"January 1, 2000, Blue Star."
"According to expert observations, a black bird suddenly appeared, vomited forth a massive stomach pouch, and swallowed the entire sun. Then, the bird swallowed the pouch again and vanished."
"The sun disappeared, and Blue Star was plunged into eternal night."
"For some unknowable reason, life on Blue Star wasn't completely wiped out. Humanity managed to survive, albeit barely."
"That same year, 'gods' began appearing on Blue Star en masse, hunting humans. To protect themselves, humanity formed a unified government and constructed several large Safe Zones. Since then, humans have lived only within these zones."
"This history marks the descent of Blue Star into its apocalypse."
"Take notes, everyone. The segment of apocalyptic history I just read has three key exam points. First, the date, New Year's Day ten years ago. Second…"
Sitting in the corner of the classroom, Qin Siyang shook his head.
"Studying history won't save humanity."
"In this apocalypse, only knowledge related to Sequence abilities is meaningful."
He stopped listening and turned to look out the window.
Through the reinforced glass, he could vaguely make out numerous gods drifting in the night sky above.
With Blue Star in eternal night, the view was the same no matter when you looked up.
The faintly flickering starfield.
And the gods wandering beneath it.
"Class, next, we'll discuss the 'gods'. There are also exam points here, listen carefully."
"After the Eternal Night, strange creatures appeared on Blue Star, their appearances wildly varied."
"But they share one common trait: they prey on humans and possess immortal bodies."
"Humanity believes these beings are a divine punishment for sins committed before the apocalypse, hence we call them 'gods'…"
Bizarre creatures that prey on humans are actually praised as "gods."
Hearing this, Qin Siyang sighed again.
It was always like this.
The end of science becomes theology.
People attribute anything they cannot explain to the divine.
"Everyone, pay attention. The sections on 'gods' and the apocalypse are mandatory for the college entrance exam, regardless of your track…"
Qin Siyang stopped listening to this useless lecture.
Everyone knew that in this apocalypse, only awakening a Sequence ability offered a foothold for survival.
As for the college entrance exam for ordinary people – you had to rank within the top 0.1% in the entire Safe Zone to advance to higher academies.
In a massive Safe Zone, what did being in the top 0.1% even mean?
Not even the top five students in the whole school could guarantee that.
The Qin Siyang from before his rebirth couldn't achieve it, and the current Qin Siyang, post-rebirth, certainly couldn't either.
In his previous life, Qin Siyang was an orphan who studied diligently for years. His college entrance exam results were unremarkable. He later managed to get into graduate school, and after graduation, landed a moderately respectable job. Result? He was laid off in middle age, went to the company to demand compensation, was accidentally killed by a security guard, and then reborn back to when he was seventeen.
The catch? While the people around him were the same, the once-normal world had transformed into its current state.
"Living a second life, I can't just let it pass by, right?"
"I still need to find a way to awaken a Sequence."
Qin Siyang already had a goal in mind, but he lacked the path to reach it.
After the apocalypse arrived, all manner of creatures mutated. Countless species went extinct, countless new ones emerged. And humanity, finally, began to change as well.
That was the emergence of Sequence Ability users.
Blue Star Calendar, January 1, 2005, exactly five years after the apocalypse began, the first human Sequence Ability user was born.
He possessed a power beyond ordinary humans – the ability to transform one of his hands into a revolver.
His revolver could fire six bullets a day. Many saw his emergence as a beacon of hope.
What use was his revolver against gods that even nuclear weapons couldn't kill?
But.
His revolver was actually effective.
After awakening his Sequence, he successfully killed two small, fast-crawling gods.
He shattered the accepted theory of the gods' immortality.
Sequence Ability users could kill gods!
Humanity rejoiced.
They saw hope for counterattacking against the gods!
Later, many others gradually awakened Sequence abilities.
Instances of humans slaying gods became gradually less rare.
However, no large-scale god had ever been killed. So, this small spark of Sequence ability awakening didn't fundamentally change humanity's insignificant situation.
But it did alter the internal dynamics within humanity.
Outside the Safe Zones, the gods reigned supreme. Inside the Safe Zones, the Sequence Ability users reigned supreme.
Sequence Ability users became the gods within the Safe Zones.
This was the apocalypse for humanity. But it was a paradise for Sequence Ability users.
Simply awakening a Sequence meant immediately reaching the pinnacle of society.
Stories were widespread within the Safe Zones of individuals begging on the streets in the morning and living in decadent luxury by the afternoon.
Qin Siyang had thought that anyone reborn should have some sort of luck bonus.
He had expected to awaken a Sequence immediately himself.
But three days had passed.
He was still an ordinary person living in the slums of the Safe Zone.
An ordinary person, just like all the other students in this school.
But Qin Siyang wasn't willing to resign himself to this.
"Class, the awakening of Sequence Ability users is humanity's hope…"
Sequence awakening?
Qin Siyang suddenly turned his head back.
This was exactly what he was most curious about.
He immediately raised his hand, looking at his homeroom teacher who taught history.
"Qin Siyang, what is your question?"
"Teacher, why hasn't a single one of our classmates awakened a Sequence ability? How does one awaken a Sequence ability?"
"The reason for awakening a Sequence is unknown. If I knew, I would have awakened one myself first."
A classmate immediately interjected, "But I heard that Zhou Yang's uncle in the class next door awakened a Sequence ability! Why can't I awaken one?"
"That's Director Zhou! The rate of Sequence awakening among government officials is naturally higher!"
"But…"
"No 'buts'! Instead of spouting unrealistic dreams here, you should focus on preparing for the college entrance exam!"
"You have your exams in half a year. If you don't study hard and test into an academy, you'll have to start working right after high school graduation!"
"Can you not give me a headache!! Everyone, open your homework, I'm checking it!"
The homeroom teacher grew more and more agitated as he spoke, eventually slamming the desk wildly.
But with the perspective of two lifetimes, Qin Siyang could see it wasn't frustration borne of high expectations.
Only the top five in the entire school had a chance of testing into an academy. The top student in their class was only ranked around thirtieth in the school.
In other words, everyone in the class would have to find work after high school.
The homeroom teacher couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
His agitation and anger naturally didn't stem from concern for his students' futures.
Qin Siyang detected unwillingness and jealousy in his eyes.
Unwillingness to be an ordinary person.
Jealousy of others who had awakened Sequence abilities.
"But if you don't awaken a Sequence, what hope is there in life?"
Qin Siyang muttered under his breath.
This mutter was overheard by the homeroom teacher as he patrolled the homework.
"Qin Siyang!!"
"You're sitting alone at a single desk in the back corner, and still you refuse to repent, obsessed with these unrealistic thoughts, even disrupting class order!!"
"Absolutely hopeless! Go stand outside the door!! Come back when you've cleared your head!"
"Oh."
He clearly hadn't said anything particularly inflammatory, but it had still provoked the teacher.
Someone once said that human anger ultimately stems from one's own powerlessness.
Probably true.
Qin Siyang walked out of the classroom.
He didn't care at all about a minor punishment like standing outside.
If the school cafeteria didn't provide meals, allowing a penniless orphan like him to fill his stomach, he wouldn't even bother attending school. He'd surely spend all his energy figuring out Sequences.
Just as well, it was quieter outside the classroom.
He could think calmly about methods to awaken a Sequence.
From what he knew, the wealthy and the powerful in this world had a very high probability of awakening Sequence abilities.
But for impoverished students like him, living on the fringes of the Safe Zone, not one in several thousand became an awakener.
Sequence awakening didn't seem entirely random; it appeared to favor the rich and powerful.
"If the condition for Sequence awakening is related to quality of life, then I'm probably never going to awaken one in my lifetime."
He shook his head, let out a long sigh, and stopped thinking about it.
He looked up out the window. Many gods were still drifting under the starfield.
"Gods, huh?"
"If you are gods, then what does that make me, who can be reborn? Aren't I your equal?"
"In that case, I must be a god too."
Qin Siyang smiled faintly.
Suddenly, he saw something in the dark starfield: what seemed like an eye slowly opening, looking directly at him.
Its pitch-black pupil didn't seem human; it更像来自于一只鸟 (was more like that of a bird).
This eye, hanging in the night sky, was larger than the stars. If it truly belonged to a bird, that bird could likely swallow Blue Star whole in one bite.
Qin Siyang frowned and glanced at the other students being punished in the hallway. Some of them were also looking out the window bored, but none seemed to notice this eye.
Could only he see it?
He stared back at the eye for a moment, suddenly feeling as if it was projecting some kind of interference into his mind, making him dizzy.
Immediately after, a stream of information appeared in his mind.
…
[Sequence «God-Eater» Awakened]
[Devour gods to grow stronger]
[Current Sequence Level: 1, Glutton]
[Skill: Blood Drinker. Skill Description: Gain power even by consuming gods raw.]
…
When he regained his focus, the eye in the starfield had vanished.
His Sequence… had awakened?!
Qin Siyang couldn't believe what had just happened.
He didn't know much about Sequence abilities.
The only thing he knew was that Sequence Ability users could supposedly see their own Sequence information in their minds.
"I… I've awakened a Sequence ability too?!"
While Qin Siyang was still in disbelief, he instantly felt a surge of power flood into his body, significantly enhancing his mental state.
Even his previously thin, hunger-worn arms now showed defined muscle lines.
"They say your body gets enhanced after awakening a Sequence ability, so it's true!"
But then he thought of the eye and felt puzzled again: Did everyone awaken their Sequence in such a strange way?
Why had he never heard anyone mention it?
"The «God-Eater» Sequence… it sounds powerful. I need to go check the «God-Slayer Camp»."
The «God-Slayer Camp» was a forum where Sequence Ability users discussed and exchanged information.
Qin Siyang had only heard about it by chance when his classmates were bragging and shooting the breeze.
To access the forum and search, he needed either a phone or a computer.
At his home, forget a computer, he didn't even have any working household appliances.
During the evening self-study session, the homeroom teacher seemed particularly angry. He lectured everyone for a long time, then made them complete two practice exam sets, finally dismissing them after 10 p.m.
"With self-study running so late, I'll have to wait and go to the internet cafe tomorrow morning."
Power resources were scarce in the apocalypse, and internet cafes weren't open 24/7. They were already closed by now.
"Ding—"
Right then, the bell signaling the end of evening self-study rang.
"Something feels strange about how I awakened, and the name of my Sequence is odd too. I'll tell others after I understand it better."
"Anyway, the status of a Sequence Ability user won't just disappear."
Qin Siyang returned home and let out a long breath:
"Get some sleep, head to the internet cafe first thing tomorrow morning!"