Chapter Two: Binding the System

For several days, Jiang Yu searched in vain for the site where the meteorite had landed in her memory. Just as she was beginning to wonder if the alien invasion she remembered was merely a long, vivid dream, she stumbled upon a strange phenomenon.

"What’s going on up ahead?"

Traffic had ground to a halt, and many people were stepping out of their cars to investigate. Those further back could vaguely see a vehicle on fire, but those closer had a clearer view.

It wasn’t the car that had caught fire; it was a person. The flames had ignited the man, and he had, in turn, set his vehicle ablaze.

"Call the police!"
"Call the fire department!"
"Someone help me! I don't want to die!"

The man engulfed in the inferno felt no pain; he was consumed by bottomless terror. He reached out to the onlookers for help, but they recoiled in fear as he approached. Faced with such a sight, the bystanders were terrified the flames would spread to them. The only thing they could do was call for emergency services.

"Move aside! I have a fire extinguisher!"

A man rushed forward, wielding an extinguisher, and sprayed it directly at the victim. Within moments, the flames were extinguished, and the car the man had been sitting in was saved by the good Samaritan as well.

"Huh? Why does he look completely unscathed?"
"That’s so strange!"
"Mommy, that uncle isn't wearing any clothes. How embarrassing..."
The child was silenced as his mother quickly covered his eyes. "Close your eyes. Don't look."

The crowd murmured, consumed by curiosity. They had clearly seen the man covered in roaring flames; how was it possible that, aside from his clothes being burned away, he had no burns on his skin? While it was a fortunate outcome, many couldn't help but lean toward supernatural explanations. It wasn't until the police arrived and took the man away that the crowd finally dispersed.

Jiang Yu had watched the entire scene from a distance. She understood why the man remained unharmed despite the fire. This event solidified her belief that an alien invasion would indeed come to this world and that her previous experiences were no dream. However, one thing was deeply strange.

The awakening of innate abilities was supposed to happen only after the alien invasion began. How could someone have awakened early? In her past life, she had never heard of anyone awakening ahead of schedule.

Unable to fathom it, Jiang Yu temporarily pushed the matter to the back of her mind. She still needed to find the exact location of the meteorite landing—a matter of great importance. Before the government could secure the site, she had to get her hands on a piece of the meteorite.

Eventually, through relentless searching, she located the spot from her memories. On the evening of July 1st, she waited at the site early.

"Look, honey, a shooting star!"
"A shooting star tonight? We’re so lucky."

A young couple stood not far from Jiang Yu. Hearing their conversation, she couldn't help but sigh. The arrival of this meteorite heralded the end of the world. Things that appeared beautiful often carried hidden dangers.

"Why is it getting bigger? I feel like it's getting closer to us!"
"Run!"

They panicked and scrambled toward safety. With a thunderous boom, the meteorite slammed into the ground, creating a deep crater. Those who witnessed the impact swarmed toward the crater, eager to see what had happened. Filled with excitement and curiosity, they leaned over the dark, jagged lump of rock, some even taking photos with their phones.

Jiang Yu ignored them. Under the cover of darkness, she carefully found an unoccupied side of the crater, climbed down, and took out a bottle. Using a knife, she scraped enough fragments from the edge of the meteorite to fill the bottle. After securing it, she quickly climbed out of the pit.

It was only then that the authorities arrived. They quickly cordoned off the area to prevent others from entering, and under their supervision, those who had taken photos were forced to delete them. Jiang Yu followed behind them to clear the inspection point. Thankfully, she had been fast enough; otherwise, she would have missed her chance.

After returning to her hotel, she packed her bags overnight and booked the earliest flight to her home city.

Ever since the meteorite landed, more and more people with awakened innate abilities began to surface. Although the government moved quickly to censor information online, they could not stop the public discourse. This phenomenon wasn't limited to their country; it was happening globally, and other nations had not locked down their information.

The situation was impossible to hide. The public was gripped by anxiety, with everyone speculating that the apocalypse was near. If not for China’s typically excellent public order, things might have spiraled into chaos already. Even so, people began hoarding supplies, some even coming to blows over a package of instant noodles.

Upon returning from S City, Jiang Yu purchased a set of equipment online and began working busily at home.

- A month later -

"Finally, it's done."

Jiang Yu carefully hung the item around her neck: a tiny, pitch-black vial, no larger than a fingernail. Overcome by exhaustion, she collapsed onto her bed and drifted off to sleep. In the following weeks, she focused on physical training, enrolling in several martial arts classes to bolster her strength as quickly as possible.

A month passed. Aside from the occasional appearance of "special" individuals, the apocalypse they had feared did not occur. Life gradually returned to normal. Even if someone brought up the topic of the end of the world, it was treated as a joke, with no one paying it much mind.

On October 27, 2046, Jiang Yu went nowhere, waiting quietly at home. The arrival of the system deviated slightly from her past life, but it fell on the same day.

Watching the streak of light hurtling toward her, she shifted slightly just before it could merge with her mind, allowing it to enter her shoulder instead.

[Ding! Congratulations, you have been selected by the system. Your world is about to enter the apocalyptic era. Alien species are invading, and humanity will fall into a desperate struggle for survival. As the lucky one chosen by the system, you shall become the savior of this world. With the assistance of the system, you can lead humanity to defeat the invading aliens.]

[Would you like to initiate the binding process?]

Jiang Yu replied expressionlessly, "Yes."
The script was exactly the same as in her past life.

[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have successfully bound with the system. In the days to come, I will certainly help you grow rapidly.]

[Primary tasks unlocked. Task 1: Host must kill two alien entities by tomorrow. Upon completion, you will receive 50 points. Task 2: Kill one alien entity to receive 1 point. Points can be used to purchase items from the system shop; accumulate 10,000 points to unlock the system store.]

Still as stingy as ever!