A million corpses could no longer describe what had happened. The entire world had just endured an apocalyptic descent of Gods and Devils, followed by mutations among Magic Beasts, and then, for no apparent reason, humanity had entered a countdown to extinction.
Human civilization had reached a moment on which its very survival hung.
Humans were human not merely because they had developed a sense of propriety, justice, honor, and shame. Perhaps it was also because they could withstand greater pressure in desperate straits, and unleash their most terrifying strength when hope was all but gone.
The survivors began looking for ways to save themselves. But when they discovered that most of civilization's finest minds had been lost, they turned to their Life Preservation Vault.
The greatest rescue operation began.
They activated the Life Preservation Vault and began accelerating the growth of its stored embryos. Every embryo in the vault had been carefully selected; at the genetic level, at least, they were healthy and intelligent.
They also broke the ethical rules governing experimentation and attempted a resurrection.
They drew up a list of every sage and great figure in human history whose complete genetic data had been preserved. There was only enough time to resurrect one of them. They needed an ancestor who could find the sole path to survival for their age.
Chen Cheng looked at the projected faces and names. He recognized some and not others.
He even saw himself among them.
The selection was made quickly. There was little time left to think.
"In the end, humanity chose Doctor Ke. He was the father of the Life Equation and, under those circumstances, the one person best suited to saving human civilization. No one else came close."
"Old Ke."
At the sight of the balding middle-aged man, Chen