surrounding environment. And eating those monsters is the only way for you to survive. The bodies of these monsters contain special energy, and you can obtain power by digesting them, repair your damaged body, and perhaps even further control the mutation of your body."
Mo Xiao looked at those monsters shuttling through the ruins in disbelief, feeling a wave of nausea in his heart. "This is too absurd. How could I eat those things? And how can you be sure that this is the only way to survive? And what about my mutation..."
001 continued: "The ecosystem of this planet has completely collapsed, and normal food sources no longer exist. Through my analysis, the body structure and energy composition of these monsters are compatible with humans, and you can obtain nutrition from them. As for your mutation, the current situation is unknown, but obtaining the energy of the monsters may find a way to deal with it. If you want to survive and retrieve your memory, you must do as I say." Mo Xiao hesitated. He looked at those monsters, filled with struggle in his heart. On the one hand, the idea of eating them made him extremely uncomfortable; on the other hand, he also knew that his current situation was extremely dangerous, and survival was the top priority.
Just as he was hesitating, a smaller - sized monster, similar in shape to a lizard but with metallic - looking scales, slowly approached him. Its eyes were shining with a vigilant light, and it was hissing, as if testing Mo Xiao.
Mo Xiao subconsciously took a few steps back, but accidentally kicked a metal fragment under his feet, making a clear sound. This sound seemed to anger the monster, and it suddenly accelerated towards Mo Xiao, opening its mouth full of sharp teeth, trying to bite off Mo Xiao's arm. Mo Xiao's eyes widened in horror. In a panic, he instinctively raised his arm to resist. Just as the monster's teeth were about to bite into Mo Xiao's arm, 001's voice sounded again: "Quick, grab its neck and twist it hard!" Mo Xiao didn't have time to think and subconsciously followed 001's instructions. He stretched out his hands, grabbed the monster's neck tightly, and then used all his strength to twist. The monster let out a painful roar, and its body struggled violently, but Mo Xiao didn't dare to let go. He gritted his teeth and continued to exert force. Finally, with a crisp "click", the monster's neck was broken, and its body slumped to the ground, no longer moving.
Mo Xiao gasped for breath, looking at the dead monster in his hands, feeling both fear and excitement in his heart. This was the first time he had successfully dealt with danger in this strange world.
However, Mo Xiao didn't continue to kill other monsters as 001 said. His curiosity and concern about his own mutation took the upper hand, and he decided to study his abilities. Mo Xiao squatted down and examined the silver lines on his arm again. At this time, those lines seemed to flicker slightly with his emotions. He tried to concentrate, attempting to establish a connection with this unknown power. Just as he was fully focused, he found that he could sense the materials and energy fluctuations of the surrounding objects. He looked at a broken metal wreckage beside him, and suddenly information about this metal, such as its composition, density, and the pressure it had once withstood, emerged in his mind.
Then, a bold idea welled up in Mo Xiao's heart. He stared at the wreckage of the dead monster in his hand, trying to transform it into a weapon. He concentrated, mobilizing the strange power in his body, attempting to transform the monster wreckage. At first, there was no response, but he didn't give up. He continuously adjusted his mental state, feeling the flow of power in his body. Gradually, the monster wreckage began to change. The originally broken scales and bones began to merge and reshape, emitting a strange light. With Mo Xiao's efforts, the wreckage gradually turned into a dagger - like weapon. The blade glowed with a cold light, as if containing some special energy. Mo Xiao held this newly - formed dagger and felt a wonderful connection, as if this dagger was an extension of his body.
After successfully transforming the monster wreckage into a weapon, Mo Xiao's confidence increased greatly. He continued to try to transform with different materials around him. He walked towards a spaceship wreckage and picked up a metal plate with complex circuits. Similarly, he concentrated and used the power in his body. The metal plate began to twist and deform under his control, and the circuits were rearranged and combined, eventually forming a small energy shield. A faint layer of blue energy halo flowed on the surface.
With continuous attempts, Mo Xiao became more and more proficient in controlling his abilities. He found that he could not only transform substances into weapons, but also endow the weapons with different characteristics according to his imagination. For example, he integrated a discarded energy crystal into the dagger, enabling the dagger to release a short - term electric shock effect; and injected a special wave into the energy shield, enabling it to absorb and rebound part of the energy attacks.
However, the use of this ability was not without cost. Every time he transformed, Mo Xiao could feel the fatigue in his body increasing, and part of the power in his body would be consumed. Moreover, as the complexity of the transformed substances increased, the energy and strength required also increased exponentially. But Mo Xiao didn't flinch. He knew that in this dangerous world, only by quickly mastering and strengthening his abilities could he have a chance to survive.
During the process of studying his abilities, Mo Xiao didn't ignore the surrounding environment. He was always vigilant about the movements of those strange creatures, and at the same time, he paid attention to the changes in the terrain and the distribution of wrecks around him. He found that on this wasteland, there seemed to be some hidden rules. The distribution of those mechanical wrecks and monsters was not completely random, but presented a certain order around some specific areas.
As time passed, when Mo Xiao was trying to use various substances for transformation, he accidentally discovered a special ore. This ore was hidden at the bottom of a spaceship wreckage, and its surface was emitting a faint purple light. When Mo Xiao touched it, a powerful and pure energy poured into his body, making him refreshed. He immediately realized that this ore might play an important role in enhancing his abilities.
Mo Xiao concentrated, trying to transform this ore into a powerful weapon. However, this transformation process was extremely difficult. The energy contained in the ore was too powerful, and Mo Xiao felt like he was fighting a wild beast. A slight mistake could lead to a backlash. But he gritted his teeth and, with his tenacious will, continuously adjusted the flow of power in his body, guiding the transformation of the ore. After a tough effort, the ore gradually changed. Its shape began to distort, and the purple light became more intense. Eventually, it formed a long sword exuding a mysterious aura. Mo Xiao held the long sword and felt a powerful force surging in the sword body. It seemed that as long as he thought, he could release earth - shattering power.
Just as Mo Xiao was immersed in the joy of successful transformation, the surrounding environment suddenly changed. The originally calm sky, the dark - colored clouds began to rotate rapidly, forming a huge whirlpool. The center of the whirlpool was shining with a strong light, as if something was about to descend. The ground also began to shake violently, and the mechanical wrecks collided with each other, making a deafening noise. Those strange creatures seemed to sense a certain threat and stopped their activities one after another, looking at the sky warily.
Mo Xiao realized that a huge crisis was about to come. He gripped the long sword tightly and prepared to face the unknown challenge. However, just at this moment, a strong light shot out from the whirlpool and instantly enveloped the entire area.
Mo Xiao only felt a flash of white light before his eyes and then lost consciousness.
When Mo Xiao regained consciousness again, he found himself in a strange space. This space was surrounded by soft white light and had no boundaries. Not far in front of him, a figure gradually emerged.
That was a person in a white robe. The face was blurry, but it gave people an extremely majestic feeling.
"Mo Xiao, you finally came here." The person in the long robe spoke slowly. The voice seemed to come from all directions and also seemed to ring directly in Mo Xiao's mind.
"Where is this? Who are you?" Mo Xiao asked warily.
"This is the space of consciousness. And I am the messenger who guides you to the truth. Your mutation in this world is not accidental but part of a grand plan. The ability you possess will determine the fate of this world." said the person in the long robe.
"Grand plan? What plan? What is the relationship between my mutation and this world?" Mo Xiao asked.
"This world was once the home of humanity. But a runaway technological experiment triggered a huge disaster, turning the earth into a living planet. The ecosystem collapsed and humans were almost extinct. And you, Mo Xiao, carry the hope of restoring this world. The mutant ability you have is the key to opening the door to the truth." the person in the long robe explained.
"I don't understand. What should I do?" Mo Xiao said in confusion.
"You need to continue to explore this world and look for those hidden clues and powers. Every wreck, every monster in this world may contain the key to solving the mystery. At the same time, you have to learn to control and use your ability because there are countless dangers and challenges waiting for you ahead." said the person in the long robe.
"Why are you telling me this?" Mo Xiao asked.
"Because time is urgent. You don't have much time to grope slowly. The fate of this world is in your hands." After the person in the long robe finished speaking, the figure gradually disappeared.
Mo Xiao still wanted to ask something more, but with a flash of light before his eyes, he found himself back on that wasteland. The sky was still dark purple, and the surrounding mechanical wrecks and monsters still existed. But at this moment, Mo Xiao had a goal in his heart. He knew that he was shouldering a major mission, and ahead of him, there would be more unknowns and challenges.
Mo Xiao took a deep breath, gripped the long sword tightly, and continued on his journey of exploring this world. He knew that on this wasteland full of unknowns and dangers, every step might be related to the fate of the world.
At this time, the strange creatures around seemed to have recovered from the abnormal celestial phenomena just now and resumed their activities again. A huge monster, shaped like a rhinoceros but covered with spikes all over, took the lead in letting out a earth-shattering roar towards Mo Xiao. Then, it rushed over like an arrow leaving the string.
Mo Xiao's eyes narrowed. He quickly adjusted his breathing and held the long sword transformed from special ore tightly. Just as the monster was about to hit him, Mo Xiao dodged to the side and swung the long sword at the same time. A purple light - containing sword energy whistled out from the blade and accurately hit the side of the monster.
The monster felt pain and let out a painful roar. A layer of black smoke flickered on its body surface, as if responding to Mo Xiao's attack. Then, the spikes on the monster's body fell off one after another, like black arrows, flying towards Mo Xiao.
Mo Xiao quickly raised the energy shield. The blue energy halo on the surface of the shield instantly strengthened, forming a solid barrier. The spikes hit the shield, making a series of "ding ding dang dang" sounds and falling to the ground. But the shield also rippled layer by layer, and the energy consumption was obvious.
Mo Xiao knew that he couldn't get into a protracted battle with this monster. He concentrated and mobilized the power in his body, trying to launch an attack again. However, just at this moment, several small monsters quietly approached from his flank. They were extremely agile and quickly pounced on Mo Xiao like ghosts. Mo Xiao sensed the movement but couldn't deal with it at once.
At this critical moment, Mo Xiao suddenly had a brainwave.
He inserted the long sword into the ground and released a powerful energy fluctuation centered on himself. This fluctuation spread rapidly in all directions. Wherever it passed, the metal plates on the ground rose up one after another, forming metal walls and temporarily blocking the attacks of the small monsters.
The large monster was also shaken back a few steps by this fluctuation, and the second round of spike attacks that were about to be launched was also interrupted.
Mo Xiao took advantage of this gap and quickly drew materials from the surrounding wrecks and began to transform new weapons. His hands moved quickly, and the surrounding metal fragments and discarded parts gathered one after another. Under his powerful ability, they instantly merged into a huge energy crossbow.
Mo Xiao embedded the previously collected energy crystals into the crossbow to charge it.
After the large monster stabilized its body, it rushed towards Mo Xiao again. And those small monsters also broke through the barrier of the metal wall and continued to approach him. Mo Xiao didn't hesitate and raised the energy crossbow, aiming at the large monster and pulling the trigger.
A thick energy beam shot out from the crossbow like a small meteor and directly hit the head of the monster.
With a loud bang, the monster's head was blown up by the energy beam, and its huge body fell to the ground with a thud.
After dealing with the large monster, Mo Xiao quickly turned his target to those small monsters. He controlled the energy crossbow and continuously fired several small energy arrows. Each energy arrow accurately hit a small monster and instantly eliminated them.
After this battle, Mo Xiao had a deeper understanding of his abilities.
He found that he could not only transform substances into different types of weapons but also flexibly use these weapons for combined attacks according to the actual situation of the battle.
Moreover, during the battle, he became more and more proficient in controlling the mysterious power in his body and could more accurately mobilize the power and give full play to the maximum power of the weapons.
But at the same time, Mo Xiao also realized that although his ability was powerful, in this dangerous world, he still faced many challenges.
Every use of ability would consume a lot of physical strength and mental energy. And he didn't know what more powerful monsters and dangers he would encounter next.
At this time, the sky was getting darker. The dark purple clouds in the sky looked even more strange under the afterglow of the setting sun.
Mo Xiao decided to find a relatively safe place to rest first, restore his physical strength, and think about his next move.
He looked around and found a relatively intact spaceship wreck not far away. Although the hatch of the wreck was deformed, it could barely be entered.
Mo Xiao carefully walked towards the spaceship wreck, always on guard against possible dangers around.
When he came to the spaceship wreck and pushed open the hatch with force, a stale smell came over.
The inside of the cabin was dimly lit and filled with a faint stench. Mo Xiao turned on the lighting function of the long sword in his hand and began to explore inside the cabin with the faint light.
He found that although the internal structure of this spaceship had been severely damaged, some complete equipment and supplies were still retained.
In the storage room of the spaceship, Mo Xiao found some energy supplements and food reserves.
Although the appearance and taste of these foods were very different from what he remembered, they were undoubtedly precious supplies in this world where supplies were scarce.
Mo Xiao ate some food and replenished his physical strength. Then he began to study those energy supplements.
He found that these energy supplements could restore the consumed power in his body to a certain extent, which made him very pleasantly surprised.
In the cockpit of the spaceship, Mo Xiao also found a damaged navigation system. Although the system could no longer work properly, some of the map information stored in it could still be read.
With the help of 001, Mo Xiao analyzed this map information and found that the map marked some special locations. These locations seemed to be closely related to the past of the earth and this disaster.
Mo Xiao realized that these marked locations might be the key to solving the world's mysteries.
He decided to explore these locations after restoring his physical strength. However, just as he was about to leave the spaceship wreck, he suddenly heard a dense sound of footsteps and low growls coming from outside.
Mo Xiao's heart tightened. He knew that a group of monsters were surrounding the spaceship wreck again.
Mo Xiao quickly picked up his weapon and prepared to face the new round of challenges.
He stood behind the hatch, listening to the movements of the monsters outside, quickly thinking about countermeasures in his heart.
He knew that the number of monsters he faced this time might be more. And after the previous battle, his physical strength and ability had been consumed.
But he didn't back down because he knew that in this world, backing down meant death.
As the footsteps of the monsters got closer and closer, Mo Xiao took a deep breath, gripped his weapon tightly, and waited for the best time to attack.