Gao Neng felt like he was sick. For the past seven days, a voice in his head had been asking him the same question: "Do you want to possess the most powerful ability in the world?"
'Isn't that a stupid question?'
The problem was, the "condition" the voice mentioned was just too bizarre. Most importantly, he didn't know anyone named 'Shen Ning'Er'. 'Who the hell is she?'
"Gao Neng, let's go! The people from the City of Hope are here! This is the big annual assembly for our Forgotten Land!" a voice called out before its owner dashed out of the classroom.
"Oh," Gao Neng replied, starting to pack his things.
A great cataclysm had shaken the world over a hundred years ago. He was born after it, so he could only read about the world that came before. He couldn't truly comprehend the beautiful, peaceful era that existed prior to the disaster.
He only knew one thing: the world now was a cruel place where only the fittest survived.
Therefore, passing the college entrance exam to enter the City of Hope Military University was his only way out of the Forgotten Land. It was also the only way he could search for his unknown father.
After quickly gathering his things, Gao Neng followed the crowd to the athletic field.
The surface of the field was riddled with cracks of all sizes. The walls of the surrounding academic buildings were incredibly dilapidated; you could even see deep claw marks gouged into them.
This was the Forgotten Land.
An Old City on the outskirts of the City of Hope. A place that couldn't be maintained due to the energy shortage after the cataclysm and had been gradually forgotten by the Human Alliance.
"Quiet, everyone! Teachers, please maintain discipline in your classes. All students, grab a stool and sit down!" On a makeshift wooden stage to the east of the square, Li Qingping, the principal of the Third Senior High School, shouted as he adjusted his glasses.
There was no loudspeaker.
No sound system, no microphone.
But Li Qingping's voice was incredibly booming, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The world after the cataclysm was different from the peaceful era. As the principal of the Third Senior High School in the Forgotten Land, Li Qingping was clearly no ordinary person.
The square gradually fell silent.
Li Qingping cleared his throat twice, then began his speech for the college entrance exam preparatory assembly.
"The college entrance exam is a moment that will decide your destiny. It is a turning point. It will determine whether you go to the front lines to continue your studies at a Military University, or fall back to the second line to do logistical work and contribute what you can to the Alliance. Soon, your scores will give you the answer!"
"Today, we are honored to have heroes from the City of Hope with us. They will show you the path that lies ahead. I sincerely hope that all of you can become heroes just like them... Dedicate your youth and your passion! Soar toward the brilliant rising sun!"
"Alright, now I ask you all to rise and, with your most thunderous applause, welcome our heroic guest from the City of Hope, Lieutenant Qin Tianxiong!"
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
The applause was sparse and scattered. The students were completely unmoved by Li Qingping's passionate speech, rising to their feet with reluctance.
Li Qingping gestured for the "satisfactory" applause to die down.
A middle-aged man in a black military uniform stood up on the wooden stage. His eyes swept over the dense sea of heads below before he took three steps forward.
"You're all a bunch of trash!" Qin Tianxiong began.
All the students stared at the figure on the wooden stage, their faces filled with confusion.
"Do you know why we only come here once a year? Because it's a formality. A regulation set by the Human Alliance. So that's all this is—a formality!" Qin Tianxiong continued.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Anger started to flicker across the students' faces.
"Look at you all. Idle, lazy, incompetent. Aside from surviving on the cheap food the Human Alliance provides, what's the difference between you and a pile of dogshit?"
"..."
"The year before last, I came to this rundown high school and took five students. Last year, I came to this same place and only took three. I wonder if I'll even be able to take one this year."
"..."
"You think you can make some great contribution to the Human Alliance? How naive! I can tell you right now, the students I took from here two years ago and last year are at the very bottom of their classes, even at the worst Military University!"
"..."
"Now do you understand what I mean by 'formality'?" Qin Tianxiong's gaze grew sharper as he spoke.
"Hmph, that's just because you have the advantage of resources! You people from the City of Hope are born with everything, but here in the Forgotten Land, we have nothing!"
"Yeah, that's right! It's not fair!"
"We protest!"
"If we were born in the City of Hope, things would be different!"
Students began to stand up one after another, their faces defiant.
"Not convinced?" Qin Tianxiong sneered and paced two steps across the stage. "Then do you know why *they* get to live in the City of Hope, while *you* are stuck here in the Forgotten Land?"
"Because they have good fathers!" a student shouted.
"That's right, they have good fathers. But what did their fathers do, and what did yours do? Decades ago, this very place was the Human Alliance's City of Hope. But now, it's called the Forgotten Land. Do you know why?" Qin Tianxiong's cold gaze swept over the crowd.
"..." This time, no one said a word.
"It was contribution! It was sacrifice! One generation plants the trees so the next can enjoy the shade—that is an immutable truth. Decades ago, in the war, your fathers chose cowardice. Their fathers chose to fight. That is why their fathers built the City of Hope, while you are left behind in the Forgotten Land. The Human Alliance's resources are already scarce, yet they still have to spend food to feed you. You think it's unfair? How do you think they feel? Fair?!"
"..."
"Alright, I'm done wasting my breath. If you want to change your lives, then show me your strength. There are no free lunches in this world, and I won't be showing you an ounce of pity. Whether or not you can become the talent the Human Alliance needs is up to you!" With that, Qin Tianxiong turned and nodded to the two soldiers beside him.
The two soldiers were already prepared.
They immediately carried out a block of pitch-black metallic ore and placed it in front of Qin Tianxiong.
It was a piece of ore the size of a bucket, with a highly irregular and rough shape. A single glance was enough to tell it was nothing more than a common, unprocessed mineral.
"A war decades ago taught us that even though we were victorious, technology alone is not enough. Without sufficient energy to support it, we cannot survive in this world. That is why the Energy Warrior was born. What I am about to demonstrate for you now is the most basic skill: the Energy Extraction Technique!" After speaking, Qin Tianxiong walked up to the black metallic ore.
Down below, the students, who had just been filled with righteous indignation, all stared with wide eyes. This was the real purpose of the preparatory assembly.
Energy Warriors.
They were the new elite in the post-cataclysm world.
They weren't some 'heretics' who relied on mechs or altered their own genes. They had mastered the art of energy manipulation. To put it bluntly, they were controllers of energy itself.
Gao Neng's eyes were wide as well.
In the Forgotten Land, passing the college entrance exam and becoming a student at the City of Hope Military University was every student's dream. He was no exception.
"Watch closely. This is the Energy Extraction Technique!" With a sharp cry, Qin Tianxiong slammed one hand onto the black metallic ore.
RUMBLE!
The metallic ore shuddered.
Large flakes of gray stone powder started to flake off.
Then, a black liquid surged out from the ore, flowing like a jet of water toward the palm of Qin Tianxiong's hand.
And then, Qin Tianxiong's hand began to change.
It wasn't just his hand.
It was his whole body. The black liquid flowed over him, and in moments, it had completely coated his body.
"This is the Energy Extraction Technique—using one's own power to directly extract the energy contained within raw ore!" As Qin Tianxiong spoke, the ore crashed to the ground. The once-black mineral was now a dull gray.
"..." Every student stared, their eyes wide in disbelief.
"The Energy Extraction Technique allows humanity to bypass the wear and tear of heavy machinery. It's the fastest method. Iron is just the most basic form of energy. There's also aluminum, tin, copper, gold... and so on. These are metallic energies. In addition, there are non-metallic energies and rare gas energies, making for three major categories in total. The applications for an Energy Warrior are vast. With the Energy Extraction Technique alone, you can make enormous contributions to the Human Alliance. The more energy you can extract, and the rarer it is, the greater your value!"
"..."
"Of course, the Energy Extraction Technique isn't just for extracting energy. It can also be used... for combat!" After speaking, Qin Tianxiong shot a look at the soldiers beside him.
The same two soldiers who had carried the iron ore walked over again. This time, they were holding a thick iron plate, at least a hand's breadth in thickness.
"At my current level, I can only achieve a fifty-seven percent extraction rate for 'Iron Energy.' The ability I'm about to use is called 'Spike'!" As Qin Tianxiong spoke, the black liquid covering his body began to shift again.
The black liquid started to solidify, especially on his right hand, where sharp, black iron spikes began to emerge.
"Break!" Qin Tianxiong took a step forward and slammed his fist into the iron plate held by the two soldiers.
BANG!
A muffled bang.
The iron plate seemed to explode.
The center was completely pierced through, surrounded by dozens of smaller holes punched by the spikes.
HISS!
All the students sucked in a sharp breath.
In their eyes, Qin Tianxiong's right hand looked like a hedgehog, covered in a multitude of iron spikes, all of which had pierced the iron plate.
"Excellent! As expected of a combat hero from the City of Hope! Lieutenant Qin has given our students a profound lesson in energy extraction and combat tactics. Let's have a round of applause!" Principal Li Qingping stood up at the perfect moment, leading the applause.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
This time, the applause was clearly much more enthusiastic.
It wasn't because Qin Tianxiong's tirade had won them over, but because the power he had just displayed had left them completely in awe.
'That was a solid iron plate.'
'Shattered with a single punch!'
A thrill of excitement ran through Gao Neng as well.
'Energy Warriors... they're so strong. To control iron energy, turn it into a powerful weapon, and completely destroy an iron plate with one punch.'
'Something like that was completely unimaginable before.'
"Actually, besides a basic combat method like the Energy Extraction Technique, there are also the Energy Refining Technique, the Energy Synthesis Technique, the Energy Transformation Technique... and so on. I originally came here just as a formality and was only planning on a simple demonstration. However, you're all in luck this year. I'm going to bring out someone else to demonstrate another combat method for you: Energy Manifestation. And I'll add one more thing... she is the same age as all of you!" As Qin Tianxiong finished, a rare look of immense admiration appeared on his face.
"Energy Manifestation?!"
"Oh my god, we actually get to see Energy Manifestation!"
"I heard that anyone who can use Energy Manifestation is an incredibly powerful combat genius in the Human Alliance. He said she's our age... but we can't even perform Energy Extraction, and someone our age can already use Energy Manifestation? That's impossible, right?"
The students were completely stunned by Qin Tianxiong's final words.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Shen Ning'Er." A cool, clear voice rang out. Then, a stunningly beautiful girl, also dressed in a black military uniform, appeared beside Qin Tianxiong.
And when I say stunningly beautiful, I mean it.
The girl had eyebrows like a painting and eyes like stars. Her skin was as white as jade, and the black military uniform only served to highlight her exceptional, soldierly bearing.
But Gao Neng wasn't focused on her appearance. He was focused on her name.
'Shen Ning'Er?!'
'So, this stunningly beautiful girl is the target of that bizarre mission?'