A Gaze from the Unknown

For more than a century of war, most of Earth's technological development had ground to a halt, but research into the development of genes had continued for decades.

Gene Warriors were a new type of human created through decades of joint research by the federations of various nations. Using genetic engineering, beneficial gene fragments from certain organisms were grafted into human genes, allowing people to express the corresponding traits.

This gave people abilities similar to those of these organisms. Technology was then used to enhance those abilities several times over, creating Gene Warriors.

[Note: The above is entirely made up by the author. Please don't take it seriously.]

Ten years ago, the first genetic engineering experiment succeeded. A girl named Xin Qi became the first Gene Warrior in human history. Scientists extracted a small amount of genetic material from the blood of an ancient flying bird called the Chongming Bird and integrated it into her genes. The new material meshed perfectly with her genes, without any rejection. And so, the first Gene Warrior was born.

Gene Warriors were incredibly powerful. After only three months of adjustment and training, Xin Qi could just about hold her own against ordinary alien soldiers. Thanks to the Chongming Bird genes, she could also fly and control fire, making her especially adept at fighting aliens that couldn't fly.

In the years after Xin Qi's successful creation, several more Gene Warriors were born on Earth. Their abilities varied, but all of them were more powerful than ordinary Earth soldiers. Naturally, they became humanity's new hope.

That was the general content of the information he had read. Yi Chen now had a rough understanding of this world. Since the recorded information was rather vague, he had read it carefully to learn more. The process took several hours, and by the time he finished, night was approaching.

Afterward, Yi Chen used his Engine to locate the Gene Warriors the alien had mentioned, then set off for their location.

He encountered no more aliens on the way to Luoyang. Everything seemed calm and peaceful.

Yet the air was thick with the stench of war. Most of the buildings had collapsed into rubble, and many bodies lay around the ruins. Debris from the fallen buildings covered them. Everywhere, the same deathly silence as before prevailed, inspiring dread.

Yi Chen frowned slightly. Countless lives had been extinguished in this corner of the universe. Even though he knew he didn't belong here, the place felt strangely familiar and dear to him. He found himself deeply repulsed by the wanton trampling of life. Perhaps it had something to do with the Justice Order Yan had instilled in him for so long.

He sighed, then moved on without lingering. The only way to honor the dead was for those still alive to live better.

As Yi Chen continued toward his destination, he failed to notice that not long after he left, a shadow slowly appeared where he had been. Wrapped in a dark, inky substance that writhed around it, the shadow gradually took the shape of a human face. It looked in the direction Yi Chen had gone, its eyes shifting before it blurred and vanished.

The sky soon darkened. Yi Chen reached Luoyang as night fell. A few stars glimmered faintly overhead, and moonlight filtered through the murky smoke to shine on the earth. In the moonlight, Yi Chen could clearly see the craters left by bullets and shells, as well as severed limbs scattered across the ground, their blood dried and congealed.

Yi Chen softened his breathing until everything around him seemed as still as a burial mound.

A sense of foreboding rose within him. Yi Chen didn't linger; he hurried toward the location marked on the map. The horrific scenes of bloodshed all around him kept appearing in his mind like a series of photographs. He tried to erase them, but couldn't. That only made him more certain that something was wrong.

He tried to think, but a familiar, splitting pain immediately struck his brain, as if something were being torn from his mind. He had no choice but to stop at once. Bracing his hands on his knees, he gasped for breath. After a while, he continued toward the location marked on the map, as though nothing had happened.

Before long, Yi Chen arrived at an abandoned car factory. This was the spot marked on the map. It wasn't very large, and old cars stood scattered around. Small ads were pasted on rusted utility poles, and discarded tires were piled in a corner. As always, not a soul was in sight.

After scanning the area, Yi Chen discovered a vast underground city about five thousand meters below. He also detected the presence of organic life within it.

"This is the place... But isn't this too easy?"

The search had taken him only a few hours, while the war between the aliens and Earth had already lasted a century. The city shouldn't have been so hard to find. So why had it survived until now?

Although Earth had developed Gene Warriors over the past few decades, they still couldn't possibly stand against the vast numbers of aliens.

More and more questions piled up in Yi Chen's mind, making him reluctant to act rashly.

The endless night always brought fear. Yi Chen sat cross-legged on the ground and entered the system to check the inexplicable mission.

System Mission: [A Gaze from the Unknown]

Mission Description: None

Mission Rewards: Precognitive Dream Ability Awakening, Starfall Blade Purchase Authorization, Shadow Sword Trial Use x1, Third Generation Divine Body Upgrade Technology, Combat Power Value 500000.

"Still no clues. But there's no rush. I've only been here a day. I'll explore slowly."

Thinking this, Yi Chen began using the Power of Stars to temper his body. The Power of Stars on this planet was extremely weak, so this method of tempering would do almost nothing to help upgrade his Divine Body. Besides, what he needed more right now was the technology, which he wouldn't obtain until he completed the mission. Still, absorbing the Power of Stars to temper his body would keep him alert, which was important in a place as unfamiliar as this.

The Fei Leize Galaxy was still in the era of cold weapons. It had two great nations, one in the north and one in the south. The two had clashed many times over the years, and several major wars had broken out between them.

Not long ago, the north had been slaughtered by Morgana's subordinate, Atrox. Only two people in the entire nation had survived, including its king, Tai Snaife.

Holy Kaisha had sent Yan here to investigate and eliminate the demons. After several days of interstellar travel, Yan had arrived.

The Interstellar Glider was left on the outskirts of the Fei Leize Galaxy. Yan beat her wings and traced an arc across the skies of Fei Leize, plunging toward the ground like a falling meteor.

She then found the northern king, Snaef, and learned from him about the ancient demon, Atrox. Yan knew him as one of Morgana's veteran soldiers, already equipped with a Third Generation Divine Body.

Yan sent the information to Holy Kaisha. After that, she stayed in Fei Leize to search for traces of demons. Along the way, she encountered many people transformed into demons by the demon virus and killed them all, but the real demon remained nowhere to be found.

As she searched for the demon, Yan kept an eye on the marker she had left on Brahma Star. It still hadn't been triggered, which meant Yi Chen still hadn't returned.

She imagined what he might be going through. He could be in danger, yet there was nothing she could do to help. Her worry was plain on her face. The smile she usually wore had given way to a troubled expression, and she had grown quiet and withdrawn.

(The End)

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