Chapter 1 The Current Situation

The current world's living environment is still very harsh. Although there is a supply from Kuangxi Island, most human countries still prioritize resources for combat troops and people with working ability. As for those purely civilians, their current living conditions are very poor.

Even in today's Seventh City, one of the few large main cities of mankind, ordinary civilians can only get two meals a day, and most of them are dry, hard compressed or frozen foods.

As for drinking water and vegetables, there are even strict quota restrictions.

In the current situation, taking a bath is even a luxury. Most civilians can only squeeze into the cramped, honeycomb-like small rooms in the resettlement area, enduring odors, stuffiness, hunger, malnutrition, and other problems.

"You bastard, why did you shit on the bed again? This is the third time this week, and we don't have any clean sheets to change!"

"I've had enough. Why didn't a useless piece of trash like you just die in that disaster?"

Walking into the narrow corridor of Building One in the resettlement area, a strong stench assaults the nostrils, mixed with cheap cigarettes, feet, feces, urine, and moldy sewage, giving people a strong sense of nausea.

From a room at the end of the corridor, came a woman's scolding, full of irritability, anger, and despair; it was Mrs. Lawrence's voice.

Her husband was injured in a sea beast attack, his legs and tailbone broken by a collapsing house. Although he survived by luck, he became a cripple who could only lie in bed. Not only did he have no ability to work, but he even needed someone to take care of his bowel movements.

The pain of losing her home and the pressure of taking care of her paralyzed husband had already turned this once gentle and kind woman into an irritable person, full of anger and despair.

"Waaah... it hurts so much, I can't take it anymore, Father, kill me!"

From the room on the left, came a burst of crazy, painful wailing, the desperate voice of Mr. Mackayle's son.

Mackayle's son was once a strong young man, a glorious city guard soldier. Although not an Evolver, he had also contributed to the war.

However, in a war, he was burned by a sea beast with the ability to control high temperatures. The burn rate on his body was as high as 70%. Although his life was saved after treatment, excessive anesthetics were used during the treatment to relieve the pain, and this drug was highly addictive.

After the treatment, although he survived, the strong drug addiction remained in his body. Whenever the addiction occurred, the endless pain was like maggots gnawing at his bones, tormenting him like a drug addict!

"My son, my daughter... Mom misses you so much..."

This was a woman who had lost her children, murmuring in a low voice.

"What's the point of living like this?"

This was a man who had lost faith in life, a decadent and powerless wail.

"Perhaps it would have been better if I had died on the battlefield with my comrades."

This was a disabled soldier, crying while looking at the photos of his comrades on the wall.

Since the world changed, people who have survived countless disasters have basically experienced some pain, more or less. Some have lost relatives and friends, while others have physical disabilities. If they are mentally strong, they may quickly come out of the shadows and bravely face life.

But for ordinary people with average psychological endurance, this pain may be suppressed in their hearts for a long time. If it is not疏导 (shūdǎo - guided and resolved), it may form a huge knot, and the rest of their lives will be lived in this endless shadow.

In this world, are there more ordinary people? Or more people with strong mental fortitude?

Currently, it is the former!

Many people have difficulty escaping from the pain. Moreover, given the current tense situation in the world, what the human high-level officials, including Li Tianran, can guarantee is to let more people [live]. They simply do not have the energy or ability to manage their psychological problems.

Under this painful torment, many people have developed psychological problems, and some have had mental breakdowns and become completely crazy...

"This is great..." The Follower who walked into the building took off his hat and listened with great excitement to the pain that residents were wantonly exuding throughout the building. A grim smile appeared on his lips: "This atmosphere is just too good!"

The Follower strode forward, and the soldiers on duty in the corridor turned a blind eye to him, letting him pass by.

Creak...

The narrow door at the end of the corridor was pushed open. Mrs. Lawrence, who was using a damp cloth to clean up her husband's excrement on the bed, turned her head when she heard the sound.

The Follower snapped his fingers. Mrs. Lawrence's originally dazed and scattered gaze suddenly focused. In her eyes, a tall figure seemed to squeeze out of the void extremely abruptly, appearing directly in front of her.

"You..." Mrs. Lawrence saw the figure that suddenly appeared in front of her, and subconsciously wanted to scream.

"Shhh!" The Follower raised a finger to his lips, making a silencing gesture.

For some reason, after seeing this action, Mrs. Lawrence felt that her whole body's vigilance had disappeared, like a puppet, following the other party's instructions.

It was a very strange feeling. Obviously, the other person looked very dangerous, but she was willing to trust him unconditionally!

"Do you feel... pain?" The Follower looked at Mrs. Lawrence and her paralyzed husband on the bed, and asked in a very gentle tone.

Like an old friend who had known each other for many years.

Hearing these words, tears welled up in both Mrs. Lawrence and her husband's eyes at the same time, and their emotions seemed to collapse instantly.

"I'm so desperate, I'm almost breaking down. I don't want to continue living like this, a life that will never have hope, a life that is forever painful!"

"All the pressure is on me. I'm like a slave. I have endless work to do every day. I have to live with feces and urine, breathe in the foul air, and eat dry, astringent food. Sometimes, I really want to die. I'm so tired!"

Mrs. Lawrence sobbed softly, telling her pain and grievances.

The Follower listened patiently to her, then turned to look at her husband, and asked softly, "What about you?"

The husband's face turned red, the veins on his neck and forehead bulged, and he was very excited. He waved his arms as if trying to get up, but eventually breathed weakly, his lungs panting like a broken bellows, and said, "Me? Do you think I want to lie in bed like a cripple every day, lying in my own feces and urine, living without any dignity?"

"I used to be a fitness coach! This body was the thing I was most proud of, but now, it's ruined! It's become a piece of trash, and my dignity has been destroyed!"

"I have to endure my wife's disgust and contempt every day!"

"I want to help her, but I can't do anything!"

"I want to commit suicide, but I find that I don't even have the courage to commit suicide!"

"Looking back now, I might as well have died in that disaster. At least that way, I wouldn't have to lose my dignity after losing the body I was so proud of!"

The Follower listened to the couple's words. Mrs. Lawrence's pain mostly came from physical exhaustion, while her husband's pain came from the loss of his psychological dignity.

These were all serious problems.

He slowly handed out the electronic crystal ball in his hand and said softly, "Death is not the best way to solve problems..."

"I can let you get rid of your current pain. Are you willing to try?"

The couple, who had been on the verge of emotional collapse, looked at the Follower as if they were people walking in the desert who had seen a water source. Their eyes radiated a strong light of hope.

"I do! I do! As long as I can get rid of my current painful life, I'm willing to do anything!" Mrs. Lawrence nodded repeatedly.

The husband lay on the bed without speaking, but his eyes were also filled with a longing light.

"Very good." A smile appeared on the Follower's lips as he slowly handed the electronic crystal ball forward.

The crystal ball suddenly began to emit a warm, happiness-inducing light. Rays of light, as if alive, madly burrowed into the couple's bodies through their pores.

As the light bloomed, a trace of distraction appeared in Mrs. Lawrence's eyes, and her originally clear blue and white eyes were slowly turning black.

At the same time, in her vision, everything in front of her had undergone earth-shattering changes.

The dark and cramped resettlement house disappeared, replaced by a spacious and bright villa. She was now sitting on the sofa in the villa's living room, holding an orange cat in her arms. A cup of coffee was placed on the table, still steaming, and soothing music was playing all around.

Outside the window, gentle sunlight shone in.

Her husband, with all his limbs intact, was shirtless, trimming the lawn in the garden. Sausages and chunks of meat were sizzling on the grill, emitting an enticing aroma.

"Is this... real?" Mrs. Lawrence looked at everything in front of her in disbelief. She raised her hand, not daring to believe it, and touched the orange cat in her arms.

The soft feel of the fur...

As if touched in a place it didn't like, the orange cat let out an impatient mewl and gently escaped from her arms.

Mrs. Lawrence stood up, and tears of excitement welled up in her eyes.

She stepped towards the grill, trying to touch it. The scalding temperature made her withdraw her finger instantly, and there was a burn mark on her fingertip.

Outside the door, her husband walked in and saw Mrs. Lawrence standing blankly in front of the grill. He asked with concern, "Honey, what's wrong?"

She turned to see her husband, then jumped up and hugged him.

The familiar, solid feel of his muscles left her with no doubts.