Rain Lin's wind blade wasn't meant to kill Han Xueying.
Not yet, anyway.
But she sure as hell made a statement.
The blade veered just enough to miss Han's face… and tore into Tian Hong's left arm.
"AAAAARGH!!"
He screamed like a pig at slaughter, blood gushing everywhere.
Amateur. No combat awareness whatsoever.
Fortunately, someone in the gym still had healing powers.A warm green glow pulsed as a spell stitched up the wound.
The healer was Yang Tao, a chubby med student with a plain face and a C-tier healing talent.She had been in the same class as Han Xueying.
In the previous timeline, Han hadn't joined Yuan Feng's team—so Yang Tao had filled the role.Even now, though she didn't get picked, she was still in demand.Healing talents were rare, and people were already recruiting her left and right.
Han Xueying, meanwhile, was just now recovering from the shock of Rain's blade brushing past her face.She turned sharply, shooting a glare at Rain Lin.
Rain? Didn't even spare her a glance.Just looked the other way, smug and unbothered.
Yuan Feng, for all his enjoyment of being surrounded by pretty women, really didn't want a catfight breaking out mid-apocalypse.So he said a few smoothing words and led the team out of the gym.
His plan was simple.
His Dragonflame Explosion was powerful—too powerful, in fact, for just one worm at a time.What he needed was a pull-and-burn strategy.
Speed-type Xu Gongqing would lure enemies.Tank-type Wan Gang would protect him from the worm antennae.And he would stay back and cast his Dragonflame Explosion to wipe out entire groups in one go.
So far, none of the worms had dropped cores, and kills gave no XP.But it was Day One.
No one knew the rules. No one had a guide.
That's what made being a trailblazer so valuable.
And Yuan Feng fully intended to be one.
But he wasn't the only one thinking that way.
Across the Beijing University campus, other elite hunting parties were forming.Some had three members, others over ten.
Truth was, the dimensional worms were ridiculously weak.Kai—if he wanted—could probably solo them with his bare hands using only the combat techniques he remembered from his past life.
But this was still the first day.People were scared. Soft.
Teamwork still felt normal. Moral. Safe.
Most people grouped up.But a few… flew solo.
Yuan Feng's team had barely left the gym when they ran into a lone figure blocking the road.
Kai, who had been keeping a low profile at the back of the group, tensed the moment he saw the guy.
No way…
This wasn't in his plan.This wasn't in anyone's plan.
Lei Ming.
In Kai's previous life, he hadn't met this psycho until after the first World Merge.
Back then, Lei Ming's lightning-based A-tier talent had evolved into an S-tier Lord of Thunder.
And that was after just one world merge.His base talent must've already been bordering S-tier. A+ at least.
Kai didn't care about raw talent. He'd seen everything in his past life.
But Lei Ming?
He wasn't dangerous because of what he could do.He was dangerous because of who he was.
A loner. Quiet before the apocalypse. Almost invisible.But after?He became a monster.
On Day One, society hadn't even collapsed yet.Most people couldn't even fathom killing another human.
Lei Ming, on the other hand?He left a trail of bodies.
Police had chased him through half the city.Only when civilization fully collapsed on Day Two did the manhunt stop.
And now, he was standing right in front of them.
Kai's instincts screamed: If he moves, run. Don't hesitate. Run.
Thankfully, it seemed Lei Ming wasn't in full serial-killer mode yet.He was just… curious.
"You. You're Yuan Feng?"
His tone was mocking. "The same Yuan Feng from the global announcement?"
To be fair, names weren't unique.Lei Ming had to check.
Yuan Feng, still high on ego, didn't like his tone one bit.
"And who the hell are you to block my way?"
Lei Ming grinned.
"Oho. So it is you."
His eyes gleamed with something manic.
Yuan Feng scoffed. "What? You wanna fight me?"
Lei Ming's grin widened.
"Sure. Let's see what the 'world's first player' is made of."
Energy flared.
No warm-up. No talk. Just raw aggression.
Dragonflame Explosion vs. Lightning Net.
The two attacks collided mid-air—one a roaring fire dragon, the other a crackling web of electricity.
At first glance, they looked evenly matched.
But Yuan Feng believed he had the upper hand.
He was Level 1.He had +1 to all attributes.And he'd put his bonus point into Spirit, boosting his talent's power.
Sure enough, this fire dragon was twice the size of his earlier attacks.The heat was blinding.
The lightning net? Looked sloppy. Loose.
No way that weak static can beat my dragon…
But then—
CRACK.
The lightning net didn't just resist.It sliced the fire dragon to pieces.
Hundreds of tiny fireballs rained down toward Lei Ming—but the real shock came next.
The net still had juice left.It surged forward, straight at Yuan Feng.
His face went white.
He panicked.
Grabbed Wan Gang—the team's B-tier tank—and yanked him in front like a human shield.
Wan Gang struggled but couldn't break free. Yuan Feng's boosted Strength stat gave him no chance.
"GOLDEN SHIELD!!" Wan Gang roared, activating his defensive skill at the last second.
A shimmering golden barrier flashed into existence.
For two seconds.
Then it shattered.
The lightning net didn't even flinch.It wrapped around Wan Gang like a noose.
Sparks exploded.The air filled with the smell of burnt flesh.
Wan Gang's screams echoed through the street—high, desperate, horrifying.
Then came silence.
A charred corpse hit the ground with a thud.
[B-Tier Defense-Type Wan Gang: DECEASED]
Everyone froze.
No one made a sound.
Even Rain Lin looked shaken.
And Yuan Feng?
He just stood there.
The "world's first player."With blood on his hands.Not from victory.
But from using his teammate as a meat shield.