1: Chapter 1 Tianlan Star

Sea City, Outer City.

The streets were cluttered and dilapidated, with people walking on dust-covered ground, and figures streaking across the sky.

Inside a room barely big enough for a bed, Fang Yuan looked out at the strange phenomena through the simple window, listening to the cacophony outside, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

He possessed memories from his previous life, a peaceful and mundane world without extraordinary powers, completely opposite to this one.

According to Fang Yuan's understanding over the past sixteen years, Tianlan Star, where he resided, bore significant similarities to his previous world.

However, fifty years ago, an earth-shattering change occurred: an unknown gray mist enveloped the entire world, giving rise to countless terrifying existences.

Unexplainable Void Realms appeared in various places on Tianlan Star, dividing the entire world into independent regions, and terrifying monsters descended with them.

Calamity struck, unknown powers Awakened, the extraordinary manifested, and Tianlan Star entered a brand new true spirit Era, where everyone had the potential to become a True Spirit Professional...

"Fang Yuan, it's almost eight o'clock! Why aren't you ready yet, you little rascal? Today's the day you enter the Void Realm."

An urgent voice broke Fang Yuan's contemplation.

Creak!!

Pushing open the rust-stained door, Fang Yuan quickly stepped out of the room and into the equally old and dilapidated living room.

In the living room, three people were already seated, eating a simple breakfast.

"Little brother, come eat."

"Third brother..."

Responding to the greetings from his eldest brother and younger sister, Fang Yuan sat down on the empty chair beside them and began to eat the bland food.

"How much longer must these days continue...?"

The bitter taste in his mouth made him feel dazed, and recalling the delicious food of his previous life, a hint of helplessness rose in Fang Yuan's heart.

The Void Realm's descent occupied ninety percent of Tianlan Star's space, causing food to become scarce overnight. No matter how unappetizing it was, he could only force all of his portion into his mouth.

After the last piece of bitter food went down, Fang Yuan still felt a slight hunger.

"I hope that when you receive the baptism today and Awaken your true spirit, you can successfully Awaken a combat-type Talent and successfully emerge from the Void Realm."

Fang Heng's eyes were complex. Two years ago, when he first stepped into the Void Realm, he Awakened the lowest Black Iron Rank True Spirit Talent - [Eagle Eye].

This immediately cut off his future possibility of becoming a Professional. Even if he successfully survived the Void Realm, [Eagle Eye] didn't grant him any combat power whatsoever.

Two years since his Awakening, Fang Heng was still at his initial Rank, Black Iron Rank One, only fifty percent stronger than an ordinary person.

Compared to their deceased elder brother, he was still very fortunate, at least he successfully Awakened a Talent.

Professional Ranks, from lowest to highest, are divided into Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Legend, Epic..., with each tier having ten Ranks.

True Spirit Talents, like Professional Ranks, range from Black Iron to Immortal. The higher the Talent Rank, the more terrifying the abilities it bestows.

True Spirit Talents originate from the Soul, and the Talents individuals Awaken are diverse and strange. Many people's Talents are completely useless in combat.

Fang Heng's Talent was decent; it could barely be linked to combat. Even though it was only the lowest Black Iron Rank [Eagle Eye], it granted him the ability to clearly observe situations a thousand meters away.

It was because of the characteristics of [Eagle Eye] that he was able to overcome numerous difficulties and successfully emerge from the Void Realm.

Like their mother, Lin Xia, whose Talent [Nimble Hands] only made her hands slightly more agile, she had no chance of becoming an Advanced Professional.

Their father, Fang Long's Talent, however, was quite good. It was the Bronze Rank [Fireball], and his Rank had now reached Black Iron Level Eight.

"Take this black iron long saber. You absolutely cannot die in the Void Realm. This is a weapon worth three hundred energy points..."

Lin Xia placed a black iron long saber on the table, repeatedly cautioning Fang Yuan, fearing he would die in the Void Realm and abandon the Black Iron Rank long saber there.

Three hundred energy points were enough for their family of five to live for a month at their current standard.

Although death in the Awakening Void Realm was not true death, once one died, their Soul would be damaged, which for ordinary people meant their future was ruined.

Besides Soul damage, items brought into the Void Realm would also be dropped there and could never be retrieved.

"Thank you, Mother."

Fang Yuan put down his chopsticks and thanked her aloud. He did not guarantee that he could return safely from the Void Realm.

The failure rate for Awakening was as high as twenty to thirty percent. What did this mean? It meant that three out of ten people perished in the Void Realm.

Even if this wasn't true death, those who failed to Awaken didn't even have a Talent, completely becoming the lowest class of people in this world, with their food supply not even guaranteed.

Fang Yuan did not believe he had anything unique about him, nor had any Golden Finger appeared in his sixteen years...

"I hope I can Awaken a powerful Talent..."

Stepping out of the doorway, Fang Yuan looked at the messy, crowded alleyway before him, his heart filled with anticipation.

As someone with memories from a previous life, who had once enjoyed a mundane existence, compared to his current life, his past life seemed perfectly ideal.

Although he was a corporate slave in his previous life, he could at least enjoy some pleasures and delicious food.

Here, since he was six, he had to follow his mother to the garment factory to work eight hours, and that was because he needed to exercise.

In his spare time, Fang Yuan also needed to spend eight hours practicing various survival and combat skills to prepare for his upcoming Awakening.

Work and practice combined for sixteen hours, leaving him only eight hours a day for eating and sleeping.

Comparing the two, his life over these years was simply a Hell, especially since even taking a bath was extremely difficult, perhaps not even once a month.

Years of tempering, all for this day.

Whether the Awakened Talent was powerful or not determined whether he could live a better life in the future.

"Brother, let's go."

Fang Ling reached out and nudged her dazed third brother. Her second brother and mother had to go to work, and today she had the rare privilege of accompanying him, allowing for a day of relaxation.

Escaping from that unchanging life, her mood at this moment was exceptionally pleasant.

Watching the hurried pedestrians around them, gazing at the distant hundred-meter city wall, and the faint gray mist outside the wall, Fang Yuan remained standing still.

His residence was only a hundred meters from the city wall, allowing him to easily see the mottled wall.

The gray mist outside the city wall was the source of all these calamities. It contained countless terrifying monsters that constantly watched the people inside the high wall.

The city wall was a hundred meters high, constructed from countless concrete steel bars and many unknown Materials. On top of the city wall, one could also see turrets and machine guns, with faint figures visible above.

After the world-altering changes, these thermal weapons still played a very significant role.

Fang Yuan could even see a familiar figure, their second brother Fang Heng, who, because of his [Eagle Eye] Talent, was able to become a member of the city wall guards.

Sea City was attacked almost daily by monsters from the Void Realm, and the power of thermal weapons helped prevent more casualties.

At his younger sister Fang Ling's urging, Fang Yuan and she headed towards Sea City's Inner City.

In contrast to the Outer City's chaos and filth, the Inner City, located in the center, was filled with hundred-meter-tall buildings, clean and orderly, consistent with the cities of his previous life.

The Inner City and Outer City were distinctly separated, one a paradise, the other a Hell.