"Today, an incident of a fatal attack with a weapon occurred in the Bafang Community of CS City. The suspect, Chu Xun, male, 16 years old, from CS, is suspected of retaliating against the family of the person involved in a major traffic accident some time ago, resulting in two deaths and three injuries. The suspect has been shot and killed by the police, and the injured have been sent to the hospital for treatment. The police urge citizens to approach traffic accident cases rationally and assure that the police will handle the case fairly and impartially…"
—CS Evening News.
…
Chu Xun sat on the bed, his gaze dazed, and his mind was in chaos.
The environment around him was unfamiliar, and it seemed like he was in a hospital room. His memories were all mixed up. As he tried to recall, he could barely remember the scene of special police bursting into the room and shooting him dead. The rest were scattered memories that didn't belong to him at all.
He wasn't sure how much time passed, but eventually, the fragmented memories in his head slowly pieced together, and he finally understood the situation.
"It seems like heaven is still watching over me…" Slowly clenching his fists, a trace of excitement appeared on Chu Xun's pale face as he reflected on the memories that had appeared in his mind.
The memory was clear: after avenging his parents' deaths, he had indeed been killed by the special police who arrived soon after. But what he never expected was that his death was not the end, but rather a new beginning.
He had crossed over!
The world he was in was also called Earth, but it was vastly different from the Earth he had come from.
Hundreds of years ago, a biological virus codenamed "T" opened the gates of destruction for humanity, signaling the arrival of the apocalypse.
The gates of the apocalypse were opened, and countless powerful and cunning creatures began to ravage the Earth, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction!
Thus, Earth officially entered an era of chaos, known as the "Era of Chaos."
It was an age full of infinite possibilities. In this world, the power of viruses granted humans the ability to awaken extraordinary powers. Strong ability users could move mountains and control the sky, living in luxury, enjoying wealth and beauties, and even achieving immortality!
Every man dreams of becoming strong, and Chu Xun was no exception. After avenging his parents, he had nothing left to tie him down. Now that fate had given him a new life, he was determined to seize this opportunity to become a superpower and live an extraordinary future!
This wasn't arrogance, nor was it a pipe dream, for after organizing his memories, Chu Xun discovered something that had appeared in his mind!
"The Super Savior System!"
Where the Savior System came from, he didn't know. All he knew was that this system, although a constant sword of Damocles hanging over his life, also brought unlimited possibilities to his life!
"Mainline Task of the System: The host must pacify the apocalypse and help human civilization regain control over Earth."
"Mainline tasks are divided into different stages. Each stage must be completed within a limited time. If the task is not completed in time, the host will be eradicated."
"Current Mainline Task 1-1: Begin the Journey—Pass the Low-Level Student Assessment and take first place!"
"Task Description: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. To become a qualified savior, personal strength is essential. Completing the student assessment and taking first place will be the first step in your journey."
"Task Reward: Unlock the lottery system and grant one lucky lottery chance."
"Task Penalty: Eradication!"
Pacifying the apocalypse and helping humanity regain control over Earth was a task so difficult it could drive one to despair. Even the task of taking first place in the low-level student assessment, for Chu Xun at this moment, seemed as difficult as climbing to the sky!
After all, the students taking the assessment were all ability users who had successfully awakened. Some of these students, with their powerful talents or strong backgrounds, had even evolved their powers once, becoming true second-tier powerhouses. Taking first place from these people was no easy task.
And if he failed, the penalty of eradication would bring a permanent end to his new life!
But in contrast to the high difficulty of the task and the brutal penalty, the system also granted him powerful abilities and various rewards. Not only would completing each stage of the task earn corresponding rewards, but the talent ability granted at the start of the mainline task was already enough to open the door to becoming a strong individual.
Ability—"Insect Body": Able to merge insect genes and transform his body, with the potential to activate insect abilities.
Insects were the smallest, yet also some of the most powerful creatures on this world!
An ant can lift more than 400 times its body weight and carry objects that are 1700 times its own weight, a force so immense it's terrifying!
A tiny flea can jump 200 times its body length, making it the true champion of jumping in nature!
The nearly invisible tardigrade, on the other hand, is one of the most resilient organisms in nature, capable of surviving extreme conditions, including 150°C heat, nearly absolute zero (-273°C), high radiation, vacuum, or high-pressure environments for minutes or even days.
And there were also the abilities of earthworms to regenerate their bodies, desert locusts' ability to fly, the blood-sucking power of tongue flies, the mimicking ability of swallowtail butterflies, and more…
These insect genes were unimaginable forces, and once Chu Xun successfully merged these genes, he would have endless possibilities for evolution!
With this potential, Chu Xun felt an overwhelming confidence for his future. No matter how difficult the task or how harsh the world, he was determined to become the strongest, to create his own legend in this world!
Screech!
Just then, the door to the room suddenly opened, and a beautiful young woman in a white doctor's coat entered. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with fair skin, a cute face, and a tall, graceful figure. Even the loose doctor's coat couldn't completely hide her curves, and her perfect white legs were enough to captivate anyone's attention.
But the only downside was that the beautiful doctor's expression was extremely indifferent. She glanced at the data on the instruments by Chu Xun's side and then looked at him with the same detached gaze one would give a specimen. Coldly, she said, "Looks like you're fine now. In that case, just leave. Don't waste any more medical resources."
"Alright, Dr. Nangong!" With the memories of the original body fused with his own, Chu Xun recognized the doctor immediately. He also knew that this beautiful doctor was a very cold and indifferent woman. So without hesitation or unnecessary words, he nodded and walked towards the door.
Now that he had awakened his abilities, rather than wasting time in the medical facility, it was better to find suitable insect genes to consume and gain the strength for self-preservation.
"Eh, this kid... he seems a bit different." Watching Chu Xun walk out of the room without hesitation, Dr. Nangong Yan's beautiful eyes revealed a hint of confusion. This wasn't the first time this kid had been hospitalized. Usually, even when he woke up, he was reluctant to leave the medical facility and had to be forced out to face other students. Why was he so eager to leave today?
"Seems like the near-death experience really does change a person. Hmm, this kid should be almost sixteen now, right? If he fails the awakening test, maybe I'll just take him as a subject for my experiments..." Shaking her head, Dr. Nangong didn't bother thinking too much. For her, the change in a student wasn't something worth caring about.
"What gene should I choose to consume..." Walking home, Chu Xun was already planning his next steps for strengthening himself. The annual low-level student assessment would soon begin, and he had to become strong enough before it started, or he would be doomed...
"Heh, Chu Xun, you finally dared to leave the hospital?" Just then, a person suddenly blocked Chu Xun's path. The man, in his twenties, was muscular and had a menacing look, with a long scar across his face, making him quite intimidating. He smirked at Chu Xun and slowly clenched his fists, the sound of bones cracking in the air.
"It's you?" Chu Xun frowned slightly upon seeing the muscular man.
From his memories, this was his cousin, Chu Qing, who had knocked him unconscious before. And this man was Chu Qing's top lackey, Qing Yi.
"Of course, it's me, Chu Xun. I've been waiting for you for a long time. Young Master Chu Qing ordered me to get the crystal core from you. If you don't hand it over, I'll just have to help you practice your martial arts. After all, the medical facility is close, and if you get hurt during practice, we can quickly send you back for treatment, no big deal." Qing Yi sneered. To him, Chu Xun might be from the Chu family, but in front of his master, he was just an ATM.
As the heir to the Chu family, before turning sixteen, Chu Xun would receive ten standard crystal cores a month from the family. These cores, obtained from zombies or mutated beasts, were a mix of virus and life energy, capable of enhancing one's abilities or physical strength. Therefore, crystal cores had become a form of currency among human settlements.
A person who possessed ten crystal cores but had failed to awaken their abilities by sixteen was considered weak and had become a target for exploitation by other heirs of the Chu family. Just like Chu Qing, who had awakened his powers at twelve and possessed the "Diamond Body" ability, making him much stronger than Chu Xun. Therefore, Chu Xun had been unwilling to resist Chu Qing's extortion before. However, as he neared sixteen, he was no longer willing to hand over the crystal cores, which led to him being beaten and hospitalized.
After all, if he didn't awaken his abilities by the age of sixteen, he would be destined to be a waste for the rest of his life!
In this brutal world, survival of the fittest prevailed. Internal strife among family members was allowed, even extortion, as long as no one killed each other. This way, resources could be concentrated in the hands of the strong, making the strong even stronger and the weak even weaker.
"Get out of my way!" Chu Xun was no longer as cowardly as the original owner of this body. Even on Earth, he had dared to fight back against injustice, so now, with his abilities awakened, he wasn't afraid of a mere servant!
"Heh, looks like Chu Xun is really growing up, huh?" Qing Yi grinned sinisterly when he heard Chu Xun's words. Then, he cracked his knuckles and said coldly, "But in this world, being tough isn't enough. You need to have a strong fist. Since you're so stubborn, I'll help you practice, just as Master Chu Qing instructed."
With that, Qing Yi didn't hesitate. He raised his huge fist and slammed it towards Chu Xun's face.
"Damn!" Chu Xun didn't expect that Qing Yi, a mere servant, would actually dare to fight him. His expression changed, and he quickly dodged the punch. However, Qing Yi's fighting experience and physique were far superior to Chu Xun's. Although Chu Xun narrowly avoided the punch, Qing Yi's follow-up kick struck him in the stomach, sending him flying like a sandbag, crashing heavily onto the stone-paved ground.
"Ouch..." Chu Xun gasped in pain. The blow to his abdomen almost knocked the air out of him, and the pain left him dizzy, unable to get up for a while.
Yes, he was an ability user, and a fully awakened one at that, but he was still under sixteen, weak, and worse, his abilities relied on merging insect genes before they could truly manifest. Until then, he was no different from a normal person. Qing Yi, on the other hand, was not an ability user, but he was naturally strong, had undergone body enhancements with crystal cores, and had fought countless battles. His overall combat ability was far superior to Chu Xun's.
"You dare hit me?" After a long while, Chu Xun finally caught his breath and glared at the mocking Qing Yi a few meters away. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "You, a mere servant, dare to lay a hand on me? Aren't you afraid of dying?"
"Young Master Chu Xun, you shouldn't speak carelessly. I didn't hit you, I was just following Young Master Chu Qing's orders to spar with you. Look at how considerate Chu Qing is—he's even sent me to spar with you to help you awaken faster. Why don't you quickly hand over the crystal core as a token of gratitude?" Qing Yi suddenly laughed and shrugged, clearly not taking Chu Xun seriously.
"Bastard..."