Chapter 1: The Magical World
Translator: Limostn Editor: Tennesh
In the history section of the city library, which had not been visited by anyone for a long time and was covered in a thick layer of dust, a youngster was looking for something.
"No... still no..."
The youngster muttered to himself, somewhat disappointed.
Shaking his head, he shut the book.
"Rustle!"
A burst of stabbing pain.
A long bloody cut appeared on his hand.
"This again..."
The youngster smiled bitterly. He was already being very prudent. However, he had not expected that he would actually be wounded by the page of a book. He was not surprised; to be exact, he was actually used to it.
His name was Chen Feng, 22 years old this year, and since the day he was born, bad luck had accompanied him. When he had just passed his first birthday, he almost choked to death while drinking milk. At three years old, his mother passed away. At five years old, his father passed away. At 10 years old, the welfare home he was in went bankrupt. Subsequently, he was sent to other welfare homes. All in all, until he reached adulthood, a total of 13 welfare homes had gone bankrupt for various reasons after he joined.
Apart from this, accidents would happen every time he left his house. Based on his incomplete statistics, he had been extorted under false pretenses by old ladies 85 times, involved in car accidents 36 times, patronized by thieves 76 times, fallen into the sewers 10 times, and been chased and bitten by dogs 15 times. To have struggled and stayed alive until now was a miracle in itself.
Comparatively, the events of today were nothing at all.
His goal in coming here today was to look for the legendary "Fortune Artifact."
He did not believe in something like luck. However, his experiences since childhood had left him with no choice except to believe that, in this world, luck existed, while what had been accompanying him all his life was bad luck! Hence, ever since he was capable of thought, he had gone through records of all mythologies, looking for things capable of changing luck!
Luck-changing bead, jade carp, four-leaf clover...
He tried everything representing luck, but none of them worked!
His bad luck never changed.
Up until a certain day, when he saw some records from the materials his deceased father had left behind—Fate Stone. In the legends, those possessing it would have their fate changed.
His father had been an archaeologist. Having been an archaeologist his whole life, he had not unearthed any valuable remains and had instead turned into remains due to archeology. He had not left behind much information about the Fate Stone. All these years, Chen Feng had been to all sorts of strange places. However, the so called Fate Stone was never found.
"That thing... really exists?"
He was very doubtful.
His request really wasn't too big. He only wanted to live a normal life like an ordinary person, that was all.
However...
Life?
No, merely being alive was difficult enough. He had to be totally alert every time he left his house. Even the tiniest bit of slack could cost him his life while he was on his way.
As far as he was concerned, everywhere in the world was a battlefield.
"Where are you, exactly?"
He sighed, calmly took out some alcohol from his schoolbag to disinfect his wound, and wrapped his hand in gauze. As someone who was injured on a daily basis, his schoolbag itself was a first-aid kit.
The sky had turned dark.
The library would be closing soon. As Chen Feng prepared to leave, his foot slipped. He staggered and knocked against the bookshelf beside him, causing a pile of books to crash down on him.
"Damn."
Chen Feng cursed silently.
He knew things could not proceed so smoothly!
He looked at the place where he had slipped; there were some water stains on the floor. He lifted his head; the roof was leaking water due to the years of disrepair at this place.
"Seriously..."
Chen Feng smiled helplessly.
Bad luck once again demonstrated its use.
Aching all over, he got up and prepared to leave when he was suddenly stunned. Within the pile of ancient books that had crashed into him, one of the books attracted his sight.
Book name—Fortune.
"This thing..."
Chen Feng was somewhat curious. There was actually a book about luck?
He carefully opened the book; there was a lengthy introduction on all sorts of strange fortunes. From cosmos and astrology to horoscopes, they were topics Chen Feng had seen before in other books. The majority of the contents were nonsense. This book was more like one of those pirated 20-yuan mixed-content books.
"I really did think too much."
Chen Feng gave a self-mocking smile, but then his expression suddenly froze.
This was due to him flipping to a new page where a particular name appeared on it: Fate Stone!
Regardless of which ancient book the contents were pirated from, it was no longer important, since the introductions on the Fate Stone were actually extremely detailed.
Fate Stone: Rumored to be a luck-changing artifact.
It was rumored that there was a type of force that reigned above other ordinary forces. It could not be seen or understood yet influenced everything. Until now, nobody knew what kind of force it was. It was only known that it might be related to luck, while the Fate Stone had the power to control it!
"It really exists!"
Chen Feng’s mouth became dry with excitement.
Reading along the introductions, he flipped to the next page and his eyes abruptly became wide open!
What appeared on this page was a picture of the Fate Stone. This was also Chen Feng’s first time looking at the true appearance of the Fate Stone, and he was totally dumbfounded.
It was a coin-sized object with strange engravings on it.
"This is the Fate Stone?"
Chen Feng’s voice shuddered; not due to how this object looked, but due to this object... Chen Feng’s somewhat trembling hand pulled on his collar, exposing the object he was wearing on his neck. This was actually the Fate Stone described in the book!
"How is this possible?"
Chen Feng was shocked.
He had actually been wearing the Fate Stone all along?
This was what his father had unearthed back when he was an archaeologist. When he was born, his father gifted it to him. This was also the only relic his father had left behind; it was actually the Fate Stone? However, if it was the Fate Stone, why did he have such bad luck?
Fake?
Or maybe this was a counterfeit object his father had made?
Chen Feng held his sudden shock and continued reading.
It was rumored that the Fate Stone possessed extraordinary power. However, it was not easy to use. Before the Fate Stone was activated, it would continuously absorb luck from its surroundings and could only be activated after it had absorbed enough luck. Therefore, without sufficient capability to activate it, possessing the Fate Stone would be a nightmare for you.
"F*ck!"
Chen Feng couldn’t stop bursting out swearing.
To absorb the surrounding's luck?
He was ice-cold all over as he finally understood where his bad luck came from! This Fate Stone, unearthed by his father in an old tomb, had snatched everything he had!
"This thing..."
Chen Feng subconsciously wanted to pull it off; however, he couldn’t move it.
This was the only relic his father had left behind, and also his only spiritual support. Something he never took off. He did not expect that at this moment, when he wanted to take it off, he totally couldn’t!
"Conventional methods can’t be used to take it off?"
Chen Feng calmed down and continued reading once again.
Once the Fate Stone had been put on, it couldn’t be removed. Only when it was activated could one control its power. If you accidentally obtained it, well, just activate it.
Following which, the activation method was provided behind the page.
Chen Feng looked at it. It was not too difficult. He only needed to arrange a formation with his own blood and place the Fate Stone in the middle of the formation.
"So simple?"
Chen Feng frowned.
He felt that something was wrong. However, getting rid of this damned bad luck was too enticing. Even in his dreams, he dreamed of discarding his bad luck and having his own life.
"Let’s just try."
Chen Feng took off his gauze.
Blood flowing along his finger, he drew a bizarre formation on the wooden floor. Chen Feng’s face was extremely solemn as he lay on the floor, facing downward, and placed the Fate Stone in the formation.
"Hum..."
A bizarre radiance flashed.
Chen Feng’s mind jolted violently.
Success!
The blood-formed formation changed into a flickering red light while breathtaking lights blossomed out of the Fate Stone. In the midst of his excitement, Chen Feng saw a row of small letters appearing from the red lights: "At the moment of activation, the Fate Stone will absorb all luck in the surroundings to fill up the energy requirements of the Fate Stone’s operation."
Not good!
Chen Feng’s complexion changed greatly.
Absorbing all luck? It was not written in this damnable pirated book! The Fate Stone was not activated even after absorbing luck for 20 years. What would happen if it were to finish absorbing all the required luck in a single moment?
He had no idea!
Escape!
Chen Feng did not hesitate as he turned around and started running outside.
However, at this very moment in the library, the earth quaked and the mountains shook!
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
It was an earthquake!
Before Chen Feng could escape, he had already been submerged by boulders as darkness fell upon his eyes and he lost his consciousness. He could vaguely remember a bright golden light flashing out of the Fate Stone hanging on his neck.
Nighttime.
A certain news channel.
"This evening at 6:00 PM, a slight earthquake happened in the city. The library collapsed, causing one casualty. Based on the related department’s investigation, this might be related to a jerry-built building project..."
***
A patch of darkness before his eyes.
A burst of primordial chaos in his consciousness.
After a long time.
Chen Feng regained his consciousness and slowly opened his eyes. The vague world become clear, yet it was still pitch black. There was a strange, fishy smell in his surroundings.
"Where is this?"
Chen Feng looked around doubtfully.
Darkness enveloped his surroundings while the faint flickering light on his wrist was only enough to let him see that this was a cave. Regardless of distance, there was only darkness around him.
"Weird, I thought I died?"
Chen Feng was shocked.
Looking at the flickering glimmer on his wristband and sensing the memory that did not belong to him, he suddenly understood.
He had transmigrated!
Back then, he had investigated all sorts of mythology records. Naturally, he had also read a lot of novels. He somewhat understood as he recalled the golden light before his death. The Fate Stone absorbed all the luck, causing an earthquake. However, the successful activation of the Fate Stone had led to him barely escaping death and transmigrating here.
"I survived!"
Chen Feng was excited.
It was natural for him to be excited, because that damned bad luck had finally disappeared. However, what world was this, exactly? Right at this moment, the memories of the body’s original owner completely emerged.
Chen Feng went through the memories and immediately gasped in amazement.
This world was somewhat similar to Earth, yet still not the same. After a big breakthrough in gene research, the whole world entered the era of genes. Mankind could not only unlock their own potential, they could even fuse their genes with genetically mutated life forms. Almost everyone could possess genetic abilities!
Some people relied on these abilities for labor and became the industry elite. Some people obtained exceedingly powerful combat abilities after gene fusion and were known as genetic warriors.
The world thus changed.
The emergence of genetic abilities allowed the whole world to enter a high-speed growth stage.
Furthermore, this world's situation was different than Earth's, where humans had no option but to seek resources on other planets due to resource exhaustion.
This continent, this planet, was mankind’s biggest wealth! This world possessed its own moon and sun. This was a place that closely resembled Earth, apart from its size. This planet’s size was a countless number of times larger than Earth. The continent was wide and vast, more than 10,000 times larger than Earth.
There was no shortage of resources in this world!
That was because, up until now, the continent was only 18% developed!
Even though mankind’s technology level was sufficient to easily perform space travel, there were still a lot of places on this planet that humans did not dare to set foot in!
For example, the Primordial Icefield of Extreme North!
It was rumored that the place was influenced by some sort of special ability that caused time to almost stop. Those who stepped in there would be forever unable to leave! The Genetic Union once dispatched a small squad of genetic warriors there, and their whereabouts were lost forever.
For example, the Volcano of Skyburn Summit!
It was rumored that an ancient mutated beast was asleep there. It once drank a river dry with a single gulp. From then onward, that place became mankind’s forbidden area.
Similar places could be found everywhere.
This was a dangerous world. Yet it was also a magical world!
Overflowing lights flashed through Chen Feng’s eyes.
This world was even more exciting than his imagination!
Furthermore...
This was only part of it.
According to the original owner’s memory, the magical era of genes also birthed a myriad of amazing technological equipment.
Some people fused genes without end and ended up possessing exceedingly high combat ability. There were also some who, by fusing genes without end, obtained mystical genetic abilities!
For example, the planet’s largest technology company Stormtech’s founder, Luo Yuan.
His ability was digitization. The holder could release a mysterious ability to monitor the condition of their genes and spiritual condition; it could even predict the techniques you possessed according to your muscle memory. Due to this being a non-combat gene, he was once looked down on by countless people.
However, Luo Yuan went through years of experiments and extracted that abstruse and mysterious energy to be produced into a wristband that everyone could wear, becoming a legend of the generation!
Just by activating the wristband, you could monitor your own condition.
Hence, up to the present day, this world was not only in the era of genes, it was also in the era of data!