Talent Awakens

Su Ya, despite once resenting her humble origins, still harbored deep affection for the family that had always loved and protected her. She couldn't stand by and watch her parents be devoured by zombies.

"No problem."

For Qin Jun, this was a trivial task, easily handled with a single phone call. A call that would earn Su Ya's gratitude and loyalty.

Moreover, bringing Su Ya's parents and sister to safety was also a way to control her…

They would be hostages, after all.

Qin Jun dialed a number.

"Secretary Zhou? I need you to instruct the Beiyang City Armed Forces to pick up a few people for me…"

The "Secretary Zhou" Qin Jun referred to was his father Qin Yuan's trusted confidant, the head of the First Secretariat of the State Council, with the rank of Deputy Minister!

After hanging up, Su Ya reverently kneeled beside Qin Jun, a fiery determination blazing in her eyes.

This was power!

This was privilege!

One phone call could change the fate of many people…

Perhaps with just a word from Qin Jun, the trajectory of countless ordinary lives could be altered…

And Su Ya believed that after the apocalypse, the Qin family's power would become even more blatant...

---

At dawn, many had remained awake all night.

Nearly a hundred thousand people had gathered on the Jiangbei Bridge, packed from end to end, all hoping to enter the safe zone.

Although the government had tried to keep the situation under wraps, it was impossible to conceal the truth forever.

Videos of the zombie outbreak had already gone viral online, sparking chaos in every region. Not only were the quarantine zones in turmoil, but even those in safe zones were panicking.

In the military camp, Chen Zhong stared at the time on his phone.

"July 16, 2023, 5:18 AM."

He silently counted down in his heart—

15...14...13...

...

3...2...1!

Suddenly, the entire sky turned blood red, a red so intense it was terrifying, as if blood had seeped into the heavens!

The rising sun, usually a symbol of hope, now felt completely different.

It was no longer brimming with life and vitality; instead, it was a blood-red, eerie, and incredibly sinister sight!

Then, the ground began to tremble—rumbling thunderously!!!

A colossal black obelisk suddenly erupted from the ground, soaring into the sky, appearing abruptly before the world.

This massive black obelisk was located in the outskirts of Jiangjing City. Although far from the city center, it was so gigantic and imposing that even those in the city could clearly see the mysterious patterns etched on it!

"What is that thing!?"

"A pyramid? How could there be a pyramid underground in Jiangjing City?"

Even the military was in an uproar, their faces marked by shock.

After all, while the zombie virus could be somewhat explained by biological science, the appearance of this black obelisk was a true manifestation of supernatural power!

Everyone walked out of their rooms, staring at the scene in awe.

Chen Zhong stood beside An Mian, while Qin Jun, surrounded by people in the distance, also gazed at the black obelisk, his thoughts unknown.

Amid the commotion, Chen Zhong's eyes darkened, his demeanor becoming extremely calm... even cold!

Because he knew, the apocalypse had officially begun.

There were a total of twenty-four black obelisks worldwide, and even during the last days, no one ever discovered their secrets.

But with the appearance of these black obelisks, the gods' final gift to humanity also began to emerge—Talent Evolution!

The next moment, Chen Zhong suddenly felt his body heating up.

His muscles started to become more defined, gradually filling with explosive power. A few minutes later, Chen Zhong finally calmed down.

But he was now drastically different from before!

Previously, Chen Zhong looked frail, just a typical bookworm.

But now, his muscles were well-defined and solid, transforming him into a true athletic type!

His body was brimming with immense strength. Even the so-called "Elite soldiers" of the military would easily have their throats crushed by Chen Zhong in a fight.

Even Chen Zhong's vision had enhanced, allowing him to effortlessly see small objects hundreds of meters away.

In the face of an evolved human, ordinary people seemed so weak, so helpless...

F-level Talent—Strength Enhancement!

Chen Zhong exhaled slowly, a hint of disappointment in his heart.

After all, F-level talent is the lowest grade. He had hoped that, after being reborn, he could awaken a stronger talent.

But it seemed the world was still following the same trajectory as his previous life.

Meanwhile, Qin Jun had also undergone a transformation. Amidst the exclamations of the crowd, his entire body became enveloped in a dazzling golden light!

Chen Zhong glanced over, already knowing that Qin Jun would awaken his talent.

But at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy.

Because he knew, the talent Qin Jun awakened was an S-level talent—Psychic Manipulation!

A tremendously powerful talent, one that, if cultivated to its peak, could lift a skyscraper with just a finger!

Sometimes, life is simply unfair.

Fate had granted Qin Jun a noble lineage, an attractive appearance, and even bestowed upon him the best possible start in the apocalypse—an S-level talent!

Aside from Talent Seeds, S-level talents were the most powerful ones humans could naturally awaken.

Even compared to the rare SSS-level and SS-level Talent Seeds, Qin Jun's talent ranked among the top ten in the entire apocalyptic world!

And Chen Zhong knew that the unfairness didn't stop there...

The Qin family behind Qin Jun also reaped the most sumptuous and sweetest rewards from the feast the gods had prepared for humanity.

Almost every member of the Qin family awakened a talent, an impossible feat given the backdrop of a talent awakening rate of less than one in ten thousand.

Thus, in the apocalypse, people began to refer to the Qin family as the "God-chosen family"...

With all members becoming evolved humans, combined with the power and resources the Qin family already controlled, the resulting synergy was incredibly terrifying...

...

Chen Zhong then noticed a faint blue glow emanating from Su Ya's body, which slightly surprised him.

Had Su Ya also awakened a talent?

Chen Zhong remained expressionless, his gaze steady. In his previous life, Su Ya quickly disappeared without a trace, but now, it no longer mattered to him.

He and Su Ya had long since severed all ties.

Chen Zhong looked around and realized that out of the entire camp, only the three of them had awakened a talent, highlighting just how difficult it was to awaken one...

Chen Zhong glanced at Qin Jun again, a sense of superiority suddenly rising in his heart.

So what if you've awakened an S-level talent?

So what if your Qin family is a God-chosen family?

I'm about to claim an SSS-level Talent Seed.

And when that happens, I will become the king of the world!

Chen Zhong softly said to An Mian, "An Mian, let's go now."

Chen Zhong knew that now was the best time to leave.

Qin Jun had probably already noticed him for some reason and might have even ordered someone to watch him.

If they had left last night, Qin Jun would have definitely found out.

But now was the perfect moment.

Because Qin Jun was still in the process of awakening his talent, and the higher the talent level, the more time it takes to adapt.

Moreover, after awakening his talent, Qin Jun would undoubtedly want to explore its capabilities.

In the short term, Qin Jun wouldn't have the energy to concern himself with other matters...

----

Chen Zhong and An Mian quietly left the camp, heading towards the entrance.

As for An Xinling, she had left the camp the night before to reunite with her officers and head to the Governor's Mansion to set up defenses.

Zhao Yi, who was by Qin Jun's side, glanced at the two quietly leaving but said nothing.

Qin Jun had already instructed him yesterday not to stop Chen Zhong.

In fact, after An Mian contacted that lieutenant last night, the lieutenant immediately went to Zhao Yi to "confess."

Although he was indeed affiliated with the An family, but with the situation in Jiangjing being so critical, who wouldn't want to find a way out? Ultimately, the An family's rise was too recent. They only started gaining prominence after An Feng took power, which can't compare to a true aristocratic family like the Qin family, which has been noble for generations.

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(A/N)- please don't forget to give power stones and reviews so I know if i should continue this novel or not.