Hangzhou No. 1 High School.
Nearly five thousand high school seniors, clad in their identical school uniforms, were divided into ten massive columns across the central sports field. Every student stood with their head tilted back, gazing at the elevated platform at the front, their eyes shimmering with a mix of anxiety and longing.
"The moment is finally here."
Standing amidst the crowd, Ye Feng felt a surge of adrenaline. His face mirrored the excitement of those around him; clearly, he had been anticipating this day just as much as anyone else.
The Fusion Awakening Device was a mysterious creation, born from the collaboration between clandestine extraterrestrial entities and Earth's top scientists. It was designed to detect the unique latent energy within a human body and, based on the individual's specific constitution, grant them a corresponding monster power.
...
Atop the high platform, a specialized machine shaped like a hoop floated in the air, emitting a steady, pulsating dark-purple glow. It bore a striking resemblance to the "Orb Ring" found on the peak of the Warrior's Summit on Planet O-50.
Standing before the ring was a visibly trembling male student. Under the watchful eye of the proctor, he slowly reached out and thrust his right hand into the center of the massive, glowing circle.
In the next instant, the dark-purple ring flared with a blinding, dark-red light.
Though the radiance was piercing, no one in the audience looked away. They stared intently at the glow, trying to decipher its meaning. The light itself was the confirmation: this boy possessed the compatibility required to awaken a monster's power. The red light was simply the process of matching him with his destiny.
On stage, the boy's hand seemed to grasp something within the light. He pulled his hand back sharply, revealing a metallic card resting in his palm.
The proctor's face broke into a wide, triumphant grin. He turned to the sea of students and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Zhou Fei! Awakening successful! Monster: Golza!!!"
The proctor's voice carried a hint of genuine thrill. The fact that the student had awakened Golza was undoubtedly fantastic news.
In this world, when a card was manifested, it didn't always contain a "Monster"; sometimes, it contained an "Alien."
Generally speaking, those who awakened a Monster had an extremely high probability of being able to undergo "Gigantification." Because monsters were naturally massive species, the fusion process allowed the user to reach giant proportions almost instinctively, without needing external energy reinforcement. However, while the probability was high, it wasn't a guarantee; the results varied from person to person.
Aliens (Extraterrestrials) were different. Their natural forms were roughly the same size as humans. While an alien fusion would grant a massive boost to physical attributes and combat prowess, very few possessed the innate ability to grow to giant size. That didn't mean they couldn't become giants, but doing so usually required undergoing energy-level enhancement training provided by the TPC.
Even with TPC assistance, "Giant Aliens" remained rare.
However, the advantages of an Alien fusion were distinct. Because their skeletal structure was similar to a human's, they could fully utilize human combat techniques. If a Monster-user and an Alien-user—both trained in the same martial arts or Sanda—were to fight at giant scale, the Monster-user would be at a disadvantage. Their massive, beastly bodies were often too cumbersome to execute complex martial maneuvers. The Alien-user, meanwhile, could move with human-like precision and agility.
The Monsters had their own edge, of course. Upon transformation, they possessed the innate ability to fire devastating energy beams or heat rays. For example, now that Zhou Fei had fused with Golza, he would be capable of firing the signature Ultrasonic Heat Ray.
There was one more catch: Monsters could not shrink. Once transformed, they were locked into their massive size, which limited where they could operate. Aliens, provided they could giantize, could freely scale their bodies between human and giant proportions. The trade-off was that most Aliens lacked the ability to fire energy beams.
Both paths had their strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of which one a person awakened, as long as they were willing to put in the effort, they could become a vital asset to humanity.
After his success, Zhou Fei was asked a few brief questions by the proctor before being escorted to the designated TPC area where the officials were gathered.
In truth, since the year 2000, the "College Entrance Exam" had become the moment that decided a person's fate. Students essentially had two paths: enter a standard university or apply for the TPC Specialized Training Academy (which required its own rigorous testing).
Those who successfully awakened an Alien or Monster card were required to enter TPC official service. Even if they chose not to become frontline combatants later in life, their future was essentially guaranteed.
As for those who failed to awaken a card, the TPC Academy still accepted a portion of the "unwilling to be ordinary" applicants. These individuals would be funneled into the Defense Force, Scientific Research, or Logistics. Their lives would be significantly better than those of the average civilian, though the entry barriers were high. It was the only way for a common person to rise above their station.
The ceremony continued. Student after student was called forward. Nearly a thousand had already gone up, yet only about a dozen had successfully awakened a power. Roughly two hundred of the "failures" had opted to apply for the TPC Academy's non-combat roles.
"Ye Feng, do you think I should join the TPC if I don't awaken anything?"
The speaker was a boy standing in front of Ye Feng. He wasn't bad-looking, but he lacked any distinguishing features. His name was Li Zheng, one of the few friends Ye Feng actually hung out with. Because Ye Feng had top-tier grades and was always decisive, Li Zheng often turned to him for advice when he was conflicted.
For most people, the question wasn't just about awakening a power; it was a choice between being a "Civilian" or a "Member of the Elite."
As a civilian, you could live a quiet life, but you would be nothing more than an ant if a monster appeared—completely powerless to resist. As a member of the TPC elite, you gained status and protection, but you were almost certain to face danger. Even logistics and research personnel weren't entirely safe. There were plenty of cases where "dead" monsters being hauled away by logistics teams suddenly mutated or revived, killing the crew. Researchers, too, lived with the constant risk of a lab accident ending their lives.
At least they were issued weapons and had the means to defend themselves, but the danger was ever-present.
Ye Feng understood his friend's dilemma. After a moment of thought, he replied, "No matter what, if you have the chance to enter the TPC, take it. At the very least, you'll have the power to protect yourself."
Honestly, in a world overrun by monsters, how could anyone sleep soundly without holding some form of power in their own hands? Ye Feng certainly couldn't. For eighteen years, he had lived cautiously, constantly looking over his shoulder, terrified that a stray monster might step on him while he slept. In his eyes, self-preservation was the only way to survive.
"Is that so? Then... I'll give it my best shot," Li Zheng muttered, scratching his head, still looking unsure of his own capabilities.
Ye Feng didn't respond. The difficulty of joining the TPC was relative; it all depended on which department you aimed for. The Rescue Corps, for instance, accepted almost any healthy person who could pass the knowledge training. The real question wasn't about "trying his best," but whether Li Zheng was brave enough to stop running from the reality of their world.
'What if I don't awaken anything?' Ye Feng wondered. 'Surely not... I'm a Transmigrator, and my physique is way beyond normal. It wouldn't make sense...'
Influenced by the heavy atmosphere, even the usually confident Ye Feng was starting to feel a twinge of doubt. A person's state of mind is rarely immune to their environment.
"Qin Yuxin! Monster: Lithra! Awakening successful!!!"
While Ye Feng was lost in self-doubt, another student successfully manifested a card. He recognized the name instantly—she was the perennial "Rank 2" student of the senior year.
Ye Feng looked up. Even in the generic school uniform, Qin Yuxin's beauty was undeniable. She had long, straight black hair, porcelain skin, and lips as red as cherries. She looked like the quintessential "delicate girl next door."
But everyone at school knew better. Behind that soft exterior was a fiercely competitive and disciplined woman. No one was fooled by the surface.
Immediately, the crowd's curiosity shifted to the only person who outranked her: Ye Feng. Would the eternal Rank 1 succeed? This guy wasn't just a genius in the classroom; he was the undisputed champion of every athletic event. It was almost unfair.
There's a Western saying that when God closes a door, He opens a window. But for Ye Feng, God seemed to have left the doors, windows, and the garage wide open.
After her successful awakening, the proctor asked for her intentions. When she expressed her eagerness to join the TPC, the official nodded with satisfaction. Not everyone who awakened a power wanted to go to war, and since the TPC wasn't the "Old United States," they couldn't force people to fight.
As the next student stepped up, Qin Yuxin glanced down at the crowd. Her eyes locked onto Ye Feng, and she cocked an eyebrow in a clear gesture of provocation. She was itching for a rematch.
"Ye Feng, looks like Qin Yuxin wants a piece of you. She definitely isn't bowing down yet."
"Of course she isn't. She's been the runner-up for three years. Now that she's finally got an edge, she's gotta rub it in."
"Don't mind her. She can only act tough for a little while. With Ye Feng's stats, he'll crush her whether he gets an Alien or a Monster."
The speakers were a group of the school's "delinquents." They were only talking Ye Feng up because he had already "physically persuaded" them into submission long ago. The rivalry between the Rank 1 and Rank 2 students was common knowledge, and everyone knew Qin Yuxin was nursing a three-year-old grudge.
Ye Feng gave Qin Yuxin a helpless smile and rolled his eyes at the delinquents, signaling them to shut up. Deep down, he knew these "bad boys" weren't actually evil; after three years of knowing them, they were actually quite straightforward.
"Next! Class 12-2... Ye Feng!"