'What the fuck! How did I end up in a coffin?'
'Uncle Qin, goddammit! Didn't you say tomb raiding was perfectly safe, that all that talk about ghosts and spirits was just bullshit?'
BANG! BANG! BANG!
'Is anyone out there? A kind-hearted ghost would be fine too! Let me out, I'm freezing to death! Ch-ch-ch!'
Lin Xinghai was so cold his teeth were chattering. He felt as if the coffin were made of ice, the chill it radiated seeping straight into his bones.
'I shouldn't have been so greedy for a bit of cash, even if Uncle Qin did say any random antique from this tomb could sell for hundreds of thousands.'
'But am I the kind of person who would risk his life for a bit of cash?'
'If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would definitely...'
'...bring a Tomb Raider Captain with me!'
BANG! BANG! BANG!
In despair, Lin Xinghai banged on the walls of the coffin. He knew it was pointless, but it was better than just waiting to die...
CREAK!
Suddenly, the coffin lid opened!
The light from outside was blinding, and he couldn't see what had opened the lid. He did, however, hear a voice—one that exploded by his ear like a clap of thunder.
"For fuck's sake, the cryo-system isn't even fully deactivated yet! What's the rush, trying to get reincarnated?"
Lin Xinghai was a little dazed...
'Is that a fully armed... soldier in front of me?'
'No, that's impossible. Soldiers are supposed to be strong, resolute, and reliable.'
'But this guy looked like a total thug. And what's with that expression on his face that just screams, 'I want to punch you'?'
However, his attention quickly shifted to his surroundings. He realized he wasn't lying in a cold coffin, but in a...
'What the hell is this thing? It looks super high-tech!'
'And up in the sky... are those drones flying around? But how can a person be standing on one?'
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps came from beside him.
He struggled to turn his head and saw a metal construct walk past his "coffin." 'Is that... a mini-Gundam?'
Pain!
The information overload was too much. Lin Xinghai was still in a daze when a sudden, piercing pain shot through his right arm.
At some point, the high-tech metal "coffin" had produced a needle, which was now inserted into his arm and injecting a red liquid.
As the red liquid was injected, the icy coldness in his body rapidly faded.
"Lin Xinghai, from Coastal City, Hua Country District, Earth Federation. Entered Shelter No. 83 in the year 2200. In 2210, due to the Shelter's energy reserves being nearly depleted, all residents collectively entered Hibernation Pods."
"Age at hibernation: 21. Genetic Assessment: B Level! Has decent training potential." The "soldier" muttered, reading Lin Xinghai's file from a light screen projected by the device on his wrist.
"Huh! A B Level Genetic Assessment. Hey kid, you interested in joining our Mercenary Corps to be cannon fodder—ahem, a brave warrior? I'm Roger. If you come with us, I'll have your back," Roger said, his face suddenly full of enthusiasm.
'Heh! Don't think I didn't hear what you just said,' Lin Xinghai instinctively shot back, but his full attention was fixed on the man's other words.
'Is that my file? Nothing is correct except for the name.'
'Wait a minute...'
'Did I time-travel?'
'Is this 200 years in the future?'
Lin Xinghai felt like his brain was mush. He didn't even know how he'd gotten up, only vaguely recalling that after he did, he saw a huge field of coffins—oh, wait, they were called Hibernation Pods.
Then, he followed the Mercenary named Roger and boarded a troop transport vehicle that had thick metal plates for armor.
As more and more people boarded, the transport vehicle soon filled up.
The heavy metal door shut, the lights inside the vehicle came on, and a spotlight focused on Roger.
After seeing Lin Xinghai onto the transport, Roger hadn't left. He was now the only Mercenary in the vehicle.
"Alright you White Pigs, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Roger. We are about to leave Shelter No. 83, and before we do, I'm going to tell you about the situation outside," Roger said.
"Who are you calling a White Pig?" someone immediately objected. A burly man, two meters tall, stood up and glared at Roger.
Roger took two steps forward, pulled the pistol from his waist, and patted the man's cheek with it. "I'm talking about you. And everyone else in this vehicle is a White Pig!" he said with contempt. "You got a problem with that?"
The burly man was both humiliated and furious, but the cold sensation from the body of the gun kept him from making a sound.
Roger glanced around at everyone in the vehicle before continuing slowly, "This isn't my personal insult to you. It's what all the apocalypse survivors out there call you people who've been asleep all this time."
Hearing the word "apocalypse," the expressions on many of the passengers' faces changed.
"Don't tell me the Great Cataclysm isn't over? Didn't the Earth Federation send you to rescue us?" someone asked, their wavering voice betraying their extreme unease.
"The Earth Federation collapsed."
Roger's single sentence caused an uproar of shocked gasps inside the vehicle, while Lin Xinghai just looked on, completely bewildered.
'What's the Earth Federation?'
"The Great Cataclysm is over. A year ago, the temperature on Earth's surface returned to normal, and the floods receded. But the planet's ecosystem has completely collapsed. And more importantly, countless man-eating monsters have appeared. We call them Zombies."
As Roger continued to speak, Lin Xinghai gradually came to understand the events that led to the apocalypse.
In the year 2200, Earth's population was constantly growing, but its resources were rapidly shrinking. Social conflicts were escalating, and covert friction between nations was incessant.
This nearly led to the outbreak of World War III.
Fortunately, the leaders of every nation were quite restrained. After sitting down to negotiate, the "Earth Federation" was ultimately established.
And in order to resolve these international conflicts, coupled with the fact that warp drive technology had matured, they set their sights on habitable planets in other star systems.
But this grand migration, which was destined to be recorded in human history, never happened. Because the apocalypse broke out.
No one knew how it started, but a sudden meteor shower directly reduced the Earth's population by 10%.
But that was only the beginning of the catastrophe. The ice at the North and South Poles melted, and seawater surged inland, submerging almost all low-lying cities.
Then came endless tornadoes sweeping across the globe, followed by an ice age that lasted for more than a decade.
This was the Great Cataclysm.
Such natural disasters were almost impossible for humanity to resist, so people fled into underground Shelters.
This was the full extent of the situation as known by the people of Shelter No. 83.
Then, three days after Shelter No. 83 was sealed, a type of creature never before documented suddenly appeared and spread across the entire globe.
These monsters seemed to be made of blood and were fundamentally unkillable. Even if you blew them to smithereens, they could rapidly reform.
Even more terrifying, they carried a horrifying virus. All creatures infected by this virus became like the walking dead.
Those are the Zombies!
"So that's the situation outside. Of course, it's hard for you to get a direct feel for it just from my description. But don't worry, it's a pretty long road to Star Shield Shelter—plenty of time for you White Pigs to learn what it's really like out there," Roger said, a mocking smile on his lips.
...
After Roger finished explaining the situation outside, a dead silence fell over the vehicle, followed by an uproar.
But with Roger present, the uproar was somewhat suppressed, eventually subsiding into hushed whispers among the crowd.
As a Transmigrator who didn't know the first thing about this world, Lin Xinghai naturally pricked up his ears, eavesdropping on their conversations to gather more information.
He soon learned that numbered shelters, like Shelter 83, were all small-scale facilities with basically no combat capability.
In contrast, places with proper names, like the Star Shield Shelter they were heading to, were medium-sized shelters.
Medium-sized shelters weren't just larger and better equipped; they even had military garrisons.
That was precisely why they could monitor the outside world and know so much.
However, this basic information was all Lin Xinghai managed to overhear. The rest was just a jumble of wild speculation.
Using the intel he had gathered, he began to think about his next steps.
Just as Roger had said, they were now a group of "White Pigs," completely powerless and at the mercy of others. He figured things wouldn't be much better once they reached the Star Shield Shelter.
He considered whether he should accept Roger's invitation to join his Mercenary Corps.
Although Lin Xinghai didn't know what kind of organization a Mercenary Corps was, it was clear that Mercenaries were allowed to carry guns. If he accepted the invitation...
'Wait, what did he say when we first met? That he was inviting me to be cannon fodder?'
But he believed that even if he joined their Mercenary Corps, he wouldn't actually be used as cannon fodder.
It was his B Level Genetic Assessment that had prompted the invitation in the first place.
But he still knew too little. Just how much potential did a B Level Genetic Assessment hold? Was their method of "cultivation" dangerous? He had no idea about any of this.
'I should wait and find a chance to sound him out,' Lin Xinghai silently decided.
Just then, the personnel carrier they were in seemed to start up. The sound of the engine was accompanied by a slight trembling of the vehicle's body.
At the same time, small "windows" opened in the thick Alloy walls all around them. These narrow, elongated slits were likely firing ports.
The firing ports were a bit narrow, but they were wide enough for those inside to get a clear view of the outside.
The number of personnel carriers parked outside was at least over 100.
In addition, there were more than ten special vehicles.
Lin Xinghai squinted, sizing them up. He guessed they were most likely Armored Vehicles, and the heavily armed occupants inside were probably real soldiers.
His gaze shifted further out. From his angle, he could see the entirety of Shelter 83. It was a structure that resembled a bird's nest.
'Wait, something seems off... Why is this Shelter so empty?'
Then the corner of his mouth twitched. In the distance, large machinery was cutting into the Shelter's Alloy outer walls, revealing the bare rock face behind them.
No wonder the Shelter was so empty. All its facilities had been dismantled, and now they weren't even sparing the walls and floors.
"In the apocalypse, every resource is precious," Roger said, having appeared beside him at some point.
Lin Xinghai fell silent. The world outside seemed even crueler than he had imagined.
「...」
But there was no time for him to get emotional. The engines starting meant it was time to leave. One by one, the personnel carriers lined up and drove out of the Shelter.
A moment later, it was their carrier's turn to move. As the vehicle drove on and his viewing angle changed, Lin Xinghai finally understood how these people had entered the underground Shelter.
They had actually used large-scale construction equipment to carve a road straight down to the underground level.
Yes, a road, not a tunnel, because it was simply too massive.
How to describe it?
A six-lane, two-way highway!
It was that spacious. Lin Xinghai could only marvel at the rapid advancement of technology.
After just two or three minutes, the vehicle reached the surface.
「...」
The surface environment could be described in one word: desolate.
As far as the eye could see, there were only ruined and collapsed buildings. There wasn't a speck of green, not a single living creature in sight. Even the sky was a hazy gray.
A cold wind gusted into the carrier, and Lin Xinghai felt a chill. 'Is this what Earth is like after the great catastrophe?'
The other people in the vehicle reacted even more poorly. Many of them started to cry, the hope in their eyes turning directly to despair.
After reaching the surface, the convoy formed several Defense Arrays and waited in place for another half hour.
The final wrap-up was only complete when the massive construction machines came up, hauling truckloads of Alloy steel.
The convoy officially set off for the Star Shield Shelter.
「...」
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
After driving for just over ten minutes, everyone faintly heard a bestial roar, but it was more unsettling than any animal cry.
'Could that... be the roar of a Zombie?' A guess immediately formed in Lin Xinghai's mind.
The roars grew closer and louder, seeming to merge into one continuous sound. If they were really Zombies, there had to be a lot of them—definitely more than a hundred.
When the sounds drew within a certain distance, they were immediately drowned out by a volley of machine-gun fire. The gunfire lasted for about half a minute, and when it stopped, the roars had vanished.
"Is it over?" someone asked in a low voice.
"Yep. It's over." Roger nodded, a strange smile playing on his lips. "Alright, White Pigs, time for your first lesson."
"What first lesson?" Seeing Roger's strange smile, many people had a bad feeling.
But Roger didn't answer. The personnel carrier continued forward and soon arrived at the site of the firefight.
Before they could get a clear look outside, the vehicle stopped, and the rear door opened.
It wasn't just their vehicle; the personnel carriers that followed did the same.
Then, the Shelter members were led out one by one.
"Next, I'm taking you over there. Every one of you has to touch those Zombies. That's your first lesson," Roger said, pointing to a pile of corpses not far away.
In terms of appearance, Zombies weren't all that different from humans, except for their pale skin and exceptionally long teeth and nails.
So, when the crowd looked in the direction Roger was pointing and saw the blood-soaked corpses, many of them threw up on the spot.
The women, in particular, vomited uncontrollably. After they were done, they retreated with pale faces, unwilling to even glance in that direction again.
"Everyone, line up and go touch the Zombies. Otherwise... Heh! You can just stay here and keep these corpses company!" Roger's voice rang out again. At that moment, many felt it was the whisper of a Demon.
Lin Xinghai's expression wasn't good either, but he understood that he was a fish on the chopping block. He had no choice but to obediently get in line and follow the group to the nearest corpse.
This corpse was relatively intact, with just a small hole in its forehead, likely from a single bullet that had pierced its skull.
But what he found strange was that there was another wound on the back of the Zombie's head.
He then noticed it wasn't just this Zombie; all the surrounding Zombies had a similar wound on the back of their heads.
'A finishing blow? But why cut the back of the head?'
Out of curiosity, and also to complete the "first lesson," Lin Xinghai reached out and touched the wound.
"DING! Blood Qi Power detected. Absorb?"
...
Lin Xinghai's arm trembled. It wasn't from fear, nor from nervousness, but from excitement.
He had a system now, too.
Just then, a translucent screen of light appeared before him, displaying an option to absorb the Blood Qi Power.
'Does that even need a second thought?'
He immediately chose yes!
The next moment, Lin Xinghai felt a strange sensation in his arm, as if some kind of energy was flowing through it and into his body.
At the same time, he noticed that the wound on the back of the zombie's head, which had been seeping blood, had instantly dried up.
It wasn't just the wound; the zombie's skin had also grown paler, as if all the blood in its body had been drained.
"This...!" Lin Xinghai was startled. He pinched the flesh around the wound, but not a single drop of blood could be squeezed out.
'Could this Blood Qi Power just be the zombie's blood?' he guessed, while discreetly glancing around.
Fortunately, no one was paying attention to him. After all, the zombie's wound had been there for a while, so it was normal for the bleeding to have stopped.
Besides, a zombie's skin was already pale, so it growing a few shades whiter wouldn't be noticeable unless someone was staring intently.
DING! "Congratulations, Host. You have absorbed 1 point of Blood Qi Power. Attribute Panel unlocked. Main Quest initiated."
As the system notification sounded, the dialogue box in front of Lin Xinghai changed into an attribute panel.
Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 7 points
Power: 7 points
Speed: 9 points
Blood Qi Power: 1 point
Genetic Optimization Level: 9%
'Am I a speed-type?' Lin Xinghai muttered to himself as he looked at his attribute panel.
But with no one to compare himself to, he had no idea if his Basic Attributes were good or bad.
So, after a quick glance at the attribute panel, he looked down at the quest log.
Main Quest: Host, please collect 10 points of Blood Qi Power.
Description: Blood Qi Power is fundamental to increasing your strength. The more, the better.
Reward: Unlock the Investigation feature.
Quest Progress: 1/10.
After reading the quest, Lin Xinghai couldn't help but look delighted. Under normal circumstances, completing such a quest would probably be difficult.
But right now, there were zombie corpses everywhere!
Putting his thoughts into action, he discreetly stood up and walked toward a nearby zombie corpse.
This time, he experimented a bit. If he touched any other part of the zombie, the system didn't react.
Only when he touched a bleeding wound would the system prompt appear.
'Looks like I can confirm it now. Even if Blood Qi Power isn't exactly blood, it definitely comes from it.'
He opened the attribute panel. Quest Progress: 2/10.
Lin Xinghai was instantly filled with motivation. He quickly touched five more zombies, bringing his quest progress to 7/10.
He just needed to touch three more zombies to complete the main quest.
But what he didn't know was that Roger had been secretly observing him the whole time.
The content of this "first lesson" was not only meant to intimidate the members of the Shelter but also to test their courage.
For an organization like a Mercenary Corps, which had to fight zombies, testing for courage was of the utmost importance.
Roger had already been interested in recruiting Lin Xinghai, so naturally, he wanted to observe his courage carefully.
So, when he saw Lin Xinghai voluntarily get in line to touch the zombie, Roger couldn't help but nod to himself.
However, when Lin Xinghai went to touch a second zombie, the expression on Roger's face became a bit peculiar.
But Roger didn't expect that this was only the beginning.
Lin Xinghai then proceeded to touch one zombie after another. With every corpse he touched, the expression on Roger's face grew more and more colorful. 'This guy doesn't have a corpse fetish, does he?!'
And when Lin Xinghai finished touching the seventh zombie corpse, Roger finally couldn't take it anymore and walked over. "What are you doing?"
Lin Xinghai's heart skipped a beat when Roger suddenly appeared in front of him.
But he had already anticipated that his strange behavior might be noticed by someone observant, so he calmly gave his prepared excuse.
"I was a little curious. These zombies were clearly killed by bullets to the head, but why were the backs of their heads cut open afterward?"
The strange look on Roger's face immediately turned to surprise. It was impressive enough for someone to remain calm while touching a zombie for the first time.
But Lin Xinghai had not only noticed something unusual, he was also actively seeking an answer.
In that instant, Lin Xinghai's importance in Roger's eyes rose to a whole new level.
"Very good! To survive in this apocalypse, that kind of insight is essential. As for why we cut open the back of the zombies' heads, I can tell you the reason. It's..."
"Don't tell me," Lin Xinghai quickly interrupted. "I'd like to see it through to the end and find the answer myself."
'Are you kidding? If you tell me the answer, what excuse will I have to keep touching corpses?'
Roger paused for a moment, then a look of admiration appeared on his face. "You're even more outstanding than I imagined."
Seeing that he'd passed that hurdle, Lin Xinghai breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to the next corpse.
Soon, he had touched three more zombies. When his quest progress reached 10/10, the system's voice sounded again.
DING! "Congratulations, Host. Main Quest completed. The Investigation feature is now available. You have also been rewarded with 10 Investigation uses."
Lin Xinghai quickly opened his attribute panel and found that an "Investigation Technique" had been added after his personal attributes.
Investigation Technique: Consumes Blood Qi Power to investigate a target's attributes. The stronger the target, the more Blood Qi Power is consumed. Note: The first 10 investigations do not consume Blood Qi Power.
Besides the addition of the Investigation Technique, the Main Quest had also changed.
Main Quest: Kill 100 zombies.
Description: Taking shortcuts is only temporary. To obtain Blood Qi Power, you must rely on your own strength.
Reward: None.
Seeing the quest reward, a dark line seemed to appear on Lin Xinghai's forehead. 'What the hell is a "None" reward?'
If there's no reward, why should he even bother completing this quest?
However, to his immense frustration, he realized he had to do it, because he was bound to face zombies anyway.
Besides, if he didn't complete this quest, the subsequent main quests wouldn't update. That was the real trap.
While he was feeling frustrated, he suddenly noticed that another part of his attribute panel had changed.
Genetic Optimization Level: 9%+
That's right! A plus sign had appeared after the 9%.
Lin Xinghai immediately tapped on it.
"Consume 1 point of Blood Qi Power to increase your Genetic Optimization Level?"
Lin Xinghai's heart leaped, and he quickly chose yes!
In the next instant, a warm current appeared from nowhere and spread through his entire body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.
But he had no time to enjoy the sensation and immediately looked at his attribute panel.
Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 8 points
Power: 7 points
Speed: 10 points
Blood Qi Power: 9 points
Genetic Optimization Level: 10%+
A look of joy spread across Lin Xinghai's face. His Genetic Optimization Level had increased by 1%, and both his Physique and Speed had increased by 1 point.
'This Blood Qi Power really is the key to increasing my strength!'
Having found a way to increase his strength, Lin Xinghai didn't hesitate. He immediately poured all his remaining Blood Qi Power into genetic optimization.
The warm current that appeared this time was even more intense, as if a fire was burning inside his body. But he could also clearly feel his body strengthening at a terrifying rate.
The attribute panel in front of him changed once again.
Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 15 points
Power: 13 points
Speed: 19 points
Blood Qi Power: 0 points
Genetic Optimization Level: 19%+
His Blood Qi Power was depleted, and his Genetic Optimization Level had risen from the initial 9% to 19%. At the same time, all his attributes had increased significantly.
Looking at the different increases across the three attributes, Lin Xinghai wore a thoughtful expression.
...
The varying increases in his three Attributes sparked a lot of speculation in Lin Xinghai's mind, but he had no time to investigate now.
Quite a few people had already finished looting the zombies and were starting to return to the transport vehicle.
The time left for him to collect Blood Qi Power was running out.
Putting away his Attributes panel, Lin Xinghai quickly ran to the next zombie corpse. The moment he started running, he immediately felt a difference.
'This increase in my Speed... it's just too exaggerated!'
He could easily run at a speed that previously required a full-on sprint. He was even worried about attracting unwanted attention, so he didn't dare to run at his full speed.
The boost to his Speed also allowed Lin Xinghai to collect Blood Qi Power a bit faster, and in the end, he gathered another 13 points of Blood Qi Power.
By now, very few people remained. To avoid attracting attention, he had no choice but to head back to the transport vehicle.
...
"So? Did you find the cause?" The moment Lin Xinghai sat down, Roger sat next to him and asked.
"I have a theory." Lin Xinghai said after a moment of thought. "The wound on the back of the head probably isn't from a finishing blow. It's not very deep, and more importantly, it's a cut, not a stab wound. That doesn't seem reasonable."
"But the most important thing is, I mentally reconstructed the flesh and found that a piece of it seems to be missing."
"If I'm not mistaken, there was something on the back of these zombies' heads that was taken."
After speaking, Lin Xinghai looked at Roger. He wasn't just spouting nonsense; he had genuinely observed this carefully.
The look of surprise on Roger's face was fleeting. He nodded. "That's right. Those are Elemental Crystals—a type of crystal containing a special Energy."
After a brief silence, Roger continued, "You've seen what it's like out there now and have some understanding of the apocalyptic situation. Let me ask you again, are you willing to join my Mercenary Corps?"
"Can I ask what the benefits are for joining the Mercenary Corps?" Lin Xinghai inquired.
Seeing Lin Xinghai finally show some interest, Roger smiled. "Too many eyes and ears here. Let's find somewhere more private to talk."
Lin Xinghai glanced around. Everyone had their ears pricked, occasionally glancing their way. This really wasn't a good place to talk.
'But where on this vehicle is there a private place?'
But Roger was already standing up as he spoke, so Lin Xinghai could only hurry to follow.
Reaching the front of the vehicle, Roger knocked forcefully on the alloy steel plate twice.
CREAK!
What had been a seamless alloy steel plate slowly opened under the force of a pneumatic mechanism, revealing a small door. It led directly to the driver's cabin.
Following Roger, Lin Xinghai ducked inside and found the driver's cabin was surprisingly spacious, with more than enough room for five or six people.
After greeting the soldier driving the transport vehicle, Roger led Lin Xinghai to a corner to sit down.
"First, let me introduce us. Our Mercenary Corps is called the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps. We're a First Level Mercenary Corps registered with the Mercenary Guild. Among the hundred or so Mercenary Corps in the Shelter, we're about mid-tier."
"With your B Level Genetic Assessment, if you join our Mercenary Corps, you can receive 100 Points per week as compensation."
"Points?" Lin Xinghai interjected.
Roger explained, "Points are basically currency. You use Points to buy anything and everything in the Shelter. A salary of 100 Points a week is definitely higher than any normal job."
"And that's just for now. If you can become one of the Optimized, your weekly pay will be at least 150 Points."
"The Optimized?" Lin Xinghai's heart skipped a beat. He had a faint feeling this was closely related to the Genetic Optimization Level on his system panel.
"Mhm!" Roger seemed to have expected this question and immediately explained. "It all starts with our genetic engineering. Since the 20th century, humanity's research into our own Genes never stopped, but for over 200 years, there were no major breakthroughs. Not until the appearance of Elemental Crystals."
"Inside Elemental Crystals is a special kind of Energy. Although we can't absorb this Energy directly, it can be specially processed into a Genetic Potion to optimize the Genes in our bodies."
"When a person's Genetic Optimization Level reaches 30%, it's like they've broken through a shackle. Their strength gets a major boost, and there's even a small chance of awakening special abilities."
"That's why we call people whose Genetic Optimization Level is over 30% the Optimized."
"If you join our Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps, we'll give you a certain share of Genetic Potions every week based on your talent to help you become one of the Optimized as soon as possible."
After listening to Roger's explanation, Lin Xinghai's pupils constricted slightly, but he quickly relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.
'With his system, his Genetic Optimization Level has already reached 19%.'
'What's more, he still has 13 points of Blood Qi Power he hasn't used. Becoming one of the Optimized will be a piece of cake!'
'But such a rapid increase in strength will definitely need a cover story. Joining the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps is undoubtedly a good choice.'
"If I choose to join your Mercenary Corps, how do you plan to train me? Specifically, the Genetic Potions—what's my weekly share?" Lin Xinghai asked.
'Even though he has the system, Genetic Potions sound like good stuff. Of course, I should fight for more for myself.'
Seeing that Lin Xinghai was finally tempted, Roger smiled and said, "Three vials. I can get you three vials of Genetic Potion per week."
"Only three vials? With my B Level Genetic Assessment, shouldn't I be getting twenty or thirty?" Lin Xinghai immediately shot for the moon.
The moment he said this, Roger's face darkened. Even the soldier who had been focused on driving shot Lin Xinghai a strange look.
"Do you know how many vials of Genetic Potion new members get per week? One!"
"Even official Mercenary Corps members only get two vials a week."
"Even with my strength, plus the bonus for my position as captain, I only get six vials of Genetic Potion a week."
"And you want twenty or thirty? To get you three vials, I'll have to shamelessly go and apply to the corps leader," Roger said, suppressing his anger.
Hearing this, Lin Xinghai couldn't help but be a little shocked. 'If that's the case, then the treatment the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps is offering me seems a bit too generous!'
An idea came to him. He called up his system panel and used the Investigation Technique on Roger.
Name: Roger
Physique: 50
Power: 65
Speed: 43
Superpower: Giant Strength (Power increases by 30% for three seconds)
Genetic Optimization Level: 65%
'His strength is much higher than I guessed! And he's even awakened a Superpower. But for someone with his strength to only be allocated six vials of Genetic Potion a week... that can only mean one thing.' Thinking of this, the corners of Lin Xinghai's mouth turned up slightly.
"Captain Luo, your Genetic Assessment isn't B Level, is it?"
The annoyed expression on Roger's face froze for a moment.
Getting his answer from the man's expression, Lin Xinghai continued, "In that case, my B Level Genetic Assessment must have immense training value! If I were to spread the word, then other Mercenary Corps…"
Lin Xinghai didn't finish his sentence, just smiled at Roger.
"With a B Level Genetic Assessment, you could choose to join the Military Department. It's safer than joining a Mercenary Corps, and you'd also get three vials of Genetic Potion a week," the soldier who had been driving silently suddenly spoke up.
Roger's face grew even darker. 'If I'd known this would happen, I would've just talked to Lin Xinghai back in the main compartment.'
"Four vials of Genetic Potion a week. That's my limit. I also have one condition: within one month, the speed of your power progression must match your talent."
"Otherwise, it's three vials a week at most." Roger had no choice but to propose a new condition.
"Deal! But what if my power progresses faster than you can imagine? How will the Genetic Potions be calculated then?" Lin Xinghai asked with a smile.
Roger's eyes narrowed slightly, but then he remembered Lin Xinghai's attitude while looting the zombies and suddenly started to laugh. "Such confidence. I hope you're not all talk. If that really happens, our Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps will absolutely not treat you unfairly."
...
After confirming he would join the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps, Lin Xinghai talked with Roger for a little while longer before returning to the back of the vehicle.
Although their conversation was brief, it was enough for Lin Xinghai to get a general understanding of the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps.
The Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps had 35 members in total, and the positions were quite simple. There was a commander, a vice-commander, and then three captains, Roger being one of them.
In other words, only two people ranked higher than Roger.
This was why Roger dared to say he would have Lin Xinghai's back when they first met; he truly had the standing to make such a promise.
Lin Xinghai was, of course, happy about this. 'With Roger around, at least I won't have to deal with any clichéd drama like being hazed by the veteran members.'
As he sat back down, Lin Xinghai noticed the others in the vehicle were giving him strange looks.
'But it's only to be expected,' he thought. After their "first lesson," they all had at least some understanding of how cruel the apocalypse was.
They were probably all filled with negative emotions like worry and fear, anxious about their futures.
But as people from the same Shelter 83, how could they not have ideas of their own when Lin Xinghai had cozied up to the Mercenaries in the blink of an eye?
Some of the women in the vehicle, in particular, had other ideas, secretly casting flirtatious glances at Lin Xinghai.
But Lin Xinghai completely ignored everyone's fiery or probing gazes, closing his eyes to rest as soon as he sat down.
Of course, in reality, he was checking his system panel.
Looking at the stats on his panel and recalling Roger's, he was almost certain that everyone's Attributes were skewed toward certain areas.
He was skewed toward Speed, while Roger was skewed toward Power.
'As for which skew is better, I don't know yet. But there's no harm in increasing my Genetic Optimization Level, since it boosts everything overall.'
With this in mind, he tapped the "+" sign next to his Genetic Optimization Level.
As one point of Blood Qi Power was deducted, a special Energy once again permeated his entire body, making him feel incredibly comfortable, as if his whole being was about to ascend.
He had plenty of Time now, so he waited until the comfortable sensation completely faded before slowly tapping the "+" sign again.
"Ding! Spend 2 points of Blood Qi Power to increase your Genetic Optimization Level?"
Seeing the system prompt pop up, Lin Xinghai's expression immediately changed.
'Why did the Blood Qi Power cost suddenly increase?' He looked grim, because this meant his plan to immediately become one of the Optimized was shattered.
He even considered something more troubling: 'Does the Blood Qi Power cost continue to increase as my Genetic Optimization Level rises?'
'Sigh... It seems that even with a system, improving my strength won't be that easy,' Lin Xinghai sighed to himself.
Of course, if any of the other Optimized heard him say that, they would probably want to beat him to death.
Generally speaking, someone with a D Level or E Level Genetic Assessment couldn't even dream of becoming one of the Optimized in less than a year or so.
Lin Xinghai used up all his remaining 12 points of Blood Qi Power, raising his Genetic Optimization Level to 26%.
Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 21 points
Power: 18 points
Speed: 26 points
Blood Qi Power: 0 points
Genetic Optimization Level: 26%
'My Strength Attribute is the weakest. Does that mean my Attack Power will be very low?' Lin Xinghai couldn't help but mutter as he looked at his attribute panel.
Of course, there was nothing he could do to change that. Closing the system panel, he truly closed his eyes to rest.
...
The convoy moved forward quickly. Lin Xinghai had thought the journey would be over soon, but to his surprise, they drove for a full five hours.
Along the way, they encountered dozens of waves of Zombies, both large and small. Unfortunately, after dealing with the Zombies, the convoy just kept moving, showing no intention of stopping at all.
This filled Lin Xinghai with regret; otherwise, he could have harvested a good amount of Blood Qi Power.
Finally, the convoy arrived at the foot of a barren mountain. Only then did they disengage the Defense Array and drive along the road into a tunnel.
The tunnel's inner walls were entirely forged from Alloy, and every 50 meters, there was a bunker serving as a defensive fortification.
The entire tunnel was no more than 200 meters long, and at its end stood a one-meter-thick Alloy gate.
Beyond the gate was a large, rectangular hall lined with dozens of elevators.
These elevators came in various sizes; even the smallest could accommodate 30 people at once.
As for the largest elevator, walking into it was like entering an Alloy house of over a hundred square meters. It was a real eye-opener for Lin Xinghai.
This massive elevator could even transport three troop carriers at once.
The elevator descended 300 meters underground before stopping. This was the true location of the Star Shield Shelter.
'No wonder humanity can survive safely in an apocalyptic environment like this,' Lin Xinghai muttered to himself, standing on the Alloy floor.
"Here, take this for now. I'll report your induction into the corps in a bit. I'll come find you once it's all processed," Roger said, handing him a bag.
Lin Xinghai took the bag and glanced inside. There wasn't much: four vials of a pale green potion and an insignia.
"What's this?" Lin Xinghai asked, even though he already had a guess.
"Four vials of Genetic Potion, consider it an advance from me. That's our Mercenary Corps' insignia. If you run into any trouble, just show it. Here in the Lower Level District, not many people would dare to provoke a Mercenary."
"Alright, I'm off. Don't slack off. Strive to become one of the Optimized as soon as possible so you can enter the Middle Level District." With that, Roger clapped Lin Xinghai on the shoulder and turned to leave.
Clutching the bag in his hand, Lin Xinghai felt a faint warmth spread through his heart.
If he had followed the normal procedure—joining the Mercenary Corps, undergoing a test, and then being allocated Genetic Potions—he would have had to wait at least two or three days.
And with Genetic Potions, it was obviously better to take them as soon as possible, since absorbing them takes Time.
'According to Roger's description, with my B Level Genetic Assessment and some high-intensity training, I should be able to absorb a full vial of Genetic Potion within two days. At this rate, I should be able to become one of the Optimized before my first Mercenary Corps mission,' Lin Xinghai thought, a smile appearing on his face.
The Time it takes to absorb a Genetic Potion varies from person to person.
The higher the Genetic Assessment Level, the faster the absorption speed and the better the effect. Additionally, high-intensity training can also accelerate this process.
Lin Xinghai put the bag away and followed the crowd toward the assembly point.
...
As they entered the Shelter, Roger told Lin Xinghai a number of things. In addition to the Genetic Potion, he also shared some general information about the Shelter.
The entire Star Shield Shelter was divided into three levels—Upper, Middle, and Lower—but the vast majority of people could only live in the Lower Level District.
To live in the Middle Level District, one had to become one of the Optimized.
As for the Upper Level District, that was where the Shelter's management and the powerful lived.
Of course, newly rescued people like them could only stay in the Lower Level District.
By now, an administrator from the Lower Level District had arrived to take over from the military. At the direction of the security team, everyone disembarked and lined up in columns before moving forward.
The Lower Level District spanned about 200,000 square meters, but according to Roger, it was home to a massive population of over 150,000, making the area incredibly dense.
Moreover, as they walked on, Lin Xinghai discovered that the Lower Level District was even more wretched than Roger had described.
The unplanned, tangled mess of streets and the houses crammed together to save space gave the whole place a chaotic feel.
Over eighty percent of the pedestrians on the street were sallow and gaunt, their clothes filthy. A foul stench hung in the air, a sign that they likely hadn't bathed in many days.
"This is basically a refugee camp," Lin Xinghai couldn't help but sigh.
But he understood there was no helping it. At the end of the day, it was a problem of resource scarcity.
Considering the desolate landscape on the surface, it was a miracle that the Star Shield Shelter could support this many people at all.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, the group came to a halt. Before them stood a block of dilapidated apartment buildings.
Residents were emerging from the buildings, carrying luggage. Most of them had numb, vacant expressions as they scurried away at the shouts of a patrol team.
Just then, an administrator from the front of the group walked up a flight of steps with a megaphone and announced, "Hello, everyone. Let me introduce myself. My name is Ji Yuan. As you can see, this area has been temporarily cleared out to serve as your new living quarters."
A commotion immediately swept through the crowd. These buildings weren't just old; they were extremely dilapidated. Large sections of the exterior walls had crumbled away, and many doubted if the place was even habitable.
People began to protest. It started with just a few voices, but the chorus of dissent grew steadily louder.
Ji Yuan stood on the steps with a smile. He raised a hand to signal for quiet before continuing, "You think the exteriors of these buildings are run-down, don't you? Well, rest assured... the interiors are even worse."
The commotion instantly escalated into a full-blown uproar. Many people couldn't believe what they were hearing.
'The inside is even worse? And he's telling us to *rest assured*?'
'Listen to him! Is that something a human being would say?'
Ji Yuan seemed completely oblivious to the crowd's reaction; the smile never even wavered on his face. "I know you all must have a lot you want to say, but please, hear me out first."
He cleared his throat and suddenly roared, "TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LIVE HERE, THEN GET THE HELL OUT!"
The crowd fell dead silent.
Now, Ji Yuan's smile was completely gone, replaced by a stern expression. "The Shelter has limited resources. We don't support idlers or freeloaders. If you want to eat well and live in a nice place, then prove your worth, earn Points, and you can move out of here."
When he finished, he gestured to the side. Several staff members immediately came forward and began distributing sheets of paper covered in text.
"Let's not waste any more time. Everything I need to tell you is written on these papers. Read them when you have a moment."
"These buildings behind me are all six-person dorms. You can find people you know to room with now. If you can't, we'll assign you roommates later. You have ten minutes." After speaking, Ji Yuan glanced at his watch and stood waiting in silence.
Ji Yuan hadn't said much, but every sentence was packed with information, leaving many of the new arrivals stunned.
Still, they were all forced to act. Their situation was already bad enough; they couldn't imagine being forced to live with complete strangers on top of it all.
Lin Xinghai, however, was like an outsider to all of this. He remained standing where he was, calm and composed, with his hands in his pockets.
'The Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps arranges accommodations for its official members, and in the Middle Level District, no less. The only catch is that you have to be one of the Optimized to live there.'
'Becoming one of the Optimized was a pipe dream for most people. But for Lin Xinghai, it was only a matter of a day or two.'
So he looked around, bored, waiting for the time to be up so he could be assigned a dorm.
"Ah! Lin Xinghai, I finally found you!" An exclamation rang out from his side. When he turned to look, he saw a graceful beauty whose gorgeous eyes were fixed on him.
"Uh..." Lin Xinghai was a little taken aback. At the same time, he realized he had overlooked a very serious problem.
'He had transmigrated, but he hadn't inherited the body's memories. He didn't even know the name of this beauty in front of him.'
Before Lin Xinghai could figure out how to respond, she grabbed his hand. "Come with me!"
'Holy shit! Are all the women in this era so forward?' Lin Xinghai couldn't help but curse inwardly.
'Though, her hand really is fair and soft!'
Lin Xinghai shook his head to clear it. This was no time to be thinking about such things. He had to figure out how to handle this beauty without giving himself away.
Countless ideas swirled through his mind, only to be rejected one by one. Finally, Lin Xinghai decided to feign amnesia.
Just as he was mulling over the best way to bring it up, the beauty pulling him by the hand suddenly stopped.
"I found our last roommate!" she announced loudly, having pulled Lin Xinghai in front of a small group of people.
Instantly, both Lin Xinghai and the four people in front of him froze.
Because they were all women—and young, beautiful ones at that.
"Liu Miaomiao, are you crazy? Why did you bring a man back?" After a moment of dead silence, the woman with the most voluptuous figure was the first to cry out.
She immediately pulled Liu Miaomiao aside, and the other women quickly followed, leaving Lin Xinghai standing there awkwardly.
Although he was just standing there, with his Genetic Optimization Level at 26%, his physical abilities had improved considerably, including his hearing. As a result, he could faintly overhear the women's conversation not far away.
"Wang Yao, calm down," Liu Miaomiao said seriously, looking at her friends. "Bringing him here was a well-thought-out decision. Think about it, these aren't the peaceful times we're used to. With a group of beautiful women like us living together, what happens if we're targeted by someone with ill intentions?"
"So, for our own safety, the best solution is obviously to get a 'Bodyguard'!"
"A bodyguard? Him?" Wang Yao's voice was filled with doubt.
"He might not look that strong, but he won a provincial Sanda championship in his freshman year of college. He could probably take down four or five regular guys with ease," Liu Miaomiao said.
"Even if what you're saying is true... aren't you afraid of letting the wolf into the henhouse?" Wang Yao countered.
"Don't worry, he's a total 'block of wood.' He was a big shot in our class, and tons of girls threw themselves at him—some of them were almost as pretty as me—but he was completely indifferent. There were even rumors that he wasn't interested in women at all."
"So, you can all relax!" Liu Miaomiao said, patting her chest in assurance.
Overhearing this from a short distance away, Lin Xinghai's expression instantly darkened.
...
Ultimately, Liu Miaomiao persuaded the others to let Lin Xinghai become their roommate.
The reason they were all able to come to an agreement was entirely because Wang Yao had asked, "What if this old classmate of yours can't control himself and decides to do something inappropriate to us? What then?"
After Liu Miaomiao blushed and declared, "If he really wants to do something, he can just come for me first," all arguments came to a close.
Watching the five women walk back, Lin Xinghai couldn't help but ask, "By the way, you haven't even asked for my opinion. What makes you so sure I'd agree to be your roommate?"
"Oh? Don't tell me you'd rather live with a bunch of rough guys?" Liu Miaomiao said, raising an eyebrow.
Lin Xinghai was momentarily speechless. Unless he was into men, he really couldn't imagine making that choice.
"Ahem!" Lin Xinghai cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment, then said seriously, "Liu Miaomiao, I have something very important to tell you."
"What's wrong?" Liu Miaomiao immediately grew tense.
"Well, it seems I've lost some of my memories after waking up from the Hibernation Pod. Partial amnesia," Lin Xinghai said, getting straight to the point.
'It was the most plausible excuse he could think of. Whether anyone else bought it or not, he was convinced.'
Sure enough, Liu Miaomiao and the other girls looked surprised. "The hibernation system malfunctioned? That's really rare!"
Hearing Liu Miaomiao's words, Lin Xinghai felt a surge of relief. 'So my bluff worked! Things like this really do happen.' He was just about to build on her comment.
However, Liu Miaomiao continued, "But it's no big deal. Just spend some Points at the medical bay and get an injection of Cell Repair Liquid. That should fix it. Want me to go with you?"
Lin Xinghai resisted the urge to curse. 'What the fuck? Has technology really advanced this much?'
"No, that's okay. I feel like my memory is already coming back, bit by bit. There's no need to waste precious Points. I just wanted to let you know what was going on," Lin Xinghai said.
"Really?" Liu Miaomiao looked skeptical.
"Absolutely," Lin Xinghai said, his expression completely serious.
The group didn't dwell on the issue any further. Instead, Liu Miaomiao introduced the other four women.
The one with the hottest body was named Wang Yao—Lin Xinghai already knew that. The remaining three were Qin Zixue, Yang Yi, and Shen Yimei.
With the introductions out of the way, it was time for the dormitory assignments.
However, before the dorms were assigned, everyone had to re-verify their personal data, which had been transferred from the database of Shelter 83.
Once confirmed to be correct, the data would be loaded onto their Identity Cards.
Within the Shelter, the Identity Card functioned not only as personal identification but also as a bank card. Each card came pre-loaded with 10 initial Points.
One Point could buy a Low Level nutrient meal. In other words, if they were frugal, it was enough for about three days' worth of food.
After that, they would have to find their own ways to get by.
However, the Star Shield Shelter was currently expanding and was in desperate need of labor, so finding a job wouldn't be a concern.
After Lin Xinghai and the others collected their Identity Cards, they were all assigned to Room 301 in Building D.
It was worth noting that when the group applied for the same dorm room, the look on the registrar's face was priceless.
He didn't make things difficult for them, though. After confirming that the women were all there voluntarily, he processed the arrangement directly.
...
"Oh my god, this is so primitive!" Pushing open the door to Room 301, the women couldn't help but exclaim after a quick look around.
The entire dorm only had three metal-frame bunk beds. As for appliances, there was just a single energy-saving light bulb—not even a fan.
On top of that, there wasn't even a bathroom inside the room—not so much as a sink. The entire floor only had two public restrooms and a single water tap.
What's more, you had to swipe your Identity Card at the tap just to get water, and it cost three Points per bucket.
That explained why Lin Xinghai had seen so many unwashed people on his way here. The water was ridiculously expensive.
Fortunately, the Shelter's upper management wasn't completely inhumane; they at least provided basic necessities like bedding.
After the women briefly made their beds, they began to lament about what they were going to do from now on.
"According to this paper, we have to find a job within two days. But there are so few positions listed here that are suitable for women," Liu Miaomiao said with a worried expression, holding a sheet of paper that had been distributed on Ji Yuan's orders.
"The jobs listed are all at the synthesis factory or the textile mill. I don't want to work in a place like that," Wang Yao chimed in. "On the way over, I saw a lot of shops that looked like they were hiring salespeople. Why don't we go check those out?"
"Aren't any of you concerned about the pay? I don't want to end up without enough Points to even take a shower." This time it was Qin Zixue who spoke up; she seemed to be the most fastidious about cleanliness in the group.
The women all started talking at once, each voicing her own opinion. Lin Xinghai watched quietly from the side. In that moment, he felt extremely fortunate to have joined the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps.
Suddenly, Shen Yimei, who was standing by the door, let out a soft sound of surprise. "What's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?"
Saying this, she pulled open the door and stepped outside.
A look of curiosity appeared on Lin Xinghai's face as well.
His hearing was the sharpest of anyone there, so in addition to the shouting, he could also make out the sounds of a fight.
Shen Yimei returned a moment later, a look of panic on her face.
"Yimei, what's wrong?" Liu Miaomiao asked immediately.
"They're collecting protection money! It's a group of guys who call themselves the Axe Gang. They're really tough fighters. I saw one skinny kid knock out a huge guy—he must've been over two hundred pounds—with a single punch," Shen Yimei said, her voice trembling.
"What?! What about the security patrol? Are they just letting it happen?" Liu Miaomiao exclaimed in shock.
Lin Xinghai walked over to the window and glanced down at the street. "The patrol is gone," he said. "Besides, the Lower Level District is so densely populated, they probably couldn't control it even if they wanted to."
He had heard Roger mention this before. The Lower Level District was indeed full of small gangs made up of petty thugs.
There had been several major crackdowns in the Lower Level District where they rounded up these thugs and sent them to labor camps, but they always went right back to their old ways after being released.
Plus, they were usually "measured" in their actions—they never killed anyone and didn't push the common folk too far.
So, in most cases, unless the security patrol caught them red-handed, there was nothing anyone could do about them after the fact.
And so, over time, the situation became what it is today.
Lin Xinghai hadn't expected to run into something like this on his very first day in the Star Shield Shelter.
...
When the women heard Lin Xinghai say that the security team had already left, their faces paled, and they all turned to look at him in unison.
After all, the whole reason they had let Lin Xinghai become their roommate was to have someone to protect them in moments just like this.
Lin Xinghai, however, was lost in thought. He wasn't actually afraid of this so-called Axe Gang.
No matter how tough these punks were, their strength was limited. If they had what it took to become one of the Optimized, who would willingly stay in the Lower City District and be a common thug?
Therefore, Lin Xinghai estimated that as long as there weren't too many of them, he was confident he could win the fight.
The problem was, he wasn't sure if he should even get involved.
After all, once the fight was over, he could just walk away scot-free. But Liu Miaomiao and the others would likely have to live here for a good while longer.
"How much is the protection fee they're demanding?" Lin Xinghai asked after a moment of thought.
"Three Points a month," Shen Yimei replied.
Hearing this, the women breathed a collective, quiet sigh of relief. Liu Miaomiao even shot the other girl a look. "Yimei, you should have just said that from the start."
"If it's only three Points a month, that's not entirely unacceptable. After all, it's better to avoid trouble," Liu Miaomiao said, carefully watching Lin Xinghai's expression as she spoke.
She was most afraid that Lin Xinghai would be stubborn, refuse to pay the fee, and clash with the Axe Gang. It didn't matter if he could win or not; even if he did, it would likely lead to endless trouble down the line.
Lin Xinghai didn't object. In fact, his expression remained perfectly calm.
This greatly surprised Liu Miaomiao. In her experience, he wasn't such an agreeable person.
Since Lin Xinghai didn't voice an opinion, the women quickly came to an agreement.
All that was left was an anxious wait. They could all hear the commotion growing louder and drawing nearer. The din was occasionally punctuated by the sounds of arguments, punches, and kicks. Clearly, people were still trying to resist.
But their resistance was doomed to be futile, because the commotion had already arrived right outside their door.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The door was being kicked. The old, worn-out door shuddered violently, and the bolt creaked, making them wonder if it would be kicked clean off its hinges at any second.
Seeing this, Lin Xinghai couldn't help but frown, but he still said nothing.
Shen Yimei, who was closest to the door, drew back the bolt, and it was immediately kicked open from the outside.
Five young men with garishly dyed hair and axe tattoos on their arms swaggered in, cursing. "Are you looking for death? What took you so long to open the door? Don't you know we—"
The leader's cursing trailed off as his eyes swept over Liu Miaomiao and the others one by one. His expression gradually grew heated and greedy.
It wasn't just him; the other thugs who followed him in had nearly identical looks in their eyes. Here in the Lower Level District, beautiful women were an absolute rarity.
This was especially true for Liu Miaomiao and Wang Yao. One was stunning in both looks and bearing, while the other had a fiery figure. Either of them was enough to make these thugs unable to tear their eyes away.
"Ahem!" The lead thug stared for a good long while before snapping out of it. He cleared his throat, feigning a cultured demeanor, and said, "Ladies, I'm here to collect the protection fee. It's five Points per person."
"What? Five Points per person? Wasn't it supposed to be three?" Liu Miaomiao exclaimed, her expression turning sour.
She had a bad feeling about this.
The lead thug just smiled. "For normal people, it's three Points. But you are all beautiful ladies. Protecting you isn't an easy job, so charging a bit more for the fee isn't unreasonable, is it?"
"Of course, if you're a bit tight on funds and can't come up with that many Points right now, there are... other ways to pay." As he spoke, his eyes roamed over certain sensitive areas of Liu Miaomiao's body, his meaning all too clear.
The other thugs also broke into lecherous grins.
Now, the expressions on Liu Miaomiao and the others truly changed. This situation was far beyond what they had anticipated.
With things having escalated this far, Lin Xinghai knew he had to step in. He moved forward, positioning himself in front of the women.
Before stepping out, he had already used his Investigation Technique on the leader of the thugs.
Name: Wang Damao
Physique: 15 points
Power: 19 points
Speed: 11 points
Genetic Optimization Level: 19%
Seeing his opponent's Attributes, Lin Xinghai felt completely at ease. He could definitely take on all five of them.
"Five Points per person, was it?" Lin Xinghai asked coolly, his gaze turning icy.
It was only then that the five thugs noticed there was another man in the room. In an instant, their eyes filled with jealousy.
Any man would be jealous of such a perk.
"Sorry, the price just went up. It's ten Points per person now," the leader said, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.
"All right! Ten Points per person. So hand it over," Lin Xinghai said, holding out his hand.
From the moment the thugs started leering at the women, he knew this matter could no longer be resolved peacefully.
Of course, if he were to take out his Mercenary Badge now, these thugs would almost certainly back down.
But that would be far too unsatisfying.
He had a stronger backing, he was more powerful, and they had already crossed the line. Just letting them retreat would be an insult to the special ability he possessed.
Besides, he needed money! He was quite envious of all the protection fees these thugs had surely collected.
'Ahem! I'm just upholding justice!' Lin Xinghai thought, giving himself a noble justification.
When Wang Damao and his men heard Lin Xinghai's words, they stared at him like he was an idiot.
Even Liu Miaomiao didn't think Lin Xinghai could win against these men.
This was partly because of Shen Yimei's description of how these thugs could knock out a 220-pound man with a single punch, but also because they had learned about the existence of the Optimized from the papers distributed by the Jiyuan Sect.
"Lin Xinghai!" Liu Miaomiao called out nervously.
"Don't worry, it's nothing!" Lin Xinghai replied with a slight, relaxed smile, as if he didn't consider these thugs a threat in the slightest.
"But you're getting in my way," Wang Damao snarled. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes as he threw a punch at Lin Xinghai's head.
There was no way he was going to tolerate some newcomer "White Pig" acting so tough in front of him.
'So slow!' With a simple sidestep, Lin Xinghai easily dodged Wang Damao's punch.
With his Speed Attribute at 26 points, there was no way his opponent's fist could ever touch him.
"What?!" As his punch met only air, Wang Damao's pupils constricted.
However, before he could react, Lin Xinghai's counterattack arrived. It was also a punch, but this one Wang Damao was completely unable to dodge. It landed solidly on his chest.
THUD!
A dull thud echoed through the room. Wang Damao felt as if his chest had been struck by a Giant Hammer. He stumbled backward, crashing into one of his companions before he could barely regain his footing.
...
The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.
Liu Miaomiao's sensual red lips parted slightly, her expression a mixture of shock and excitement.
Wang Yao, Shen Yimei, and the others even started clapping and cheering.
None of them had expected Lin Xinghai to be such a capable fighter. He truly lived up to his title as a provincial Sanda champion.
As for Wang Damao and his gang of thugs, their faces were frozen in disbelief and astonishment.
Was this some kind of joke? It completely shattered their worldview! Was this really a "White Pig" from a small Shelter?
However, Lin Xinghai, the man at the center of it all, furrowed his brow slightly. 'My Power really is too low.'
His overall strength was clearly a cut above his opponent's, yet after taking a direct punch, the man was only disheveled. He wasn't even seriously injured, let alone knocked out in a single blow.
If Wang Damao knew what Lin Xinghai was thinking, he would probably cough up blood from sheer anger.
That single punch had nearly broken his ribs. What was even more terrifying was that his opponent was a Speed type, the most difficult kind to deal with.
"This guy's tough! All of you, get him!" Having regained his footing, Wang Damao immediately roared. Ganging up on him to limit his speed was their only possible path to victory.
However, the first to act was Lin Xinghai. He shot forward and, without any hesitation, threw another punch.
This time, to maximize the damage, he aimed for his opponent's head.
Though Wang Damao was prepared this time and could see Lin Xinghai's movements, the difference in their Speed was simply too great.
He saw Lin Xinghai's fist coming from the left, but by the time he raised his arms to block, the fist had already switched to the right.
BANG!
The fist smashed directly into Wang Damao's face. His cheek contorted instantly, and several teeth flew from his mouth.
His head reeled from the heavy blow, and for a moment, Wang Damao's consciousness blurred. But an excruciating pain from his abdomen instantly snapped him back to his senses.
After landing the punch, Lin Xinghai had closed the distance and followed up with a powerful knee strike to the man's lower abdomen.
The power of a leg was no match for an arm. The knee strike sent Wang Damao flying half a meter into the air.
When he landed, he was curled up like a shrimp, twitching on the ground, completely stripped of his ability to fight.
Lin Xinghai's movements had been too fast. By the time Wang Damao was down, the other thugs were only just beginning to surround him.
But they went down even faster. Lin Xinghai used elbows and kicks, striking their weak points. Every attack was natural and perfectly placed.
In just ten short seconds, the fight was over. All five thugs were lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
This time, it wasn't just Liu Miaomiao and her friends who were shocked, or the onlookers who were shocked—even Lin Xinghai himself was shocked.
The series of attacks just now, every move and every technique, had been so smooth and fluid. That wasn't something that could be achieved just by improving one's physical attributes.
Soon, a realization dawned on Lin Xinghai. The reason he could defeat these thugs so cleanly was not just due to his superior Attributes, but also because this body had belonged to a provincial Sanda champion.
His predecessor's achievement was only possible through years of combat training, so during a fight, the body already possessed combat instincts.
Understanding this, Lin Xinghai couldn't help but let a smile touch his lips. This was undoubtedly good news.
He squatted down, looked at the thugs groaning and writhing on the ground, and held out his hand. "Points," he said in a cold tone.
Although Wang Damao and his men were unwilling and could hardly believe what had just happened, they had no choice but to reach into their clothes and take out their Identity Cards.
"How do you transfer Points with this thing?" Lin Xinghai asked, fiddling with the Identity Card in his hand.
"I know how!" Shen Yimei picked up the transfer device that had fallen to the side. She then asked for Lin Xinghai's Identity Card and started fiddling with them.
"Brother Lin, how many Points should I transfer?" Shen Yimei asked.
"Everything," Lin Xinghai replied calmly.
Hearing this, Wang Damao and his men's breathing instantly quickened, and they couldn't help but clench their fists, but none of them dared to make a sound.
After a brief moment of surprise, Shen Yimei didn't hesitate and quickly got to work. Soon, she said, "Brother Lin, it's done. The five cards had a total of 320 Points. Including the 10 Points you already had, you now have a total of 330 Points on your card."
Hearing that he had 330 Points, Lin Xinghai smiled as he took back his Identity Card. It seemed his efforts hadn't been in vain.
"Can we go now?" Wang Damao asked, his words muffled as he covered his mouth.
Lin Xinghai's smile vanished. "I know what you're thinking," he said coldly. "But I suggest you think very carefully before you act on it."
As he spoke, he took out a badge and flashed it in front of them.
The thugs' pupils contracted. Of course they recognized it—it was a Mercenary's badge.
"You can scram now." Seeing their expressions, Lin Xinghai said with satisfaction.
Given permission, the men scrambled to their feet and fled out the door in a sorry state.
However, as they left, Lin Xinghai saw the unwillingness, anger, and a trace of venomous hatred in their eyes.
This made him frown. Even though they were just a few thugs, being hated was never a good thing.
But he had no good solution for it right now. The security team might turn a blind eye to brawling inside the Shelter, but if someone died, they would surely launch a full investigation. That was one of the Shelter's bottom lines.
'I still need to increase my strength. Being powerful myself is the only true solution,' Lin Xinghai murmured to himself.
But he didn't regret taking action today. With some people, if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile.
Besides, with the system on his side, he could increase his strength faster than anyone. When the time came, it wouldn't be them causing trouble for him, but him causing trouble for them.
'Just a few thugs had over 300 Points on them. How many Points would the entire Axe Gang have? The thought alone is a little exciting.'
While he was pondering these things, Liu Miaomiao and the others had already started cheering. Even the onlookers outside joined in, including those who had been extorted for their Points.
After all, Lin Xinghai had gotten revenge for them, in a way.
The commotion lasted for more than ten minutes before the crowd finally dispersed. Liu Miaomiao and the others closed the door and resumed their discussion about finding jobs.
The incident had taught them a profound lesson: even inside the Shelter, it was impossible to get by without strength.
So, their eyes were involuntarily drawn to the Genetic Potion described on the paper Ji Yuan had handed out.
However, the Genetic Potion was far too expensive for them, costing a full 300 Points for a single vial.
Therefore, they had to change their original plan. Even if it was harder work, they needed to find high-paying jobs.
Of course, if they joined the army or a Mercenary Corps, they could buy a vial of Genetic Potion for just 100 Points.
But even with such a steep discount, very few people in the Shelter would make that choice.
Because both were high-risk professions. Often, you'd earn the Points but wouldn't live to spend them.
Liu Miaomiao and the others discussed for a full hour before finally making a decision and heading out.
During this process, the women would frequently ask for Lin Xinghai's opinion. Their enthusiastic attitudes were so intense that even Lin Xinghai found it a bit overwhelming.
Especially Wang Yao, with her fiery figure, who always liked to tease him, keeping him at an arm's length. If they were in a quieter, more private setting, he might have actually taken the vixen right then and there.
While enduring the teasing, Lin Xinghai also gave some practical advice, telling them to try their best to get jobs within the Shelter's organizations.
These jobs generally offered higher pay, but more importantly, they provided an implicit layer of extra security.
If Wang Damao and his thugs came to harass them again, they would be somewhat more hesitant, since he couldn't possibly protect the women around the clock.
After Liu Miaomiao and the others left, Lin Xinghai closed the door and eagerly took out a vial of the Genetic Potion. No matter what, he had to become one of the Optimized as soon as possible.
...
"I hope this Genetic Potion won't disappoint me."
With that, he tilted his head back and poured the entire bottle of light-green liquid into his mouth.
The light-green liquid felt cool to the touch, but the moment it entered his mouth, it was incredibly fiery, as if a ball of fire was traveling down his throat and into his stomach.
"DING! Special Energy detected within the body. Convert to Blood Qi Power?"
Lin Xinghai was startled at first by the system notification that popped up, but his expression quickly turned to one of joy.
He confirmed without a moment's hesitation.
The fiery sensation vanished in an instant, and Lin Xinghai immediately opened his system panel to check.
His Blood Qi Power had gone from 0 points to 5.
This made the smile on Lin Xinghai's face grow even wider. He knew his system was incredible, but he hadn't expected it to be *this* incredible.
'One bottle of Genetic Potion converting into 5 points of Blood Qi Power... That's perfect absorption!'
According to the information he'd gotten from Roger, the effectiveness of a Genetic Potion varied depending on one's Genetic Assessment Level.
Someone with an A Level Genetic Assessment could increase their Genetic Optimization Level by 5% with a single Genetic Potion. For B Level, it was only 4%; C Level, 3%; D Level, 2%; E Level, 1%; and for F Level, a mere 0.5%.
Of course, these percentages applied to the first time someone took a Genetic Potion.
The higher one's Genetic Optimization Level, the less effective the Genetic Potion would become.
Although Lin Xinghai's own Genetic Assessment was B Level, with the system, his utilization of the Genetic Potion could completely match that of an A Level.
Of course, the most important thing wasn't the utilization rate but the speed of absorption. Even someone with an A Level Genetic Assessment would need a full day to absorb a single Genetic Potion.
But he was different...
Lin Xinghai tapped twice on the system panel. After consuming 4 points of Blood Qi Power, his Genetic Optimization Level increased from 26% to 28%.
"This is basically cheating," Lin Xinghai grinned. He unhesitatingly took out the remaining three Genetic Potions and drank them one after another.
Soon, all the Genetic Potions had been converted into Blood Qi Power.
Looking at the 16 points of Blood Qi Power on his system panel, Lin Xinghai licked his lips. "I wonder what it feels like to become one of the Optimized."
He spent another 2 points of Blood Qi Power, and his Genetic Optimization Level reached 29%.
However, when he clicked the "+" sign again, the system didn't directly increase his power. Instead, a prompt box popped up with two options.
One was "Promote Directly," and the other was "Awaken Superpower and Promote."
It was a no-brainer. He unhesitatingly clicked "Awaken Superpower and Promote," his heart filled with anticipation for what kind of Superpower he would get.
To his disappointment, however, another new prompt box popped up after he made his selection. This one still presented choices—four of them, in fact.
Consume 30 points of Blood Qi Power to awaken a Superpower!
Consume 60 points of Blood Qi Power to awaken a Superpower!
Consume 90 points of Blood Qi Power to awaken a Superpower!
Consume 100 points of Blood Qi Power to awaken a Superpower!
Note: The more Blood Qi Power consumed, the stronger the awakened Superpower.
Although there were four options, as far as Lin Xinghai was concerned, there was only one.
'As a Transmigrator with a system, if I can't even walk the path of invincibility, then I'll have truly wasted this life.'
But 100 points of Blood Qi Power... Just thinking about it was a headache.
He glanced at his system panel.
Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 24
Power: 20
Speed: 29
Blood Qi Power: 14
Genetic Optimization Level: 29%+
"Looks like I'll have to wait until I'm on a Mercenary Corps mission to figure something out," Lin Xinghai sighed, looking at his remaining 14 points of Blood Qi Power.
With all four vials of Genetic Medicine Liquid "digested," there was no reason for Lin Xinghai to stay inside any longer, so he headed out.
After all, as an "Ancient Person," it was one thing not to know the principles behind advanced future technology, or even how to use it.
But he should at least know... what the damn things were.
...
Just as Lin Xinghai was heading out, Wang Damao and his men were just leaving the medical center.
"Brother Wang, these Basic Level medical pods are useless. I slept in there for an hour, and my chest is still throbbing," a young thug named Meng Qing said with a grimace.
Wang Damao shot him a look and snapped, "You think I didn't want to choose an Intermediate medical pod? Damn it, the teeth I got knocked out haven't even grown back yet! But it's 100 Points a session. Are you gonna pay for it?"
Meng Qing immediately shut up. They had borrowed the money to pay for this treatment.
"So, Brother Wang, what do we do now?" Meng Qing asked after a moment of silence.
Wang Damao's eyes narrowed, a vicious glint within them. "We can't just let this go. That guy's Genetic Optimization Level is probably only around 25%."
"That kind of power might be impressive here in the Lower City District, but our Axe Gang has masters like that too."
The thugs' eyes lit up at his words, but they soon thought of another important problem.
"Brother Wang, besides being powerful, he's also a Mercenary. Would the gang leader really be willing to pick a fight with a Mercenary for us?" Meng Qing asked.
"I was just thinking back carefully. The design on his Mercenary Badge was for a First Level Mercenary Corps. And it's not like our Axe Gang doesn't have connections."
"Of course, you're right. Whether the leader is willing to stick his neck out for us is another question. That's why we need some 'leverage'," Wang Damao said with a sinister smirk.
'Liu Miaomiao and those beautiful women... they are the best leverage I have.'
'The concept of a femme fatale isn't just an old saying. Used correctly, a beautiful woman can lead a man to his doom.'
Once the thugs caught on, they immediately began to suck up to him, praising what a great idea it was.
Even if it meant they couldn't get their hands on those beautiful women anymore, at least they would get their revenge.
"Let's go. We'll find Black Rat and make some preparations."
...
Half an hour later, inside a seemingly dilapidated factory in the East District, many people were coming and going. Without exception, all of them had an axe tattoo on their arm.
Clearly, this was the Axe Gang's nest.
Deep inside the factory was a lavishly decorated room, where Wang Damao was respectfully giving a report to a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man wasn't tall; he even looked a bit frail. His expression was placid, but his constantly narrowed eyes gave off a sinister aura.
This was the current leader of the Axe Gang, Huai Feifu. After Wang Damao finished his report, Huai Feifu asked lightly, "So, you went to collect protection fees and got beaten back by a 'White Pig'?"
Although Huai Feifu's tone was calm, beads of sweat began to form on Wang Damao's forehead.
He knew very well that the man before him not only possessed power approaching that of the Optimized, but more importantly, he had schemed his way into power by killing the previous leader and deputy leader. It was his ruthless methods that were truly terrifying.
"To answer, Leader, the guy has a Mercenary Badge. He can't really be considered a 'White Pig' in the usual sense," Wang Damao replied nervously.
Huai Feifu stared at Wang Damao for a long time, until the man felt his legs start to go weak. Only then did he nod and change the subject. "You were just hyping up Apartment 301 and its five beautiful women. What exactly do they look like? Do you have any photos or videos?"
Wang Damao's face lit up. 'Here we go! The main event is starting!'
