In the year 2000, the world was suddenly engulfed by a colossal black bird. The sun was devoured by this entity, which humans dubbed "Deities." Trapped in a realm surrounded by these "Deities," mankind clung to survival in the cracks. As the "Deities" slaughtered humans, the dwindling remnants of humanity pooled their final strength to create Safe Zones capable of repelling the Deities.
 
During this desperate struggle, some individuals unexpectedly awakened sequence abilities. When the first man discovered his hand could transform into a pistol, he initially deemed it useless. But when the pistol miraculously harmed a Deity, humanity realized the truth: even nuclear weapons had failed to injure these beings, yet Ordinal abilities could effortlessly wound them. Those who awakened sequences were elevated as saviors of society.
 
The protagonist, reborn into this world, lived in the poorest reaches of the Safe Zones, surviving on United Nations rations. While sequence awakeners were seen as "chosen ones," he miraculously awakened his own ability:
Sequence: God-Eater
—the sole Ordinal power capable of gaining strength by devouring Deity carcasses.
 
Ordinary sequences required endless Deity hunting and consuming UN-distributed magic elixirs to level up. Yet he could digest and assimilate Deity remains, which were universally considered inedible. To avoid being captured for experimentation, he concealed his power, growing stronger in the shadows while gradually consuming every last Deity.

Streetlights flickered weakly beneath bomb-resistant glass panels like fireflies trampled by divine feet. Qin Siyang's school shoes stepped across patches of light and shadow until his toe suddenly splashed through a puddle—a mirror left by last night's rain, reflecting the brightest building at the safe zone's edge.


Twelve-meter-tall halogen lamp arrays pierced through the morning mist, heating the titanium plaque engraved with "Ju'an School" to a scorching glow. This was the only facility within a twenty-kilometer radius daring to maintain round-the-clock electricity. Even internet café owners sometimes timed their lights with stopwatches to save power.


Qin Siyang's eyes burned with afterimages from the harsh light. Squinting, he counted the classroom windows: though the safe zone remained backward, the school building stood like a castle amid ruins. The Coalition Government prioritized education, knowing it essential to confront deities. Their decree echoed clearly—every child deserved equal schooling, for any might grow to become humanity's hero.


Morning self-study ran from 8:00 to 8:15. Freshly awakened to his Sequence, he had risen early. Even after lingering at the internet café and grabbing cafeteria food, he arrived too soon. Rusted iron chairs creaked at the classroom's rear.


When Qin Siyang squeezed into the chalk-dusted corner, the girl at the front desk immediately scooted half a meter forward. The ink-stained hollow in his desk perfectly cradled the rock-hard bread from the cafeteria.


Classmates flipped open textbooks to review lessons. Qin Siyang rested his cheek on one hand, staring through the window at deities flickering past the safe zone's border. Could he defeat them? What flavor might a deity carry?


Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Ju'an School—Fireflies and Crucible