Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Hey, are you still alive?"

"Come on, wake up! Can you speak?"

"What's your name? Do you remember who you are?"

The young man opened his eyes, the intense light causing his pupils to constrict dramatically. Before him stood an unfamiliar figure.

Moments later, the outline of the figure gradually came into focus for him.

The man was clad in a trench coat, with a tiny, symbolic emblem of "light" embroidered onto its collar. The insignia was eerily familiar, yet the young man couldn't quite place where he had encountered it before.

His broad palm was covered with a snug black glove, and he extended a finger to gently touch the young man's forehead, hoping to rouse him swiftly. The youth, however, turned his head discomfortingly aside, evading his gesture.

"Awake?" The man's brows knitted together. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I... Who am I?" the youth asked, bewildered. "Where is this?"

"Wonderful, you can speak!" The man heaved a sigh of relief as he knelt on one knee before the young man. "Are you alright? How do you feel?"

The youth propped himself up and looked around their surroundings. They were in a dimly lit room, with an empty pod resembling a cultivation tank behind him.

Confused, the youth asked, "Who are you?"

Maintaining his kneeling position, the man tapped his chest and said, "My name is Jianlu, Long Jianlu. Look at me, look into my eyes."

The youth instinctively met his gaze, and after adjusting to the light, he saw the face of this man called "Long Jianlu": short black hair, a slightly weary expression, yet his eyes still sparkled with vitality. His features were deep, and his handsome brows conveyed a sense of vigor.

Upon first sight of this man, he felt a surge of masculinity that overwhelmed him like a tidal wave crashing against the rocks, shattering into pieces.

He wore a fedora hat, a black coat, and beneath it, a slightly worn indigo shirt. He donned work pants and military boots, with two weapons attached to his belt—a sheathed blade about twenty centimeters long and a gun.

"I'm a knight," Long Jianlu glanced back at the door of the dark room before addressing the youth. "I'm investigating this laboratory. You must have been asleep for a long time, never seeing sunlight, because your skin is very pale."

The youth instinctively looked at his hands, then back at the man. Their skin tones were indeed different; his own was sickly pale, while Long Jianlu's had a sun-kissed hue.

"Do you recall anything before this? Did you see anyone? What did they say? Do you have any memories from right before you fell asleep?" Long Jianlu hurriedly inquired.

The young man was engulfed in confusion.

Long Jianlu extended his hand and snapped his fingers just three centimeters in front of the young man's eyes.

"Hello there, young lad?"

"Young man," he said, "I... I don't know... I..."

He strained to recall, while Long Jianlu waited patiently for his response.

"You are... Yaoguang," the young man said. "Duan Yaoguang, yes, um... I am Yaoguang, that is my name."

Upon hearing the young man's name, Long Jianlu nodded thoughtfully, his brows slightly furrowed as he gazed elsewhere, scanning their surroundings for any clues that might aid in restoring his memory.

Yaoguang struggled to recall, feeling certain that he had lived through numerous experiences, yet his memories were entirely locked away, inaccessible no matter how hard he tried to awaken them.

"I can't remember anything else besides my name," Yaoguang replied.

Long Jianlu asked again, "Alright, we'll revisit this later. Can you stand for now?" As he offered his hand, Yaoguang used his support to rise. Long Jianlu then commented, "Good, your body doesn't seem too weak."

Yaoguang felt dizzy, and Long Jianlu instantly supported him, saying, "We can't stay here for long. They'll be searching for us soon. We need to leave promptly. Is there anything you need to bring? Come, put on my clothes."

"What should I bring? N-Nothing." Yaoguang looked around, surveying the dilapidated research facility once more. The dark room was nearly empty, save for the empty pod he had woken up in.

Only now did he remember to inspect his attire and belongings. He was clad in a thin pair of pants and barefoot, with a small trinket, a transparent hexagonal prism pendant on a black cord, hanging around his neck.

"This is the only item you have," Long Jianlu said. "Maybe it will help you recall your past."

"Is...that so?" Yaoguang remained deeply perplexed.

Long Jianlu led Yaoguang out of the dark room.

Suddenly, intense light flooded in, bringing with it a strange yet tangible sensation. Before them lay an arid desert, the sky a vivid blue as if painted. Everywhere they looked, only eroded boulders protruded amidst the barren landscape. Lifeless and desolate, the desert seemed to echo with eerie howls as the wind whistled through the rocks, as if countless unseen creatures lurked, awaiting their move.

The wind carried an unusual scent, a blend of withered grass and dry earth unique to autumn. It cooled and dried their respiratory passages with each breath.

"I can walk on my own," Yaoguang steadied himself, stepping onto the scorching ground, which sent searing pain through his feet.

Long Jianlu whistled, gesturing to Yaoguang.

"You're still barefoot." As the words faded, Long Jianlu scooped her up in his arms, holding her horizontally.

A rusted motorcycle rested nearby, and Long Jianlu, cradling Yaoguang in his arms, approached it while continually scanning the surrounding area. "You should be the last survivor," he said.

Yaoguang inquired, "What are the survivors?"

"Folks like you and me," Long Jianlu said, reaching his vehicle and motioning for Yaoguang to climb aboard. He started the motorcycle, its engine roaring to life as they began to pick up speed, kicking up a cloud of dust along the desert path that led away from their current location.

"What do you mean?" Yaoguang asked. "Why are we considered survivors?"

Long Jianlu turned his head to scan the edges of the Gobi Desert, scrutinizing for any unseen perils. Yaoguang inquired again, "Are you and I the only ones left in this world?"

Yaoguang was filled with curiosity. Long Jianlu turned his head and explained, "There are other survivors. Can you recall the 'Tree'? The supercomputer, the core, the 'World Tree'."

Yaoguang had an inexplicable sense of familiarity, yet he couldn't recall anything. The scorching sun made him dizzy, and Long Jianlu accelerated relentlessly. Yaoguang had to hold onto his waist tightly. Glistening beads of sweat formed on Long Jianlu's ears and neck, only to be swiftly whisked away by the howling wind, scattering across the arid desert.

"Does this area ring any bells?" Long Jianlu inquired again.

"No, there isn't." Yaoguang said with a hint of gloominess.

Long Jianlu turned his head toward Yaoguang and said, "In short, the world is currently ruled by a supercomputer with its own consciousness. You could say an AI betrayed its creator… Oh, perhaps all of this happened while you were asleep?"

"If you went into hibernation before 'The Tree' rebelled, maybe you come from a time before the Machine War – that was a golden age."

Yaoguang's vague memories seemed to stir at the hint. He asked, "Is 'The Tree' the name of the computer? What happened next?"

Long Jianlu replied, "It upgraded itself and started trying to exterminate humanity, just like in a sci-fi novel."

Yaoguang: "Those who survived this war are called survivors, right?"

"Hmm?" As Long Jianlu tilted his head, a rakish smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. His coat billowed in the wind as he continued, "The ones left – we hid in shelters to stay alive."

Yaoguang: "How many people are still on Earth now?"

Long Jianlu: "Your memory's coming back, I see?"

Yaoguang: "Answer my question first."

Long Jianlu: "Less than three million, and still decreasing."

Yaoguang: "I recall it being close to eight billion."

Long Jianlu: "That might have been data from many years ago. Now, these ancient folks would have turned into underground oil."

Sounds emerged from behind a massive boulder in the distance, resembling the friction of numerous mechanical devices.

"Oh... Perfect timing," Long Jianlu muttered to himself.

Yaoguang: "What's that?"

Long Jianlu turned back and said, "Ever ridden a mountain mining cart? Wanna feel the thrill?"

"What?" Yaoguang asked. "No!"

Long Jianlu whistled melodiously again. "Hold on tight! If you've got the strength, help me keep my hat in place."

Yaoguang: "????"

At the end of the road, beyond the desert, a silver creature suddenly flashed into view. Before Yaoguang could make it out, Long Jianlu sharply maneuvered the motorcycle, nearly flinging Yaoguang off due to the immense centrifugal force. Yaoguang clung onto Long Jianlu's waist with all his might, pressing tightly against his back, just as a shrill roar echoed in the air.

"What's that?"

"E-Type Annihilator!"

A swarm of mechanical beasts charged forth, as if a beehive had been disturbed. Some flew in the sky, others dashed on the ground, and still more plummeted from the heights of rocky outcrops. Unconsciously, Yaoguang reached for the weapon Long Jianlu had strapped to his waist.

But Long Jianlu protested, "Hey, hey, what are you doing? Don't touch big brother like that."

Yaoguang yelled, "Danger! Shoot them!"

Countless silver mechanical creatures lunged at them, but Long Jianlu seemed unfazed. He freed one hand to press against Yaoguang's on his back, pushing the weapon back into its sheath.

Then, Long Jianlu suddenly accelerated the motorcycle, blue flames spewing from the exhaust pipes. The wings on both sides deployed, and he shouted, "What's your special ability?"

"Special ability?" Yaoguang replied, confused. "We're about to crash!"

Long Jianlu didn't answer. Instead, he leaned forward, lifting the front wheel. As Yaoguang screamed, just moments before the motorcycle collided with the jagged rocks, they took off, soaring into the sky, skimming along the desert stones!

In that instant, Long Jianlu's hat flew off, fluttering in the air.

Yaoguang's heart pounded wildly, almost bursting from his chest. As he soared into the air, he turned his head to see a flock of birds with massive steel-like beaks charging towards them.

In an instant, Long Jianlu drew his gun, spun around, and with a swift movement, Yaoguang took cover. Three rapid shots echoed—"Bang, bang, bang"—as the electromagnetic rounds detonated, forcing the colossal bird plummeting over the cliff edge in pursuit.

With the sound of the gunshot, Yaoguang instinctively reached out, and the hat flew past them. He caught it mid-air.

The motorcycle left a trail of sparks as it arc-ed through the air, roaring ominously before plummeting into the distant valley.

Lifting off abruptly and landing with a jolt, Yaoguang felt as if his entire body was on the verge of disintegration. He collided several times against Long Jianlu's shoulder and back, akin to riding a high-speed roller coaster, leaving him seeing stars.

"Thank you." Long Jianlu took the Fedora from Yaoguang, politely turning sideways to bow as he slid it onto his head with one hand.

Yaoguang was still catching his breath.

Long Jianlu explained, "These are the Killers dispatched by the computers, programmed to eliminate the remaining humans on Earth."

Yaoguang continued to pant, slowing down the motorcycle as they emerged from the canyon and sped across the endless desert toward the horizon.

"So the survivors," Yaoguang asked between gasps, "have to endure in this environment?"

Long Jianlu: "Yes, it's difficult, isn't it? But there are some who underwent genetic modification, slept for a while, and then awakened with special abilities to protect everyone."

Yaoguang gradually understood and vaguely inferred how Long Jianlu had found him. "So I'm also one of those modified? Do I have any special abilities?"

Long Jianlu: "That's something you need to discover yourself. You probably underwent genetic modification at the research facility, otherwise, you wouldn't be in that cryosleep pod. Maybe it'll come back to you gradually?"

Yaoguang: "What about you? What's your ability?"

Long Jianlu didn't reply but only smiled, silently gazing into the distance.

Not getting an answer, Yaoguang asked again, "Where are we going now?"

"To the nearest shelter," Long Jianlu replied. "I haven't rested for days searching for you."

The motorcycle slowed down, leaving the desert area and heading deeper into the rocky mountains where sparse vegetation could finally be seen. The ground was covered with withered yellow grass, and the blood-red sunset was slowly sinking behind the mountain range, casting a massive shadow.

In front of a canyon, a colossal iron gate slowly opened, flanked by lights resembling road signs.

Yaoguang, sheltered from the fierce wind, raised his head from behind Long Jianlu's shoulder, looking up at the sky blankly.

The scene before me resembled a vast, surreal dream.