Chapter 1 The Big Bang
Chapter 1 Big Bang
Boom!
There was an earth-shattering explosion, and a red fireball brighter than the sun appeared in the sky in an instant. The shock wave generated by the explosion swept across thousands of square kilometers. Flames, strong winds, earthquakes, and dust roared and raged, overwhelming countless trees, like the end of the world.
"what……"
Ji Xinghuo woke up suddenly and sat up straight in the darkness.
The aftermath of the big explosion remained in his mind, and the roar continued, making his eyes full of confusion and panic, and it was not until a few minutes later that he gradually regained his composure.
"It's this nightmare again, damn it!"
Ji Xinghuo cursed, shook his head helplessly, and looked at the luminous clock on the bedside, which read: one in the morning.
He had been having nightmares every night for the past week with the exact same content. In the dream, my perspective was locked. It first appeared in outer space, flew into the earth's atmosphere like a meteor, and finally exploded above a vast forest.
Every time there is an explosion in the dream, Ji Xinghuo will be awakened, feeling as if his brain really exploded.
And the culprit of all this...
"Turn on the lights."
Ji Xinghuo let out a soft cry, and the bedroom gradually brightened up.
Before his eyes could adjust to the brightness, Ji Xinghuo rolled out of bed and staggered into the bathroom. He saw himself in the mirror, looking haggard and tired, with a few eye-catching bloodshot streaks in the corners of his eyes. His mental state was very bad.
If I haven't slept well for a week in a row, anyone will be depressed.
"It's time to fix it."
Ji Xinghuo murmured and opened the cabinet behind the mirror and took out a beautiful braided necklace. The nylon rope was woven into a complicated and beautiful belt. The pendant of the necklace was a gemstone, which was covered by a grid. It looked quite exquisite.
Looking at the gem pendant of the necklace, Ji Xinghuo's eyes were very complicated.
A dozen days ago, I and several classmates went to the Lake Baikal region for a graduation trip. On the last day, I spent 20 Asian dollars at the local reindeer tribe's stall to buy this necklace as a souvenir.
That stall had hundreds of similar braided necklaces, but the pendants were different.
Ji Xinghuo didn't notice anything unusual when he picked it up, so he bought it and put it on because he thought it looked good, and returned to Chang'an that night.
Then, the nightmare began.
Having the same nightmare for several days in a row, Ji Xinghuo identified the reason, which was the pendant of the necklace, that gemstone that looked like a glass marble.
The shell of the gemstone is transparent, with a colorful nebula inlaid inside, shaped like an eye, but there is a hollow in the center of the iris, as if the pupil has been gouged out, with several tiny cracks spreading from the middle, giving it an inexplicable incomplete beauty.
This thing is obviously not a natural gemstone, but a man-made object, and it is worthless.
Ji Xinghuo did some research on it out of curiosity.
It turned out that the hardness of the gem is extremely astonishing, it must be many times harder than a diamond, exceeding the upper limit of the hardness tester; its brittleness, melting point, water solubility and electrical resistance cannot be detected, let alone its composition, which is completely beyond the scope of my understanding.
He tossed and tossed for a long time without leaving any marks on the gem.
There was even one time when Ji Xinghuo soaked it in his blood, but there was still no result.
When his gem research yielded no results, Ji Xinghuo turned to his nightmares to look for clues.
The first thing that comes to mind is the "Tunguska Explosion".
The scene of the explosion in the dream matches the situation of the Tunguska explosion in many places, such as the explosion in the sky, the absence of craters and celestial body fragments, the scope of the explosion, the degree of destruction of the forest, etc., and the data of many investigations and researches in history.
However, the Tunguska explosion occurred in 1908 and today is 2223, more than three hundred years apart.
Moreover, the explosion site was far away from Lake Baikal where I was playing, nearly kilometers.
There is distance in both time and space.
Despite this, Ji Xinghuo still suspected that the gem in his hand was probably related to the Tunguska explosion, or even caused the mysterious explosion.
"Unfortunately, I have no other evidence other than dreams."
"Otherwise I can solve an unsolved mystery that dates back more than three hundred years."
Ji Xinghuo laughed to himself, the question now is how to avoid nightmares.
I have tried it before, no matter whether I carry the gem with me or not, even if I put it in another city thousands of kilometers away, I will still have nightmares as long as I sleep, as if it is bound.
He returned to the bedroom with the necklace, untied the string, took the gemstone out of the net, and put it on his palm to observe carefully.
"Is this really a different species?"
This was not the first time Ji Xinghuo had this idea.
In fact, at the beginning, he guessed that the gem was probably an alien species, but it just didn't match the characteristics of the alien species he knew, whether it was the alien database of the "Astral Defense Council" (ADC) or the national "Astral World" The corresponding alien species cannot be found on the official website of "Ministry".
The so-called "exotic species" are strange objects that contain "supernatural powers".
All alien species on earth come from the "star realm".
In 2033 AD, thirteen star gates suddenly opened on all continents around the world. You can enter the star realm by passing through the star gates.
The mysterious and vast star world shocked the whole world. Its appearance subverted the cognition of scientists and violated the known laws of physics.The astral world connects the entire galaxy, and with the astral world as a bridge, you can go to every planet in the galaxy, and even every space coordinate in the interstellar world!
The astral world is not empty and lonely like space, it is a vibrant world.
There are countless species bred in the vast astral world, the number and variety of which far exceed any ecological planet, and the earth is only a drop in the ocean compared to it; the evolution speed and intensity of species in the astral world are also millions of times that of the earth's biosphere!
There are also a large number of intelligent races in the star realm, and many civilizations far more powerful than those on Earth have been born.
The opening of the Star Gate brought unprecedented catastrophe to unprepared mankind. Alien invasion, nuclear war, the third and fourth world wars, nearly two centuries of global turmoil and extinction crisis, completely rewritten the fate of all mankind. Destiny and the direction of civilization.
Today is the 23rd century, and the earth has reshaped the order and pattern.
Humanity has long adapted to the existence of the astral realm, and has used the unique resources produced by the astral realm to promote the rapid development of science and technology and greatly increase productivity.
However, the ones that have the greatest impact on human beings are those supernatural abilities from the star realm.
People used to call it "supernatural power".
In the star realm, whether it is an intelligent civilized race or a low-level creature like a beast, individuals with powerful power will be born.
They have different abilities, such as controlling lightning, infinite strength, shape change, stealth leap, etc. These are just the most common abilities, and there are many magical and weird abilities. The farther you go on the road of life evolution, the stronger the ability, and even the lifespan will increase accordingly!
If you kill astral creatures, you will have a chance to gain their superpowers.
And those who carry supernatural powers are alien species!
Humans are not born with supernatural abilities, but they can also master supernatural abilities through the fusion of different species, thereby realizing the evolution of life.
In the "Star Gate Era", the reason why human beings were able to repel the invasion of alien races in the astral world was not only that they did not hesitate to use nuclear weapons to kill them all, but also because some pioneers had mastered supernatural powers, evolved life step by step, and possessed the power to contend with the strong alien races in the astral world.
As of now, there are more than 40 billion people in the world, and there are more than 2 billion "strangers" with supernatural powers.
Ji Xinghuo is not a stranger, but he knows aliens very well.
In this century, everyone has more or less learned about alien species, and has also come into contact with alien species in reality.
Alien species are not only born in the bodies of creatures in the astral world. Alien species are also formed in the natural environment of the astral world, with different shapes. Some are like plant fruits and rhizomes, some are like mineral gems, and some are energy crystals. There are also many strange and strange species that make it difficult to distinguish.
The "Astral Defense Council", which has branches in various countries around the world, has created the largest heterogeneous database on Earth.
Ji Xinghuo carefully browsed through the more than 12,000 alien species in the database, especially the hundreds of gem-form alien species.
However, none of them match the gem in his hand. Not only do they not match up in appearance, the general characteristics of gems and aliens are also very different.
All xenomorphs will exhibit "activity".
Ji Xinghuo has been in contact with the alien species several times. No matter what form the alien species is in his hand, he can easily feel its "activity", just like an egg that is about to break out of its shell, and he can clearly feel the abundant vitality without having to identify it.
And he didn't feel any activity on the gem. It was clearly a dead object.
Therefore, the speculation that it was a heterogeneous species was rejected from the beginning.
but now……
"There is no absolute in everything." Now Ji Xinghuo felt that he might be wrong, and his eyes were fixed on the gemstone on his palm, "Maybe it is a unique case, it looks like a dead thing, but it is actually an extremely rare alien species."
Since they are different species, they can be fused.
There is no clear standard for whether a human being can fuse different species.Generally speaking, the better the physical fitness, the higher the success rate of fusion.
Ji Xinghuo stood up.
Looking towards the training room connected to the bedroom, he saw his own reflection reflected in the mirror on the opposite wall.
He is exactly 1.8 meters tall, neither tall nor short among adult men, only two or three centimeters more than the average height. However, his body shape is well-proportioned and slender. The contrast between his upper body and lower body is close to the golden ratio. His shoulders are broad, and his arm span is nearly two meters. He has long hands and long legs, and his strong muscles contain good explosive power.
This is the result of many years of training.
In order to pursue strength and become an alien, everyone on the earth exercises.
Especially the young people who are full of expectations for the future, all of them are full of enthusiasm. Many people have been in the gym every day since their teens, doing various physical training to prepare for the fusion of different species.
The same is true for Ji Xinghuo.
I started exercising when I was fifteen and have almost never let up. It has been seven years now.
Although he has not yet become an alien, Ji Xinghuo has strong confidence. As long as the level of the alien he fuses is not particularly high, or the ability is extremely strange, the fusion success rate will be at least 80%.
"I wanted to continue exercising for a year or two after my graduation trip, and then go to take the physical fitness test and apply for a super-limited alien species."
"Now it's time to fuse an unknown alien species..."
Ji Xinghuo showed a little hesitation.
As a citizen of the "United Asia-Pacific People's Community", if you take part in four physical fitness tests when you reach adulthood, as long as one of them meets the standard, you can get a foreign species for free and try to merge into a foreign person.
This is the welfare of every "Asia-Pacific Community" citizen, and the country gives everyone a fair opportunity.
If the integration fails, not only is there no need for any compensation, but you can go to the best public hospitals to enjoy free medical services during the recovery period.
If successful, there are corresponding obligations.
When needed in the future, foreigners must unconditionally respond to the government's call once and serve the country until their service is completed.
Ji Xinghuo was sure to pass the physical fitness test when he was eighteen years old, but he never took part in order to get a higher score in the test.
The higher the score, the greater the number and quality of abilities available to choose from.
The power levels provided by the country from low to high are: basic, high-quality, excellent, and over-limit.
The vast majority of citizens who pass the test can only choose abilities in the first three levels.
Citizens must pass all four tests of strength, speed, endurance, and willpower, and get high scores. After passing multiple rounds of evaluation by the "Astral Department", they can apply for the highest level of over-limit abilities, enter the queue, and obtain the abilities in chronological order.
Ji Xinghuo's original target was a super-limited power, and he was about 30% sure.
But things are different now.
"If this is really an alien species." Ji Xinghuo whispered to himself: "Based on the hardness of the gem and the special phenomenon that gives me nightmares, the super power it contains is at least super-limit. Moreover, it is probably more powerful than super-limit. The level is higher, reaching the quality of the 'Starfall Level' superpower!"
Star meteor level!
Ji Xinghuo's heart beat hard.
Superpowers of this level are all extremely powerful, and their value is difficult to measure in terms of money. The several Starfall-level superpowers that have been disclosed in history were not sold, but exchanged.
"The chance to gain a star-level super power is worth it even if the fusion fails!"
"The big deal is to try again after recovering, it's just a delay of a few months."
Ji Xinghuo no longer hesitated.
However, there is a problem right now, how should I integrate it?
There are two most common heterogeneous fusion methods.
The first is to swallow it, eating the alien species directly into the stomach and digesting it.
The second is injection, where the foreign species is dissolved into the prepared medicine, and then injected into the human blood vessels to absorb it.
There are also some relatively rare fusion methods: such as transforming the foreign species into gas and inhaling it; resonating with the spirit of the foreign species and integrating into the brain; there are also rare foreign species that can directly penetrate the skin and enter the body.
The most troublesome fusion method is implantation, which is generally suitable for organs that have been removed from a biological body and are implanted into one's own body like a surgery.
If he had a choice, Ji Xinghuo would of course want to merge through "swallowing".
The size of the gem is small, about the same as a human eyeball, and can be swallowed in one bite. However, he doubted whether he could digest it given the hardness of the gem?
I am most afraid of "implantation" in order to integrate.
Implantation of xenografts cannot be just inserted into the body anywhere. Research must be done in advance, and rejection reactions must also be considered. Sometimes medication is required to eliminate rejection, wound sutures, postoperative recovery, etc. All of these require professional surgery. The doctor will do the surgery.
Crucially, the site of xenograft insertion is usually in the part of the body where it works.
For example, the alien form of "Thunder Hand" is a tendon that can discharge electricity. It needs to be implanted into the palm of the hand and connected with its own tendon to master this superpower.
Ji Xinghuo looked at the eye nebula inside the gem.
"Eye!"
"Are you going to implant it into my eye socket?"
Ji Xinghuo couldn't help feeling numb in his scalp. The space in the eye sockets is limited and cannot accommodate two eyeballs. Before the implantation, he had to remove one of his own eyeballs.
The price is too high.
In case of failure...
Although with today's medical technology, it is not difficult to re-implant the eyeball, and you can see the light again soon, but the pain and psychological impact during the operation are definitely not something ordinary people can bear.
Ji Xinghuo took the gem and gestured on his eyelids.
"This gem is really similar to an eyeball!"
Suddenly, an idea popped up in his mind, without much consideration, he tried to lightly touch the gemstone to his right eye.
The eyeball is the most sensitive organ in the human body, Ji Xinghuo felt a slight tingling immediately, and subconsciously closed his eyes.
However, this stinging pain became more and more intense, as if mixed with sand, tears flowed out.
Not only the right eye, but both eyes felt pain.
"what happened?"
Ji Xinghuo endured the pain and opened his eyes, his vision was blurred, as if his eyes were covered with a thick mosaic, and he couldn't see anything clearly.
He touched his cheek and felt something warm and sticky, vaguely red.
"The eyes are bleeding..."
Ji Xinghuo's heart tightened, and then he realized: "Where are the gems?"
The gem that was in his hand disappeared at some point, and before he was happy that this method was really useful, he suddenly felt a severe pain in his head, as if an awl was twisting his brain, and he fell to the ground with a cry of pain, blood flowed out from all seven orifices.
Boom!
Ji Xinghuo's dark eyes saw the scene of a big explosion again, like a scene in a dream. Before his consciousness fell into darkness, a thought flashed through his mind:
"My head won't really explode this time, will it?"