Chapter 2: Physical Fitness Test, Junior Soldier

Lu Ming froze for an instant, then snapped back to his senses in a heartbeat.

Not because of iron will, but because of a stench that struck him straight between the eyes.

It was a nauseating, putrid reek of sour decay.

He instinctively held his breath, only to be stunned a second later by what lay before him.

Why?

Because everything he had seen through the biofield had changed beyond recognition.

The once desolate, quiet street was now covered with massive gray-white maggots.

They were enormous and bloated, each one as large as an adult boar.

Through their translucent skin, one could clearly see the churning fluids and the lurid red, blue, and green viscera within.

They writhed madly, while streams of thick yellow-green mucus seeped from their bellies, corroding and breaking down the weeds and dead wood along the street.

A breeze swept by, bringing with it a bone-deep assault on the senses—the source of that foul stench.

“Ugh! What are those things?”

Some gagged in revulsion, others stared in terror, but Lu Ming did not linger on the sight. He broke into a run toward the road ahead.

The giant maggots were clearly writhing, yet they seemed not to notice him at all. That meant they were either suppressed or sealed away.

Recalling the biofield that had previously blocked and filtered out the strange creatures beyond, Lu Ming guessed it was probably the same kind of phenomenon. The only difference was that the survivors’ countdown had not yet ended, so the foreign creatures could not move for the time being.

In that case, the foremost task was already obvious: find a place to shelter temporarily.

“Hey!”

Seeing Lu Ming suddenly charge off, the others, stunned by the giant maggots, reacted at once and hurriedly scattered in all directions.

By then Lu Ming had already pulled away from the group. He was scanning the surroundings as he ran.

It could not really be called lucky, nor unlucky. They happened to be in an older commercial district.

No, rather than a commercial district, it was more like a commercial alley—a typical street of small storefronts below with residential apartments above.

Lifting his eyes to the residential complex overgrown with weeds, Lu Ming was extremely tempted.

First, residential buildings might still contain survival supplies and everyday necessities; at the very least, he could probably find a few useful tools.

Second, a residential complex offered high ground, allowing him to observe a larger and farther range and gather more geographical information. The advantage was obvious.

Unfortunately, the preparation time was so short that entering it was little short of fantasy. Forget whether he could even sprint from the alley into the complex—once inside, he might still fail to find a door that was both unlocked and safe within.

The best option was already out of reach, so he had to focus on the present: the shops on both sides.

A private supermarket, breakfast, lunch, and dinner diners, or a hardware store were all good choices. The first two would offer both supplies and tools, while the last would definitely have a complete set of tools.

Stationery shops, photo studios, barbershops, and real estate offices were the worst choices. Aside from a brief reprieve from the strange creatures, one could expect nothing.

Then there were the relatively acceptable options: a phone dealership with repair service, an appliance repair shop, and a low-cost pharmacy. The first would have repair tools; the second would have medicine. Medicine was never superfluous, no matter the time, unless every pill had expired—in which case heaven had decided to place a great burden upon you, and you could only accept your misfortune.

Yet after running several hundred meters and scanning dozens of shops, any establishment involving food, tools, or medicine was either closed, occupied by giant maggots, or simply packed full. It was as if the best choices had been deliberately denied him. By that point, the preferred options had been wiped out entirely.

There were a few safe stationery shops, real estate offices, and barbershops. Lu Ming memorized them all as final backups, then glanced at the countdown before him. There were still two minutes left; he might as well try his luck a little longer.

Dozens of seconds passed again, and at last fortune smiled upon him. With one minute and twenty seconds left on the countdown, he spotted a phone repair shop whose rolling shutter was half open, the glass door shut, and the chain lock hanging empty from it. Aside from the three giant maggots stationed to the left and right of the entrance, there were no signs of any strange creatures inside.

This was it!

Having locked onto his target, Lu Ming sprinted with all his strength, removed the chain lock, forced the glass door open, crouched low, and slid half his body through.

He did not rush in immediately. Instead, he looked in all directions, searching every corner, and only after confirming that not even the ceiling held any living thing did he push open the glass door, leap up, pull down the rolling shutter to seal off the outside world, then close the inner door behind him and wrap the chain lock around the inside handle, binding it tightly.

“Hu... hu... hu...”

By the time he finished, Lu Ming was soaked through as if he had just sprinted ten kilometers. He collapsed weakly onto the floor.

His temples throbbed rapidly, his breathing turned extremely ragged, yet his eyes refused to blink even once as they clung to the countdown.

“30... 20... 10...”

“5... 4... 3... 2... 1”

The time was up. The alien biofield was lifted. May all your affairs go smoothly, and may the road ahead be clear.

The subtitle slowly faded, then reappeared. This time it was no longer a countdown, but a status panel.

Before he could even examine it closely, there came a violent rustling and writhing outside, followed by a stench that pierced through two layers of doors, along with a shriek like the wail of an infant.

Hair standing on end and soul shaken, Lu Ming felt his scalp go numb. He could not help but move inward.

Only when his back pressed against the repair counter did he finally feel a trace of safety.

Clearly, the giant maggots had already broken free of the seal. There was no longer any peace outside. The only blessing was that he himself was not in immediate peril.

After taking several deep breaths and steadying himself, Lu Ming refocused on the panel before him.

It was strikingly similar to a character screen in a game. At the top was his own photo, identical to an ID picture, crisp and clear. If opened, it even showed a full-body image of himself—truly miraculous. Beneath it was his personal information.

Name: Lu Ming

Gender: Male

Number: 66666

Age: 24

Specialization Level: Undetected

Click to begin subject scan

Common Functions: Gather, World Channel, Trading Post, Space Pack

There was not much information—just a few sparse lines—yet they brought more questions than answers.

What concerned him most was the “Undetected” next to Specialization Level.

Click to scan the subject?

It was becoming more and more like a game, yet reality remained so tangible that it was hard to describe.

With no time to dwell on such exhausting and unproductive thoughts, Lu Ming clicked the undetected prompt on a trial basis.

To his surprise, there was indeed touch feedback, as though he were tapping a phone screen. The sensation was real.

Beginning physical data scan...

A beam of blue light shot from the panel, scanning Lu Ming from head to toe.

Data scan complete. Level assessment: Junior Soldier

In an instant, the undetected label behind his strength level changed to Junior Soldier.

So this was the power hierarchy of the end times in the Jade Blue world.

He clicked to view the details.

Junior Soldier: Possesses the preliminary conditions to become a hunting warrior. Slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Consuming specialization crystals can raise one’s rank. Current progress: 0/10

Specialization Crystal: A precious energy core that appears after purifying strange creatures. It contains vast energy and can be used not only to increase specialization level, but also as a consumable to replace most energy expenditures.

After learning the rank and the method of advancement, Lu Ming’s expression darkened.

In that case, the already unforgiving struggle for survival had become even worse.

Because as things stood, the only known way to grow stronger was to confront the strange creatures head-on.