Beep beep!

[Detected that you have returned to the safe zone. Reconnecting to SkyNet… Dear Mr. Li Chen, hello and welcome back from wasteland hunting.]

Bzzzt bzzzt bzzzt.

Along with a dazzling blue light, all kinds of colors that had been gone for a long time returned to Li Chen’s vision.

“Hah… I’m finally back.”

Looking at the messy mix of ads, payment notices and AI advisor prompts in his field of view, Li Chen didn’t feel the usual irritation.

Instead, he felt strangely at ease.

He raised his head and looked at the towering behemoth before him, so high it vanished into the clouds as if it really could be climbed all the way to the sky.

Thick black smoke blocked the desert wind and sand, replacing the dead silence outside with noisy chaos and neon lights that bathed everything equally.

A vast, imposing presence naturally surged out from within.

This was the Hive City.

Also known in the mouths of certain Uppermost Hive big shots as “humanity’s last Pureland.”

“Thanks, Sister Liu Yu.”

Even though most of his energy was spent, the journey had been uneventful.

And that wasn’t only because Li Chen knew the game inside out—after all, some small monster spawn points were randomly generated.

The real reason Li Chen had made it back smoothly and had even had the leisure to practice martial arts along the way was the “sister” he had just acknowledged today, Liu Yu, who was right beside him.

As a seventh-tier martial artist, even if she ventured deep into pre-civilization ruins, as long as she didn’t challenge the core area there was almost no risk at all.

“What are you thanking me for?”

With her brows raised, this sister of his put on a stern face and slapped Li Chen hard on the shoulder.

“Didn’t I tell you already? Since we’re family now, isn’t it only right that we support each other?”

“Support each other?”

Li Chen clenched his fist guiltily, feeling the chill of the chip inside it.

He suddenly felt like he’d wronged Liu Yu.

Family helping each other was normal, sure—but what had Li Chen done for Liu Yu?

Saved her life?

Yes, but it wasn’t like he’d truly “run into her by chance.”

To put it bluntly, Li Chen could even be said to have taken advantage of her.

He used common medicine that was rare in the slums but not rare at all in the Upper Hive and in exchange he received a high-tier martial artist’s gratitude.

However you looked at it, it was an absurdly profitable deal.

If it were a stranger, Li Chen would have had a perfectly clear conscience.

But a sister?

And what’s more…

She had handed him, for free, a key so precious it could raise someone’s social class, something that was practically a fairy tale in this Hive City world?

Li Chen wasn’t going to fully believe Liu Yu’s earlier line about “this chip is just a hot potato in my hands.”

Because even if she couldn’t take the credit herself, she could still use it as a bargaining chip and at the very least earn hundreds of millions of credits.

So she really was good to him.

Truly good, without any falsehood…

At most, she had ulterior motives, that was all.

But that was fine.

“Sister.”

Stopping in place, Li Chen spoke with utmost seriousness.

“No matter what, I’ll remember this kindness for the rest of my life. From now on, you are my sister, Liu Yu. If anyone dares to bully you… I’ll beat them to death!”

“Pfft!”

Hearing Li Chen’s declaration, Liu Yu burst out laughing.

‘Him?’

It wasn’t that Liu Yu looked down on Li Chen.

In fact, from the way they’d been together just now, Liu Yu was already treating Li Chen like the most precious treasure in the world.

But the world didn’t bend to personal will.

The reality right in front of them was Li Chen’s frail strength.

“Alright, alright. Then you’d better train the martial arts technique I passed to you properly. I’m not bragging but once you gain even a bit of mastery over the Red Lotus Saber Art, you’ll be unstoppable at the low levels.”

Clang.

Liu Yu drew the vibrating blade at her waist, its constant tremor carrying a faint white glow.

Her eyes narrowed and a trace of killing intent rose from her.

Whoosh—

She raised the weapon high with both hands and swung forward in a strange stance, moving like thunder.

A deafening boom followed.

Brilliant firelight burned through the searing air with an aura of destruction, smashing a huge crater into the desert out of thin air.

This was the power of a high-tier martial artist.

Li Chen watched his sister’s “masterpiece” without changing expression.

Since the apocalypse war and the Great Catastrophe, humanity had once been pushed to the brink of extinction.

In that era of collapsing civilization, melted-down technology and countless threats striking at once…

It was the martial artists—new humans born from genetic evolution—who took up the banner of protecting the world.

They could ignore viruses, fight monsters with physiques far beyond ordinary humans and with special variant bodies, they were absolute trump cards on the battlefield.

Among the strongest, some could even awaken special innate talents, such as psionics…

Li Chen desperately longed for that power.

That was why, for ten years after transmigrating, he had worked tirelessly, even knowing hope was slim.

“Okay, Sister. I won’t let you down.”

Li Chen pumped his fist hard and promised excitedly.

‘So our Xiao Chen really wants to become a martial artist. What a pity.’

Liu Yu glanced at her little brother with some regret.

With her sharp eye, she could tell Li Chen’s talent in martial arts was average.

‘But with me as his sister, I’ll definitely do everything I can to help you achieve your dream! For example, I remember that Thunder Martial Arts Hall seems to have a secret technique… but the urgent thing right now is settling accounts with those bastards!’

“Alright, Xiao Chen. When you return to the Upper Hive, remember to train properly.”

Not wanting Li Chen to get dragged into the coming conflict, Liu Yu waved and prepared to say goodbye.

“I still have some things to handle at the Mercenary Guild. We’ll talk later～”

Thump thump.

After speaking, Liu Yu leapt lightly onto the shining shuttle hovercar on the landing pad, leaving only a carefree silhouette behind.

‘Handle other things?’

Watching the hovercar rise higher and higher, a trace of worry flashed in Li Chen’s eyes.

He could tell his sister was hiding a lot.

‘So she doesn’t want me to worry.’

As the hovercar disappeared into the horizon, Li Chen’s clenched fist turned pale.

‘Power… I need power…’

Only by raising his own strength could he protect others.

Whether it was Xiao Wei or this sister.

But how could someone with ordinary aptitude, who struggled to break through bottlenecks and who had once suffered severe injuries—injuries that still couldn’t be fully cured even after treatment—ever obtain real power?

In the past, Li Chen had been helpless.

‘But now, things are different.’

Clang.

Li Chen took out the alloy blade he had bought not long ago from his backpack.

Compared to Liu Yu’s flashy vibrating blade, it looked ordinary, but it had the advantage of being suitable for low-level martial artists.

‘Red Lotus Saber Art?’

Whoosh!

Li Chen swung with all his strength.

Hoo—

A streak of blade light flashed, kicking up a whirlwind.

Fast.

But that was from an ordinary person’s point of view.

Forget proper martial artists. Even by apprentice standards, this strike was mediocre.

But Li Chen wasn’t focused on that.

‘If I’m right, after activating the player log, that template should also…’

Ding dong.

[Detected that the player has obtained B-rank martial arts <Red Lotus Saber Art>. Current proficiency: 0.1%.]

‘A proficiency template!’

Looking at the familiar screen, Li Chen smiled faintly.

‘I was right! With this and the daily intel from the player log… heh heh heh, just you wait. Whether you’re some consortium president, some legendary mercenary or even a psionic empress final boss…’

Li Chen felt that long-lost heroic ambition from when he first transmigrated.

But unlike before, having tasted human warmth and coldness, he was no longer naive.

‘Protect the people who love me and make the people who hurt me regret it…’

Staring at the chip in his hand, images flashed through Li Chen’s mind as he said solemnly. “I’ll do what I said.”

Beep beep!

[You have a new call. Emergency broadcast…]

‘Ah crap, I forgot to report my itinerary to Xiao Wei!’

Li Chen, who had been looking bold a moment ago, stumbled and hurriedly accepted the call.

“X-Xiao Wei.”

Sneaking a glance at Bai Wei sitting in her office in silence, Li Chen said apologetically, “Sorry. I got too absorbed in hunting, so I forgot…”

“It’s fine.”

Bai Wei lightly crumpled the file in her hand into a ball.

“Anyway, I can see you have some ‘sister’ keeping you company, so you’re surely not lonely. I’m just an unwanted old hag, I shouldn’t interrupt your fun.”

“Ugh!”

‘Xiao Wei’s mad.’

Trying to ingratiate himself, Li Chen rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a few animals locked in a bio-box.

“Xiao Wei, look! These are creatures that only existed in the previous era. They’ll definitely sell for a lot of credits on the market. And and…”

Seeing Bai Wei’s expression still not easing, Li Chen wracked his brain, then spoke again.

“I recently learned a new technique, look.”

Whoosh!

Li Chen hurriedly ran the Red Lotus Saber Art, but in his panic his footing slipped and he almost fell.

“Uh, this, uh…”

Li Chen lowered his head awkwardly, his face burning hot.

“Sorry, Xiao Wei.”

“…Idiot.”

However, to Li Chen’s surprise, Bai Wei didn’t show displeasure at his embarrassing performance.

Even her originally tense expression softened.

She let out an indulgent huff.

“Good that you know you were wrong. Your punishment is to come home and give me a full-body massage.”

“Huh? A massage!”

‘Is this punishment or a reward?!’

Li Chen suddenly remembered the fragrant times when he had been bored at home and searched SkyNet for massage techniques, using Bai Wei as a test subject—only to be “punished” on the bed by her every few days.

He went a little dazed.

“Hehe, my claimed husband really is an idiot.”

Bai Wei’s eyes were filled with tenderness.

“You didn’t think I was actually angry, did you?”

“Ah, you weren’t?” Li Chen felt guilty, thinking of the ambiguity with Liu Yu in the underground room.

“Because I believe you.”

Bai Wei said softly.

“Besides, no matter how dumb my claimed husband is, there’s no way you’d publicly link your affair partner on your social profile page, right?”

‘Uh… that, that does sound right… Wait, why did I set Liu Yu’s relationship to public?’

“Alright, my energy is recharged. I’m going back to work～”

Bai Wei said with a bright smile.

“Actually, I’ve gathered quite a few leads on the illegal genetic modification drugs. For example, there’s a hacker group called <Scissorhands> that’s breaking into the victim company Newborn Pharmaceuticals’ employee database in this tech smuggling case and they’re also suspected to have ties with the terrifying organization <Utopia>.”

‘Utopia?’

Li Chen froze, then his expression turned subtle.

‘Wasn’t that the organization founded by the original final boss I rescued from the laboratory? Heh, so the little girl who once cried and begged me to buy her candy has grown up now. Come to think of it, I still have a score to settle with her too. Even if we ignore the life-saving, what about raising her? So this is how you repay kindness, huh. Heh heh heh.’

“Eh? Xiao Chen, why does your complexion look a bit off? Did you train too much? You don’t have to push yourself.”

“It’s fine, Xiao Wei. Then I’ll head home first. Oh right, what do you feel like eating today?”

“Woah, Xiao Chen, you’re cooking yourself?!”

Bai Wei was delighted and immediately got distracted, happily rattling off dish names.

Li Chen noted them down while thinking.

‘I remember there was an entry in the daily intel about “Black Tiger Gang smuggling drugs in the Lower City,” right? Fine, I can’t afford to provoke a super criminal organization or the psionic empress.But a Lower City gang? Sure. I’ll treat it as training proficiency.’

Li Chen’s eyes burned with boundless fighting spirit.