"Today, a weapon-related homicide occurred in the Bafang Community of CS City. The suspect, Chu Xun, male, 16 years old, a resident of CS, is suspected of retaliating against the family of the perpetrator involved in a recent major traffic accident, resulting in two deaths and three severe injuries. The suspect has been shot dead by the police, and the injured have been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. The police urge citizens to approach traffic accident cases rationally, assuring that all cases will be handled fairly and justly..."
— CS Evening News.
Chu Xun sat on the bed, his gaze blank, his mind in complete disarray.
The surroundings were utterly unfamiliar, seemingly a hospital room, and his memories were severely fragmented. As he tried to recall, he could barely remember the scene of SWAT officers storming into the room and shooting him dead in a hail of bullets. The rest was a jumble of chaotic memories that didn't belong to him at all.
After what felt like an eternity, the fragmented memories in his mind finally coalesced, and he began to understand his current situation.
"It seems heaven still favors me..." Recalling the additional memories that had surfaced in his mind, Chu Xun slowly clenched his fists, a faint smile of excitement appearing on his pale face.
His memories were correct—after avenging his parents' blood feud, he had indeed been shot dead by the SWAT team that arrived shortly after. However, he never expected that his death would not be the end, but rather the beginning of something new.
He had crossed over!
The world he now found himself in was also called Earth, but it was entirely different from the one he had known.
Centuries ago, a biological virus codenamed "T" opened the door to destruction for human civilization, sounding the horn of the apocalypse.
The gates of the apocalypse were thus opened, and countless powerful and cunning creatures began to ravage the Earth, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction.
From that moment on, Earth officially entered a chaotic era of warlords and strife, historically referred to as the "Age of Chaos."
This is an era filled with infinite possibilities. Here, the power of the virus has granted humans the ability to cultivate extraordinary powers. Powerful ability users can shatter mountains, dominate the skies, and enjoy all the riches the world has to offer—wealth, beautiful women, and even immortality!
Every man dreams of becoming a strong, formidable figure, and Chu Xun was no exception. After avenging his parents' blood feud, he had no more attachments in life. Now that heaven had given him a new life, he was determined to seize the opportunity and become a superhuman powerhouse, living a future full of brilliance and glory!
This wasn't arrogance or wishful thinking. After piecing together his memories, he suddenly realized that something extraordinary had appeared in his mind—the "Super Savior System!"
Where the Savior System came from, he had no idea. All he knew was that, while it hung over his head like the sword of Damocles, constantly threatening his life, it also brought infinite possibilities to his existence.
"Main System Mission: The host must bring order to the apocalypse and help human civilization regain its dominance over Earth."
"The main mission is divided into different stages, each with a time limit for completion. Failure to complete a stage within the allotted time will result in the immediate annihilation of the host."
"Current Main Mission 1-1: Embark on the Journey—Pass the Low-Level Scholar Assessment and claim first place!"
"Mission Description: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. To become a qualified savior, personal strength is essential. Completing the Scholar Assessment and securing first place will be your first step on this journey."
"Mission Reward: Unlock the lottery system and receive one lucky draw opportunity."
"Mission Penalty: Annihilation!"
Bringing order to the apocalypse and restoring humanity's dominance over Earth—this mission's difficulty is enough to drive anyone to despair. Even the task of securing first place in the low-level Scholar Assessment seems almost impossible for Chu Xun at this moment!
It's important to note that the students eligible to participate in the assessment are all awakened ability users. Among them, some with exceptional talent or powerful backgrounds have already undergone their first ability evolution, becoming true second-tier powerhouses. To snatch the top spot from these individuals and claim first place is a challenge of unimaginable difficulty.
And if he fails? The penalty of annihilation will mercilessly end Chu Xun's new life.
However, corresponding to the high difficulty of the tasks and the brutal penalties are the powerful abilities and rewards bestowed by the system. Not to mention the rewards for completing each stage of the mission, the innate ability granted by the system upon initiating the main mission alone is enough to open the door to becoming a powerhouse for Chu Xun.
Ability—"Insect Body": Can integrate insect genes, transform physical constitution, and unlock the potential to activate insect abilities.
Insects are the smallest yet also the most powerful creatures on Earth!
An ant can lift objects over four hundred times its own weight and drag items more than seventeen hundred times its body weight—a terrifying display of strength!
A tiny flea can leap a distance two hundred times its body length, making it the true long jump champion of the natural world!
The nearly invisible tardigrade, also known as the water bear, is one of the most resilient creatures in nature, almost impossible to kill. It can withstand temperatures as high as 150°C and as low as near absolute zero (-273°C), and it can survive in high-radiation, vacuum, or high-pressure environments for minutes or even days.
In addition, there are the earthworm's ability to regenerate from severed body parts, the desert locust's flying capability, the tsetse fly's blood-sucking ability, the swallowtail butterfly's mimicry skills, and so on...
The genes of these insects represent unimaginable and terrifying power. Once Chu Xun successfully integrates these insect genes, he will gain infinite potential for evolution!
Therefore, Chu Xun is filled with confidence about his future. No matter how difficult the tasks or how cruel the world may be, he firmly believes that he will become the strongest and carve out his own legend in this world!
*Creak!*
At that moment, the door to the room suddenly opened, and a stunning woman with long, straight black hair, dressed in a white doctor's coat, walked in. The female doctor appeared to be in her early twenties, with snow-white skin, delicate features, a tall figure, and a curvaceous body that even the loose doctor's coat couldn't completely hide. Paired with her flawless, pale legs beneath the coat, she was a sight that was hard to look away from.
The only regret, however, was the doctor's icy demeanor. She glanced at the data on the instruments beside Chu Xun, then looked at him with an indifferent, almost specimen-like expression, and said coldly, "It seems you're fine. In that case, leave now. Don't waste medical resources here!"
"Understood, Dr. Nangong!" Having integrated the memories of the body's original owner, Chu Xun naturally recognized this doctor and was well aware of how cold and detached this beautiful woman could be. Without hesitation or unnecessary words, he nodded and walked out the door.
Now that he had awakened his ability, there was no point wasting time in the medical facility. It was far better to quickly find suitable insect genes to assimilate and gain the strength needed to protect himself.
"Hmm, this kid seems... different somehow," Nangong Yan murmured to herself, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly as she watched Chu Xun leave without a second thought. This wasn't the first time this kid had been beaten up and hospitalized. In the past, even after waking up, he would stubbornly refuse to leave the medical facility, forcing her to practically drive him out before he would face the other students. Why was he so willing to leave today?
"It seems a near-death experience can indeed change a person. Good, this will be my next research topic. This kid is almost sixteen, right? If he fails to awaken his ability by then, I might as well take him in as a test subject..." Shaking her head, Nangong Yan dismissed the thought. To her, the changes in a single student weren't worth much consideration.
"What genes should I choose to assimilate first?" As Chu Xun walked along the path home, he pondered his next steps for strengthening himself. The annual low-level Scholar Assessment was approaching, and he needed to gain enough power before it began—otherwise, he was as good as dead...
"Hey, Young Master Chu Xun, you finally dared to leave the hospital?" Just then, a figure suddenly blocked Chu Xun's path. The man was around twenty years old, with a burly build, a menacing appearance, and a long scar running down his face, making him look quite intimidating. At that moment, he was sneering at Chu Xun, slowly clenching his fists, the sound of his knuckles cracking echoing ominously.
"It's you?" Seeing the burly man, Chu Xun frowned slightly.
According to his memories, the cousin who had beaten him into a coma was named Chu Qing, and this man was Chu Qing's top lackey, known as Qing Yi.
"Of course it's me, Young Master Chu Xun. I've been waiting for you for a long time. Master Chu Qing has ordered that if you don't hand over the crystal cores today, I'll have no choice but to 'spar' with you. Don't worry, though—since we're not far from the medical facility, even if you get 'accidentally' injured during our little training session, you can be rushed there quickly. No big deal," Qing Yi said, his eyes filled with disdain. To him, Chu Xun might be a direct descendant of the Chu family, but in front of his master, he was nothing more than a walking ATM.
As a direct descendant of the Chu family, Chu Xun received ten standard crystal cores from the family every month before turning sixteen. These cores were extracted from zombies or mutated beasts and were a combination of viral energy and life energy, possessing miraculous powers that could enhance abilities or physical strength. Because of this, crystal cores had become the hard currency of human settlements.
However, as the saying goes, "A man's wealth is his own ruin." Possessing ten standard crystal cores but failing to awaken his ability, Chu Xun lacked the strength to protect himself and had become a target for extortion by other direct descendants of the Chu family. Take Chu Qing, for example—he had officially awakened at the age of twelve and possessed the body-enhancing ability "Diamond Body," making him far stronger than Chu Xun. In the past, Chu Xun had been too afraid to resist Chu Qing's demands. But as his sixteenth birthday approached, Chu Xun grew increasingly anxious and unwilling to hand over his crystal cores, which led to him being beaten to the point of hospitalization by Chu Qing.
After all, if one fails to awaken their ability by the age of sixteen, they are destined to become a useless person for life!
This is an era of survival of the fittest, where the strong thrive and the weak perish. Within the family, competition and even extortion among peers are allowed—as long as it doesn't escalate to killing. This is because only by concentrating resources on the strong can the family ensure that the strong grow stronger while the weak grow weaker.
"Get out of my way!" Unlike the original owner of this body, who was timid and weak-willed, Chu Xun was not one to back down. Even back on Earth, when faced with injustice, he had dared to fight back with blood and teeth, even if it cost him his life. Now that he had awakened his abilities, why should he fear a mere servant?
"Heh, it seems Young Master Chu Xun has grown up and developed a bit of a backbone," Qing Yi sneered, cracking his knuckles and loosening his muscles. His voice was cold as he continued, "But in this world, having a tough attitude isn't enough—you need tough fists too. Since Young Master Chu Xun refuses to see reason, Qing Yi will have to spar with you on behalf of my master."
Without hesitation, Qing Yi swung a fist the size of a sand pot straight at Chu Xun's face.
"D*mn it!" Chu Xun hadn't expected a mere servant like Qing Yi to actually dare to attack him. His expression changed, and he quickly dodged backward. However, Qing Yi was both more experienced in fighting and physically stronger than Chu Xun. Although Chu Xun managed to avoid the fist, he couldn't evade the follow-up kick that landed squarely on his stomach. The force sent him flying like a sandbag, and he crashed heavily onto the stone pavement.
"It hurts…" The blow to his abdomen left Chu Xun gasping for air, his chest and stomach in excruciating pain. His head spun, and he couldn't get up for a long time.
That's right, Chu Xun was an ability user—an awakened one at that. However, he was still under sixteen, with a frail body. To make matters worse, his ability required the assimilation of insect genes to truly unleash its power. Until then, he was practically no different from an ordinary person. On the other hand, while Qing Yi wasn't an ability user, he was naturally strong and had received numerous rewards from Chu Qing for serving as his sparring partner. These rewards included crystal cores used to enhance his body. Combined with his countless fights and struggles to climb up from the bottom, Qing Yi's overall combat prowess far surpassed Chu Xun's current capabilities.
"You dare hit me?" It took a while for Chu Xun to catch his breath. He glared at Qing Yi, who stood a few meters away with a cold sneer on his face, and shouted through gritted teeth, "You're just a servant! How dare you lay a hand on me? Aren't you afraid of death?"
"Young Master Chu Xun, you shouldn't speak carelessly. I didn't hit you—I was merely following Master Chu Qing's orders to spar with you. Look how kind Master Chu Qing is to you! He even lent you his personal sparring partner to help you awaken sooner. Shouldn't you hand over those crystal cores as a token of gratitude?" Hearing Chu Xun's words, Qing Yi suddenly laughed and shrugged, clearly not taking Chu Xun seriously.
"B*st*rd…" Qing Yi's words made Chu Xun's expression turn even uglier.
Yes, Qing Yi had hit him, but so what? Who would dare offend a prodigy like Chu Qing, who had awakened his ability at the age of twelve, for the sake of a soon-to-be sixteen-year-old who hadn't awakened his ability and was considered a waste? Moreover, Chu Qing's father, Chu Han, was the financial director of the Chu family, while Chu Xun's father had already died in battle. In this ruthless family, no one would stand on Chu Xun's side.
At this thought, Chu Xun suddenly had an epiphany. Indeed, in this cruel world, only those with sufficient strength would be respected. A weak person was destined to be bullied and humiliated, even by a mere servant who dared to insult him without hesitation.
"I must become stronger, I must!" At this moment, Chu Xun's desire to grow powerful burned brighter than ever. In his previous life, he had already endured the humiliation of being part of the weak and oppressed. In this life, he was determined to become a powerhouse, to crush all those despicable and shameless individuals beneath his feet.
"Young Master Chu Xun, still can't get up? Do you need my help?" However, while ideals are beautiful, reality is cruel. Just then, Qing Yi walked over and stomped his foot on Chu Xun's body, pinning him mercilessly to the ground. With a sinister grin, he sneered, "You're destined to be a waste. Why hold onto those crystal cores? Just hand them over, and you'll be free, won't you?"