2: Exploiting a bug! EX-level talent awakening

The red light on the cabin wall was still flashing madly.

The grating alarm sounded as if it were churning up brain matter before pouring it out.

"Zzzzt—"

The sound of electric currents pierced his eardrums.

Gu Pingsheng leaned against the narrow cabin wall, clutching the cold metal identification tag tightly in his hand.

Outside, everything was in chaos.

"Ah! I've awakened! I've awakened!"

"Oh my god! It's S-Rank! Sister Qinghan awakened an S-Rank Talent!"

"And Su Ruan! Su Ruan is S-Rank too!"

Screams, cheers, and even cries of joy filtered through the thin cabin door.

Gu Pingsheng didn't move.

He stared intently at the semi-transparent blue panel in front of him.

The progress bar had finally reached its end.

[99%...100%]

[Scan complete.]

[Generating talent model...]

In that instant.

The entire cabin was submerged in dazzling golden light.

It wasn't ordinary bright light; it was like a star had been forcefully crammed into this small, several-square-meter metal box.

Gu Pingsheng subconsciously squinted.

A line of golden text was slowly appearing on his retina.

[Congratulations to Player Gu Pingsheng for awakening SSS-Rank Talent: Myriad Things Sublimation!]

[Effect: Can upgrade any item by 1 rank. Cooldown: 24 hours.]

SSS-Rank.

A one-in-a-billion probability.

If it were anyone else, their heart would probably have stopped from excitement right now.

But Gu Pingsheng didn't react.

His pupils suddenly contracted to the size of a needlepoint.

Not enough.

Still not enough.

In this damned place where even breathing had a cost, an SSS-Rank ability usable only once a day couldn't guarantee survival.

What he wanted was absolute control.

It was the privilege of transcending the rules.

Just as the talent icon was about to solidify completely—

That 0.01-second system delay.

Gu Pingsheng moved.

His mind was like a red-hot scalpel, cutting into the generating code logic with precision and ruthlessness.

That was his intuition as a top hacker in his previous life.

It was also the instinct he had honed through countless near-death experiences.

"Sublimate... for me!"

He let out a silent roar in his mind.

He used his talent ability on the talent currently being generated.

Using [Myriad Things Sublimation] to sublimate [Myriad Things Sublimation] itself.

This was a logical paradox.

Like lifting oneself up by stepping on one's own foot.

But in the instant before the system logic closed the loop, it was possible.

"Zzzz—!!!"

An extremely sharp noise suddenly exploded in his mind.

It was like someone scratching a blackboard forcefully with their fingernails.

Gu Pingsheng let out a muffled groan, and a hot stream gushed from his nostrils.

It was blood.

But he didn't wipe it away.

He stared fixedly at the panel.

The originally golden text began to twist, break apart, and turn into countless garbled characters.

[Warning! Logic error!]

[Warning! Illegal operation detected!]

[System reconstructing...]

The entire spaceship seemed to shake.

The cheers outside abruptly ceased.

"What happened? Why did the lights go out?"

"Did the spaceship break?"

In the darkness, only the panel in front of Gu Pingsheng emitted a strange red glow.

A few seconds later.

The red light dispersed.

It was replaced by an indescribable, deep, noble purple-gold color.

"Ding!"

"Talent Sublimation successful!"

"SSS-Rank -> EX-Rank!"

[Congratulations to Player Gu Pingsheng for obtaining the unique hidden talent: Hand of God (EX · Golden Legend)!]

Gu Pingsheng wiped away the nosebleed, a savage grin spreading across his face.

He won the gamble.

With a trembling hand, he tapped the purple-gold icon.

[Hand of God (EX)]

[Passive Effect: Everything +3 Ranks.]

(Any item you touch, create, or use automatically increases its quality by 3 ranks. No cooldown, no consumption.)

Gu Pingsheng took a deep breath.

His lungs burned as if they had been scorched by fire, but his heart was pounding wildly.

Everything +3 Ranks.

What did that even mean?

In this game, items are categorized as: Gray (Inferior), White (Common), Green (Excellent), Blue (Fine), Purple (Epic)... and so on.

A White-quality pistol is a treasure to an ordinary person.

But he could casually pick up a stone and turn it into a Blue-quality high-explosive grenade.

This was dimensional reduction warfare.

This was the Hand of God.

"Hoo..."

Gu Pingsheng leaned back against the headboard, closed his eyes, and calmed his racing heart.

The lights outside turned back on.

The noise returned.

"That scared me, I thought the spaceship was going to explode."

"Look! Is that ice in Sister Qinghan's hand? It's so beautiful!"

"Why is Su Ruan's doll moving? That's terrifying..."

Gu Pingsheng opened his eyes.

He needed to test it.

His gaze fell on the old metal cabinet by the bed.

There sat a piece of black bread he had received when supplies were distributed earlier.

It was hard as a brick, covered in green mold, and emitted a nauseating, sour stench.

[Moldy Black Bread (Gray · Inferior)]

[Description: Besides filling your stomach, it offers a free stomach-pumping service. 50% chance of diarrhea upon consumption, 10% chance of poisoning.]

Gu Pingsheng reached out.

The moment his fingertips touched the bread.

"Buzz—"

A purple light, visible only to him, flashed.

The originally shriveled, moldy bread puffed up as if inflated.

The green mold instantly disappeared, replaced by a golden, crispy crust.

The sour stench was gone too.

A rich aroma of wheat mixed with milk permeated the narrow cabin.

"Ding! Hand of God activated!"

"Gray -> White -> Green -> Blue!"

[Obtained: Finely Crafted Compressed Military Rations (Blue · Fine)]

[Description: Special rations for interstellar special forces. One block satisfies an adult male's energy needs for three days. Excellent taste, rich in vitamins. Consumption quickly restores stamina and provides a minor health regeneration effect.]

Gu Pingsheng picked up the 'military ration'.

It felt heavy and warm in his hand.

He took a bite.

Crispy and sweet.

It was like a freshly baked, top-tier croissant, filled with rich shredded pork and cream.

"Gulp."

Gu Pingsheng swallowed.

A warm current slid down his esophagus into his stomach, instantly soothing the hunger pangs that had been cramping his gut.

The feeling of satisfaction made him want to groan.

"What is that smell?"

A voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"It smells so good... like a bakery..."

"Who's secretly eating?"

Gu Pingsheng quickly shoved the remaining military ration into his mouth and clapped the crumbs from his hands.

This was only the beginning.

He looked at the bottle of water next to him.

[Murky Rust Water (Gray)]

[Description: Contains large amounts of heavy metals and microorganisms. Drink it, and you're not far from mutation.]

Gu Pingsheng grasped the bottle.

The purple light flashed again.

This time, the light was even brighter than before.

"Ding! Critical hit triggered!"

"Gray -> White -> Green -> Blue -> Purple!"

The murky liquid in the bottle instantly became crystal clear, even emitting a faint, ethereal glow.

The old plastic bottle also transformed into an exquisite crystal flask.

[Obtained: Spring of Life Essence (Purple · Epic)]

[Description: Spring water containing high-concentration life energy. Consumption grants All Attributes +1 (first time only), eliminates all negative statuses (fatigue, illness, minor poisoning). Long-term consumption slows aging and improves physique.]

All Attributes +1.

Gu Pingsheng twisted the cap open and tilted his head back, taking a large gulp.

The cool, sweet liquid slid down his throat.

The headache and nosebleed caused by forcibly exploiting the bug vanished instantly.

His body felt lighter, and his vision seemed clearer.

He could even hear Liu Ruyan in the adjacent cabin complaining that the black bread was too hard and had chipped her tooth.

"This is the life."

Gu Pingsheng shook the crystal flask in his hand, watching the shimmering light inside.

Outside was Hell.

Here was Heaven.

And this door was the dividing line between Heaven and Hell.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The cabin door was suddenly knocked.

"Gu Pingsheng, are you inside?"

It was the voice of the class monitor, Zhao Min.

"Everyone is gathering in the main hall to tally talents. You should come out too."

Gu Pingsheng tucked the crystal flask into his clothes and straightened his outfit.

"Coming."

He pushed the door open.

The main hall was already packed.

Forty girls were divided into several small circles.

The most conspicuous were naturally the three who had awakened S-Rank Talents.

Lin Qinghan stood in the center, playing with a crystal-clear ice sword. That was the physical manifestation of her talent. The surrounding air temperature dropped several degrees due to her presence.

Su Ruan sat on the ground; the rabbit doll in her arms had grown a large mouth full of sharp teeth and was crunching on a piece of scrap iron.

Chen Chuxia was treating a girl who had accidentally cut her hand, a soft green light emanating from her palm.

Besides them, several girls who had awakened A-Rank and B-Rank Talents held their heads high, looking arrogant.

As for those who awakened F-Rank, E-Rank, or hadn't awakened a talent at all, they huddled in the corner, their eyes filled with fear and envy.

Hierarchy.

In this small spaceship, a hierarchy had already been established.

"Gu Pingsheng, what talent did you awaken?"

Zhao Min walked over, holding a small notebook, and asked.

Everyone's eyes turned toward him.

After all, he was the only male.

If he awakened a powerful combat talent, he would be a useful laborer.

Gu Pingsheng scanned the room.

Those gazes contained scrutiny, desire, and expectation.

In this crisis-ridden start where resources were extremely scarce, keeping a low profile meant being marginalized, being denied resources, and handing over control of one's destiny to others.

And he intended to be the controller.

Concentrating power to accomplish great things.

Only by uniting this group could they survive in this star field.

And the best way to make them listen wasn't charity, but demonstrating absolute value.

"My talent..."

Gu Pingsheng paused, then pulled out the [Finely Crafted Compressed Military Rations] he hadn't finished eating from his pocket.

Although only a small piece remained, its golden color and rich aroma instantly drew everyone's attention.

"Gulp."

Someone swallowed hard.

In this spaceship filled with mold and rust, this aroma was a nuclear-level temptation.

"What is that?!"

Liu Ruyan was the first to rush over, her eyes glued to the thing in Gu Pingsheng's hand.

"Bread? No... this smells even better than a Michelin restaurant!"

Gu Pingsheng ignored her and handed the half-piece of military ration to Zhao Min.

"Try it."

Zhao Min was stunned for a moment, then took the ration.

She hesitated for a second, then broke off a small piece and put it in her mouth.

The next moment, her eyes widened sharply.

"This... this..."

She looked at Gu Pingsheng in shock, unable to speak clearly.

"My stamina recovered... and... the hunger is completely gone!"

"What?!"

The girls around them instantly erupted.

"Is that true? Monitor, don't lie to us!"

"I want a taste too!"

Gu Pingsheng raised his hand, stopping the commotion.

He walked over to the supply box nearby.

Piled there were dozens of moldy black loaves of bread and several barrels of murky rust water.

Those were their rations for the next few days.

They were also the source of their despair.

"My talent is called [Myriad Things Sublimation]."

Gu Pingsheng said calmly.

He stretched out his hand and placed it on the box full of black bread.

"Buzz—"

Purple light flashed.

Under the gaze of forty pairs of eyes.

That box of disgusting black bread changed at a visible rate.

The mold faded, the shriveled surface became plump and golden, and the sour stench dissipated, replaced by a rich wheat aroma.

In just a few seconds.

A box of trash turned into a box of top-tier military rations.

Dead silence.

The entire hall was silent.

Everyone stood with their mouths agape, as if they had witnessed a miracle.

Even Lin Qinghan, who had maintained a cold expression, couldn't help but step forward, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Is... is this magic?"

Su Ruan murmured, clutching her rabbit doll.

Gu Pingsheng didn't stop.

He walked over to the barrels of rust water.

His palm swept over them.

The murky yellow water instantly became clear and transparent, even emitting a faint blue glow.

[Pure Energy Water (Blue · Fine)]

Having finished all that, Gu Pingsheng clapped his hands and turned to face the crowd.

"Now, who still thinks we're going to starve to death?"

No one spoke.

But everyone's eyes had changed.

It was the look reserved for a savior.

In this damned apocalypse, while combat talents were important, an auxiliary talent that could conjure food and water out of thin air was truly divine!

"Gu... Brother Gu!"

Liu Ruyan suddenly shouted.

She pushed through the crowd and ran to Gu Pingsheng, her face, which had been full of disdain moments ago, now plastered with a flattering smile.

"Brother Gu! You're so amazing! I knew you weren't ordinary!"

She reached out to link arms with Gu Pingsheng, but he sidestepped her.

Liu Ruyan wasn't embarrassed, instead smiling even sweeter.

"Brother Gu, I was starving to death just now... could you give me a piece of that bread first?"

With her leading the way, the other girls also caught on.

"Brother Gu! Me too!"

"Brother Gu, look at me! I'm from the room next door to yours!"

"Brother Gu, you're our boss from now on!"

More than half of the people who had been surrounding Lin Qinghan instantly defected.

Even Lin Qinghan herself dropped her aloof demeanor.

She walked up to Gu Pingsheng and looked at him seriously.

"Your talent is very useful."

She paused, then added:

"More useful than mine."

This was an acknowledgment.

Gu Pingsheng looked at her and nodded slightly.

"Pleasure working with you."