Chapter Twenty-Two: Elementary Life
Suddenly, in Yan Luo’s consciousness, a delayed prompt sounded:
“Beep... Level 1 Horror Survival World: Zombie-themed Inner World collapsed. World Breakthrough Reward: 1 Dream Gene Point (Biochemical).”
“Singularity of the world has been destroyed. The one who was the Boss of the Garden, Tang Tianjie, has died.”
“This reward will be transferred to the surviving members of the team for assessment. The Garden boss’s chaotic corruption has spawned a twisted abomination: Biochemical Aggregate—Brain/Eye/Claw/Tooth. Highest breakthrough contribution: Yan Luo. Awarding: 1 Dream Gene Point (Biochemical).”
Clearly, this Dream Gene Point (Biochemical), which had originally belonged to the once-lucky Tang Tianjie, who had surpassed human limits, was now awarded to him.
Yan Luo didn’t check the reward right away; instead, he turned to look at the person climbing out of the coffin.
“Your coffin—does it really have the power to resurrect the dead?” Chu Qingfeng turned his head and asked.
Seeing the psychologist’s shocked gaze, Xu Han was completely at a loss. “How could that be possible!”
“Then... it must be a destiny talent,” Chu Qingfeng speculated inwardly. Was this talent resurrection after death, or something else? As for the others’ displayed talents—Yan Luo transformed into a nightmare; Li Changxin, clearly a frail woman, managed to slay the mutated zombie, and the chuunibyou girl’s fantasy projections...
It seemed that many people’s destiny talents were exceptionally powerful indeed...
“I’m not a walking corpse,”
Wang Dongwei, who had climbed out of the coffin, looked pale.
He didn’t explain his ability, but merely smiled at Zhu Xiaoyong, Ye Li, and Li Changxin.
Yan Luo sensed that this man seemed slightly older than before, with a new streak of white in his hair at the temples.
“Buzz...”
Everyone’s phone vibrated at the same time.
Yan Luo picked up his phone and saw that the world modulation program had automatically opened. A new module was unlocked: “Inner World Node Activation.” At the same time, a line of text appeared: “You will be forcibly summoned to enter a specific Inner World in one week. During this period, you have two chances to freely enter a Level 1 Inner World and attack a node.”
Yan Luo had gained two permissions.
Others—Chu Qingfeng, Takanashi Yeli, Zhu Xiaoyong, Wang Dongwei, and Xu Han—each received one. Li Changxin, who killed the mutated zombie, also gained two.
Presumably, this was related to their performance in the forced world.
“I’ll say a few words.”
Psychologist Chu Qingfeng spoke up. “Everyone, we’ve been through a lot in this mission... Even in the beginner world, we encountered the so-called Garden Boss, twisted abominations, and chaotic corruption. I imagine everyone is exhausted, both mentally and physically.”
“Each of us received bio-energy and gene points after clearing the world. I suggest everyone go home, get some good rest, and only then decide how to allocate your points. The genes you choose will directly impact your future development.”
“As for bio-energy, think carefully about what you want to buy in the Dreamspace after you’ve rested. We’re all newcomers—if we take the wrong path at the start, the price could be steep!”
“Using Dreamspace as a transit point for teleportation only costs 10 bio-energy points each time. Since we’re all in the same batch and have survived life and death together, let’s exchange contact information and meet again in Dreamspace after we’ve rested.”
No one objected to Chu Qingfeng’s advice. The rookie mission had been a dreadful zombie world; even the guide had died, and they’d barely avoided total annihilation. All anyone wanted was a good sleep.
After exchanging phone numbers, Yan Luo didn’t bother exploring Dreamspace’s commercial district. He paid ten bio-energy points and teleported home according to the coordinates.
A shower, then sleep.
He slept so deeply that the world seemed to fade away. When he awoke, thirteen hours had passed.
After devouring five cups of instant noodles, he finally felt satiated, and began to take stock.
6,010 bio-energy. Five gene points. One Dream Gene Point.
Bio-energy was mainly used for healing, teleportation, and trade in Dreamspace’s commercial district... There were many uses. To put it simply, it was like currency in the real world—while gene points were for enhancement.
Every world modulator had a skill bar and a gene bar.
At most, eight genes could be unlocked.
The gene categories included Combat, Perception, Psychic, and Occult.
For newcomers, the most important genes were in the Combat category.
That was because it included: Basic Strength, Basic Agility, and Basic Constitution—essential choices for any world modulator. The genes you unlocked would determine your initial development and upgrade path.
Some people even unlocked all three!
They were simply too important, tied directly to physical prowess. Of course, since each person could only unlock eight genes, these three would take up a large chunk. Even if you eventually upgraded to Ultimate Strength, Ultimate Agility, and Ultimate Constitution, your potential in other areas would be limited.
Combat, Perception, Psychic, Occult—the four major branches!
Over a hundred standard genes!
Some genes required only one point to unlock, like Basic Strength. Others, such as one of the foundational powers of the Psychic branch—Basic Mana—required five points!
Unlocking took points; upgrading required even more!
For his first rookie mission, Yan Luo had gained five gene points, plus something most world modulators would never even dare dream about: a single Dream Gene Point! If anyone else found out, they’d have only one reaction—
Envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Yan Luo’s Dream Gene Point belonged to the “Biochemical” branch.
Previously hidden genes that couldn’t be unlocked with ordinary points now appeared—though only those belonging to the Biochemical system. For instance, “Infrared Vision” in the Perception branch was a biochemical ability. Without a Dream Gene Point (Biochemical), he would never have seen it.
Naturally, he would never waste such a precious point, earned by breaking through an Inner World, just to unlock Infrared Vision.
Combat Branch: Basic Life.
The so-called Combat branch wasn’t limited to narrow hand-to-hand fighting but encompassed all aspects of the physical body and combat-related skills like Block, Armor Break, even basic swordsmanship and marksmanship.
The ultimate goal of Biochemical—whether virus or otherwise—was to create the perfect lifeform! Basic Life, when fully upgraded, was Perfect Life!
Unlocking this wouldn’t change Yan Luo’s bloodline; he’d remain human. However, his genes would begin the first step toward transforming into perfect life—even at the Basic Life stage, it meant a comprehensive boost in strength, agility, and constitution.
In other words, unlocking “Basic Life” was equivalent to gaining Basic Strength, Basic Agility, and Basic Constitution all at once—yet it only took up one gene slot!
Strength, agility, constitution—all enhanced at once, marking the first step toward a perfect lifeform!
Even though there were many hidden genes in the Biochemical system, Yan Luo didn’t hesitate. He allocated the Dream Gene Point to Basic Life.
An indescribable sensation welled up from deep inside. Every bone in his body creaked and popped—this was genetic resonance, and the transformation would take some time. Yan Luo simply stripped off his clothes and soaked himself in the bathtub.
Submerged, he breathed slowly as the water’s color gradually darkened, turning cloudy. After more than ten minutes, a faint tinge of blood began to spread.
During genetic resonance, dead and replaced cells from the body’s transformation were expelled.
The essence of the Basic Life gene was a metamorphosis toward perfect life. Accumulated waste, toxins, and dead cells from genetic resonance were flushed out. Yan Luo felt as if he’d been given a new body.
Powerful. Vigorous.
Several hours passed before the genetic transformation was complete. Yan Luo leaped from the water and looked at his body. His skin had taken on an ivory sheen, his physique balanced and legs long; his muscle contours radiated strength but stopped short of being bulky.
He glanced into the mirror. Beneath his black fringe was a fair, delicate face. The recent genetic resonance had completely cleansed his skin—the part most prone to storing toxins—leaving it with a gentle, lustrous glow in the light.
Yan Luo flexed his right arm. Sleek muscle bulged and tensed as he struck out with several quick punches—the air howled with the force.
“Excellent!”
He was very satisfied with the result. Every muscle fiber in his body now brimmed with strength and vitality! His physique had at least doubled, if not more. Even national-level gymnasts or martial arts champions might not match his strength, flexibility, or endurance.
And this was only Basic Life!
Now that it had been unlocked with a Dream Gene Point, further upgrades would require only ordinary gene points. With ten, he could upgrade from Basic Life to Intermediate Life.
He still had five ordinary gene points.
As a newcomer, the worst mistake would be to delay converting wealth into combat power. Yan Luo intended to use them, but what to unlock required careful thought—there were too many standard genes, too many choices, and each would have a profound impact on his future path.
Combat, Perception, Psychic, Occult!