"Qin Yang, want to have dinner together after work?"
At the entrance of the Jiangcheng Martial Arts Library, a pretty girl approached Qin Yang with a smile.
"No, I've got something else to take care of when I get home," he replied flatly.
Qin Yang shook his head, directly rejecting the girl's invitation before turning and walking away.
"This guy is so boring. What a waste of such a handsome face," the girl muttered, stomping her foot in frustration as she watched his back disappear. Rolling her eyes, she turned and left.
After work, Qin Yang walked along a quiet road. He looked up at the sky, where ten massive black holes loomed like yawning voids. His expression turned thoughtful, almost dazed.
He was not originally from this world. Qin Yang was a transmigrator from Earth. He had died after eating seafood contaminated by nuclear wastewater, only to awaken in a parallel world strikingly similar to his own.
At first, this world had a civilization very much like Earth's. But a thousand years ago, everything changed. Ten strange holes suddenly appeared in the sky, and from them, a mysterious power poured into the world.
This strange energy changed everything.
All living beings began to absorb this power, and in doing so, their bodies became enhanced. Some gained extraordinary abilities.
Humans named this mysterious force the Power of Stars. Those who could absorb it and grow stronger were known as Star Warriors.
The speed at which one could absorb this power depended heavily on their innate potential. Unfortunately for Qin Yang, the body he now inhabited was rated at the lowest tier. In other words, trash.
With such low qualifications, he could only work at the very bottom of society.
Sigh…Qin Yang let out a deep breath. He hadn't expected much, but this still stung.
In his previous life, he was nothing more than a wage earner. Now, after traveling through space and time, he was still a wage earner.
Even the golden finger he had brought along didn't seem to help.
That's right.Qin Yang did have a golden finger.
A system.
But right after his transmigration, all it did was give a cold warning:
"Detected that the world is a high-risk fantasy realm. Please avoid drawing attention and prioritize survival."
And with that, it disappeared.
No matter how many times Qin Yang tried to activate it again, there was no response. It was as if the system had gone to sleep, leaving him on his own.
Disheartened, Qin Yang accepted his fate and took a job.
Fortunately, it was a decent one. He became an administrator at Jianghai Library.
Jianghai Library was the largest martial arts library in the entire city. It housed countless secret manuals left behind by powerful warriors for future generations.
As an administrator, Qin Yang received a stable monthly salary of 3,000 yuan, with food and accommodation included. The library even had air conditioning.
In a world as dangerous as this one, such a life was a luxury for someone with his poor qualifications.
To Qin Yang, staying alive was the top priority.
After a twenty-minute walk, he finally arrived at the small, shabby rental house he called home.
The library only provided a 500-yuan housing subsidy, so Qin Yang had to settle for an old and cheaply decorated place that barely met living standards.
He poured himself a glass of water and sat on his bed, ready to relax with some videos.
But just as he picked up his device, his brows furrowed.
Rustle… rustle…
There were strange noises coming from under the bed.
"A rat?" he muttered, standing up.
He grabbed his phone and turned on the flashlight, crouching down to take a look.
A shadow moved.
Thinking it was just a mouse, he casually grabbed a broom and swept the creature out from under the bed.
"Hey, is this… a cockroach?" Qin Yang's eyes widened in disbelief.
What lay before him wasn't just any cockroach. It was the size of a mouse, its body covered in a hardened red shell. It looked like something straight out of a nightmare.
"So this is a fantasy world. Even the cockroaches are on steroids," he muttered, amazed.
Without hesitation, he raised his foot, intending to squash it.
But just then, a long-lost sound echoed in his mind.
Ding! King-level star beast detected: Immortal Cockroach.
Warning! Danger!
The gap between the host and the king-level star beast is enormous. Escape immediately!
Repeat, escape immediately!
The system's voice wasn't calm. It was panicked, as if it had encountered something truly terrifying.
"Immortal cockroach? King-level star beast?"
Qin Yang froze, staring at the creature in shock.
In this world, Star Warriors were divided into two major realms: Acquired and Innate.
The Acquired realm had nine levels. Breaking into the Innate realm required exceptional talent, the kind seen once in a million.
Humans used the power of stars to grow stronger.
But non-human creatures could absorb the same power and become terrifying star beasts. These creatures not only gained strength but also developed special abilities.
Star Warriors hunted star beasts for their star cores to increase their cultivation.
In return, star beasts could devour humans to strengthen themselves.
Thus, an eternal conflict existed between the two.
A king-level star beast was equivalent to an Innate-level human warrior.
And now, the system was telling him that the cockroach in front of him—barely the size of his palm—was actually such a beast?
But Qin Yang was just an ordinary worker. He couldn't even absorb star power. How could he fight a king-level beast?
Ding! Host, escape now! Your life is in danger!
The system's urgent warnings continued in his mind.
Qin Yang stared at the insect, still confused.
Brother System, are you joking?This is just a big cockroach… right?
Sure, it was huge. But calling it a king-level star beast seemed a bit much.
At that moment, a translucent screen suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
Race: Undead Cockroach (Contains the blood of ancient demon worms)Level: KingInnate Ability: ImmortalityTraits: Violent, unstable temperament
Qin Yang blinked. "It really is an immortal cockroach?"
More importantly… he could now view hidden information?
Maybe the system wasn't entirely useless after all.
"Alert! Alert! The undead cockroach is violent and extremely dangerous! Escape immediately!" the system blared again.
His heart tightened, and he instinctively took a step back.
But then, he noticed something odd.
The cockroach was spinning in circles, confused and seemingly disoriented, as if it didn't even know where it was.
This silly thing is a beast king?
Seeing the harmless way it moved, Qin Yang relaxed slightly.
This system must be malfunctioning.
Still, he remembered the creature's supposed innate ability—immortality—and a wild idea crept into his mind.
Without another word, Qin Yang lifted his foot and stomped down.
Snap!
The shell cracked with a sickening crunch. The giant cockroach exploded beneath his foot, its innards splattered across the floor.
He looked down at the mess with a sneer.
This is the so-called Beast King?
It hadn't even had time to squeak before he crushed it like any regular bug.
"Something's seriously wrong with this system," he muttered.