Chapter 1

I moved around a bit and noticed that some of my wounds had started to scab over. I got these injuries five days ago and my name was Ryan Steele, a retired Special Forces soldier from an elite unit. I accidentally fell off a cliff and ended up in a parallel world. This place was a total apocalypse, where humans were barely hanging on.

'Maybe another day or two of rest, and I'll be good,' I thought.

When I first got here, I blacked out, couldn't move, and felt like I'd been hit by a truck.

Luckily, just as a wolf was about to make me its dinner, a woman saved me. Her name was Grace Kelly, and she had a killer figure. Her slender waist and voluptuous chest were hard to ignore. Her firm, rounded hips and long, strong legs had this wild, untamed vibe.

Grace secretly dragged me back to her camp. Now, as an outsider, my real test was just beginning.

Here, if they found an outsider, they'd execute them. There wasn't enough food to go around, and they didn't want to risk feeding an extra mouth.

Not only would I be executed, but Grace would also be in deep trouble unless I could prove I was useful, like by bringing in enough food.

The shack door creaked open. I instinctively hid in the shadows, gripping a folding knife, eyes locked on the door.

It was just Grace. Her face was smeared with mud, and she usually wore a tattered robe that hid her figure. In front of me, she took off the robe, revealing a torn tank top with holes, her breasts peeking through.

"Mr. Steele, you look much better."

I put away the knife and leaned against the wooden wall. "Not bad. How was the haul today?"

Grace lit up. "You're amazing. The traps you taught me to set worked like a charm. We caught way more lizards than usual, several times more!"

"Several times more? How many is that?" I asked, curious.

Grace picked up the backpack I gave her, patting it. "A haul like never before, all here." She laid out three flattened lizards in front of me, a real bounty.

I noticed a wound on Grace's hand. "So many lizards, how many stone traps did you set up?"

"Twenty!" Grace replied. "Tomorrow, I'll work harder and set up forty."

Forty traps? That seemed like overkill. Each trap needed a ten-pound stone, and she had to set up forty in a day. She was alone, and besides her large chest, Grace was pretty frail.

"Grace, be careful not to get caught," I reminded her.

Grace seemed to realize the risk, furrowing her brows and biting her lip, sounding anxious. "But we have to pay the tax in three days. If we can't catch enough food, what about your share?"

"Me?" I was curious. Did an outsider also need to pay taxes? 'Could it be that Grace has already exposed me?'

Grace quickly explained. "In this camp, as long as you provide enough food as tax, you could stay, even an outsider. But if you couldn't pay the tax, you'd be expelled or killed."

"How much more do I need?" I asked, frowning.

"With today's catch, you still need over ten," Grace said, looking disappointed.

"What?" It was a huge number for me.

During this time, I taught Grace some survival skills, so she had some affection for me. Maybe she was so lonely and loveless that she had kept me around, which was understandable. But the price she was paying was too high.

"Do you have enough for your tax?" I suddenly asked, serious.

"I..." Grace hesitated. "I've already handed in five before. But, Mr. Steele, don't worry, I can gather enough for your share."

I didn't know what to say. 'Kind Grace, the person standing before you has climbed Mount Everest and swum across the English Channel. Once I'm back to full health, I'll be hunting bigger game than lizards.'

"No need for that. If my tax isn't enough, I can leave." I shook my head.

"Mr. Steele, are you leaving?" Grace looked surprised, unsure how to convince me to stay.

"Yes, I'm almost recovered. It's time to go."

"Mr. Steele, please don't leave. We still have three days. Trust me, I can find a way to gather enough." Grace started rummaging around.

"Here, some dried lizard jerky. It should be enough when combined." Grace pulled out a rusty tin box with three dried lizards inside. This was her reserve food.

I was touched by her kindness. "Put it away. This is your reserve food. Even if I stay, the tax for an adult man is the same as yours. It's simply not enough."

Grace's voice trembled. "There must be another way."

"Grace, do you remember what you said that day?" I reminded her of the incident from five days ago.

"I..." Grace seemed to understand.

Five days ago, when Grace scared off the wolf, she was actually eyeing my backpack. When she tried to take it, I woke up. I proposed a deal: my backpack for her help. At that time, Grace said seriously, "I can save you, but once you can move, you better leave the camp immediately. I don't want any trouble." Her saving me was just a transaction.

Now Grace's face turned red. She didn't know how to explain. She silently packed the lizards back into the backpack and put the water bottle and folding knife back on the table.

"I didn't touch the backpack at all. Everything is still inside." Grace's eyes were a little red, and she asked me pleadingly, "Will you stay?"

"Why do you insist on me staying? We've only known each other for five days. Aren't you afraid I might be a bad person?" I asked, confused.

"I don't know." Grace lowered her head, looking sad.

I could understand her. Years ago, her sister was forced to leave the camp to help pay the tax. The feeling she had then was probably the same as now. Grace still just carried that naive attachment as a youth.

I didn't continue to comfort her as it would burden her. As I was packing my backpack, Grace suddenly stopped me. "Wait, there's one more thing that should be enough to pay the tax!" Grace seemed to remember something and crawled under the bed, digging for something. "I found it, it's still alive!" Grace cheered.

What could it be? I was curious and leaned over to see. Soon, Grace emerged from under the bed, holding a 'treasure' in her hands and bringing it in front of me.

"A tortoise?" I couldn't believe it. A tortoise in such a place? At that moment, something clicked in my brain. It was a subconscious thought that drove me to touch the tortoise. And then, a thought flashed through my mind, 'Tortoises can evolve into super species.'

When I looked at the tortoise, I saw its genetic chain. It was different from the genetic chains I'd seen before, not a spiral structure, but a progress bar. This was unbelievable, but what was even more inexplicable was yet to come. I could read the genetic chain information! Like reading a note, as if I had a high-dimensional perspective, I could see through the mysteries of lower life forms at a glance. Even with the most powerful computers, humans hadn't deciphered the genetic code, but I could read it. It was truly shocking!

This tortoise was almost an adult, just starting its life. If its genes evolved, its power could reach 3, its spirit 1, its lifespan 80 years, and it had a talent skill: Piercing.

The genetic info appeared in a way I could understand. I could actually see its lifespan—80 years? Suddenly, a bunch of strange concepts popped into my head. I could replicate the tortoise's life genes, accumulate power, spirit, skills, and even lifespan. All I needed to do was unlock the genetic lock, which only required a thought.

"Mr. Steele, have you decided to stay?" Grace asked, looking happy.

"Why do you ask that?" I was curious.

"Because you're smiling."

Well, my expression. If anyone suddenly awakened a superpower, an advanced one that could replicate species attributes, their expression would be more exaggerated than mine.

"This is great! I'll go pay the tax now," Grace said, starting to leave, but I stopped her. She was about to take away the tortoise that could evolve.

"What's wrong, Mr. Steele?"

"Can you give me this tortoise?" I asked honestly.

Grace's beautiful face looked worried again. "If I give it to you, the tax won't be enough." Without the tortoise, in three days, she wouldn't be able to gather enough food, even if she set up more traps. Grace fell silent, thinking I still wanted to leave.

"In fact, this tortoise was a gift from my sister. You can take it if you like. I was planning to use it to pay the tax anyway." Grace tried to sound casual, but there was a hint of tears in her eyes.

"Dear Grace, why are you always so concerned about paying taxes? Let me show you a magic trick." I put the tortoise on the ground, and with just a thought of mine sent out, Grace's eyes widened. "It's getting bigger!"

At that moment, I saw my own genetic information. Ryan Steele, Power +3, current power 6. Spirit +3, current spirit 4. Lifespan +80 years, total lifespan 150 years. Acquired talent skill, Piercing level one.

I was truly amazed. Although I knew I could replicate these attributes, actually having them added to me was another matter. My vision became so clear that I could see ants crawling on the ground in the dim shack. My muscles became tight, and I had endless strength all over my body. I felt better than my peak state, allowing me to lift a log with one hand without any problem. My total lifespan had increased by 80 years, reaching 150 years. This could make me a centenarian.

Reading the information on the genetic lock, I found it hard to express my feelings. And that tortoise, its genetic progress bar had only moved a small section forward. It could evolve again! The next stage required 100 cosmic energy, but what was cosmic energy? After the evolution was complete, I found that I could control this tortoise; it had become my tamed pet.

"Mr. Steele, how did you do that?" Grace was very shocked, her voice changed. "Oh no, this tortoise has mutated! Did it get infected with the doomsday virus?" Grace took two steps back, looking very frightened. The tortoise was still growing, now three feet long, with terrifying spikes on its back, each spike gleaming with a dark, cold light. It was too terrifying! What did it mean to be infected with the doomsday virus? It meant a bloodthirsty monster, powerful and cold-blooded.

The scene of ferocious beasts rampaging was still vivid in Grace's memory. Once a ferocious beast entered the camp, it killed hundreds of people before it was finally taken down. Grace drew a dagger from her waist, facing the evolving tortoise, and stabbed wildly! This startled me, and I immediately stopped her. "Don't be impulsive. It's just evolving; it hasn't been infected with the doomsday virus."

This misunderstanding was both amusing and frustrating. I had just wanted to cheer Grace up and test out my new superpowers, but I almost killed the tortoise. The tortoise seemed to have some intelligence; it opened its mouth at me, then retracted into its shell.

Grace was still in shock. "Kill it! Look at its eyes. Once the mutation is complete, it will instantly kill us."

"Don't worry, I've tamed it. It's very docile," I said with a smile. As soon as I finished speaking, the tortoise stretched out its head and blinked at Grace.

Grace was shocked again. This tortoise looked like a ferocious beast and had completed its mutation, yet it was so obedient. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Does it really not bite people?"

"Of course not. You can tell it to roll over."

The tortoise actually rolled over in front of us, then awkwardly flipped back.

Grace's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in amazement. "Mr. Steele, how did you do that?"

"Grace, don't you remember that there are people in the world called Espers?" I said with a smile.

"Esper!" Grace was surprised again, her eyes looking at me differently.

In this post-apocalyptic world, all animals were infected with the doomsday virus. Humans turned into zombies, animals turned into ferocious beasts, and only a small number of humans survived. Among these survivors, three types of mutated humans emerged: Enhancers, Mutants, and Espers.

Enhancers, one in hundreds of people, had physical qualities stronger than normal humans and could strengthen themselves with external forces. Mutants, one in thousands of people, had strength determined by genetic mutations. Espers, one in millions of people, had superpowers! I had learned all this from Grace.

"Mr. Steele, are you really an Esper?" Grace asked in shock.

"Yes, I think my superpower is animal taming," I said, stroking the tortoise's head.

"You are really amazing!" Grace became even more delighted, pulling my arm tightly and leaning close to me. I could clearly feel the pressure from her chest.

"You know, I have never seen an Esper before. No, I see one now. Among the three hundred people in the camp, the most powerful warrior is just an Enhancer. You are really amazing." Grace was speaking incoherently.

"Keep your voice down. I don't want to reveal my identity," I said, patting Grace's hand lightly and smiling.

"Yes, I'll keep it between us." Perhaps because she was leaning against me, or maybe because I was holding her small hand, Grace's cheeks were a bit flushed.

Soon, Grace furrowed her brows slightly. "If you are an Esper, you won't be able to stay in the camp. By the way, if you are an Esper, why did you faint in the wilderness?"

"Because I was ambushed by a poisonous ferocious beast," I said, making up an excuse. Even an Esper could get injured.

"I see. So you will leave after you recover?"

"Yes, probably in two days."

Although I had just been strengthened and my body was fine now, I decided to stay for two more days to thoroughly understand my superpower before leaving.

Grace let go of my arm and squatted on the ground. "So soon? Can't you stay a few more days?"

"Grace, don't you remember that you have to pay taxes in three days?"

Hearing this, Grace became silent. This was a century-old problem she couldn't avoid. Suddenly, she stood up, put on that tattered robe again, and walked out with a small knife in hand. "Mr. Steele, trust me, I will take back enough food."

I pulled Grace over, looking at her beautiful face. I didn't want her to worry too much about me, but her meticulous care for me these days had made me develop some feelings for her.

"Grace, can I ask you a question?"

Grace became shy under my gaze, perhaps because we were too close.

"Sure."

"Would you like to go on an adventure with me?"

Grace widened her eyes. She seemed not to expect me to ask such a question. She whispered, "I would, but..." She only said half of her words, seeming to have some unspeakable difficulties.