Rain.

Dark clouds add a bit of gloom to this lonely world.

Quiescence.

In the pouring rain, those dressed in black stood silently.

Everyone has grief on their faces.

It was a funeral.

Because the deceased has made great contributions to mankind, the funeral is exceptionally allowed.

Due to the scarcity of resources, only those who were great enough could be buried in the cemetery and worshipped after death.

For other ordinary people, their corpses are specially processed and broken down into anything that can be used, a large bucket of water, iron tablets, organic oils, and a calcium tablet, and even vitamins and proteins, sugars, nucleic acids, hormones, and everything else that can be recycled.

In a sheltered city, the human body itself is an extremely precious resource.

After the funeral, despite the pouring rain, Yu Zhao still stood in front of the old thing's tomb and was reluctant to leave for a long time.

There was a leak in the information, it was an advent event that humans couldn't solve, and the fourth creation-level virtual monster descended from the shadow realm.

The team was almost wiped out, and at the last moment, the old thing gave up on himself, fighting for Yu Zhao a glimmer of hope for survival.

Of the entire fourth squad of the Investigation Bureau, only one person came back alive, and the rest were corpses.

Yu Zhao held in his hand the small metal pot that the old thing was drinking, it was worn and mottled, with a smell of blood that could not be washed away, which was handed over to him by the old thing at the last moment of his life.

"Child, you don't have to feel guilty about yourself."

A familiar old voice came from behind, causing Yu Zhao to withdraw from his memories.

Turn around.

"Master, sister, I'm fine."

Yu Zhao squeezed out a smile.

In front of him were two women, a gray-haired old lady in a wheelchair, and a young girl behind her pushing her forward.

"Son, I already know what happened. You've encountered a creation-level void monster, and it's a miracle that someone survives. The old man took Yu Zhao's hand and comforted him.

Feeling the temperature from the rough hand seal, Yu Zhao couldn't hold back any longer.

"But I could have saved him."

Tears and sadness poured out of Yu Zhao's heart.

Deeply powerless and remorseful, he fell to his knees in front of the old man, bowing his head as if begging for forgiveness.

Yu Zhao is an orphan who was raised by the old thing and the old lady, who see themselves as their own children.

However, when the old thing needed him the most, he couldn't save him.

The girl behind the old man spoke: "Brother, in fact, my father was terminally ill a long time ago, and the doctor said that there is not much time left, and he has not let us tell you. Even if you don't save him......"

Hearing this, Yu Zhao was stunned.

He looked at his master in astonishment.

"It's impossible, Master looks very healthy."

He couldn't believe it was true.

Shi Niang sighed and nodded heavily.

She said, "Son, your master left you some things before leaving. It contains the words he has entrusted to you. ”

Then, a quaint key was placed in Yu Zhao's hand.

……

On this day, the strongest investigator in the past died, and Yu Zhao was crowned as the new "strongest" as a creator-level investigator.

Leaving the cemetery, almost running wildly, Yu Zhao rushed home.

He had never heard the old thing say that there was a secret room in the house......

You're going to die, why are you still out on a mission!

In the wild running, Yu Zhao reacted belatedly, with the skills of the old thing, it was impossible to launch a call for help in that situation, in the past, he was completely able to solve it alone. And when converging against the Genesis-level Void Monster, the old thing's movements have been transformed many times.

Why!

Why didn't I notice this?

Remorse!

At this moment, Yu Zhao's mind was full of remorse!

Back at home, according to his wife's instructions, Yu Zhao found the hidden space.

Despite panting and thirsty to the point of bleeding, he couldn't wait to insert the key into the hidden doorway and spin it.

Click.

The hidden door was opened.

The dust raised by the movement of the air rushed to the face, poured into the nose, and poured into the throat.

Ahem!

With a violent cough, Yu Zhao entered the secret room.

Turn on the lights and you'll see a mountain full of materials, books, and notebooks.

As can be seen from the yellowing of the cover and paper, the span of these materials is very long, from the new book that has just been released this year to the past 100 years.

And the content covered is varied, not only humanities and history, but also very professional scientific research, and even alchemical spells from ancient times.

Where did all the old stuff come from? And what's the point of him collecting these things?

After taking a few steps forward, after passing through a towering mountain of books, a clean desk suddenly appeared in front of Yu Zhao.

There were no books or notes on the table, only a letter.

The letter that the old thing left for Yu Zhao.

Eager to tear the letter open, Yu Zhao unfolded the letter to browse the contents.

There is only a simple paragraph above:

[Yu Zhao, if you read this letter, I should be dead. I'm not your biological father, but I want you to be my son. I teach you to be a good investigator, and I am very happy that I have no regrets in my life. Don't grieve for me, don't cry, please save energy for the future of mankind, humanity needs you to guard, needs you to guard. 】

…… Old stuff.

This time, Yu Zhao didn't cry.

Because the old thing won't let him cry anymore.

And from now on, Yu Zhao really did not shed a single tear as he said.

He became like a rock in his heart and became like a true hero.

At the same time, he began to read the materials left behind by the old things in his spare time, and whenever he remembered something, he organized it and put it aside.

After a while, he found a machine covered in books in the corner of the room.

……

"What is this?" Yu Zhao asked, looking at the machine in the laboratory.

"Oh, Mr. Yu Zhao, that's an ongoing project to control the extent to which infected people are out of control. It's still in beta. ”

"You say, treating the infected out of control?"

Yu Zhao frowned, feeling that something was wrong.

Generally speaking, it is impossible for the Awakened to get out of control anymore, and at that time the family was all Awakened except for his sister.

Could it be that this machine is treating his own sister?

But it can't be...... She's obviously normal.

"Mr. Yu Zhao, do you have any opinions?"

"No, nothing."

Gu Yong's voice pulled Yu Zhao out of his memory, and he shook his head and stopped thinking about it. Whatever the truth was then, it doesn't make sense now.

With a relaxed smile, Yu Zhao said to Gu Yong, "Dr. Gu Yong, you shouldn't have forgotten the bet I won in the Death Wheel game. ”

"Of course, Mr. Yu Zhao. As long as the material is available in the club, you can use it! ”

"Good."

Then, Yu Zhao reported the names of a string of materials and asked Gu Yong if he was now in the club.

Gu Yong nodded and asked expectantly, "Mr. Yu Zhao, what do you plan to use these materials for?" ”

"Purpose?" Yu Zhao guessed the other party's thoughts from Gu Yong's expression, "That's right, it's the one you think." These materials will be used to prepare the Awakening Potion. ”

Yu Zhao wants to complete his awakening before returning to the sight of the Investigation Bureau.

"You have more than one recipe for an awakening potion! Be sure to let me watch while configuring! ”

Gu Yong shouted excitedly.

He couldn't be quiet, because it would be a great testimony! For him, it means a lot to the whole Freak Club!

"Please forgive me for asking another question, what is the serial number of the awakening potion you plan to configure?"

Yu Zhao glanced at him, and said lightly: "Serial number 9." ”

Contrary to Yu Zhao's ease, when Gu Yong heard this serial number, his bloated body instantly froze in place, his face full of shock and puzzlement.

Then he said something that seemed offensive.

"No. 9? Mr. Yu Zhao, are you looking for death! ”

……

About two hours later, Yu Zhao left the Deformed Club, and with Gu Yong's ability, he appeared in an ordinary public toilet.

At this moment, he held a test tube filled with black liquid in his hand.

Although, Gu Yong has already tried his best to explain the danger of awakening the ability of No. 9, trying to awaken this ability and commit suicide in the most painful way.

But how could Yu Zhao not know what he was about to face.

He didn't hesitate to take it down and went out into the street.

The previously heavy rain has stopped.

Clenching his fists, Yu Zhao felt the power bursting from within his body.

Looking at the neon forest as night fell, with the help of his abilities, the world in his eyes was clearer than ever.

The footsteps of passers-by, the ripples of standing water on the ground, the complex aroma of food in street restaurants...... Information that is easily overlooked is amplified and flooded into the brain.

In an instant, the expected dizziness suddenly hit, and Yu Zhao held on to the telephone pole next to him to stabilize his figure.

Even the sounds, colors, smells, and other information that humans could not perceive were frantically encroaching on Yu Zhao's mind at this moment.

[Serial No. 9: Super Sensitive], after awakening this ability, you will gain perception far beyond ordinary people.

At the same time, a large number of incomprehensible whispers filled his mind, as if to pull him into the abyss of madness.

Blood gushed out, nosebleeds gushing out incessantly.

The infusion of a large amount of information overloaded Yu Zhao's brain. The uneasiness of the extreme noise makes his heart beat violently!

Wheezing and letting the oxygen keep your brain running!

Suffering!

The whole person is like being torn apart!

The [Ninth Sequence] in the Awakening Periodic Table is a sequence in which the Investigation Bureau explicitly prohibits awakening, because its side effects have driven the vast majority of people who awaken this ability crazy, and almost no one can survive the ten minutes that have just awakened.

The ninth sequence is known as the most dangerous sequence.

It is also regarded as the most frivolous ability by the Investigation Bureau.

But for Yu Zhao, this is an incomparably compatible ability. When he learned about the existence of this ability from the information left by the old thing, he regretted it immensely.

He fantasized countless times that if he had awakened the ability of the ninth sequence, would he one day have a fight with a creation-level virtual monster!

Now, here's your chance!

Just survive these ten minutes!

I have gained the capital to fight against the mother Iren!

Grit your teeth!

Even if you crush your teeth, you have to survive these ten minutes!

Yu Zhao began to fantasize about the world where the mother Eren never escaped, in that illusory distant future, he may not become an investigator, those companions may not die in battle, and the old thing should still be alive.

Under the influence of these non-existent images, a complex expression appeared on Yu Zhao's face.

Sweat rained down, muscles flared up, but in the pain of clenching teeth, there was a smile of hope.

Time passed slowly, and with the support of that distant future that did not exist, Yu Zhao spent a crazy ten minutes.

The sound gradually stopped, the smell dissipated, and the world in the eyes returned to calm.

When his senses returned to normal, Yu Zhao regained his relaxed expression.

The smile is still there, just more excited.

He works miracles!

The detachment brought him to his knees, but it couldn't stop him from laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha."

That's right, that's it, step by step to get stronger, step by step to accumulate strength!

Yu Zhao struggled to get back to his feet.

Looking at the busy city at night.

He lit a cigarette with a trembling hand and inhaled violently, letting the burning heat fill his chest.

Exhale and release the pressure fully.

When a cigarette was gone, he suppressed the joy in his heart, and with a calm expression, walked slowly in the direction of the investigators.