Early the next morning, Qin Siyang set off for the internet café with his only ten copper coins, schoolbag slung over his shoulder. It was his first time visiting one in this life.
The café smelled only faintly of smoke—nowhere near as harsh as the internet cafés he remembered from his previous life. Qin Siyang glanced around.
The place was shabby, seemingly unrenovated save for a fresh coat of paint and some decorative stickers on the walls. Yet it was still far better than his own place—there were two lights hanging from the ceiling. Not candle lamps, but electric ones.
In the safe zone, anyone who could afford electricity was considered wealthy in Qin Siyang's eyes. Those who could run a business powered by electricity were outright tycoons.
In this impoverished edge of the safe zone, few could afford the luxury of paid internet. And yet, a café had opened here. As the only one nearby, its owner must have connections—strange-looking people were often seen coming and going whenever Qin Siyang passed by on his way to and from school.
Qin Siyang called out to the network administrator: "One computer, just half an hour!" He dropped the ten copper coins on the counter—his wages from a week of part-time work at the school library.
With electricity in critically short supply, internet café fees were exorbitant. Handing over those coins made his heart ache.
The overweight, thirty-something administrator behind the counter stared at him for a moment, then pointed wordlessly to a computer: "That one. Go on."
As Qin Siyang sat down, he noticed a man in a suit typing away on a keyboard not far from him. Only then did he realize why this café smelled so much better than the ones from his past life—because it was expensive.
Those who could afford to come here were usually people looking up information or conducting business, hurrying in and out. What exactly they were researching or trading, though, Qin Siyang had no idea.
He turned on the computer, but it was painfully slow. It took two whole minutes just to load the interface. Fastier computers, of course, cost extra.
He immediately logged onto God slayer Camp, the forum for Sequence Ability users, and searched for known Sequences. A pinned post listed all Awakened Sequences discovered so far—he clicked on it at once.
In the five full years since New Year's Day 2005, thousands of Sequences had been Awakened. Everyone had Awakened suddenly, as if struck by lightning. No one had seen a bird's eye before Awakening.
What surprised Qin Siyang even more was that among the thousands of Sequences, none were related to consuming gods. In other words, no one shared his Awakening method—or his Sequence Ability.
Qin Siyang swallowed hard, murmuring to himself: "Could I be the chosen one—one of a kind?!"
There was no record of his Sequence anywhere. Should he go public? He might become the center of attention!
But hesitation washed over him when his eyes fell on another post: "Humanity still cannot digest god remains. If someone Awakens a Sequence that grows stronger by eating gods, they'll probably be captured for research!"
Captured for research...
Now that he had a basic understanding of Sequence Abilities, Qin Siyang knew his God-Eater Sequence was one of a kind. Even Sequence Ability users on God slayer Camp longed for such a power—hunting gods while growing stronger made it the ultimate unstoppable force.
Qin Siyang soberly realized he lacked the strength to match this extraordinary Sequence. As the saying went, "A common man is innocent, but he who harbors treasures is guilty." Possessing wealth or power beyond one's ability to defend spelled danger at every turn.
Trust himself, or trust others—pin his life and future on someone else's moral integrity? For any rational person, the answer was clear.
Qin Siyang made up his mind instantly: Keep it a secret. Make a fortune quietly. It was a timeless truth, in both lives.
As he pondered his future plans, the computer suddenly jumped back to the password screen, displaying a message: [Time's up. Please renew at the front desk to continue using.]
His ten copper coins' worth of internet time was gone. Such was the misfortune of being poor—no matter how powerful your Sequence, you still had to log off on time.
Thankfully, in just half an hour, Qin Siyang had found what he needed. Above all else: never let anyone learn about the God-Eater Sequence.
He slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and left the café, under the confused gaze of the overweight administrator.
Through the safe zone's anti-aircraft glass, he stared at the eternal starry sky and the giant gods wandering by from time to time. Doubt crept in again—should he head to the safe zone exit, or back to school?
On God slayer Camp, Sequence Ability users had mentioned that hunting teams frequented the exit every day. The United Government offered various support policies and resource inclinations to Ability users, in exchange for them hunting gods outside the safe zone.
Moreover, the more and larger gods they hunted, the richer the rewards. To prove their kills, Ability users would bring back a specific part of the god's corpse as proof to claim their prizes.
Qin Siyang figured waiting at the exit might give him a chance to take a bite of a god's flesh, to verify if the God-Eater Sequence truly made him stronger. If it worked, he could rise rapidly—hiding outside the safe zone, hunting gods until he became an unparalleled master, then returning to dominate everything.
Growing stronger as he hunted made him a veritable perpetual motion machine. But Qin Siyang checked his mental status panel again, analyzed his skill calmly, and shook his head.
"The description for Blood Feast says eating gods raw boosts strength. But it doesn't say anything about satisfying hunger..."
For him, eating came before anything else—even his Sequence. He couldn't afford to be careless. Even a hero can be brought to his knees by an empty stomach.
Qin Siyang stopped deliberating. He had only one choice: go to school. Trying his luck at the exit might lead to power, but today's lunar calendar said [No major undertakings advisable]—a sign it wasn't the day for gambles.
Qin Siyang had never been superstitious before. But after experiencing rebirth and the apocalypse—two utterly unscientific events—superstition didn't seem so irrational anymore. When faced with the inexplicable, people couldn't help but turn to it.
The school provided lunch and dinner. More importantly, today was Friday. The school closed on weekends, which meant the cafeteria would shut down too. With no money, missing today's meals would leave him starving for two days.
Not only did he have to go to school, but he also needed to beg Aunt Zhang in the cafeteria to give him extra food to get through the weekend—maybe one or two meals a day. Aunt Zhang knew he was an orphan and always took care of him.
He could head to the exit on the weekend instead. Sequence Ability users didn't take days off—they had to submit god remains to the United Government to get resources, much like self-employed vendors. When you're responsible for your own livelihood, work hours and holidays blur together.
Qin Siyang made up his mind.
Dim streetlights lined the main road, one every few dozen meters, barely illuminating two or three steps ahead. Anti-aircraft glass was attached to the top of each lamp, seemingly for support.
To Qin Siyang, the only purpose of these streetlights was to signal that this was the main road on the edge of the safe zone. They were practically useless—even the lights in the internet café were several times brighter.
He walked along the dim road for over ten minutes before reaching the school. In his previous life, Qin Siyang had attended an ordinary high school in a county with poor conditions. Things weren't much different in this world.
He had no other options—Ju'an School was the only one nearby. It covered twelve years of education, from primary to high school. Kids on the edge of the safe zone started school at six or seven and graduated at eighteen; it was like a second home.
All the students here were ordinary people, as were their parents. In a safe zone where Sequence Ability users were not uncommon, such all-ordinary settlements were rare, mostly confined to the edges.
Anyone who Awakened a Sequence would definitely move their family out of this dangerous, dilapidated area to a better part of the safe zone. Within the school, everyone was at the bottom of the safe zone's hierarchy—but Qin Siyang was the lowest of the low.
He didn't even have a home. Orphaned and alone, he would have been lost without the United Government's policy of waiving tuition fees for orphans. He had no idea where he'd be or what he'd be doing otherwise.
The teacher on duty at the school gate hadn't arrived yet, and morning study hadn't started—it ran from 8:00 to 8:15 every day. He'd woken up early, still excited from his Awakening. Even after spending half an hour at the café, he was still ahead of schedule.
The school was lit up everywhere— the brightest place on the edge of the safe zone, with the best electrical system and lights. It was a rarity in a place where electricity was a luxury.
The United Government believed humanity's hope of defeating the gods lay in every child. No matter what, education should not be compromised. Better educational conditions would foster a sense of belonging to the government and the safe zone in the new generation, making them more eager to join the fight against the gods.
The government also advocated equal educational opportunities for every child—you never knew which one might grow into a hero. But policies rarely translated perfectly into practice. Kids like Qin Siyang, who paid no tuition and seemed to have no future, were seen as parasites by the teachers.
Ironically, the teachers leached far more from the school than Qin Siyang ever did. His homeroom teacher had placed his desk in the corner of the classroom, an overlooked spot—exactly where it had been in his previous life.
Once, this had made him feel lonely. Now, reborn, he found it comforting. At least here, no one would disturb his daydreams.
Other students took out their textbooks to preview the day's lessons, but Qin Siyang rested his chin on one hand, staring out the window at the bizarre gods flying past the safe zone. Would eating one give him diarrhea?
"Qin Siyang."
His reverie was interrupted. He looked up to see a delicate-looking female classmate standing beside him.
"Oh, Li Jingwen. What's up?"
There she was—bringing with her a flood of unpleasant memories. Li Jingwen was his high school classmate, skilled at manipulating others with fake sweetness and flirtation.
To the reborn Qin Siyang, her tactics seemed childish, but among her peers, she was quite adept. No wonder she'd string him along for three years. He'd skipped meals to buy her breakfast with his part-time wages, done all her homework, and granted every one of her requests.
Yet she'd never agreed to his confessions, always saying they shouldn't let love distract them from their studies. But whenever he tried to give up, she'd seek him out, encouraging him—telling him it was just a test, urging him to keep going.
For a naive high school boy, it was impossible to resist—more addictive than blacksmithing competitions, donkey hoof trimming, or carpet cleaning. So Qin Siyang had resolutely played the role of the devoted suitor.
Unfortunately, after graduation, he'd learned she'd been dating Zhou Yang from the next class. Zhou Yang's family was well-off—his uncle was a director in the education department, and his parents had decent jobs. Dating him was Li Jingwen's ticket to moving up half a social class.
He still remembered the sneer she'd given him when he saw her holding Zhou Yang's hand: "You're so stupid. No wonder you're an orphan!"
Even with the world drastically changed, most of his former classmates remained the same. Seeing Li Jingwen again stirred no emotion in him—only a sense of sudden clarity. Youth returns, but today I finally know who I am.
Love is beautiful, but one must guard against those who use it to do harm.
Li Jingwen spoke in a coquettish tone: "Qin Siyang, you haven't brought me breakfast for three days."
"Oh, I ate it myself," Qin Siyang replied coldly.
Li Jingwen froze, then asked in surprise: "Then where's my breakfast?"
"Didn't you tell me your family makes breakfast for you, so you don't need me to bring any?"
Qin Siyang had later learned that Li Jingwen had been giving the breakfast he bought her to Zhou Yang, currying favor with him. She'd worked hard to win Zhou Yang over—dragging Qin Siyang along for the ride.
"I was testing you!" Li Jingwen exclaimed, a mix of anger and pouting in her voice. "If you give up this easily, how can I ever trust you to be with me?"
Watching her feign anger and coquetry, Qin Siyang chuckled: "If you don't trust me, then don't be with me. We're not a couple anyway."
Li Jingwen's heart sank. She couldn't understand why Qin Siyang—who'd once catered to her every whim—had changed so much these past few days. But she was in a hurry to get the homework he'd done for her, so she could meet Zhou Yang to check answers.
"Then give me my homework."
Qin Siyang opened his schoolbag, pulled out three exercise books, and handed them to her. Li Jingwen flipped through a few pages, her eyes widening in shock: "Qin Siyang! Why are these blank?!"
"Homework doesn't write itself. If no one does it, it stays blank."
"B-but you always do it for me!"
Qin Siyang pulled out three more books, opening them to show her the blank pages: "I didn't do my own homework. Why would I do yours?"
"You! You're going to get me scolded by the teacher!"
"Oh."
"Aren't you worried about me getting scolded?"
Qin Siyang looked at her as if she'd said something ridiculous, then shrugged: "You weren't worried when I got sent to stand in the hallway yesterday."
Tears welled up in Li Jingwen's eyes: "Qin Siyang, I think you don't like me anymore."
Qin Siyang ignored her act, giving her a thumbs-up instead: "Li Jingwen, that's the first sensible thing you've said all morning."
With that, he leaned back against the window, returning his gaze to the strange gods in the sky—would eating one upset his stomach?
Li Jingwen was completely stunned. She'd made plans to meet Zhou Yang to check homework answers and give him the breakfast from Qin Siyang. Now that Qin Siyang had backed out, how was she going to explain this to Zhou Yang?
Ignored and frustrated, she snapped: "Qin Siyang, if you keep acting like this, there's no future for us!"
Qin Siyang scoffed, turning to glance at the calendar hanging at the back of the classroom.
[Blue Star Era 2010, January 1st]
[Gregorian calendar: Friday, New Year's Day]
[Lunar calendar: Year of the Ox (Jichou), 17th day of the 11th lunar month. No major undertakings advisable.]
"Who says nothing good can happen today?"
"This is double blessings!"