1: Chapter 1 The Golden Finger That Was Eighteen Years Late
Xuansheng Base City, Third High School Playground.
The scorching sun hung high, and the air was thick with a mixture of heat and tension. A massive holographic projection floated in mid-air, scrolling through front-line battle reports: "Yesterday, the eastern defense line was struck by a Level 3 beast tide. Our human warriors suffered over a thousand casualties, but under the leadership of a Seventh-Rank Grandmaster, they successfully repelled the ferocious beasts..."
On the playground, thousands of high school seniors were lined up in neat formations, their faces filled with anxiety.
Today was the day that would determine their fates—Aptitude Testing Day.
In this era of spiritual qi recovery, where myriad races invaded and ferocious beasts ran rampant, martial arts were humanity's only reliance for survival. And aptitude was the admission ticket to knock on the gates of the martial path.
"Next, Class 2 of the third year, Lin Fan!"
Hearing this name, a youth with a slightly thin build but a back held straight as a spear stepped out of the formation.
Lin Fan had delicate features and a steady gaze that belied his age. However, his slightly trembling fingers hidden in his sleeves betrayed his inner turmoil.
In this world, people were divided into many ranks.
Lower Three Grades of aptitude meant no hope for the martial path. In this cruel world, failing to become a martial artist meant one could only be relegated to low-level labor, or even... worse.
"Lin Fan, place your hand on the Induction Stone and clear your mind." The teacher in charge of the test was a middle-aged, burly man who spoke with a cold tone, mechanically repeating words he had said hundreds of times.
Lin Fan nodded and pressed his palm against the cold, massive black stone.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
A faint light flickered on the Induction Stone. It was a dismal white, and the halo stopped abruptly after spreading only two rings.
The testing teacher glanced at it and recorded it expressionlessly on the electronic tablet in his hand: "Lin Fan, Second Grade Aptitude, Lower Three Grades. Next!"
Although he had been mentally prepared, Lin Fan still felt a roar in his mind the moment the verdict was truly delivered.
Second Grade Aptitude...
A wave of whispers broke out on the playground, sounding incredibly piercing to Lin Fan's ears.
"Second Grade? Tsk tsk, he's quite handsome, but what a waste."
"It's over. With Second Grade Aptitude, he can forget about becoming a martial artist in this lifetime."
"Hey, I heard that boys with Second Grade Aptitude, if they have a decent physique, will be assigned to the 'Breeding Base' as 'Seed Beads.' They're specifically responsible for providing... cough, you know, to those female martial artists with excellent genes or daughters of wealthy families."
"Being a Seed Bead isn't bad either; at least you won't have to worry about food and drink. It's just that there's no dignity. It's no different from a breeding boar."
Lin Fan silently withdrew his hand, his fists clenched tight. The stinging pain helped him maintain his final shred of clarity.
Seed Bead.
This was a term that made all men turn pale at the mention of it. In this era of a sharply declining population, the survival of the fittest was executed to the extreme to ensure the continuation of the human race. For males with low aptitude, if they didn't want to become cannon fodder in the mining areas, their only way out was to become breeding tools and contribute to the base city's population.
That was a life even more undignified than death.
"I'm not resigned to this..." Lin Fan gritted his teeth. He had no relatives in this world, only a grandfather he depended on. His grandfather had left the base city a few days ago to search for his missing parents and had not yet returned. If he became a Seed Bead, how desperate would his grandfather be when he returned?
He walked back to the end of the line. The classmates who were originally somewhat familiar with him now intentionally or unintentionally kept their distance, as if he carried some contagious disease.
This was reality.
Lin Fan lowered his eyes, his heart full of bitterness. With Second Grade Aptitude, the probability of sensing qi and entering the Body Tempering Realm within seven days was less than one percent. This was almost a dead end.
Just as Lin Fan was sinking into despair and considering whether to go to the black market to buy some forbidden drugs to gamble with his life, a cold mechanical voice rang out deep in his mind.
[Ding! Detected intense emotional fluctuations in the host. God-level Enlightenment System activating...]
[System activated successfully!]
[Host: Lin Fan]
[Realm: Mortal]
[Aptitude: Second Grade (Inferior)]
[Comprehension Ability: Lv2 (The limit for ordinary people is Lv3; you are slightly mediocre)]
[Cultivation Technique: None]
[Martial Skill: None]
[evolution points: 0]
[Newbie Gift Pack issued. Open it?]
Lin Fan quickly looked up, his originally bleak gaze freezing.
System?!
As a transmigrator (though he was born into this world), he naturally knew what this was! The Golden Finger that was eighteen years late had finally arrived at this moment!
"Open! Open it now!" Lin Fan roared in his heart, his heart pounding violently as if it were about to burst through his chest.
[Ding! Newbie Gift Pack opened successfully!]
[Obtained evolution points: 2000!]
A warm current instantly surged through his entire body. Although there were no substantial changes to his body, Lin Fan could clearly see an additional 2000 evolution points on the system panel.
At the same time, a flow of information flooded into his mind, making him instantly understand how to use the system.
evolution points can be obtained by slaying living beings. And their only function was—adding points!
But this system was a bit odd. Currently, there was only a flashing "+" sign next to the "Comprehension Ability" option on the panel.
"I can only add to Comprehension Ability?" Lin Fan was stunned for a moment, then his gaze turned fierce. "Then Comprehension Ability it is! If my aptitude isn't enough, I'll make up for it with Comprehension Ability! I don't believe that supreme Comprehension Ability can't break this dead end of Second Grade Aptitude!"
He looked at the Lv2 in the Comprehension Ability column and pressed down hard with his mind.
[Consumed 10 evolution points. Comprehension Ability increased to Lv3 (Intelligent)!]
Again!
[Consumed 30 evolution points. Comprehension Ability increased to Lv4 (Photographic Memory)!]
Continue!
[Consumed 50 evolution points. Comprehension Ability increased to Lv5 (Inferring Many Things from One)!]
Lin Fan was like one possessed, frantically clicking that plus sign. The 2000 evolution points flowed away like water, while his Comprehension Ability level soared madly.
Lv6 (Gifted)... Lv7 (Peerless Genius)... Lv8 (Monstrous Talent)...
When the evolution points were nearly exhausted, with only a few points remaining, the Comprehension Ability column finally stopped.
[Comprehension Ability: Lv10 (Shaking the Past and Present, Divine Intelligence)]
The moment Comprehension Ability reached Lv10, Lin Fan felt the entire world change.
The originally hot air and the noisy voices of people became exceptionally clear and layered in his ears. He could even hear the frequency of a fly's wings flapping a hundred meters away and feel the flow of microscopic dust in the air.
His mind was clearer than ever before. Those previously obscure and difficult math problems and complex martial arts theories could now be dissected into dozens of solutions with just a slight thought.
This feeling was like switching from pixelated quality to 8K Ultra HD; the world became incredibly transparent in his eyes.
"Lin Fan! Why are you dazing off? Hurry to the Resource Department to collect your things, and don't block the people behind you!"
An impatient scolding interrupted Lin Fan's thoughts.
Lin Fan snapped back to reality and glanced at the Dean of Students who had scolded him. If it were before, he might have apologized submissively, but at this moment, he only gave the other person a faint, calm glance.
The Dean of Students felt an inexplicable chill from that glance, and the scolding that had just reached his lips was actually forced back down.
"Understood."
Lin Fan replied calmly, turned around, and walked towards the Resource Department.