After thinking it through carefully, Chu Zihang was certain of one thing.
He understood nothing about the contents of the Newbie Pack.
That, however, felt completely natural.
How could a human possibly comprehend something granted by a god?
It was no different from the River of Time itself, or the vast and ancient Dragon Race history hidden within it.
Only today had he finally lifted the veil from his eyes and glimpsed the true face of the world.
"Beneath the Arctic Ocean…"
Chu Zihang replayed the scenes he had witnessed in the River of Time again and again in his mind.
He engraved the possible location of the Nibelungen where his father was trapped deep into his memory.
Only after confirming he would never forget it did he lower his gaze back to the projection screen.
His eyes moved repeatedly between the three options.
Right now, nothing mattered more than making a decision.
He did not know whether the system would vanish if he delayed.
Footsteps echoed from downstairs, followed by his stepfather calling his name as he climbed up.
Chu Zihang did not hesitate any longer. He reached out and selected the second option.
He did not understand any of the three reward packages.
So he chose based on instinct.
The sword on his back was the most important thing to him, and his strongest combat method was sword based combat.
Although his swordsmanship came from formal training, it was still the fighting style he trusted the most.
"Please confirm selection of the God of Death Grand Package. Acquiring this power requires modification of the Guardian's body."
Chu Zihang's eyes flickered slightly. "After the modification, will I become stronger or weaker?"
"Based on the Guardian's strength assessment, you will become five to tens of thousands of times stronger."
Chu Zihang stared at the message.
Tens of thousands of times?
He checked again to make sure he had not misread it.
The answer did not change.
He nodded without hesitation. "Confirm selection."
"This option will transform the Guardian into a God of Death. You will no longer be a pure human. Please confirm again."
Not human?
As long as he could find that man.
As long as he could confront Odin.
Then it did not matter.
"Confirm."
"Congratulations, Guardian. You have obtained the God of Death Grand Package. Initiating process…"
"Alert. Other living beings detected nearby. Distribution paused. Will resume in a safe environment."
"System activated. Server online. Coverage expanding globally. Sub systems deploying…"
"Zihang! Zihang! Why are you still up here? I have been calling you for ages. Come on, let's go home first. I still have a meeting at the company tonight."
The middle aged man climbed the stairs.
Chu Zihang reacted instantly, slipping the golden bead into his pocket. The projection screen vanished at the same time.
He nodded quietly at his stepfather. "Alright. Let's go home. Thank you."
…
As the car moved through the rain soaked streets, Chu Zihang recalled the final system message.
He had guessed that the system Malrick created was extraordinary.
But he never could have imagined just how absurd its scale truly was.
At that very moment, across the entire world, hundreds of thousands of hybrids reacted simultaneously.
Anyone with Dragon Race blood of C rank or higher, whether human or dragon.
A golden virtual dialog box appeared before their perception.
Its design resembled common chat software of the era, simple and familiar.
It was not reflected in their eyes, nor did it float in physical space.
Instead, it appeared directly within their visual perception, creating the illusion that it was right in front of them.
"Do you want to truly live?"
"Do you want to see through the essence of the world?"
"Yes or No"
…
Heavy rain battered the streets.
Lu Mingfei pulled his jacket over his head and sprinted forward, using it as a makeshift umbrella.
He ran through the downpour like a clumsy bear panicking through a storm.
Each step sent water splashing high enough to soak his legs.
"Oh my god!"
He slipped and crashed face first into a puddle.
His already messy hair plastered against his face as his head plunged into the water.
Out of instinct, he inhaled, bubbles bursting around him.
"Cough, cough! No, no!" He jerked his head up, choking and sputtering. "This has to be a dream. What is this thing? Did I lose my mind after getting soaked? I'm finished. Aunt definitely won't pay my medical bills."
He rambled incoherently, eyes darting around in panic.
The rain blurred everything, and the few pedestrians nearby kept their heads down under umbrellas.
Yet every one of them had stopped and was staring at him.
Some looked concerned. Most looked confused, as if they were watching a complete idiot.
Lu Mingfei's words died in his throat.
He rolled awkwardly to his feet and bolted into a narrow alley.
Only after confirming he was alone did he stop beneath a small garage awning, gasping for breath.
He stared at the screen hovering before his perception, his lips trembling.
After running for that long, his mind finally cleared.
Something this vivid could not be an illusion.
If he were dreaming, he was certain he could never imagine visuals this polished.
And if it really was a dream, then this interface should have looked like a normal chat app.
"No way… it really looks like one. Did someone invent some kind of brain hacking tech? Why me? I'm just a nobody. Is it too late to spend a few Dollars to show submission?"
Lu Mingfei swallowed hard.
He wanted to keep ranting.
But reality felt like it was laughing at him.
Still, he had never been afraid of being laughed at.
At school, no matter how often he was mocked while running errands, he always managed to smile it off.
He muttered that he was doomed, completely doomed.
Yet deep down, he still found himself hoping, praying, wishing that this was something different.
Then he tapped the option marked Yes.
Despite his bad luck, Lu Mingfei had always fantasized.
One day, men in black suits would burst into his classroom, kneel before him, and beg him to return as the Dragon King to save the world.
He would become powerful.
He would become important.
The scene unfolding now felt uncomfortably similar.
His heart pounded as his trembling finger pressed the confirmation button.
He was so nervous, so excited, that he failed to notice the tiny text hidden in the corner of the interface.
"By selecting agree, you consent to binding with the All Purpose Exchange System."
"The system will extract all superpowers from the host as initial exchange capital."
"'Yes' indicates agreement. 'No' also indicates agreement. To refuse, click the X in the upper right corner."
"All rights of interpretation belong to the creator of this system."
---