The God of War has arrived, and only now the system appears?

Jiangnan Base City, main urban area.

The morning sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, scattering like crushed gold across the courtyard of a villa that sat on land worth its weight in gold.

A gentle breeze brushed past, carrying a hint of the fragrance of grass and trees, dispelling the lingering chill of the previous night.

Lin Yuan lay on a custom-made rattan chair, swirling a glass of expensive juice filled with ice cubes. With a pair of sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose, he was sprawled out in a state of extreme, "lazy-bones" relaxation.

This is what you call life...

Lin Yuan sighed comfortably, looking up at the azure sky through his sunglasses, his heart filled with emotion.

For ordinary people in this era of rampant monsters and pervasive danger, simply staying alive was the greatest stroke of luck.

But for Lin Yuan, this leisurely time was one of the few vacations he enjoyed as an "Honorary Inspector of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall."

That's right, Honorary Inspector.

Although the word "Honorary" was tacked on the front—meaning he lacked the real power to mobilize armies—in terms of status, he was firmly in the first tier of existences just below the level of a War God.

Originally, Lin Yuan, who only wanted to slack off, had rejected this seemingly glamorous but actually troublesome position.

Are you kidding me?

Being an Inspector meant attending meetings, dealing with sudden monster tides, and being watched by countless eyes. How could that compare to the comfort of hiding away to cultivate and enjoy life?

Alas, his talent in this life was just "a little bit" too ridiculous.

At only twenty-two years old, his physical fitness had already reached the Advanced War God level.

His force exertion level had reached a staggering 4.5 times, and his blade technique had reached the pinnacle of the microscopic realm.

This rocket-like speed of advancement directly shocked the world's number one powerhouse—"Hong."

Under Hong's personal "concern," Lin Yuan had no choice but to tearfully accept the title of Honorary Inspector, becoming a "peerless genius" talked about with relish throughout the Extreme Martial Arts Hall and the global martial artist circle.

But—was he really that strong?

Genius? That's only because you haven't seen the real universe.

Lin Yuan took a sip of his juice, the corner of his mouth curling into a self-deprecating arc.

Only he knew that he was a transmigrator.

Twenty-two years ago, he had been reborn into this world called Swallowed Star.

At first, he was full of ambition, thinking about punching Hong, kicking Thunder God, rushing out of Earth, and dominating the universe.

However, reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.

No system, no old master in a ring, no portable space.

Aside from the good looks and top-tier martial arts talent his parents gave him in this life, he had no golden finger. Without opportunities from the universe, he could only drift with the tide.

Relying on the mental strength of having lived two lives and his foresight regarding the plot, he cultivated with his life on the line, finally achieving the rank of Advanced War God at the age of twenty-two.

In the eyes of Earthlings, this was a miracle, but in the vast universe, it didn't even count as a ripple.

Before long, that big guy, the Golden Horned Beast, is coming...

Thinking of that terrifying star-beast capable of swallowing half a base city in one gulp, Lin Yuan felt his scalp tingle.

Advanced War God? In front of the Golden Horned Beast, he was no different from an ant. Even the current Hong and Thunder God would end up dead or crippled when the time came.

Whether it's the Blue Planet or this Swallowed Star world, there isn't a single moment of peace.

Lin Yuan thought to himself, setting down his juice.

He was very self-aware. Although his talent was good, compared to Luo Feng—who possessed the "protagonist halo" and was destined to become a Lord of Hunyuan in the future...

His own talent was nothing more than a slightly larger firefly!

Since that was the case, why kill himself trying to fight?

Instead of working myself to death, I might as well find an opportunity to hug Luo Feng's thigh...

An extremely tempting plan emerged in Lin Yuan's mind.

According to intelligence, Luo Feng had just entered the world's number one training camp—the Elite Training Camp—a few days ago. The current Luo Feng was still just a fledgling eagle spreading its wings; it was the perfect time to invest!

With his current status and strength, wouldn't it be a piece of cake to become a "trusted big brother" or a "guardian" for Luo Feng?

Once Luo Feng rushed out of Earth, possessed the Golden Horned Beast, and joined the Virtual Universe Company...

As his "good big brother," wouldn't it be a wonderful thing to mooch off some resources, land a spot as an Undying God, or even get a guaranteed pass to become a Universe Venerable?

This is the correct way to play as a transmigrator!

The more Lin Yuan thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and he couldn't help but give Luo Feng a mental thumbs-up.

After all, compared to that guy from the neighboring show who was always talking about "you have a way to die," Luo Feng's character was truly impeccable.

Aside from acting like a "big villain" with a ruthless and decisive style, he was truly heart-and-soul devoted to his family and friends.

Hugging the thigh of someone like that was safe, reliable, and offered a high return on investment!

It's decided! I'll head to Hongning Base City in a couple of days and go see Luo Feng under the guise of an inspection.

Lin Yuan snapped his fingers, his mood instantly brightening as if he could already see himself lounging on the throne of a Universe Venerable, enjoying the picture of eternal life.

Just as he had established this grand policy of "lying flat and clinging to a powerful thigh"—

Suddenly!

"Ding!"

A crisp electronic chime, sounding as if it originated from the depths of his soul, exploded in his mind without warning.

Lin Yuan's hand, which was just about to reach for his juice, jerked violently, causing the ice cubes in the glass to clatter against the walls with a loud rattle.

His entire body shuddered as if struck by lightning, and he nearly vaulted right out of his rattan chair.

Immediately following, a cold, mechanical, yet incredibly melodious voice echoed in his mind:

[Host detected to have broken through to High-Level War God at the bone age of twenty-two; aptitude rating: "Excellent."]

[Conditions for activation met...]

[Path of the Strongest system, officially activated!]

[System binding in progress... Binding successful!]

[Given the host's exceptional talent and having broken through to War God through personal effort, the Newbie Gift Pack has been automatically deposited into the system inventory. Please check it.]

The air seemed to solidify at this moment.

The wind in the courtyard ceased, and the leaves stopped swaying.

Even the honking of car horns from the distant street seemed to grow faint and far away.

Lin Yuan remained in a half-risen posture, his sunglasses sliding halfway down his nose to reveal eyes widened like copper bells. He stared blankly at the void before him, his brain buzzing.

A full half-minute passed.

Lin Yuan suddenly straightened his posture, took a deep breath, and a refined Chinese phrase was the first thing to escape his lips:

"What the f*ck?!"

He rubbed his ears in disbelief, confirming that he wasn't suffering from auditory hallucinations.

"System? Is that you, System?"

"You motherf*cker... couldn't you have shown up thirty years later?"

Lin Yuan couldn't help but roar in his heart.

Twenty-two years!

Do you know how I spent these twenty-two years?

Where were you when I was rising at the first light of dawn to practice, training through the bitter winters and scorching summers, and covered in blood while fighting monsters in the wilderness?

Where were you when I was being chased through the mountains like a dog by various Lord-level monsters?

Now that I've mastered my skills, achieved fame and fortune, and was just about to lie flat and cling to a powerful thigh to enjoy life, you pop out?

The system did not respond to his rant; only the translucent, pale blue light screen floating quietly before his eyes proved that none of this was a dream.

On the light screen, there were only a few concise options: [Personal Panel], [Task List], [System Inventory].

Lin Yuan's mouth twitched uncontrollably as he smoothed out his roller-coaster emotions.

Although he was cursing up a storm, his body was very honest.

After all, this was a system!

The standard equipment for a transmigrator, a divine artifact to defy the heavens and change one's fate!

He shook his head, temporarily kicking the idea of "clinging to a thigh and being a hanger-on" into a corner.

If there is a chance to become the thigh oneself, who would want to be the hanger-on?

"Hoo..."

Lin Yuan let out a long breath, sat back down in the rattan chair, and his gaze gradually sharpened.

"Path of the Strongest system? The name sounds quite imposing."

He rubbed his hands together, a long-lost sense of anticipation surging in his heart, and tentatively muttered in his mind:

"Open the Newbie Gift Pack."

The next second, the mechanical voice rang out again:

[Newbie Gift Pack opened. Rewards obtained as follows:]

[Reward 1: Spiritual Force awakened! Host's Spiritual Force level directly elevated to the "High-Level War God Peak" tier!]

[Reward 2: Tier 3 Telekinetic Weapon—"Arc Wheel" (includes basic control secret technique)!]

[Reward 3: Basic Universal Language Pack and Comprehensive Guide to Universal Common Knowledge!]

As the voice faded, Lin Yuan felt a sudden, thunderous "hum" in his mind, as if the heavens and earth were being split open.

Boom!

A vast, icy, and mysterious energy appeared out of thin air in the depths of his sea of consciousness.

His sea of consciousness, previously powerful but lacking awakened spiritual psychokinesis, felt as if a vast ocean had been poured into it.

That force instantly swept through his entire body, infiltrating every cell and every inch of his bones.

Pain!

A violent, swelling ache surged through him, but it was immediately followed by an indescribable sense of comfort.

His senses were magnified infinitely in that moment.

Closing his eyes, he could clearly "see" the texture of every blade of grass in the courtyard, hear the sound of ants crawling a hundred meters away, and perceive the trajectory of dust motes floating in the air.

His body, originally exceptionally formidable as a martial artist, seemed to break through some sort of shackle under the nourishment of this spiritual psychokinesis.

At the same time, segments of obscure memories, as if carved into his very bones, flooded his mind—these were the Universal Language of the cosmos and the control methods for the psychokinetic weapon, the Arc Wheel.

It was unknown how much time had passed before that feeling of sudden enlightenment gradually faded.

Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, two flashes of cold electricity seemed to streak through the depths of his pupils, soul-stirring and piercing.

He lowered his head, looked at his own hands, and let his thoughts stir slightly.

Hum—

The stainless steel spoon resting on the table beside him floated up without warning, then instantly twisted and deformed in mid-air, finally collapsing into a lump of scrap metal...

In another instant, it was compressed by an invisible force into a sheet of iron as thin as a cicada's wing.

Control, precise to the microscopic level!

A peak Advanced Warlord-level Psychokinetic Master!

One must know that on Earth, Psychokinetic Masters were inherently two minor realms stronger than martial artists of the same rank.

A peak Advanced Warlord-level Psychokinetic Master meant that on Earth, he truly stood among the ranks of the "Invincible Warlords," and with his uncanny methods, he was even capable of threatening Planetary-level beings!

"This feeling..."

Lin Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the vast, ocean-like power within his body, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward wildly; his previous "lying flat" mentality instantly collapsed by half.

He realized that he seemed... just a tiny bit stronger than before!

"System, you may have arrived a little late..."

"But, it's truly sweet."