Chapter 36: People Are Divided Into Different Classes
Sky Dome Base, all right!
Zi Hui thought Qin Hao was just shirking responsibility.
“We’re planning to hold a meeting soon. Would you like to say something? If not, it’s fine, but I’ll announce you as the founder of our base, and I’m considering appointing you to a position to make management easier.”
She said this aloud, yet inwardly, she assumed Qin Hao wouldn’t want to step forward. Otherwise, he would have stayed back when the police came looking for them.
But to her surprise, Qin Hao’s answer was unexpected.
“I’ll speak first, then.”
“Ah? Okay, let’s eat first!”
Zi Hui led Qin Hao into the room. The thirty-fifth floor had been furnished with many tables and chairs, all laden with sausages, peanuts, bread, and even meat from the serpent fiends.
The meat, resembling fish, was highly recommended by An Zi Heng, who had tasted it. It was sliced into sashimi, served with supermarket-bought wasabi and seafood sauce, making the meal look lavish.
Yet some people kept their distance from this flesh.
The ordinary survivors, who hadn’t eaten for nearly two days, finally had enough to fill their stomachs, even if the food wasn’t hot. Satisfaction softened the worries etched across their brows.
After the feast, everyone carried stools and gathered together.
The surroundings were humble, and even the sky was growing dim. In the fading light, voices became more pronounced.
No one spoke; everyone fell silent. Even at such a height, they feared attracting those alien creatures.
Qin Hao walked to a wall, raised his hand, and some metal flew out.
It was a unique silver metal, shining brightly even under the moonlight, making the letters carved into the wall instantly legible.
At the top, a phrase appeared that was difficult for anyone to accept:
Humanity is divided into ranks.
Qin Hao began, “I believe everyone here is wondering why the world has changed so, what caused the aurora disaster, and where these monsters came from.”
Just this sentence was enough to rouse the two hundred people present.
In fact, even Zi Hui’s followers still had no clue.
Qin Hao continued, “Beyond Blue Star, in a distant extragalactic system, there are planets much like ours, nurturing life and birthing intelligent species. Among these, some beings mastered star energy, growing so powerful that they were called deities.”
“These deities possess immense power, mastering spatial forces, folding space, opening spatial black holes, and dispatching their cultivated creatures to planets they wish to invade.”
“This is how they appeared on Blue Star.”
“The invading alien civilization destroys a planet to harvest energy, but in the vast universe, there are peaceful alliances as well. These alliances unite to oppose war, forming a Peace League. Whenever deities sense a planet with star energy, the alliance grants it a boon, helping its intelligent species ascend to godhood.”
“In our language, this boon is called the Hero System, implanted in our souls. In the apocalypse, those chosen will become the strongest, for they hold the power to trade with the Peace League.”
Qin Hao wrote “Hero System” in bold characters on the wall.
This time, the two hundred people could not remain calm; an uproar ensued.
They never expected the truth to be so astonishing.
“Hero System? So Zi Hui is one of the chosen?”
“Besides Zi Hui, there’s this man—Qin Hao. He knows so much.”
“And the one with the dog—I recognize him. He’s actually a web celebrity in the pet community.”
The crowd buzzed with discussion. Zi Hui stood and said, “Everyone, please be quiet. I know you have many questions, but I hope you’ll let Mr. Qin Hao finish.”
Zi Hui emphasized “Mr. Qin Hao.” Not everyone present knew him, but for someone of her status to address him so formally showed genuine respect.
He truly was remarkable.
The crowd fell silent.
Qin Hao looked at them and continued, “There are four heroes who founded the Sky Dome Base: myself, Zi Hui, An Zi Heng, and Li Xin Long.”
When Qin Hao mentioned Li Xin Long, the survivors who had followed him stared in astonishment.
They’d seen Zi Hui speaking to Li Xin Long, and he appeared wealthy, possibly an acquaintance of hers. They never imagined he was also a hero.
A young man in his twenties couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Qin Hao, what are the criteria for the Hero System’s selection? Do we still have a chance to obtain it?”
In his mind, Zi Hui was a celebrity, Li Xin Long a manager, An Zi Heng wealthy—at least richer than him. Was the Hero System reserved for the successful?
Unbeknownst to him, Qin Hao was nothing more than an orphan working two jobs, penniless and alone.
Qin Hao glanced at the young man, whose eyes brimmed with unwillingness—a person who refused to fall behind.
But fate is seldom fair.
“Selection is random; there are ten thousand slots. But this is the second round—perhaps there will be a third or fourth. Those are future matters, not your concern now. What you should worry about is what rank you will occupy among humanity.”
As Qin Hao spoke, he released more metal, engraving new words on the wall.
[Evolver]
“Humans without the Hero System can still grow strong. There are two ways. First, a hero can help you purchase the Hero Body-Refining Technique. Here, I set a unified price: ten units of star energy—kill ten Fang Fiends to earn it.”
The fifty survivors fell silent, while the fans stirred restlessly.
After An Zi Heng revealed the need to purchase the star energy refinement, they knew Zi Hui had injected them with energy free of charge.
As ordinary people, facing Fang Fiends meant risking their lives—let alone killing ten.
Zi Hui had given them a chance to survive the apocalypse. According to Qin Hao’s classification, they were already second-rank.
At that moment, Qin Hao noticed that these one hundred and fifty fans emitted tendrils of thought, merging into Zi Hui’s mental force.
Perhaps Zi Hui did not yet possess hero points, but she had gained tangible mental strength.
Qin Hao’s gaze darkened, a new idea forming in his mind, though he did not act on it immediately.
He continued, “The second way is to eat alien flesh. You just wasted a powerful opportunity—hopefully you won’t again. Fang Fiend and Serpent Fiend meat are both extremely valuable.”
Some of the supermarket survivors showed regret on their faces.
Qin Hao once again manipulated the metal, carving new words onto the wall.
[Ordinary Human]