02: Did the Savior Really Drown Like That?

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Dusk gradually fell.

In the deserted city square, two people stood facing a low wall, relieving themselves of excess water.

A hissing sound—the steaming stream splattered against the wall, bringing with it a wave of relief.

But as a shiver ran through their bodies, all pleasure quickly faded.

Qin Xiaofan shook off the last drops and, glancing sideways, his face immediately darkened.

"Bah!"

"I thought you were a cute girl, but when you took it out..."

At that moment, Xiaoyan was still dressed in a pink cheongsam. One had to admit, this fellow was indeed fair-skinned and delicate-looking—unfortunately, he was a man.

Qin Xiaofan remarked, "Xiaoyan… your name sounds so effeminate. From now on, I'll just call you Huohuo."

"Huohuo..." Xiaoyan stiffened slightly.

Then, a small red flame flickered from his fingertip as he crouched down to light the dry twigs on the ground.

Qin Xiaofan was overjoyed. "You can make fire with your fingers… is that your superpower?"

A mobile source of fire—how convenient.

Xiaoyan replied helplessly, "My ability is to control fire, but it needs time to develop. Right now, I can only produce a flame from my finger."

Then, he looked seriously at Qin Xiaofan and said, "Also, I hope you’ll stop looking at me so strangely."

"Even though I’m dressed in women’s clothes, I am in fact a perfectly normal man."

"I hope you’re a normal man too."

Qin Xiaofan couldn’t help but laugh. A man dressed as a woman, questioning someone else’s sanity—how suffocatingly absurd.

After a long pause, Qin Xiaofan changed the subject. "By the way, that giant earthworm—did such things appear during the Era of Powers?"

Xiaoyan nodded. "Most creatures mutated during the Era of Powers, but back then, earthworms weren’t anywhere near as exaggerated as that one."

Qin Xiaofan frowned.

"So that means, right now, we’re far removed from the Era of Powers—so far that creatures have evolved yet again..."

Xiaoyan looked dumbfounded. "That would take at least several thousand years."

Qin Xiaofan fell silent.

A new message had appeared in his system: "The Era of Powers lasted from the early 21st century to the early 23rd century, a span of 300 years. Only those with powers were petrified during that time."

Only those with powers should have been petrified.

But now, all of humanity was turned to stone...

Qin Xiaofan recalled the markings on the back of the statues’ heads: the fewest one, the most four.

It was now clear—they weren’t marks of human rank.

They represented people from different eras!

Qin Xiaofan felt lost.

If a mere 300-year Era of Powers could be so unfathomable, what manner of grand, tumultuous epochs would have followed?

What had humanity gone through, to end up entirely petrified...

Suddenly, Xiaoyan asked, "By the way, you still haven’t told me—how did you awaken? And how did you revive me?"

"I’m not really sure. I woke up, and the world was already like this."

After some hesitation, Qin Xiaofan decided to reveal part of the truth. He told Xiaoyan that his blood could revive humans.

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He concealed the existence of the system, of course.

After listening, Xiaoyan was utterly stunned. He stared at Qin Xiaofan in disbelief, his voice full of suspicion. "Don’t tell me… you’re heaven’s chosen savior?"

Savior?

Qin Xiaofan only smiled dismissively.

"Nighttime might not be safe. You keep watch first; I’ll take over in the second half. Tomorrow, we still need to find a statue with a single mark on the back of the head."

Xiaoyan nodded.

In his heart, Qin Xiaofan’s figure had grown tall and mysterious.

Under the night sky, Qin Xiaofan gazed vacantly at the brilliant stars.

In the silent dark, white motes of light surged ceaselessly into his body.

On and on, without end.

In the blackness, this phenomenon shone all the more distinctly.

"Huohuo, do you see anything strange?" Qin Xiaofan suddenly asked.

Sitting nearby, Xiaoyan turned, shaking his head in confusion.

Qin Xiaofan let out a breath. "Alright, never mind. Keep watch."

The white motes continued to pour into Qin Xiaofan’s body.

Yesterday, he’d already noticed this anomaly.

Regardless of day or night, mysterious points of light in the air were constantly being absorbed into him.

At first, Qin Xiaofan thought it was just his imagination.

But as he absorbed more, his body underwent marked changes.

His strength and agility—

Even his hearing and eyesight had been greatly enhanced.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to lift that forty-meter war blade.

What surprised Qin Xiaofan was that no one else could see these phenomena.

Even though the motes were so prominent in the dark, Xiaoyan was oblivious.

Qin Xiaofan had asked the system about it.

But the system offered no detailed answers.

Since it seemed harmless, Qin Xiaofan didn’t bother worrying.

He remembered he still had an unopened newbie gift pack. Upon opening it, the system notified him: 200 points and a Titanium Eye device acquired.

Titanium Eye—

A high-tech product containing the superhuman database of the Era of Powers. Once fused with the host, it allowed partial identification of superhuman information.

Not bad.

Qin Xiaofan instantly chose to fuse with the Titanium Eye.

A flash of light passed through his eyes. As it faded, he glanced at Xiaoyan.

Several pieces of information appeared in his mind: Name: Xiaoyan; Gender: Male; Power Level: D; Danger Level: Low.

"Truly high-tech…"

Qin Xiaofan sighed, then noticed a points shop and a lottery system in the menu, both currently locked.

After a cursory look, he closed the interface and tilted his head back, staring at the brilliant stars.

His thoughts were a tangled mess.

For the future was shrouded in uncertainty.

Deep into the night.

Beneath the myriad stars, Qin Xiaofan couldn’t sleep, his mind churning with questions—

Why had humanity been petrified?

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Why did his blood have the power to revive people?

Was this truly the real world? Or had he crossed into another?

Everything—

Felt absurd, mysterious, and utterly unfathomable!

How was he to survive?

In the darkness, Qin Xiaofan kept his eyes open, yet could see nothing of his own future…

Gradually, the sky brightened.

His stomach rumbled.

He rubbed his belly and glanced at the still-slumbering Xiaoyan, a mischievous smile curling at his lips.

…

In the morning light, the youth’s figure looked utterly distinctive.

He sported a cool short haircut,

Swaggered with a devil-may-care gait,

Bore an arrogant, unyielding gaze, and flashed perfectly white, even teeth.

Even the way he ate an apple was roguishly elegant…

"That’s right…"

"I, Qin Xiaofan, am the most dazzling guy in this world right now!"

"No objections accepted."

Beside a lake, Qin Xiaofan halted, finishing the last bite of his apple. He glanced back at Xiaoyan, who looked utterly defeated.

Qin Xiaofan consoled him, "Huohuo, so I ate your precious apples you used for padding—no need to take it so hard, is there?"

Xiaoyan protested plaintively, "Both apples were mine! You waited until I was asleep and took them all to eat!"

His stomach rumbled again.

Qin Xiaofan chuckled. "Don’t worry, I won’t let you go hungry for nothing. Food is on its way."

With that, he began warming up.

Xiaoyan was bewildered.

Looking at the basketball court-sized lake before him, he wondered if Qin Xiaofan was about to try catching fish.

He guessed right.

With a splash, Qin Xiaofan, after warming up, dove in headfirst.

The lake was deep and dark.

From the shore, Xiaoyan couldn’t see a trace of him.

He could only watch as the lake’s surface churned violently for a while before settling back to calm.

Time ticked by.

But Qin Xiaofan did not emerge.

Soon, half an hour had passed. Xiaoyan calculated—the time Qin Xiaofan had been underwater far exceeded human limits!

He was thunderstruck.

"Oh my god…"

"Did the savior just drown like this?"

"This is just absurd!"

Xiaoyan was stunned.

He wondered if he should go find a stone and carve a tombstone for Qin Xiaofan.