Peeping from the Unknown

Chapter 20: Peering from the Unknown

The war had raged for over a hundred years, and during that time, most of Earth's technological development had ground to a halt. Yet, research into genetic modification had continued unabated for decades.

Gene Warriors—a new breed of human created through decades of joint research by the world's federations—were born by splicing beneficial gene fragments from various organisms into the human genome, allowing humans to express corresponding traits.

This granted humans abilities akin to those creatures, which were then amplified severalfold through technology, giving rise to the Gene Warriors.

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

Ten years ago, the first successful genetic engineering experiment took place. A girl named Xin Qi became the first Gene Warrior in human history. By extracting a few gene sequences from the blood of an ancient flying bird called the Chongming Bird and splicing them into her genome, they perfectly integrated without rejection. Thus, the Gene Warrior was born.

Gene Warriors were formidable. After just three months of adaptation and training, Xin Qi could barely hold her own against ordinary foreign soldiers. Thanks to the Chongming Bird genes, she also gained the ability to fly and control fire, making her especially effective against non-flying invaders.

In the years following Xin Qi's successful birth, a few more Gene Warriors emerged on Earth, each with different abilities, but all far stronger than ordinary human soldiers. Naturally, they became humanity's new hope.

That was roughly the extent of the information Yi Chen had absorbed. He now had a general understanding of this world. Since the recorded data was somewhat vague, he read through it carefully to grasp the details, a process that took several hours. By the time he finished, the sky was nearly dark.

Afterward, Yi Chen used his Engine to locate the Gene Warriors the foreigner had mentioned and set off toward their position.

On his way to Luoyang, he encountered no more foreigners. Everything seemed eerily calm.

Still, the air was thick with the scent of gunpowder and war. Most buildings had collapsed or shattered, and around the fallen structures lay countless corpses, buried under debris. Everywhere he looked, the same deathly silence reigned, stirring a sense of dread.

Yi Chen frowned slightly. Countless lives had been extinguished in this corner of the universe. Even though he knew he wasn't from here, he felt an inexplicable familiarity and closeness to this place. He found himself deeply repulsed by such casual trampling of life—likely a lingering effect of the Justice Order that Holy Kaisha had long instilled in him through Yan.

Letting out a soft sigh, Yi Chen didn't linger. Only by ensuring the living thrived could the sacrifices of the dead be honored.

As he continued toward his destination, he failed to notice that, shortly after he left, a shadow slowly materialized at the spot where he had stood. The shadow was wrapped in an inky black substance that writhed and gradually formed a human face. The face turned toward the direction Yi Chen had gone, its eyes shifting, before slowly blurring and vanishing into nothing.

Soon, the sky darkened completely. Yi Chen arrived in Luoyang City just as night fell. A few faint stars twinkled overhead, and the moonlight filtered through the hazy smoke to cast a pale glow over the land. In that light, Yi Chen could clearly see the pockmarked ground from bullets and shells, along with scattered, blood-caked limbs and severed body parts.

Yi Chen softened his breathing, making everything around him as silent as a graveyard.

A sense of unease rising within him, Yi Chen didn't pause. He quickened his pace toward the location marked on his map. The gruesome, bloody scenes everywhere kept flashing through his mind like still frames from a photo album. He tried to shake them off but couldn't, and that realization only deepened his suspicion.

He attempted to think, but a familiar, tearing pain immediately shot through his brain—as if something was being ripped out of his mind. He had no choice but to stop, bracing his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. After a moment, he pressed on toward the map's destination, as if 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, with many derelict vehicles scattered about, small ads plastered on old utility poles, and piles of worn tires stacked in the corners. The silence remained unbroken, with no one in sight.

After scanning the area, Yi Chen discovered a massive underground city buried about five kilometers beneath the surface. He also detected the presence of organic life forms within it.

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

The entire search had taken him only a few hours. Yet the war between the foreigners and Earth had lasted a century. If this city had survived all this time, why?

Even with the development of Gene Warriors over the past few decades, they were still no match for the overwhelming numbers of the invaders.

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

The endless night always brought fear. Yi Chen sat cross-legged on the ground, his consciousness diving into the system to examine the mysterious mission.

System Mission: [Peering from the Unknown] Mission Description: None Mission Rewards: Awakening of Precognitive Dream Ability, Starfall Blade Purchase License, Shadow Sword Trial (1 use), Third Generation Divine Body Upgrade Technology, Combat Power Value: 500,000.

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

Thinking this to himself, Yi Chen began to refine his body using the Power of Stars. The star power on this planet was extremely faint, making this method of tempering nearly useless for upgrading his divine body. What he needed most now was technology, which he could only obtain after completing the mission. Still, absorbing star power to refine his body helped him stay alert—a crucial advantage in this unknown place.

In the Fei Leize Galaxy, civilization was still in the age of cold weapons. Two large nations existed there, locked in frequent conflicts and several major wars over the years.

Not long ago, the northern kingdom had been massacred by Atrox, a subordinate of Morgana. Only two people remained in the entire nation, including the king, Tai Snaef.

Yan had been sent by Holy Kaisha to scout and eliminate demons. After several days of interstellar travel, she arrived.

Her Interstellar Glider remained parked at the edge of the Fei Leize Galaxy. Yan's wings beat as she traced an arc across the sky, descending to the ground like a falling meteor.

She found the northern king, Snaef, and learned from him about the ancient demon Atrox. Yan knew that Atrox was one of Morgana's veterans, already possessing a Third Generation Divine Body.

Yan relayed the information to Holy Kaisha. Afterward, she stayed in Fei Leize to hunt for traces of the demon. Along the way, she encountered many new demons created by demonic virus infections, all of which she killed one by one. But the true demon remained elusive.

While searching, Yan kept an eye on the marker she had left on Brahma Star. It had yet to be triggered, meaning Yi Chen still hadn't returned.

She imagined his situation—he might be in danger, yet she had no way to help him. Her worry was written all over her face. The smile she usually wore had been replaced by a look of distress, and she had grown quieter and more withdrawn.

(End of chapter)