Chapter 2

"In this age of technology, the world has no need for freaks like you. What martial arts genius, pfft, you're only fit to dance with old men in the park or to give massages to fat women in the gym. The times have already cast you aside, and there's no place for you in this world. Hmph, no matter how powerful your fists are, can they compare to guns and cannons?"

"Who cares if you're a martial arts celebrity? If you dare to hurt a single hair on my head, over a hundred guns will turn you into a beehive."

"This is an economic society; what's an old man worth? For me, it's just a few hundred thousand dollars lost in a drunken collision. Hmph, it's not even as much as the repair costs for my car. Take your dirty hands off me, don't dirty my Armani suit. If you beg like a dog at my feet, maybe I'll let you serve less time in jail. Hmph, you've crippled dozens of my bodyguards; the compensation alone will keep you in jail for a hundred years."

"What about your adoptive father? Just an old man. I hit your adoptive father, so what? Do you know who I am, who my father is? With your few pounds of brute strength and your poverty, I can kill you with a flick of my finger..."

Huh!

Du Nan shook his head vigorously and took a deep breath.

Inside his body, a vast and strange energy surged, rapidly transforming with the anger of his memories.

In his mind, new and old memories intertwined.

Thinking of his adoptive father who was run over, thinking of the young master whose neck he twisted under the aim of over a hundred guns, and thinking of himself breaking through the realm as he was heavily injured, only to be swallowed by a bolt of lightning.

"A Nan, you're too impulsive. In this world, fists alone can't solve everything."

His adoptive father's words still echoed in his ears.

Recalling the retired military hero who had bowed to certain 'evil forces' several times to protect him from disaster...

That surge of blood: I don't regret it!

Du Nan clenched his fists and smiled.

That's right.

On that planet, fists alone couldn't solve anything.

Now, everything is rewritten!

*********

In the deep, ancient hall.

After a long while, the air still retained some distorted light.

Suddenly.

Du Nan, who had fully recovered, muttered to himself, "Are you an idiot? The core of magic energy is only from one to nine stars. Why is the core I fused with zero stars, and the only zero-star core? Why don't you buy a lottery ticket with such good luck? What's the point of being a genius if you can't do anything with this thing? I swept all directions in my previous life; does that mean I'll be at the bottom in this life? Where is the justice in the world!"

After the fusion, his thoughts were clear.

Including the memories of the thousand-year family's last descendant, the scholar with outstanding academic abilities but a timid personality, all were imprinted in his mind.

He died, and I survived... Is this a time tunnel?

Or a dimensional wormhole?

The only zero-star core, with its vast energy, transformed his body into an 'unlimited fusion body.' However, the genius scholar didn't understand the benefits of this body, known in ancient times as the 'all-fusion physique.'

What changes have I undergone?

Du Nan could confirm that he was a magic energy awakener, not yet a magic energy warrior. The vast energy had formed a holy body, but it hadn't increased his star level.

Reviewing the memories.

Du Nan discovered that in the Magic Energy Era, there were only four types of magic energy cores: wind, fire, water, and earth.

No fifth type.

The ranks were from one to nine stars.

No zero level!

"Where did this thing come from?" Du Nan pondered, unable to figure it out.

Even with the fused memories, he wasn't as wise as the genius scholar. Perhaps even the genius scholar didn't know why there was a fifth type of magic energy or why there was a zero-star core. Normally, any core would have a corresponding 'quantity,' and there wouldn't be a 'non-existent' quantity.

Such vast energy being zero-star... Du Nan was truly speechless about the ancient geniuses who created the ranking system.

Looking up.

Gazing at the sky.

Du Nan saw the hundred-meter deep pit, like a giant waste well, left after the energy impact, and was dumbfounded again: "Damn, how do I get out? I could easily climb out of this pit before, but now with this skinny body, Great Ancestor, why don't you open your eyes? Huh?"

As Du Nan sighed.

He suddenly noticed a purple crystal glowing beneath the shattered ancient black stele.

A burial item?

After a moment of surprise, Du Nan quickly ran to the broken stele.

Holding the purple crystal, a current jolted his body. Instantly, Du Nan's face lit up. Based on his memories, he immediately understood that this was a core. According to his internal sensations, he could absorb and fuse it. In this situation, Du Nan couldn't help but feel elated: "Hehe, the thousand-year family, it seems the Great Ancestor wasn't a law-abiding person. Knowing that the fifth magic energy was a taboo, he still dared to secretly collect it."

The Great Ancestor even ate the crab before me.

What a brave man.

"Amazing, such vast energy... What star level is this?" Du Nan was ecstatic, absorbing and fusing while recalling.

Unfortunately.

The scholar's memory, who had never awakened magic energy, didn't have data on the core levels.

Du Nan judged based on his strength.

Completely absorbing this unknown star-level core, he only needed three steps to leave the deep pit.

Two hours later.

"Great Ancestor, you're awesome, I'll take the gift. Don't worry, I'll take care of the thousand-year family. Do you have any other good stuff?" Du Nan rummaged through the broken stele but found nothing, then sighed in disappointment: "Too disappointing, Great Ancestor, why don't you have any valuable burial items? I'm your descendant; if I starve to death, it will be your face that's lost. Why didn't you leave some wealth as a burial item? What a failure, such a failure."

Du Nan searched the ancient hall again but found nothing. He called the Great Ancestor a failure but didn't think about how he was constantly searching the 'ancestral tomb' for burial items to get rich. In terms of failure, he was even worse.

The sky grew dark.

Beasts roared in the distance.

"Nothing at all, looks like I have to leave." Du Nan, feeling refreshed and confident after fusing the unknown star-level core, waved goodbye: "No matter, I have hands and feet, I won't starve. I'll come back to see you when I have time. To prevent others from disturbing your peace, I'll bury this place first. Rest in peace."

After saying this to himself, Du Nan leaped onto the rocks.

His body moved like a swift eagle.

Stepping on the walls of the pit, each step left a purple footprint.

"Ha!"

"New world, here I come!"

The laughter of rebirth echoed, and Du Nan soared like a bird returning to the sky. At that moment, his face showed unprecedented freedom and excitement.

The next second.

The pit exploded with a few loud bangs. Purple light shone, and the ground suddenly collapsed. A large area sank as if hit by a strong earthquake. After the dust settled, there was no trace of human activity.

At that moment.

"Damn, what kind of air is this? How can I breathe? Is this a place for humans? It's like being underwater." Du Nan, still elated, muttered. He quickly climbed into a circular travel machine and started the navigation based on his memories. Then, he fell into a deep sleep.

His face showed a smile of freedom.

It was unclear whether it was because of the powerful strength he had gained or because he had come to this unknown world, letting go of everything, and truly returned to himself.

*********

"Hey, isn't that Xiao Nan?"

After waking up, Du Nan found himself in a pile of metal scraps.

In the distance, buildings stood tall, with glass surfaces shimmering. Floating vehicles buzzed like a swarm of locusts. The air was murky, the sky dark, and a foul wind carried the smell of iron. Numerous factories spewed black smoke, forming a black cloud. Large, strange vehicles dug mines, creating artificial valleys.

Not far from his feet.

In the low shacks, countless ragged people moved about.

This... This, this, this, is where I live? Why isn't it a world with fresh air and numerous magical beasts? What kind of super-modern society is this, where pollution makes it impossible to live?

What about the Magic Energy Era?

"Xiao Nan, Xiao Nan, are you deaf? I'm calling you."

In the center of the junkyard, Du Nan was still amazed by the reality of the Magic Energy Era when a hoarse voice called out again. Two malnourished, ugly faces with cunning eyes approached step by step.

They were holding rusty metal pipes.

Who are these two?

Du Nan saw two 'familiar' faces but couldn't react immediately. In his memory, they seemed to be the type who would fawn and flatter. Why do they look like they're about to 'divide the land and redistribute it'? Do I look like someone who can be easily bullied?

"Xiao Nan, did you know your mentor was executed?"

"What?"

Du Nan was shocked, truly shocked.

Mentor?

The old scholar who taught him ancient literature, the kind old man, was actually executed?

"Crime of spreading heresy."

One tall and one thin, the thin one with triangular eyes, looking very knowledgeable, explained: "Your mentor publicly claimed there was a fifth type of magic energy and asked the Federation to search for it. After being rejected, he claimed the Federation was hiding the truth and spread the existence of the fifth magic energy. This old book thief wanted fame so badly."

"Ah? Oh!"

Du Nan didn't react much to this news. As a newcomer to the new world, he wasn't very familiar with his mentor Kong Qingyuan. Moreover, with the strange power surging inside him, he didn't fear the Federation much. With power, these once towering peaks had become small hills in his eyes.

He was only curious.

The fifth magic energy must not be a public item. If mentioning it leads to execution... What kind of world is this?

Is there still civil rights?

Is there still the rule of law?

"Understood is best." Seeing Du Nan's reaction, the tall, lanky man was very satisfied and extended his hand, with a 'give it to me' expression.

"What?" Du Nan didn't understand.

"Money." The tall man said viciously, completely ignoring Du Nan's current beggar-like appearance: "Your mentor was executed, so the city college recommendation is null and void. Do you think you can escape the slums and become a citizen in the city? Dream on! Be smart and quickly hand over the living expenses the old man gave you, or I'll take action."

"Quickly hand over the living expenses, or Dog Brother will take action." The thin man echoed, looking like a loyal servant.

"Oh." Du Nan understood.

He was originally a 'city college recommendation student.' That made sense; as a genius in ancient literature, the teacher naturally wanted to help him leave this rundown place and start a new life.

However, the living expenses...

Seemed to have been used to buy a long-range flying machine, which was now a pile of scrap metal.

What to do?

Du Nan thought: The fifth magic energy is a taboo item; mentioning it leads to execution. If others found out about his astonishing power, he would either have to fight the Federation to the death or be dissected and preserved in formaldehyde.

That power, for now, is best not to use.

Now.

These two scoundrels...

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