At exactly six o'clock in the morning, a soft glow of energy slowly emanated from the light guide plate embedded in the ceiling, precisely simulating the color temperature and brightness changes of sunrise.
Li Wei grumbled in bed and reluctantly opened his eyes.
He is a second-year high school student at Changhai No. 3 Middle School, a typical "new generation of energy workers".
"Xiao Wei, get up quickly, you have an early class today, don't be late."
Lin Wei's voice came through the door, accompanied by the sizzling sound of eggs frying in the kitchen and the rich aroma of natural oatmeal—produced by a newly built large-scale vertical farming factory on the outskirts of the city. It is affordable, has a stable supply, and is now the mainstream breakfast choice for ordinary families.
Li Wei dawdled as he got up.
He walked to the window and whispered, "Open," and the smart curtains silently slid open.
The morning view of Changhai City comes into view through the window.
Dozens of energy condensers of varying thicknesses stand like giants, their tops disappearing into the light morning mist. They not only provide the entire city with a continuous source of energy, but also maintain the concentration of Source Energy Particle throughout the city, subtly improving the environment and the physical condition of the residents.
Several low-altitude hoverbuses glided silently along their fixed routes, the " Changhai Municipal Government " emblem on their bodies clearly visible in the morning light.
After quickly washing up, Li Wei went to the dining room, where breakfast was already laid out on the table.
Golden fried eggs, steaming hot oatmeal porridge, and a small dish of precious braised wild game.
Source beasts are specially bred and grown in a highly controlled environment with strong source energy. They not only have an excellent taste, but also contain active source energy that is more easily absorbed. Their price is dozens of times that of ordinary meat. Strictly speaking, they can be considered a tonic.
Therefore, his Parents always saved food for him.
The father, Li Liming, sat there, looking at the miniature news screen projected on his wrist, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Good morning, Dad and Mom." Li Wei pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Morning."
Li Liming responded without looking up, his finger tracing patterns on the screen.
"Tsk, the launch of the Dawn deep space probe has been postponed again. They say the core propulsion array's stability fluctuations exceeded the safety threshold of one ten-thousandth when simulating extreme inter-satellite environments, requiring at least three more years for material iterations and algorithm optimization. These researchers are really meticulous."
Lin Wei placed a glass of natural milk in front of Li Wei and said, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Space exploration can't be rushed. Our generation has already achieved something remarkable by witnessing Yuan Neng Technology take the first step in restarting interstellar exploration."
She looked at Li Wei with a touch of regret in her voice, "When your father was young, his biggest dream was to become an astronaut, what a pity."
"Unfortunately, the end of the world has come."
Li Liming finally raised his head, a complex smile on his face, a smile that contained both vicissitudes and relief. "Back then, let alone dreams, just surviving was a blessing."
Li Wei ate his breakfast silently, listening to his Parents occasionally mention the past.
He knew that his Parents were from the "pre-disaster generation," and they were only in their early twenties when the apocalypse came. They were lucky to survive and became one of the first civilian martial artists to struggle on the brink of life and death, relying on each other for survival in the same civilian team.
The turbulent times fueled their feelings, and they married early but never dared to have children.
In my mother's words, "We're barely making ends meet, risking our lives, how are we going to support the next generation? Are we going to be born into this hellish world to suffer too?"
Until the situation initially stabilized, a large amount of lost territory was recovered, and source energy technology began to be systematically popularized, the two of them were stuck at the threshold of the Stardust level Tier 3, wasting nearly ten years. Seeing no hope of breaking through, they decided to have Li Wei at the "advanced age" of over forty years old, placing their hopes on the next generation.
"Eat quickly, or you'll be late."
Lin Wei urged, glancing at the plate of braised meat in front of Li Wei, "Eat more of this; it'll help with your sensing and guiding of source energy. Look at Xiao Bin from the Old Zhang across the street; he's at the East Peak Preparatory Academy. I heard he gets a high-energy nutrition meal ration every day, and he's almost at Stardust level 2."
"Okay, Mom," Li Wei replied, though he felt a little helpless.
Although Parents accept the fact that their child's talents are limited, they always hope that he can go further. This earnest expectation sometimes becomes an invisible pressure.
Stepping outside, the community was already bustling with activity.
Students wearing the same blue and white school uniforms as him hurried past.
Along the community roads, cylindrical cleaning robots are silently collecting fallen leaves and dust, while gardening robots, shaped like small multi-legged insects, are carefully trimming the faintly glowing "starflower grass" and "moonlight moss" in the green belts.
Several elderly people who got up early to exercise were performing the "Eighteen Basic Body-Strengthening Exercises" in the community square, which was slow and rhythmic, with faint energy fluctuations flowing through their bodies.
This is a popular fitness method that became widespread after the war; long-term practice can strengthen the body and delay aging.
" Li Wei!" Classmate Wang Hao caught up from behind, his face flushed with excitement, waving an energy bar package. "Have you heard? Next week is 'Energy Practice Week,' and our class has been selected to visit the newly built 'Near Earth Dao Origin Energy Transfer Station' holographic simulation center, and it's an in-depth experience!"
"Real?"
Li Wei also became interested, quickly finishing the energy bar in his hand. "So, does that mean we can see a life-size model of the ' Dawn '? And even go into the simulator to experience the feel of controlling it?"
"Absolutely!"
Wang Hao gestured excitedly, mimicking the pushing and pulling of the control stick, "I definitely want to be a deep space explorer someday, piloting the latest spaceship to find out if there are any other planets like Blue Star."
Another classmate, Sun Xiaoling, also came over. She was wearing a pair of smart glasses, and some personalized data streams were flashing on the lenses in real time, such as schedules, to-do items, and even the source energy concentration readings of the surrounding environment.
She adjusted her glasses and calmly analyzed, " Dao Origin is theoretically feasible, but there are still many problems to be solved. Otherwise, the launch of ' Dawn ' wouldn't have been postponed repeatedly. Also, Wang Hao, with your barely passing score on the energy theory exam last time, if you want to become a prospector, you'll probably have to cram on 'Advanced Energy' first."
Wang Hao's face instantly fell, and he wailed, "Hey, Sun Xiaoling, can you stop with all this data and difficult problems! Don't you understand dreams? Don't you understand passion? I heard General Chen Yu wasn't very good at theory classes back then, but he still became Star Core level powerhouse."
Li Wei chuckled, trying to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, General Chen Yu has a deep understanding of the rules; he has a special talent for it. But Xiaoling is right, basic knowledge is still very important. However, I do think it's pretty cool to be able to participate in the design and construction of such large-scale projects."
Chatting and laughing, we arrived at school.
The gate of Changhai No. 3 Middle School is quite unique. It is a miniature design modeled after the famous " Gate of Judgment " of the East Peak Military Academy. Although the energy fluctuations are not on the same level, the sword-like shape, the dark silver metallic texture, and the faint golden energy patterns flowing on the gateposts are still very impressive.
After all, not everyone can get into the East Peak Military Academy.
A huge electronic honor roll stands at the school gate, displaying school notices and stories of outstanding students.
Li Wei noticed that the name and photo of Xiao Bin from Aunt Zhang's house across the street were prominently listed, with the note "Outstanding Student of the East Peak Preparatory Academy " below.
As you enter the campus, the main road is lined with " Glow Sycamore," whose branches and leaves emit a faint glow of bioluminescence.
These mutant plants not only beautify the environment but also slightly regulate the energy concentration in the campus area.
However, the only slightly annoying thing is that this thing also perfectly inherits the shortcomings of the sycamore tree. In summer, the sycamore fluff flies everywhere, which is really annoying.
On the huge playground, several classes were doing morning energy-guiding exercises led by their physical education teachers. Hundreds of people moved in unison, their breathing and movements coordinated, drawing out the sparse Source Energy Particle in the surrounding air and creating a weak yet spectacular flow of energy.
The exterior walls of the teaching building are covered with high-efficiency solar and energy absorption panels, which reflect a technologically advanced metallic luster in the morning light.
In some inconspicuous corners or on rooftops, you can see fixed surveillance cameras and defensive sonic transmitters that occasionally rotate slowly; these are all part of the campus's intelligent security system.
The first lesson was history.
With slightly gray hair and a sprightly spirit, Teacher Zhang is one of the few "pre-disaster generation" elders still teaching. It is said that he was once a member of a certain folk martial arts team. He has a leg injury and still feels some discomfort on rainy days.
The holographic projection screen behind him lit up, displaying stunning images of the Capital Recapture Battle forty years ago.
Burning city ruins, charging warriors, dense artillery fire, and finally, the massive Nest Vortex collapsed under the continuous impact of hundreds of energy beams that embodied humanity's hope and determination.
"Students," Dawn Operation not only recaptured our capital, but more importantly, it proved that humanity, under Commander Lin Yi's leadership, possesses the ability to directly confront High-level Nest possessing Star Core level Source Beasts.
Teacher Zhang's voice carried the unique passion of someone who had lived through that era. His gaze swept over the children living in peacetime below the stage, as if looking through them back to the past. "However, victory is not the end. The next forty years will be the forty years in which our civilization is truly reborn from the ashes and begins a new chapter."
The projection switched to show an image of the six main hives being firmly locked onto a global map by clear blue defense circles.
"Look, they are still there, but we are no longer afraid. Our army, like the most loyal and powerful guardians, watches over these former nightmares day and night, conducting regular 'sweeping' operations to curb any possibility of expansion."
"At the same time, under the strict control and risk contingency plans formulated by Commander Lin Yi, their surrounding areas have also become a testing ground for honing the combat capabilities of the new generation of Origin Warriors and testing new equipment."
The next two "Source Energy Theory and Application" classes put real pressure on Li Wei.
Teacher Zhao taught the theory class, was a young Stardust level mid-tier Warrior. His explanation of the complex Source Energy Particle motion model, the conversion efficiency formula of source energy with different attributes, and the energy field superposition principle of large source energy arrays made Li Wei dizzy.
The practical lesson on "multi-threaded energy micro-management" left him flustered and mentally exhausted.
Looking at the ten tiny energy nodes of different colors and with different sensitivity on the "Ingenious Matrix Disc" in front of him, Li Wei felt that his mental power was like a ball of yarn that had been played with by a cat. It was difficult to separate ten stable and delicate source energy threads at the same time to accurately light up and maintain them.
From the next cubicle, Wang Hao's strange cries and the piercing alarms from the equipment could be heard from time to time, so he was clearly in no better shape.
In contrast Sun Xiaoling and a few others seemed to be handling the situation with ease. The source energy threads flowing from their fingertips were as if they had a life of their own, flexibly and stably connecting the nodes, demonstrating excellent control.
"Concentrate! Carefully perceive the energy at each node; don't force it in uniformly." Teacher Zhao surveyed the laboratory, his voice stern. "Source Energy cultivation requires mindset, comprehension, and control—none can be lacking!"
"Think about your parents' generation. When they first came into contact with Source Energy, they probably couldn't even achieve the most stable Source Energy guidance. They could only rely on handwritten notes and tutorials broadcast on the radio to explore little by little, and to test their ideas by fighting to the death with the Abyssal Beast. But you now have a safe training environment, systematic theoretical guidance, and advanced auxiliary equipment. What reason do you have not to work hard and cherish it?"
At lunchtime in the school cafeteria, Li Wei and Wang Hao sighed as they looked at the standard "natural meal" on their plates.
In contrast, Sun Xiaoling and some classmates from wealthier families, or those who had earned a lot of merit points by completing simple tasks assigned by the school, had more expensive "high-energy nutritious meals" on their plates.
"Damn it, I feel like I perfectly inherited my parents' 'talent bottleneck,' I guess I'll be stuck at the Stardust level Tier 3 for life."
Wang Hao, with a bitter face, rummaged through the braised pork and potatoes in his bowl with a spoon, showing little appetite.
"I'm pretty much the same," Li Wei said, poking at the stir-fried bok choy on his plate, somewhat dejected. "My parents were stuck at level three, which is why they decided to have me. They always say they hope I can go further and see the scenery they've never seen. But this 'micro-management' is just too difficult."
Sun Xiaoling encouraged them. "Don't be so pessimistic. Times have changed. Cultivation methods, resource acquisition channels, and the overall source energy environment are all much better than forty years ago. According to statistics released by Xuanji, with systematic education and resource support, the average age at which the new generation of source warriors breaks through low-level bottlenecks is at least eight years earlier than our parents' generation, and the success rate has also increased by nearly 30%."
"Furthermore, even if the final level isn't high, as long as you solidify your theoretical foundation, you can still contribute to the community by engaging in industries such as energy technology research and development, Xuanji network maintenance, energy system management, or high-end equipment manufacturing. Your quality of life and social status won't be bad either."
She pointed to the high-energy, nutritious meal on her plate, "This stuff, once we're able to take on higher-level missions and earn merit points ourselves, will allow us to achieve 'consumer freedom'."
The afternoon class, "Basic Energy Guidance and Physical Training," was held in a spacious indoor training hall.
First, a collective energy circulation exercise was conducted to soothing music and guided instructions. Hundreds of people guided the energy together, and the field effect made the energy particles in the hall exceptionally active.
Next, various basic physical training equipment and massage devices and resistance fields with weak energy stimulation are used to strengthen the body, expand the meridians, and better carry and circulate energy.
Although the process was tedious and arduous, Li Wei could feel that after each class, his body's affinity for the source energy and his physical endurance seemed to have improved slightly.
The last lesson was an "immersive history class".
They donned lightweight Virtual Helmet and entered a highly realistic historical scene constructed by the Xuanji mainframe.
Today's theme is "Perseverance: The First Miniature Abyssal Tide in a Settlement".
Li Wei's "consciousness" seemed to have attached itself to a settlement's warrior soldier. Facing the surging Abyssal Tide, he and his teammates rushed to provide support and fought desperately until an hour later, when the course ended, and he finally came to his senses.
The school bell rang, and Li Wei took off his helmet. He was still a little dazed, as if the smell of gunpowder from the virtual world still lingered in his nostrils.
When I got home, my mother was busy in the kitchen, and a delicious aroma filled the air.
"Mom, I'm home!"
"Wash your hands and get ready for dinner. Your dad will be back soon. I made your favorite braised pork today, it's made with source beast meat, it smells amazing!"
At 6:30 p. m., Li Liming, the father, arrived home on time. His face showed some fatigue from a busy day, but his eyes were bright and a smile was on his lips.
The family sat around the dining table, enjoying a heartwarming and delicious dinner.
"Dad, did you get a lot of bonuses this time?" Li Wei looked at the glistening, trembling braised Yuan Beast meat in the bowl and couldn't help but swallow.
"Um."
Li Liming poured himself a small glass of wine, a satisfied look on his face. "The optimization plan for the old energy pipeline network in the west of the city, which our team was responsible for, was rated 'Grade A' by the Xuanji Mainframe. The overall transmission efficiency increased by 3.2 percentage points, and energy consumption decreased by 5%, which earned us a lot of merit points."
"Hehe, now it should be enough to get you that new 'Qidi-VI' learning aid you've been eyeing for so long."
"Great, thank you, Dad!" Li Wei cheered.
The new version of the assistive device is said to use more advanced bioelectric feedback and weak energy field synergy technology, which can more efficiently help organize knowledge points, deepen memory, and even provide a slight experience of accelerated thinking.
"No need to thank me. Just study hard and be more successful than your father in the future."
Lin Wei placed the largest piece of meat, with a perfect balance of fat and lean, on Li Wei Wei's plate, and then said to Li Liming, "I ran into Sister Zhang downstairs today. Her son, Xiao Bin, is at the East Peak Preparatory Academy. I heard he's been noticed by a senior Stardust level high-ranking instructor and might be recruited into his special training group."
Li Liming took a sip of his drink, smacked his lips, and a deep sense of emotion welled up in his eyes. " Eastern Edge, that place is truly extraordinary. Just think back to forty years ago, when Principal Lin Yi first established the East Peak Military Academy on the ruins of a Abyss Nest. How small was that place, how many students did it have? Now, it's a complete transformation, a holy land that all the elites of Blue Star would fight tooth and nail to get into."
He patted Li Wei on the shoulder, "Xiao Wei, Dad knows you're under a lot of pressure. Your mother and I probably won't get much further on the path of Source Energy cultivation in our lives. Back then, we were lucky enough to survive and become Source Warriors, but we had already exhausted all our strength and luck. Breaking through bottlenecks? Advancing to higher levels? Those were things we only dared to dream about."
"Now that conditions are better and resources are more abundant, of course Dad hopes you can surpass us, go further, and see the stars we can only gaze at in the news. But..."
Li Liming softened his tone, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, don't push yourself too hard. Being safe and sound, healthy, doing what you love and are good at, living happily and with a clear conscience—that's really good enough."
Hearing his father's words, Li Wei felt a warm glow in his heart, yet also a strange pang of sadness.
He nodded heavily, buried his head in his mouth, and shoveled down a large mouthful of rice, swallowing the complex emotions along with the fragrant, sticky rice.
After dinner, the family of three sat on the comfortable sofa in the living room. Li Liming turned on the large high-definition holographic projector that occupied almost an entire wall and tuned it to the Blue Star Community news channel.
Ever since high school, Li Liming has required Li Wei to watch the news with him every day.
Under the soft lighting, the family atmosphere is peaceful and warm.
A poised and capable female news anchor is reporting today's top news:
[Community News] Commander Lin Yi has officially emerged from his deep retreat this morning.
Li Liming immediately sat up straight, his expression becoming extremely solemn, even with an almost devout focus. " Principal Lin Yi has emerged from seclusion!"
Lin Wei echoed, "Over the years, every time Principal Lin Yi emerges from seclusion, it feels like the entire community's technological advancement and understanding of source energy have taken a giant leap forward. It's truly unimaginable. With him around, I feel at ease."
Li Wei watched intently. His understanding of Lin Yi came only from books and the news, but the awe and hope in his Parents' eyes made him clearly feel the weight that the name carried.
Moreover, the fact that something as seemingly personal as the end of a retreat could be broadcast as headline news to the entire community demonstrates his status and influence.
Next, we will cover military and defense Dynamic:
"[Defense Dynamic ] The Southern War Zone Command issued a notice today stating that it will launch a new large-scale clearing operation at the beginning of next month in the C-7 to C-9 sector surrounding the main base of 'Mount Everest'."
"General Chen Yu, spokesperson for the War Zone and Star Core level powerhouse, stated that this operation will, for the first time, deploy three fully-equipped companies of the new ' Guardian Type III ' heavy combat robots to test their swarm combat and anti-interference capabilities in complex environments. Simultaneously, within the community, certain areas will be opened for collaborative combat missions to civilian Origin Warrior teams with a reputation rating of four stars or higher, with merit rewards increased by ten percent from the base value."
The footage shows General Chen Yu giving a brief interview. He is wearing a crisp, dark blue general's uniform, with the general's stars on his shoulder insignia and the East Peak Emblem on his chest shining brightly.
"It's General Chen Yu!"
Li Wei couldn't help but exclaim softly that this powerful figure, known for his bravery and strength, had a large following among the new generation.
"Um."
Li Liming nodded, his expression one of reminiscence, his gaze distant.
"He was one of the earliest and most formidable fighters from the East Peak Military Academy, someone who fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He was also one of the top performers in the first Star Core Special Training Class personally overseen by Principal Lin Yi. Back then, your mother and I were just ordinary Source Warriors, and we often saw news about him on various forums. He loved posting and showing off back then, hehe. He even replied to my post. Now, he's a general in charge of a region. Time really flies."
Hearing this, Li Wei muttered under his breath, "Dad, you've said this so many times already, can you please stop slandering my idol?"
"Hey-hey."
Li Liming smiled, unconcerned about his son's complaints.
The latter half of the news report covered the grand occasion of the "Urban Obstacle Energy Cross-Country Race".
In the video, contestants wearing various lightweight energy-assisted devices run, climb, and leap in a highly complex and realistic simulated urban ruin environment, using various ingenious Source Energy Technique to overcome obstacles, drawing cheers and applause from the audience.
"Look at all the creative things young people do these days, they really know how to keep things interesting."
Looking at the energetic figures on the screen, Lin Wei smiled and said, "Back then, we used energy to save our lives and kill enemies. We never imagined we could use it in so many creative ways like this."
"Times have changed."
Li Liming smiled too, leaning back comfortably on the sofa, looking relaxed.
"The fact that you can use your energy for fun shows that our lives have truly improved and peace has truly taken root. Seeing your generation freely pursuing what you love under the sun makes all the hardships and suffering we endured back then worthwhile."
After the news ended, Li Wei returned to his small but cozy and tidy room and began reviewing today's lessons and previewing the three crucial energy source courses for tomorrow.
Outside the window, the eternally stable light emitted by the energy condenser's beam intertwined with the warm lights of thousands of homes in the city, as well as the contrail lights of patrol aircraft streaking across the sky, illuminating this city that had risen again from the ruins.
The updates will mostly consist of longer chapters of around 6,000 characters each, with extra chapters added in the evenings. There will be another update tonight.