Chapter 2

"???" Feng Mu was startled.

Watching the progress bar constantly rising on his retina, Feng Mu's mouth gaped open, his heart thumping as if it would jump out of his throat.

What ghost?

Was the game becoming reality?

Me, a poor student who can't pass the college entrance exam, Feng Mu, about to transform into the Founder of Fate, the great villain BOSS wanted by all humanity, Feng Mu?

Damn, next second won't there be someone checking the water meter breaking in?

When the game was just a game, Feng Mu once fantasized about the game replacing reality, but when the game truly came true, Feng Mu instinctively felt danger!

Red danger!!!

At home sat a Patrol Bureau head, was the first step of his job transfer to boss—kill father to prove the Dao?

"Uh, if I could really ascend in one step, bearing some sins, it seems, not impossible, cough cough~"

Feng Mu's mind was in a jumble, the light screen on his retina swirled, gathering into two 3D character models.

One model was clearly Feng Mu's face, wearing the school uniform he was currently wearing, standing in a halo of light;

the other was Feng Mu sitting on Fate's Throne, his face faintly visible, seated in the shadows.

The two 3D models stood left and right, but the shadows beneath their feet seemed twisted by a strange pull and entanglement, a download transmission symbol appearing between them.

【Inheritance progress 0%!】

【Inheritance progress not yet activated, need to complete activation mission—Blood and Iron.

Blood and Iron: You need to bathe in blood and iron, complete a Death Sacrifice, to show your determination and rebirth.

Completion reward: 1, Activate

2, Inherit Iron Eater

3,??

Sacrifice ritual as follows……】

A mission pop-up window suddenly slammed into Feng Mu's eyes.

【Blood and Iron】, 【Death Sacrifice】?

The first two keywords pricked Feng Mu's scalp numb, he had no mind to carefully look at the subsequent rewards and mission steps.

"Whether sacrificing others or sacrificing myself, this concubine can't do it~"

Feng Mu really did want to inherit the game, but these bloody words were like a basin of cold water pouring over him, chilling him to the bone.

Sacrifice himself—suicide;

Sacrifice others—death penalty;

Whichever of the above, Feng Mu felt the danger level was too high, don't let it happen that the mission isn't completed, he plays himself to death first.

Feng Mu was willing to inherit the game, bear the sins, that was inherit first, then bear.

The activation mission was bear first, then inherit.

The former was take the benefits first then consider bearing the risk, the latter was bear the risk first then consider taking the benefits?!

Damn, this order reversed, the nature is completely different.

Feng Mu took a few deep breaths, irritably minimizing the game interface on his retina.

He pulled open the curtain, looking out through the narrow window pane, the gray mist spewed from dense exhaust pipes mixed with polluted air into an oily color.

"Just like a rotten garbage dump, countless colorful maggots growing and breeding inside, I am one malnourished one!" he thought.

By the way, the Lower City's night sky strictly speaking isn't called night sky, because what illuminates the sky isn't the sun, but the Upper City's butt.

Lower City people are more used to calling the black sky—lights out!

…….

Waking up, Feng Mu had two dark circles on his face.

He hadn't slept well, closing his eyes, dreams were all game screens.

Casually eating a few bites of rice, he hurried out the door.

After he left, Feng Ju came out of the bedroom.

Wang Xiuli saw her son's worried look, somewhat worriedly said: "Son didn't sleep well, you shouldn't have spoken like that yesterday, hurt his self-esteem."

Feng Ju took a bite of steamed bun, indifferent: "Which word I said yesterday wasn't the truth, his bone quality is poor, no future, isn't that a fact? Don't look at this brat not talking back, actually he's been holding fire inside."

Wang Xiuli surprised: "You know you still stimulated him?"

Feng Ju coldly snorted: "I just want to use this method to extinguish that fire in his heart."

Feng Ju's tone didn't sound like talking to his son, more like talking to the criminals he punished, carrying a coldness: "Talented people holding a breath is called spirit, talentless people holding a breath will only harm themselves."

Wang Xiuli wanted to speak but stopped.

Feng Ju slammed his chopsticks on the table, indisputable: "Want to live in the Lower City, must recognize yourself, I must help him extinguish that fire in his heart, only then can he cut off crooked thoughts, honestly supplement the family expenses, help Yu Huai."

Wang Xiuli was just a housewife, didn't understand these principles, only sighed: "It's just hard on the son."

"Hard?" Feng Ju sneered, "As long as Yu Huai can make something of himself, him as the older brother eating some bitterness counts for nothing, besides among us lowly people who doesn't suffer, being able to live is not bad."

Feng Yuhuai came out of the bedroom with sleepy eyes: "Dad, when will you take me to buy a wristwatch?"

Feng Ju put on a stern face, feigning anger: "Thinking about a wristwatch all day, later on the way to school I'll buy it for you on the way, entered the key class must work hard, don't disappoint your mom and my expectations for you."

Feng Yuhuai smiled like a flower: "I will definitely work hard, later pass the exam to go to Upper City to be a person above people, then I will definitely bring our whole family up."

…….

"Next Monday the school will enter college entrance exam registration information, students not taking the college entrance exam can go to the Academic Affairs Office this week to register, graduate early."

During the break, homeroom teacher Dong Kai came in to announce the notice.

Dong Kai spoke, his gaze swept around the classroom, pausing for a moment on the head-down Feng Mu, not much turbulence in his heart.

"From next week, one-third of the classroom will be empty." Dong Kai thought.

Every year as the College Entrance Exam approached, a batch of students would graduate early, and he had long grown used to it.

He couldn't be bothered to investigate the reasons behind it; it was nothing more than lacking talent, seeing no hope, or not having money to afford the exam, and so on... In short, they had been eliminated early by the College Entrance Exam.

"Wow, graduating early, that makes me tempted too, actually it's just being ordered to drop out~" A muttering voice came from the corner.

Then it provoked a burst of laughter.

The laughter might not have been the mocking sneer of yin-yang strangeness, but that sense of superiority looking down on others could not be concealed.

At this moment, the entire classroom was split into two circles; one circle looked up with laughter, the other bowed their heads in silence, clearly divided as if they were two worlds.

Ding ling ling—

"Alright, next period we go to the Martial Arts Classroom, don't waste time." Dong Kai reminded them, then turned and left the classroom.

Several students who were roughhousing followed him out; suddenly, someone turned back with a smile and said: "Those not taking the College Entrance Exam, don't come occupy the apparatus resources, there isn't enough for everyone, thank you~"

The Martial Arts Class required various apparatus; limited by No. 47 Middle School's resources, usually several students took turns sharing one set.

As the words fell, several figures who had silently stood up froze, then silently sat back down on their chairs.

The classroom soon fell into death-like silence, time seemed frozen, one by one the figures sat stiffly and soundlessly, Feng Mu formed part of the oppression.

After a long time, a hoarse voice said: "People are different from birth; when my father told me this before, I didn't understand, now I do."

A numb voice: "My mother also told me, the rich have the fate of the rich, the poor have the fate of the poor, if it's fate you must accept it, only those who accept fate can live long, this is the rule of Lower City."

A sorrowful voice: "I just can't accept this rule, why does the Government rank everyone, and more absurdly, only those who pass the College Entrance Exam can initially obtain a rating in the Government system, while we people are a blank in the Government system, do you understand what blank means?"

An indignant answering voice: "It means we only deserve to do the hardest work, earn the lowest wages, enjoy no benefits, are not allowed to cross districts, can only buy standing tickets for trains, even buying medicine when sick is limited, and even after death we cannot buy a cemetery plot."

A rational voice: "This is because after the Great Cataclysm, planetary resources were scarce, the 【Blood Exchange Elimination Mechanism】 designed by the All-Human Government, resources are tilted to supply Upper City, because Upper City represents humanity's future, while Lower City entered a low-energy era, and further refined the rating system."

A voice with a sobbing tone supplemented: "Ratings represent potential and contribution to human survival; the higher the rating, the more resources and benefits obtained; and for most people, the College Entrance Exam is the most important initial rating; having a rating at least shows value to human survival, while the meaning of Blank Ones is——no value, they are waste blood in humanity's circulation system, even breathing is a waste of resources, and should be expelled from the body."

A humble voice: "It is said that when the New Era just began, Blank Ones would be collectively sent to 【Sleep Zone】; 200 years have passed, humanity has restored humanitarian civilization, people like us can have a chance to contribute a little value to human survival with our humble remaining lives; we should learn to be grateful."

Everyone's venting emotions were silenced.

"What you say is right, we should be grateful; next month I'll take over my father's job and go to the Corpse Incineration Plant to process E Corpses; now I'm going to the Academic Affairs Office, who wants to come with me?"

"Mm, I'll go with you; I don't dare burn E Corpses, I'll still go find a construction site to carry bricks."

"Mm, let's go, to the Academic Affairs Office."

"I don't want to live like this for a lifetime, it's boring; I want to go out and make my way; one day, I want to go see Upper City; it's said Upper City's water is spotless, the air is fragrant; so, I plan to sign up to join the Vanguard Team under the Investigation Army."

"Luo Ji, you're crazy; the Vanguard Team are all cannon fodder; you'll die."

"I'd rather fight for that one chance at opportunity than live like this; at worst it's just one death; I'm just afraid the Vanguard Team won't look up to this worthless life of mine."

"Better to live on in disgrace than die a good death, sigh......"

While speaking, one figure after another walked out of the classroom.

"Feng Mu, aren't you coming?"

"Mm, coming."

Feng Mu answered expressionlessly, but his butt remained stuck to the chair; his black eyes were like haze before a storm, oppressive and gloomy.

"Not afraid of death, but afraid there's not even a chance to die?"

Feng Mu stood in the empty classroom; the stuffy air, stirred by the fan, became increasingly unpleasant; he unconsciously shook his water cup.

A thick layer of sediment had accumulated on the water cup's filter; it was an additive to neutralize radiation factors.

The upper layer was not clean and bright; the lower layer was full of turbid pollution.

"Maybe the next second I'll die drinking water; this world, heh, what am I hesitating about."

Feng Mu gulped down a mouthful of water, picked up his schoolbag, and walked out of the classroom; he glanced toward the Academic Affairs Office and Martial Arts Classroom, then turned around and went in the opposite direction.

Those were not the paths he had to follow; his path could only be seen by himself.

【Blood and Iron: You need to bathe in blood and iron, complete a Death Sacrifice, to show your determination and rebirth.

Completion Reward: 1, Activate

2, Inherit Iron Eater

3,??

The sacrifice ritual is as follows: eat iron raw one jin, use fresh blood to draw the pattern of Fate.】

(PS: Those fearless and mad, bathe in their own blood to be reborn; cowardly yet ruthless beasts, devour the blood of their own kind to return to life. Different choices forge different fates!)

(Chapter End)