His eyes blazed with excitement. Truly, when you seek something with great effort, it often falls into your lap when you least expect it! So many discarded god remains—were they not a gift just for him? A divine blessing! He really was the chosen one!
Qin Siyang glanced around; no one was approaching. Unlike the familiar beef and mutton he ate daily, the god remains stirred a twinge of reluctance in him. But the thought of verifying his Blood Feast skill—of growing stronger endlessly through god remains—filled him with anticipation.
He clenched his fists, forcing down his physical discomfort. He'd made up his mind to try. In the face of intense desire, all instincts faded into the background. "No quests to complete, no sacrifices to make—just eating scraps of gods. What's there to complain about?"
He remembered reading on Godslayer Camp that humans who ate god remains felt no effects. They were substances beyond human biological comprehension—indigestible and unabsorbable, even for those with Awakened Sequence Abilities. If he could truly digest them, he was the luckiest man alive!
Closing his eyes, he took a bite and swallowed the god remains whole. To his surprise, though the remains looked repulsive, they tasted surprisingly good—no worse than the cafeteria food. He couldn't tell if the god flesh was genuinely decent, or if the cafeteria cook was just that bad.
"I was bracing myself to choke down something terrible, wondering how much I could stomach. But since it's actually flavorful, I won't hold back!" Qin Siyang opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. His mental status panel appeared:
[Sequence: God-Eater]
[Grow stronger by digesting gods]
[Current Sequence Level: 1, Glutton]
[Skill: Blood Feast. Description: Can digest raw gods.]
"Why isn't there any change?!"
Just then, a gurgling sound erupted from his chest—like a spring bursting through gravel after being trapped for ages, surging with pent-up water. The sensation spread rapidly throughout his body, followed by sharp, throbbing pain. It felt as if a torrential current was rushing through his narrow blood vessels, threatening to tear his muscles apart. His body twitched uncontrollably, muscles spasming wildly.
After about a minute, the pain faded. He felt his arm muscles twitch twice before settling. "What was that?" Curious whether the change was good or bad, he took off his coat and inspected his arm. Though it looked nearly the same, Qin Siyang—intimately familiar with his own body—noticed his muscles had grown slightly bulkier. He also felt more energetic overall, and even his food-stuffed schoolbag felt lighter.
"This…" He checked his status panel again, but it remained unchanged. Yet his body screamed that something inexplicable had shifted. A reasonable explanation quickly dawned on him: "The God-Eater description wasn't lying. I really did get stronger after eating the god remains. It's just that this small boost isn't enough to show up on the panel."
From the forum, he'd learned that Sequence Ability users experienced significant physical enhancements after taking Sequence Potions—exactly what he was feeling now. The effect confirmed it: his experiment to verify the God-Eater's growth method had succeeded. A good start was half the battle!
Qin Siyang grinned greedily, rubbing his hands as he stared at the remaining god remains. Unable to wait, he grabbed another piece and swallowed it in one bite. The torrential sensation surged through him again. Moments later, he examined his body excitedly—the signs of increased strength were even more obvious. "I'm stronger now, and more alert!"
A smile tugged at his lips. He didn't hesitate, diving into the feast. Were these god remains in a trash can? No—they were his first pot of gold! Still, he didn't get carried away. He ate carefully, keeping his clothes clean. Stained with blood, he'd attract unwanted attention on the way home, and he had no way to explain it.
At the same time, he kept a wary eye on his surroundings, fearing someone might spot his bizarre behavior. "Strength comes with secrecy. I must guard the secret of my Sequence Ability." His past life as a worker had taught him the cruelty of human nature—even if you meant no harm, jealousy could drive others to betray you behind your back. With such a unique ability, he had to be cautious, never revealing it lightly.
Qin Siyang gorged himself, savoring the throbbing sensation that spread through his body with each bite. What started as unbearable pain gradually softened, even becoming somewhat addictive. "Damn it—am I into pain?!" He cursed silently, warning himself not to get lost in the twisted pleasure.
Then he noticed a problem: despite eating so much, he felt no fullness. "That's strange. I've eaten a ton, but I'm not full… In fact, I'm still a little hungry?!" It confirmed his earlier guess: eating gods only boosted his strength, not his physical hunger. No wonder the skill said "digest" instead of "absorb"—they were entirely different.
The disappearance of the god remains from the trash might attract attention. The priority was to convert them into strength as quickly as possible to avoid trouble. Qin Siyang quickened his pace, gobbling down the remains by the trash can. After over an hour, he'd eaten all thirty-odd pieces. His strength and overall condition had undergone a qualitative change.
But he didn't linger to savor his newfound power. He found a puddle nearby, washing the blood off his hands and face, then hurried home without hesitation. The physical improvements were stark: he covered the two-hour journey in just one hour, feeling no fatigue at all. Yet despite cutting the time in half, his anxiety made the walk feel endless—as if an entire day had passed.
By the time he reached home, he was mentally drained, as if he'd worked a full day. Slumping onto his cardboard-box sofa, he finally relaxed. It was night, and his stomach growled with hunger. As soon as he closed the door, he opened his schoolbag and grabbed a portion of six-eyed longfish rice to eat.
The moment he took a bite, he frowned in disgust. "The cafeteria's consistency is impressive—still terrible." He complained but finished the meal anyway, tossing the box into the sink. Normally, he'd wash it, but since it was the weekend and he didn't need to take it to school, he allowed himself to be lazy.
Qin Siyang burped, pouring himself a glass of hot water to aid digestion. As he set the kettle down, it slipped from his hand, tumbling toward the floor. In his eyes, the kettle's fall slowed to a crawl—he could clearly track its entire descent, even the way water droplets抖动 and fell mid-air. He reached out, catching it effortlessly.
"I seem much faster! My senses have improved too!" He placed the kettle back on the table, then froze—there was a deep handprint etched into its surface. "Did I do that?! My strength has increased too?" He squeezed the kettle gently; it didn't deform. But when he focused on bending it, the metal warped in his grip. "And I can control my strength at will?!"
He remembered the forum mentioning that he could visit the Sequence Ability Administration for information, but only if he could prove he was an Ability user. He had no plans to reveal his powers anytime soon—at least not until he understood them better. So Godslayer Camp remained his only source of information.
But accessing the forum required an internet-connected computer or phone—luxuries he couldn't afford. His only option was the internet café, and even ten copper coins for half an hour was a fortune. In the impoverished edge of the safe zone, adults fought over every job opening; there were no part-time positions for students.
His only income came from part-time work at the school library—ten copper coins a week. Fortunately, Teacher Zhu at the library knew about his situation and took special care of him, reserving the only librarian position for him. Next week, when school resumed, he'd go back to organizing books.
Qin Siyang walked to the window, staring at the endless night outside and the countless gods wandering the sky. A smile played on his lips. "If I could eat all of them, I can't even imagine how strong I'd become!" Today had been fulfilling, giving the reborn Qin Siyang hope. He began to believe—he really was the chosen one in this world.
He washed his dusty coat, took a cold shower, and went to bed. The next morning, he woke up, staring at his toned arms and legs with a wide smile. "What should I do today? Go back to that trash can for more god remains?" The thought crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed.
The disappearance of the remains from Exit 114514's trash might have attracted attention—trouble he didn't need. Yet he had no clue how to hunt gods outside the safe zone. If he couldn't defeat them and ended up as prey instead of predator, there'd be no one to blame.
After thinking for a moment, he slapped his forehead. "Hit and run—if one trash can's empty, just find another!"
The safe zone was enormous—so vast that even Ju'an School's geography teacher didn't have a complete map. Naturally, Qin Siyang had no idea how the safe zone exits were distributed. He only knew the rough location of Exit 114514 because it was relatively close to him. Out of the over 100,000 numbered exits, this was the only one he was aware of.
Why would an ordinary person pay attention to exit locations unless they planned to latch onto a Sequence Ability user? Fortunately, this wasn't a pressing issue. He remembered there was a route map at the bus stop near the main road—chances were, it marked the safe zone exits.
On previous weekends, Qin Siyang had just lazed at home to reduce energy consumption and eat less. But this weekend was destined to be different. He was filled with fighting spirit, driven by a single belief: get stronger. Only by growing stronger could he escape this miserable place!
Slinging his food-stuffed schoolbag over his shoulder, Qin Siyang walked for over ten minutes to reach the bus stop. It was his first time there—too poor to afford meals, he'd never been able to pay for a bus ride. In his memory, after the apocalypse, the poor walked on foot in the safe zone, while the wealthy took buses. As for private cars? Gasoline was even scarcer than electricity, and no one in the safe zone's edge could afford such a luxury.
He stared at the route map at the bus stop for a long time, noticing that many station names were named after safe zone exits. The only bus route on the edge passed several exits, all with smaller numbers than 114514. He wasn't sure which exit to head to—he'd play it by ear.
Having never taken a bus in this life, he had no idea how far one stop was. "Sigh, if only orphans could ride buses for free," Qin Siyang shook his head helplessly at the five-copper fare. He'd spent his last ten copper coins at the internet café yesterday.
"Five copper coins one way, ten round trip—I might as well use that money to check more info at the internet café." Qin Siyang set out to measure the distance between bus stops on foot, needing to figure out which exits were within walking range.
He walked along the bus route for twenty minutes to reach the next stop. "The bus stops here seem much farther apart than in my previous life." After eating the god remains yesterday, his strength had increased, and his walking speed was far faster than the average person. When no one was around, he quickened his pace even more, moving at full speed. Even so, he could only cover three stops in an hour.
Now that he knew the distance per stop, he had a rough idea of his range. "The 7th stop is Exit 54320, the 17th is Exit 89757, and the 20th is Exit 38324. It looks like these three are the only ones I can reach to look for god remains."
"The farthest one, Exit 38324, will let me get home by tomorrow. Any farther, and I might not make it back before Monday—meaning I can't get to school on time." On Monday, Qin Siyang had to go to school early to inform the librarian he planned to continue his part-time work. Otherwise, someone else would take the position, and he'd have no money for the internet café.
After thinking it over, Qin Siyang decided to head to Exit 54320 first to check the situation. The one-hour-and-forty-minute walk didn't tire him at all—he even felt more energetic as he went. Material and spiritual abundance were often separate; when a person had hope, they tackled everything with enthusiasm, even with the dim streetlights casting a oppressive atmosphere around him.
Technically, it was daytime, but the sun had disappeared ten years ago. Even in the early morning, the sky remained perpetually midnight-dark. Infrastructure on the safe zone's edge was shoddy—on the main road he walked, a dim streetlight stood every few dozen meters, barely illuminating a few steps ahead. The alleys beside it were pitch-black, requiring him to feel his way forward.
Looking up, he could faintly see stars through the safe zone's anti-aircraft glass, along with the occasional god gliding past. A cold wind cut through his thin layers of clothing, brushing against his skin and raising goosebumps all over his body. Qin Siyang pulled his collar up to cover his face, shielding it from the direct wind, and continued walking quickly.
After walking seven stops, he reached Exit 54320. With a number over 50,000 smaller than 114514, it should have had far more Sequence Ability users hunting gods here. As soon as he arrived, he climbed onto a dilapidated, elevated building to survey the area.
Sure enough, nearly a hundred Sequence Ability users in cold-proof suits loitered at the exit—far more than at Exit 114514. Ordinary people like him surrounded the area, packing it tightly; there must have been nearly 10,000 people. He glanced at the crowd and the Sequence Ability users talking in the center—no one noticed him.
Qin Siyang pretended to wander aimlessly nearby, searching for trash cans containing god remains. Finally, a block away from the exit, he spotted them. The trash cans here were far larger than those at Exit 114514. If Exit 114514's trash can was a fancy dinner party, the trash area at Exit 54320 was a grand feast fit for an emperor.
Seven or eight trash cans lined up in a row, each filled to the brim with god remains—all kinds of bizarre shapes and sizes, making Qin Siyang's mouth water. If he could empty all these trash cans, wouldn't his strength skyrocket? His heart raced as he thought about how to clear them out as quickly as possible.
But then he noticed two cleaners covered in bloodstains beside the trash station. Qin Siyang planned to wait in the distance until they left. However, the moment he entered their line of sight, both looked up at him simultaneously. After a brief eye contact, they went back to cleaning the trash cans.
Qin Siyang's heart tightened, and he changed his plan. He didn't stop, continuing to walk toward the trash cans and the two cleaners. Pretending to be a passing student, he strolled casually past them without looking back. The cleaners glanced at him—his simple clothes and young face didn't raise their suspicions.
Only after walking far away, completely leaving the block, did Qin Siyang breathe a sigh of relief. "What's going on?! Why are there people guarding the trash cans?! And they're in plain clothes! Did the uniformed recorder report me yesterday? Are the trash cans really being watched?"
When he'd locked eyes with the two men, his nerves had been on edge. Though he'd kept a straight face, he'd observed them carefully, his mind racing. He realized they were definitely not ordinary cleaners. The stains on their clothes were too deliberately dirty.
The god remains in the trash cans had long been separated from the bodies, their blood drained during the hunt. The cleaner he'd seen at Exit 114514 yesterday had only been a little dusty. Even with more remains at Exit 54320, there shouldn't have been so much blood on the trash cans. But these two were covered in bloodstains, as if they'd just killed someone—nothing like real cleaners. It was clearly intentional overkill.
Furthermore, they'd both looked up at him at the same time, even though he'd been far from the trash cans. The moment their eyes met, Qin Siyang could tell they were highly alert. Cleaners only needed to do their jobs—why would they be vigilantly scanning their surroundings? And both of them were doing it!
"Maybe the disappearance of the god remains from the trash can last night attracted attention! Perhaps these remains are being recycled for other uses?" His earlier worry hadn't been unfounded. In just one night, the United Government had launched an investigation into the matter. He didn't need to guess—Exit 114514's trash can was definitely guarded by more plainclothes officers waiting for him.
Qin Siyang sighed. "Would it have been less troublesome if I'd only taken one god remains yesterday?" But taking one a day, while seemingly safer, would have required over thirty trips to the trash can to reach his current strength. Making that many trips would have increased the risk of being caught red-handed. It had been more practical to take all of them in one go—exactly why he'd cleaned out the trash can yesterday.
Qin Siyang knew his plan to get god remains from trash cans might be ruined, but he didn't give up completely. While he had a favorable impression of the United Government, he doubted the efficiency of its lower-level staff. Otherwise, why hadn't Ju'an School offered courses on Sequence Ability users yet?
Maybe the situation hadn't escalated enough to cut off all his chances. "Well, no luck with the trash cans here. I'll keep going and try my luck further ahead! Even if I don't find anything, I've already grown much stronger from yesterday's haul—it's not a loss!"
Qin Siyang left Exit 54320, continuing along the bus route toward the distance. The next exit was Exit 89757, ten stops away. "Ten stops… sigh, that's another three hours of walking. I wonder if I can get home today. I might have to sleep outside."