143: Ye Tian Brand, Great Father System

...

...

The Origin of civilization is Fire, and the Origin of life is water.

The pitch-black sky is perennially shrouded in smoke and dust.

Even the last few major Human survival Bases are, without exception, gradually losing the civilization of the past.

This is an apocalypse, a desperate apocalypse known only to a few.

Jiangnan Base City.

North City No. 1 High School.

“Ding-a-ling~”

The Children, who still had to attend school, welcomed their holiday in the evening.

“Luo Kai, the Martial Exam in the wilderness is in a week. How is it? Are you ready?”

Inside the Classroom, a Fatty hooked his arm around a male Student with a clean school uniform and delicate features.

Hearing the Fatty's words, a hint of inferiority flashed in the male Student's eyes: “Mm, almost.”

“Let me tell you, the Martial Exam is the most important part of our National College Entrance Examination. You must be fully prepared.”

“Especially some weapons and potions. At this point, don't be stingy with money. You must buy the best! We're going to deal with Zombies and mutated beasts in the Martial Exam!”

“Of course I understand.” Luo Kai forced a smile, not wanting to discuss this topic too much.

He seemed afraid of causing other topics.

Sure enough, after the Fatty's voice fell, a female Student tidying her bag in the front seat glanced over disdainfully: “Oh, come on. With Luo Kai's family situation, what can he afford?”

“Buying the best? An ordinary level weapon is the most he can do.”

The female Student's words were undisguised.

Everyone else in the class who hadn't left yet turned their gaze over.

Seeing that it was about Luo Kai, they all showed an expression of understanding.

North City No. 1 High School, Senior Year 3, Class 1, this should have been a place only for Children from upper-middle-class families in the North District.

Luo Kai was admitted here exceptionally because of his outstanding academic performance.

After learning about his situation living in the poverty area, the entire class implicitly developed a sense of distance and exclusion towards him.

In this era, value is the prerequisite for becoming friends.

Perhaps many people in the old era also had this idea, but it was not as obvious as it is now.

“Why are you talking like that?” The Fatty looked at the female Student in the front seat: “Just because Luo Kai takes your first place in every academic test?”

“Wang Tao, watch your words!” Li Ping's rather pleasant face showed a sharp expression.

“Hahaha, Wang Tao, stop pretending. Just act like surface-level brothers; it's not worth offending our beauty Li for this.”

A voice appeared in the class.

Seeing the person who spoke, Wang Tao's expression changed, and a flattering smile appeared on his face: “Brother Wu, this is not... Students should help each other.”

“Heh, you know Luo Kai's family situation better than us. Don't you just want him to take out a loan from you to buy equipment? Apologize to beauty Li, and I'll take care of your business.”

“Don't bother Luo Kai anymore. If he takes out a loan from you, he won't be able to pay it back anyway.”

These words directly made the situation clear.

A group of younger brothers behind the A Man surnamed Wu burst into laughter.

Amidst this ridicule, Luo Kai looked at Wang Tao.

His intention being exposed, he wasn't embarrassed at all, and the smile on his face grew wider.

He immediately put distance between himself and Luo Kai, and said to the female Student in the front seat with a fawning smile: “Beauty Li, my mouth was loose. Everything I said was nonsense, please don't take it to heart.”

“You don't need to apologize to me.” Li Ping said coldly, glancing at the male Student next to Wang Tao: “A guy who hasn't even reached the Black Iron Realm, no matter how good his academic performance is, what does it matter?”

“The Martial Exam in seven days is destined to prevent a pretty boy like you from ever crossing the class divide.”

Leaving this sentence, the female Student left the Classroom directly.

As the scene quieted down.

One by one, the Students in the class also left.

“Brother Wu, wait for me.” Wang Tao happily chased after the tall male Student with a crew cut.

As he left, Wang Tao's words about loans, great deals, etc., entered Luo Kai's ears.

Silently packing his things, putting on his backpack, Luo Kai looked at the empty Classroom and took a deep breath. He was already used to this situation.

He felt his pocket.

There was the money he earned from working part-time on weekends this semester.

After deducting the money for food at home, he could use 302 yuan to purchase equipment for the Martial Exam.

302 yuan, which was just pocket money for other classmates for a day, but for him, it took a whole semester to save up.

It was precisely because of this extreme lack of money that he couldn't even take the first step towards becoming a Martial Artist.

The most ordinary Martial Artist Source Stone was worth 100,000 yuan, which was a luxury for Luo Kai.

...

...

The sky darkened very quickly.

Seven o'clock in the evening.

Luo Kai returned to Street 434 in the North District.

The damp ground emitted bursts of rotten stench.

Stepping on the unstable floor tiles, a splash of swill flew out.

The poverty area in the apocalypse was synonymous with dirt and chaos.

Looking at these tube buildings, Luo Kai walked into one of them and climbed eight floors, panting.

Opening the door, as expected, his dishevelled Father was in a deep sleep, with cheap wine bottles scattered around him.

He sighed inwardly, put down his backpack, and Luo Kai, as usual, began to clean the house.

“You're back?” Behind him, the Middle-aged A Man slightly opened his eyes.

“Mm.”

After an extremely brief exchange, Luo Kai scooped out a spoonful of rice and went to the kitchen.

“The Martial Exam is in seven days, right?” The A Man asked an extra question compared to usual.

Hearing the question, Luo Kai's voice was slightly muffled: “Yes.”

“Don't go.” The Middle-aged A Man picked up the wine bottle that still had some wine left and poured it into a bowl.

These words made Luo Kai in the kitchen pause: “Why? Don't you know how important this Martial Exam is to me?”

The boy's words contained suppressed emotion.

Regarding Luo Kai's voice, the A Man picked up the bowl of wine in front of him without much change in emotion: “You're not the material for becoming a talent.”

These words made Luo Kai, who was busy in the kitchen, stop his movements.

And the A Man was slowly savoring the cheap strong liquor in the bowl.

“You're saying that again.” Luo Kai in the kitchen clenched his fists and took deep breaths: “From childhood to adulthood, all you know is to deny me!”

“I didn't ask you to care about my schooling, I didn't ask you to care about my life, I even took care of you, why do you only know how to blindly deny me?!”

“This is the Martial Exam, the only chance in a lifetime! As long as I pass, I can get into the academy I want, only then can I earn money to buy Martial Artist Source Stones and become a Martial Artist, changing my life!”

A string of words, containing too much suppression and trembling.

“I said, you can't do it!” The Middle-aged A Man suddenly slammed the table, and the porcelain bowl in his hand shattered.

“I must go!” Luo Kai changed his usual weakness: “If I have to live my life as a waste like you, I'd rather die!”

“You think I'm a waste?” The A Man's hoarse voice indicated that his emotions had fluctuated.

“It's not what I think, it's what everyone who sees you thinks! You're just someone who eats and waits for death, a complete and utter waste!”

Luo Kai's words were already a roar.

Having lived in this oppressive environment for so many years, today was the most intense emotional outburst he had ever had.

Hearing his son's scolding, Luo Lei's Vicissitudes eyes dimmed.

He looked out the window.

That pitch-black sky was like a cover, a cage...

“You really want to become a Martial Artist that much?”

“Becoming a Martial Artist has been my dream since I was a Child, and it's this dream that has supported me, allowing me to live until now without committing suicide.”

Luo Kai's state of mind recovered, and his words became much calmer.

Luo Lei sighed, a hint of Qingming appeared in his confused eyes, as if struggling with something: “Then let me test you, what are the levels of Martial Artists?”

This question made Luo Kai frown, feeling it was a trivial common sense question.

“Martial Artists have six levels: Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Purple Crystal. Each level is further divided into three ranks: Junior, Intermediate, and Senior.”

“Each level of a Martial Artist also has quality divisions, from ordinary to Legend, five grades. The quality of a Martial Artist represents their strength and, more importantly, their potential limit.”

“You know quite a bit.” A hint of recollection appeared in Luo Lei's eyes: “Then what level is above Purple Crystal?”

“Above Purple Crystal?” Hearing this, Luo Kai was slightly puzzled: “Purple Crystal is already the highest level. There are only five people in the entire Jiangnan Base City.”

“Highest?” Luo Lei shook his head lightly: “Above Purple Crystal is King, a King who sits on a throne.”

“King?” A new Martial Artist level surprised the boy: “It's not even in the books...”

“Books are also written by Humans. If Humans don't want you to know, how would they write it down?”

These words made Luo Kai suspicious. Why would this A Man know something that wasn't even written in books?

Luo Lei didn't care about Luo Kai's thoughts. He felt around on his body, and a necklace appeared in his hand. This was the cleanest item on him.

“If you can promise me and your Mother that no matter what happens in the future, you will always strive towards the direction of a King, I will not deny you.”

“Mother...” His gaze fell on the necklace in Luo Lei's hand, Luo Kai's words were firm: “Although I have nothing now, I will prove it with time.”

“Hahaha.” Laughing loudly with an unreadable emotion, Luo Lei leaned back in the wooden chair: “Don't cook yet, go help me buy two bottles of wine.”

...

...

Luo Kai was sent away.

The low heat in the kitchen was cooking thin porridge.

In the narrow living room, Luo Lei looked at the necklace in his hand, a bitter and relieved smile appearing on his unshaven lips.

“Yun'er, our Child has grown up, he can even scold me now.”

“But he still chose to become a Martial Artist, to walk this road of no return...”

“I should support him.” Muttering to himself, behind Luo Lei, a scarlet King's throne twisted heavy space, slowly appearing like a God!

This was the symbol of a King!

“Cough!” As soon as he used the power of starlight, a mouthful of fresh blood was coughed out.

All his old injuries were fully triggered!

Despite this, Luo Lei paid no heed, his gaze fixed on the space before him.

The space just a few inches in front of him continuously twisted, as if a black hole was collapsing. As the dense starlight power converged, a stone shimmering with rich brilliance gradually appeared.

Martial Artist Source Stone.

This thing gathers the Origin of a Martial Artist, and is also equivalent to a Legacy. It is something every ordinary person needs to become a Martial Artist.

It took a full ten minutes.

As the last wisp of scarlet converged, Luo Lei, with his messy hair, leaned back against the wall, exhausted.

With a “clink”, this priceless blood-colored King's Source Stone fell beside him.

Without the suppression of his starlight power, the old injuries on his body erupted like a breached river, irreversible!

Threads of fresh blood seeped from his seven orifices, and Luo Lei's breathing gradually weakened.

This was the only thing he, this Waste, could leave for his son at the end of his life.

“Yun'er, I'm coming to join you. Compared to me, our Child will definitely go further. He possesses extremely terrifying learning talent.”

In his quiet delirium, Luo Lei's eyes slowly closed... He already knew his end.

“Ding~ Host detected, Ye Tian brand, Great Father System activated. Does the Host wish to bind?”