Chapter 3: The Origin
While Liu Xiang was still trying to figure out how to activate the system's startup function, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Intelligent lifeforms from Planet 9322210182, welcome to the Origin!"
This voice was noticeably different from the previous one—though both were female, the earlier one had been mechanical, while this one sounded more human. "Since we're all humans here, I'll skip the formalities. Yes, I'm human too. Haha."
"Ahem, let's get to business. The place you're in now is called the Origin. Don't ask me why it's called that—you don't need to know yet."
"What you do need to know is that this is no longer the domain of Planet 9322210182, aka Earth. So, most of the knowledge and skills you had before are useless here. Of course, Earth's low-level technological civilization wasn't much use to begin with. The bodies you have now are unique to the Origin. As for your original bodies, they're still on Earth—only your spiritual or conscious forms were transported. In other words, you're still alive on Earth, and you're alive here, but with different bodies in different dimensions."
"No matter what illnesses or disabilities you had before, your bodies here are completely healthy at the start. But if you die here—assuming your spiritual form isn't completely destroyed—the Galactic Order will transport your consciousness back to your original body on Earth. Got it? That means dying here sends you straight back. Hahaha."
"But then... do you really want to return to that low-level civilization on Earth and live out your days in mediocrity?"
"I know you're wondering why all of you were brought here. Be patient and let me finish."
"According to Galactic Order Statute 30102, this conscription includes intelligent life from Planet 9322210182—Earth—along with millions of other planets. So, you're just a tiny fraction of the vast number of beings summoned here. Got it? And don't ask me what Galactic Order Statute 30102 is—it's way too long. Just know it's an unstoppable force."
"Alright, that covers the basics. Since I'm your kin—no, actually, I should say I'm your ancestor—I'll break protocol and give you some extra tips. Listen carefully, because I won't repeat them."
"Whatever you gain in the Origin will feed back to your Earth selves. Whether it's personal growth or the advancement of Earth's civilization, the benefits will be immense. So don't squander this opportunity. Yes, it's an opportunity."
"Alright, I've already said way more than I should. Finally, it's time to enforce the Origin's laws."
"Ahem," the woman cleared her throat and spoke solemnly, "Under Origin Statute 271, all intelligent lifeforms newly arrived in the Origin shall be granted one free reward of either an item or knowledge. This reward is executed by the lifeform's native star sector, with approval from the Origin."
"Alright, juniors, choose your first reward wisely."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Xiang saw a notification appear:
[Please choose whether to accept Statute 271]
With a thought, the message changed:
[Please select Item or Knowledge]
Liu Xiang hesitated. He wanted to curse—how was he supposed to choose when he didn't even know what items or knowledge were available? This was ridiculous.
He wasn't the only one struggling. Most people around him were equally uncertain.
But not everyone. Some made their choices almost instantly—as if it were no big deal.
Soon, those who had chosen began manifesting strange, varied objects in front of their chests.
No one knew how the items appeared or why they materialized at chest level, so most of them simply fell to the ground before anyone could catch them.
A quick glance revealed...
Well, just about everything. Stools, clothes, sunglasses, sleeping bags, a frying pan?!
Okay, some were at least practical. The frying pan, for instance, could double as both a weapon and cookware...
The woman's voice seemed to have vanished after her announcement. Many people started shouting questions into the air, hoping for answers, but Liu Xiang knew it was futile.
Even if this woman was human, would she answer millions of questions?
It was like praying to a deity—just because countless people made wishes, did that mean the deity would respond?
Liu Xiang still hadn't made his choice. Right now, he had something more important to do.
He needed to find a group—to pool information.
This wasn't just common sense. It came from years of gaming experience.
In an unfamiliar world, knowledge was power. Staying anonymous in a crowd meant living at the mercy of others.
Liu Xiang didn't have many friends in Qiantang. Most of his former classmates had returned to their hometowns. Now, he scanned the crowd for a group that might accept him.
Soon, he found one.
It was a gathering of about thirty people, all around his age—likely university students or recent graduates. Liu Xiang approached cautiously.
The group had formed a circle, with girls huddled together for support. Some looked exhausted, tears still streaming. The boys appeared much calmer, showing no signs of panic.
"Hey, are you from Teachers' College?" Liu Xiang tapped a guy on the shoulder and asked. He'd chosen this question because the café he'd been in was near Qiantang Teachers' College.
The guy turned and, seeing Liu Xiang was around his age, nodded. "Yeah, we're graduates from Teachers'. Why?"
"I'm from City College, also a grad. Mind if I join you? I'm not from Qiantang." Liu Xiang cut to the chase.
The guy looked hesitant. "I don't mind, but I'm not the one who decides..."
"It's fine. Come on over—strength in numbers." A tall, handsome guy at the center of the group spoke up. He'd overheard them. "None of us are locals either. We're all stuck in this mess together, so we might as well stick together."
Liu Xiang nodded and joined the circle. The tall guy—who introduced himself as Li Tianjia—seemed like a natural leader, along with a short-haired girl beside him.
"Hey everyone, I'm Liu Xiang, a grad from City College. I'm from Wucheng," Liu Xiang introduced himself.
"No way, me too!" Li Tianjia grinned and asked a very specific question only a local would understand. "North or south of the river?"
"North side," Liu Xiang replied.
"Hah, a true Wucheng native, just like me!" Li Tianjia didn't dwell on it. He gestured to the ground. "We're discussing survival strategies. Join in."
Liu Xiang nodded.
"Fatty, explain how you got that fishing rod again. Then, Taoist, go over the details of the skill rewards. Everyone, listen up." Li Tianjia motioned to a chubby guy to start.
"Alright, I picked 'Item,' and then the system told me to imagine the item's shape and purpose. I figured with so many people, food would be an issue—and there's that river right there—so I thought about fishing and imagined a fishing rod. I'm into fishing, so I know every detail of a rod. Next thing I knew, this appeared."
He held up a three-meter-long fishing rod.
Li Tianjia nodded and turned to another guy.
"I picked 'Knowledge.' The system gave me a menu of options—most were things we'd recognize. Let me list a few I remember: Cooking Knowledge, Mineral Knowledge, Tailoring Knowledge, Construction Knowledge, Trap Knowledge, Farming Knowledge, Low-Grade Native Flora Knowledge (Local Region), Low-Grade Native Fauna Knowledge (Local Region), and..." He strained his memory. "That's all I can recall."
"Okay, then tell me the details," Li Tianjia said.
"Well, I chose Low-Grade Native Fauna Knowledge. Like I told Fatty, he's handling fishing, but he might not know the fish here, so I needed animal knowledge—to figure out what's edible. After picking it, all the info just clicked. Now I know roughly what animals are around, and it's crystal clear, like I've studied them for years."
"Right. The flora and fauna here don't match Earth's ecosystem, so we can't rely on old assumptions," Li Tianjia said. "I think we should compile a list of available knowledge, then have each person learn something different—no overlaps. The rest can choose items based on that knowledge. If what we have still isn't enough to ensure survival, we'll recruit more. Any objections?"
No one spoke up. Finally, Li Tianjia's gaze landed on Liu Xiang.
"I agree," Liu Xiang said. "But I'll add this: Survival here probably isn't just about food and shelter. Combat ability will be crucial. We need to maintain some fighting strength."
"Good point. Everything here feels way too much like a game," Li Tianjia agreed. "But for now, survival is our first goal. Alright, everyone, get moving. Girls, pick knowledge first—make sure no overlaps. Guys and the rest can choose after."
The group sprang into action.
Liu Xiang approached the guy who'd taken animal knowledge, wanting details about local creatures.
The guy, nicknamed "Taoist," shared what he knew.
To everyone's surprise, many animals here resembled Earth's—hares, wild boars, carp—while others were completely alien: squirrels with glowing fur, mice with unicorn-like horns on their foreheads, floating insects suspended mid-air, fish with frog-like legs... The list went on, numbering in the hundreds.
Before Taoist could finish, Liu Xiang suddenly raised a hand, signaling him to stop.
He'd heard something—a strange, distant commotion. The noise was growing louder, and it didn't sound friendly.