Chapter One: Everything Is a Deception

“Why? System, tell me why it turned out like this?”

“Didn’t you say I could save this world? Didn’t you say that once I accumulated ten billion points, I could eliminate all the mutants?”

“But how are there still mutants invading? Tell me, please!”

Jiang Yu shouted at the system in a hysterical voice.

Just moments ago, she had exchanged ten billion points for the energy needed to annihilate every mutant. The system had clearly said that once this energy was used, no mutants would ever appear in their world again.

She used it, and indeed wiped out all the mutants in the world. Yet, that fleeting moment of joy was all they had. When everyone thought victory was theirs, the mutants returned even more ferocious than before.

Watching comrades fall one by one beside her, despair and fear gripped her—some still lost in the brief happiness of the previous moment.

“Jiang Yu, think of a way quickly!”

“Jiang Yu, the mutants are back! What are you standing there for? Come help!”

“Jiang Yu, Jiang Yu...”

At this moment, Jiang Yu could no longer hear their voices; all she saw was a parade of fallen companions before her eyes. After her hysterics, only a profound sense of powerlessness remained.

Her desperate questions received no answer from the system. She could feel it was still there but pretending to be dead.

Someone rushed up to her, grabbing the collar of her shirt, demanding, “You said we were safe! What’s going on now?”

Another person came up and slapped her hard. “Are you awake now? If you’re clear-headed, go do what you’re supposed to do.”

Jiang Yu’s vacant eyes slowly regained focus. The things she was supposed to do? Now, besides waiting for death, what else could she do?

“Death isn’t frightening; any one of us here can die. But those little flames must not die. You have to get them to safety—they are humanity’s last hope.”

“Jiang Yu, tell me, can you do it?”

“Yes.” Jiang Yu answered loudly, then looked at the other person with determination. “I promise to safely transfer the little flames. I’ll leave this place in your hands.”

“Good. Go now.”

They all knew this parting might be their final farewell.

—October 28, 2056—

“Professor Lin, how much longer until this warship can start?”

Jiang Yu and the others had been hiding here for three days. The defenses outside couldn’t hold much longer.

“At most, one more hour.”

Just then, someone hurriedly rushed over.

“Bad news! The mutants outside have broken through the shield and are coming in!”

Everyone inside froze; their worst fears were coming true.

“Professor Lin, keep going. I’ll take people to hold them off. Once you finish the final program, take the children and leave.”

“And you all?”

“These children are the hope.”

Professor Lin understood Jiang Yu’s meaning. “I get it.”

Jiang Yu led the others to resist the mutants. As long as they had a breath left, they would never let the mutants cross.

One person sacrificed themselves, and another stepped up.

Only when the sound of the warship starting behind them echoed did they show smiles of relief.

“Jiang Yu, we succeeded.”

Yes, they had succeeded.

[Have you really succeeded?]

The system, which had been silent, suddenly spoke again.

What?

Jiang Yu’s heart dropped at its words; a bad premonition surged.

She instinctively glanced back, only to see a massive mutant emerging in the sky. The warship beside it looked so tiny, as if it could be crushed with a mere flick.

“No, no! Ah!”

In Jiang Yu’s terrified gaze, the mutant spewed a blast of energy from its mouth, directly striking the warship.

A tremendous explosion roared. The warship was utterly destroyed; everyone aboard died.

Everyone witnessing this fell into despair and anger. Humanity was finished!

Jiang Yu’s mind was struck again. She felt as if something inside her was being torn apart, like something was about to break free.

Memories—these were the memories the system had repeatedly wiped from her before.

“Hah! So that’s it! Hahaha...”

Jiang Yu straightened up, wiping tears from her eyes. “System, you’ve deceived me again and again, watching me dance to your tune. Does that give you some twisted satisfaction? Oh, by the way, what’s your game? Is it that if I die, you win?”

“Then I shall grant your wish.”

Jiang Yu had already discovered the system’s location from her recovered memories. She directed her energy to a certain part of her brain, intending to perish together with it.

The system sensed the danger and tried to escape. But Jiang Yu’s energy locked it down; it was too late to flee.

[What are you trying to do? Stop this! Aren’t you afraid of death?]

Death?

Since the mutant invasion, death had become a kind of release for them.

Within just a minute, Jiang Yu detonated her energy.

From this day forward, no humans would survive on Earth.

—[Warning! Game failed. Player’s health reduced by 50%. The system will now select the next target location. Good luck.]—

Jiang Yu was awakened by an alarm. As she became fully conscious, she found herself back at her home before the mutant invasion.

She was certain she had died, yet everything before her was so real she began to wonder if it had all been a dream.

Or... had she been reborn?

Jiang Yu glanced at her phone to check the current timeline: June 13, 2046. If she truly was reborn, then on July 1, a meteorite would fall on City S. If she waited a bit longer, she would know exactly what was happening.

If she really was reborn...

Jiang Yu’s eyes darkened as she gazed deeply out the window at the sky, a faint smile curling on her lips.

Soon, she booked a flight online to City S.

After packing her bags neatly, she headed toward the airport. Along the way, her phone rang.

“Who is this scoundrel?”

As soon as she answered, the voice on the other end began to question her: “Jiang Yu, why haven’t you come to the office today? Are you still interested in working here?”

Jiang Yu was momentarily stunned before remembering it was her boss. “Boss, I have some matters to attend to and want to request some time off.”

“No. If you don’t show up today, I’ll mark you absent.”

“Do as you please.”

Jiang Yu hung up immediately. Compared to confirming her suspicions, she knew which matter was more important.

When the call came again, she blocked the number outright.

Jiang Yu found a hotel to rest. Next, she needed to pinpoint the exact location of the meteorite’s landing.