Chapter 2

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In the 423rd year of the Dawn Era.

On the first Sunday of June, the black and yellow earth was deathly silent.

In a corner of this land, a stone moved, and a rock scorpion, nearly a meter long from head to tail, pushed the stone aside and crawled out. After the Dawn War, 50% of the species on Earth had completely disappeared. However, most of the remaining species had already evolved into dangerous creatures.

The surviving humans called these creatures "dangerous species."

The rock scorpion was searching for food when a massive and sinister aura suddenly rose from the distance. This aura was so enormous that it seemed like a mountain had appeared in the sky. The rock scorpion looked up and saw a shadow spreading over the land.

This shadow was so vast that it almost spanned the entire horizon. It moved forward at a slow but steady pace, and the source of the shadow was a floating island comparable in size to the state of Texas. This was one of the greatest creations of humanity after the Dawn War. The Babylon Floating Island was powered by a magic cube and orbited the planet like a near-Earth satellite according to a set trajectory.

By evening, the Babylon Floating Island had become a silhouette in the distant sky. At this time, the desert became lively again. Some dangerous species, like the rock scorpion, gradually moved toward the western edge of the desert, where there was a small town. The people in the town made a living by mining. To the dangerous species, humans were nothing more than excellent food.

The town was small, with a few hundred residents. The houses were simple, and those that could shield against the wind and rain were considered mansions. Most of the houses were shacks made of wooden boards and rusty iron sheets.

On the outskirts of the town, there was a circle of barbed wire and a fence with sharpened ends. These barriers effectively prevented some low-level dangerous species from entering the town. At night, three to five hunters would stand guard at the town's exits, holding torches.

The night was not entirely dark. In the wilderness outside the town, blue, green, and red dots of strange fluorescence moved around. Suddenly, a rough gunshot echoed from the town's entrance, the sound of a gunpowder weapon reverberating in the night. As a result, fewer of the wandering fluorescent lights remained in the darkness.

A man wearing a cowboy hat, a plaid shirt with patches, and a pair of worn-out jeans, with oil-stained boots, was putting away his double-barreled shotgun, which was still smoking. He was in his prime, with gray-blue eyes and a face with distinct features. The stubble on his face was as hard as steel.

"Damn, there are more and more dangerous species," the man muttered.

"Come on, Uz. You're the best hunter in our town. The more dangerous species there are, the more you earn. I bet you're secretly happy," a bald black man joked. He had a patch over his left eye and a mechanical prosthetic on his right leg. The black man carried a submachine gun, a second-hand item, but its power surpassed the shotgun in the cowboy's hands.

"Shut up, Peg. I'm serious," the cowboy said, a bit annoyed.

"Alright, Peg, stop bothering Uz. He's not in a good mood," the last hunter said. He wore a miner's hat and a leather jacket, looking a bit out of place. He was playing with a dagger, which seemed to have a life of its own, spinning lightly between his fingers, reflecting the firelight and creating a circle of orange light in the darkness.

The black man slapped his head and laughed, "Right, I almost forgot that Lani seems to be in labor tonight."

"That's not the worst part, Peg. The biggest problem is that our boss Uz hasn't even kissed Lani, and she's about to give birth," the hunter with the dagger added.

Laughter, laced with a hint of mockery, echoed at the town's entrance, followed by Uz's angry voice in the night air: "By God, if you don't shut up, I'll shoot your ass with this gun!"

However, his angry shout only made Peg and the others laugh even harder. Just as Uz was about to take action, a woman's shrill scream echoed from the town. Hearing the scream, the three hunters looked toward the town. The black man sighed, "I wonder which lucky bastard got to be with Lani, that hot girl. But the son of a bitch abandoned her like that, he's not a real man!"

The hunter with the dagger looked at the cowboy and said seriously, "What do you plan to do, Uz? Lani is no longer a girl, but a mother."

"Whatever she is, I will take care of her!" Uz's tone was firm and unyielding.

In the darkness, a faint sigh at the town's entrance was carried away by the wind.

In a relatively decent iron house in the center of the town, several middle-aged women were gathered around a bed.

"Push harder, Lani. I can see his little head."

"For God's sake, push harder."

"Yes, that's it. Use your abdominal strength, miss!"

Childbirth was so difficult, but this was just the first challenge for the new life. Fortunately, this little life had a strong mother. With a final, desperate scream, the new life was born.

"Look, it's a boy," a woman with short hair wrapped the baby in a tattered blanket and placed him in front of the mother's bed.

The young mother looked at her child, exhausted. The small face, still stained with blood, had a long, straight nose and large, bright red eyes that curiously examined this unfamiliar world. His lips were tightly pressed into a line, showing a hint of stubbornness. Unlike other newborns, he did not cry or fuss, but remained eerily quiet.

The women around her chattered, but they fell silent when the short-haired woman glared at them. She said softly, "Lani, he's your son. Have you thought of a name?"

The young mother nodded, looking at the baby with a complex expression, but her voice was gentle and soft, "Alan, his name is Alan."

When the baby heard his mother's voice, his expression changed slightly. He turned his head to look at the woman who had given birth to him. Finally, the tight lips curved into a smile.

He smiled.

Seeing this innocent smile, the mother felt the fire in her heart calm down a bit.

In the 423rd year of the Dawn Era, in June, Alan was born. The first image he remembered was his mother's beautiful yet tired face. What people remembered was the baby who did not cry, but no one knew that Alan, just born, already had the ability to remember!

The world continued to move forward at its own pace, the gears of time turning tightly. The nobles on the Babylon Floating Island continued to indulge in pleasure, and the newly elected president, Mobit, had just ended a celebratory feast. Meanwhile, in an unremarkable corner of the surface, an extraordinary life was born.

Fate always likes to leave a small surprise when people are not paying attention.

In the 428th year of the Dawn Era, on the last Saturday of late autumn, the clattering sound echoed through the town.

It was the signal for gathering winter supplies. When a woman carrying a large bag of food walked into a small alley, a few men sitting at the street corner nodded and followed her.

As the sky grew darker and night fell, the woman in the alley had already noticed the men following her. She quickened her pace, and just as the men were about to act, a double-barreled shotgun suddenly appeared from the shadows. The black barrel immediately silenced them.

Just like five years ago, Uz, still dressed in his cowboy attire, stepped out of the shadows, holding the shotgun level. He had a cigarette in his mouth, almost burned out. Uz flicked the cigarette away and said sternly, "Get lost!"

Under the threat of the gun, the men gradually retreated and disappeared into the alley. Uz then put away his gun and walked toward the woman, "I came just in time. Lani."

The woman pulled off her headscarf, revealing a beautiful face. She sighed, "I owe you another favor."

"Don't say that. I'm counting on you to treat me for free when I get hurt," Uz said, lifting his cowboy hat with the gun barrel and showing a broad smile.

"Here, let me carry it for you. It looks heavy."

Uz took the bag from Lani and walked back to their home in the town. It was an iron house, simple but solid enough to withstand the winter snow. As soon as they entered, a small figure ran into Lani's arms. Lani squatted down and picked him up. In the light, a five-year-old boy was revealed, but he was more robust than other children his age.

He had rare gray hair, which, under the light, shimmered like a million stars.

The boy's face, though still childish, already had a chiseled contour, suggesting he would grow up to be a handsome man. However, there was a small bruise on his cheek, which made Lani frown, "What happened?"

A hint of panic flashed in the boy's eyes, and he looked at Uz for help. Uz smiled and shrugged, indicating he couldn't help. The boy bit his lip and said, "Today, Moss called me a white-haired pig, so I..."

He looked at Lani, who had a stern expression. The boy continued, "So I punched him in the nose, and he pushed me to the ground, and I accidentally hit my head. But don't worry, Mom, I already took care of that guy, and he won't dare to call me that again."

Uz whistled, "Not bad, Alan. Moss is a year older than you."

"Actually, he's 13 months older than me!" the boy corrected.

Lani gave Uz a disapproving look, and he obediently shut up. She sighed and stroked the boy's hair, "Alan, not everything can be solved with fists. Besides, you'll eventually encounter someone you can't beat. What will you do then?"

The boy's bright red eyes darted around, and he blurted out, "I'll run away and come back when I'm older and stronger to teach him a lesson!"

Then he added proudly, "But Mom, I haven't met anyone I can't beat yet. The things Uncle Uz taught me are really useful."

Uz's face turned awkward, and when Lani turned around, he said with a bitter smile, "I only taught him some things to protect himself, really."

"Actually, I just remembered that Peg needs to talk to me about something. I'll go first."

The cowboy fled, and Lani shook her head, watching his back. "Come, let's have dinner."

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