Olov paused to think. "Since the arson and murders happened two stops from here, heading toward the safe zone's edge, focus the search there. Be on the lookout for anyone carrying large bags with unknown contents." He glanced at the empty trash cans again. "Three full cans of god remains are no trivial amount. If he took them all at once, he must have a bulky package—hard to slip through unnoticed."
"Yes, sir. I'll report to the station immediately."
"Good work."
"But Detective, what if we find no one with large suspicious bags near the edge?"
Olov tossed his cigar butt to the ground and smiled faintly. "If we don't, things get interesting." He crushed the butt under his boot, murmuring thoughtfully to himself. "Been stuck in this dump for ages—finally, a lead."
Qin Siyang didn't return home until 8 PM. The delay stemmed from hunting down a desolate spot to finish the remaining god remains in his bag, retrieve the lunchbox inside, and burn both the bag and his second coat. Tidying up these loose ends took time, but fortunately, he detected no signs of being followed when he finally stepped through his door.
Slumping onto his stiff cardboard sofa, exhaustion washed over him. Even with his enhanced physique, the day's chaos—fleeing, fighting, and taking lives—had drained him completely. "Today was… absolute mayhem."
Glancing out the window, he spotted a slimy scorpion with an indistinct tail crawling across the glass. Qin Siyang chuckled bitterly and sighed. "I wonder what it tastes like… But eating random creatures is risky." He paused, then added, "Still, risk and reward go hand in hand. The greater the risk, the bigger the payoff."
A look of anticipation crossed his face as he glanced at his Greedy Brute Sequence panel in his mind. It was Saturday—supposed to be a day of rest—yet it was the most exhausting day since his rebirth. After clearing his mind for ten minutes to unwind, he took a cold shower and collapsed into bed. He slept deeply that night, undisturbed.
When he woke, it was 10 AM on Sunday. "I slept that long?" Qin Siyang rolled out of bed, planning to reheat leftovers from the school cafeteria for breakfast. Turning on the stove, he muttered, "Life's so tight when you're broke… Hmm?"
Suddenly, he remembered the money he'd looted from the three thugs. He'd been in too much of a hurry to count it properly the night before. Digging into the pocket of his pants from the previous day, he froze—among the pile of copper coins glinted a silver one. "A silver coin?! How were those thugs so wealthy?"
Typically, 10,000 copper coins equaled one silver coin. But due to inconsistent copper content in the coins, it often took 12,000 coppers to trade for a single silver. Qin Siyang had assumed the homeless-looking thugs were as penniless as he was—at most, a few hundred coppers on them. A silver coin was a fortune.
"Why'd they attack me if they had this much money?" Confusion faded quickly—they'd targeted his bag, convinced it held something valuable. Little did they know, they'd not only worked for ages to earn that money just to hand it over to someone else, but also lost their lives over a misunderstanding.
For three homeless thugs to carry such a sum, the money was undoubtedly ill-gotten. Qin Siyang's mood plummeted. With that much dirty money, why would the thugs have dared report him to the police? It would've been suicide!
"Damn it! If I'd known they had this much, I could've just robbed them and left. So much unnecessary trouble." Now, on top of stealing god remains, he had a triple homicide on his hands.
"Those three pieces of shit—rotten to the core, and they had to ruin my life too!" Holding the silver coin, Qin Siyang felt a mix of greed and anxiety. He couldn't spend it. Pulling out a silver coin in his neighborhood would definitely arouse suspicion. An orphan who didn't work—where could he possibly get such money?
If someone reported him out of envy, he'd never be able to explain the coin's origin. Having so much money he couldn't use frustrated him to no end.
After eating the leftovers, he counted out 40 copper coins from the pile, planning to book an hour at the internet café. On second thought, even 40 coppers was a large sum for his identity—hard to justify. He put 20 back. Twenty coppers for one hour online seemed reasonable enough.
"Fuck, having to tiptoe around just to spend money is humiliating!" Qin Siyang grumbled as he left the house. He was acutely aware of his limitations—stuck as a poor orphan, he couldn't spend money freely. But money was secondary.
More urgently, he needed a plausible identity as a Sequence Ability user—one he could openly reveal. "Pick a decoy Sequence to hide behind, join a god-hunting team to learn combat outside the safe zone. Once I'm skilled enough, hunt alone, devour gods, and grow stronger!"
He was confident that if he laid low, he'd eventually become powerful enough to act freely. Then he could reveal his true Sequence without fear of retribution. If not forever, at least until he had the strength to defend himself.
Having made up his mind, Qin Siyang reached the internet café and handed over 20 copper coins. The same portly middle-aged man was at the counter. "One hour." The cashier nodded blankly, pointing to the same computer he'd used last time. "That one. Go on."
Qin Siyang noticed a new ad behind the cashier: "Recharge 500 coppers, get 500 free! Hurry and top up!" The familiar promotion triggered a sigh. He could afford to recharge, but he couldn't explain where he'd gotten the money. Regretfully, he turned and sat down at the smoky computer.
Like last time, the machine took forever to boot—long enough for him to brush his teeth and wash his face. Once it loaded, he opened the browser and navigated to the Godslayer Camp forum. The pinned posts were all useful—including the list of known Sequences he'd read before, and a guide for newly awakened Ability users on reporting to the United Government and joining hunting teams.
Qin Siyang clicked on the beginner's guide and read carefully. "A person can awaken a Sequence at any time, place, or state. When awakened, an info panel will appear in your mind, displaying your Sequence name, level, and available skills."
He checked his own panel:
[Sequence: God-Eater]
[Grow stronger by digesting gods]
[Current Level: 2, Greedy Brute]
[Skill: Blood Feast. Description: Can digest raw god flesh.]
[Skill: Brutality. Description: For 10 minutes, triple strength, agility, and physical toughness; feel no pain during duration.]
His panel had an extra line compared to the guide: [Grow stronger by digesting gods]. That line had led him to search for god remains at Exit 114514 the day before. From other Ability users' descriptions, none had this line. "How do they get stronger without this hint?" He continued reading, puzzled.
"After awakening, you can report to the nearest Sequence Ability Administration, submitting your Sequence and related info. Since no one else can see your info panel, you decide what to report. However, we strongly advise honesty—no hiding or lying. The Administration will assign you tasks based on your Sequence and skills."
"Your info will also be posted in the Ability User Hall, where teams may invite you to hunt gods outside the safe zone. False info could lead to your death or the team's destruction."
Qin Siyang made a mental note: all Ability users would see his reported Sequence and skills once registered.
"Upon registration, the Administration will provide your first reward—a beginner's gift: Sequence Potion. Developed by the United Government, these potions are designed to enhance Ability users' strength. Their formulas remain top-secret, controlled by the highest leaders of each safe zone."
"Drinking Sequence Potions is the only known way for Ability users to grow stronger and advance. However, potions must be digested to boost your power—and digestion only happens by using your skills in combat against gods. The more you use your skills, the faster the potion digests."
"Do not waste skills outside the safe zone just to digest potions. The Administration distributes potions based on the rank and quantity of god remains you hand in. If you exhaust a potion but only bring back meager or no remains, the Administration will question your combat ability, reducing or canceling your potion supply."
"In addition to potions, the Administration rewards hunters with honors and generous payment. Hunting gods is the best way for Ability users to get rich and grow stronger."
Qin Siyang fell into thought. All other Ability users relied on potions and combat to grow—but he just needed to devour and digest gods. It was like cheating!
Wait—he didn't have a system or any rule-breaking power. This was his awakened Sequence. Not cheating. "I, Qin Siyang, am not cheating!"