War Against the World

The white hall lay before Zhen Xuegang, strewn with the lifeless bodies of those who had dared to intrude his building. Yet, their presence seemed inconsequential to him, like a mere pebble in his way.

It might be unpleasant, but it was simply irrelevant.

Unfazed by the grim scene around him, Zhen Xuegang pressed forward. With each step, he drew closer to a colossal door that loomed ahead. Crafted from a secret material known only to a select few, he referred to it as 'Quanite'. The Quanite boasted unparalleled strength, shattering records in tensile, yield, and impact strength by at least 108x. While its compressive strength was nothing impressive, its ability to retain its extraordinary properties under temperatures exceeding 5,000 Celcius, the temperature of the surface of the sun itself, it promised a revolution in the global industry.

But the world was not ready for this yet. Only state-of-the-art technology could produce a small quantity of this material, ensuring its monopoly by the few powerful. Hence, Zhen Xuegang had kept its existence concealed. But once he pushed the global technology by 60-80 years ahead of time, he would consider releasing this alongside several other groundbreaking discoveries, should he ever need it.

The door slowly opened, revealing an empty enclosed room. It was an excellent bedroom, complete with the basic amenities—a toilet, a shower, and even a TV for offline entertainment. However, the room bore no signs of life, as if it had remained untouched for a significant period.

As the silence continued, Zhen Xuegang stepped inside and scanned the roo—Zhen Xuegang ducked, narrowly evading a kick aimed at his head. But the assault didn't stop there. An unrelenting flurry of attacks followed right after as the air crackled with intensity.

However, Zhen Xuegang proved to be quite formidable, calmly maneuvering to dodge and block the onslaught. His movements were fluid and seemingly effortless, each strike was met with calculated precision, and his stance stood firm.

"Give it up, you can't defeat me in hand-to-hand combat."

Zhen Xuegang announced it matter-of-factly. And with a swift movement, he seized the assailant's feet and forcefully pushed him to the floor.

"Guk! Dammit!" the young man winced in pain angrily, his anger evident in his expression.

Zhen Xuegang looked at him with indifference. The young man before him possessed a strikingly handsome appearance. His hair, an unruly mess of pure white, framed his face in a wild, untamed fashion. His eyes, a captivating shade of deep crimson, held a glimmer of intensity and defiance. With a lean and muscular physique that spoke of strength and agility, it's like the young man was not born naturally but instead sculpted, created while striving for perfection in mind.

Zhen Xuegang's gaze shifted toward an empty food tray placed nearby. A smirk played at the corners of his lips. "Oh? So you finally stopped your hunger strike? Did you grow a few brain cells to realize that it's useless?"

The young man shot him a look of pure hatred. "Zhen Xuegang! Why did you come here?!"

Zhen Xuegang replied nonchalantly. "What? Can't I visit my own prisoner?" He then showed a white bracelet on his wrist and began tinkering with it. In just a second, a livestream of the current situation inside the building unfolded before them.

The feed showcased the chaos that had engulfed the premise—Alfred's robotic forces engaging the intruders, the meticulous isolation of the enemy combatants into smaller groups, and the countless death that followed soon after. Zhen Xuegang watched the holographic screen with a detached air.

But then, he glanced at the young handsome man and ridiculed him. "Your stupid friends are here to rescue you… again. Sigh, you really have quite a tight bond with these people."

As he witnessed the cold, heartless robots mercilessly killing his comrades with weapons and technologies straight out of science fiction, a raging fury consumed the young man. His eyes flashed crimson, fueled by overwhelming anger, as his innate hatred intensified and etched across his face.

"You scum!!" the man roared.

But Zhen Xuegang still goes and add more oil. "I wonder what I should do to destroy their morale… hmm, I recalled a rumor about you having a sweetheart. She should be the one leading these people in your place, right? What was her name again? Was it Su–"

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhen Xuegang's attention was abruptly drawn to the young man consuming something hastily—an enhancing drug most likely. However, rather than being alarmed, Zhen Xuegang calmly smiled and expressed his amazement.

"Not bad~~," he remarked with both admiration and intrigue. "I didn't think you could still manage to sneak something in here. How did you do it, Yan Feng? Did Su Xing send it to you?"

As Zhen Xuegang's words hung in the air, colorless steam began to emanate from Yan Feng's body, billowing outward without cessation. Standing up, Yan Feng glared at Zhen Xuegang with seething violence, an unyielding desire to tear him apart simmering within his gaze.

"Keep her name out your fucking mouth!!"

With his amplified ability, Yan Feng closed the distance between them in an instant. The force behind his charge was tenfold than what he could ever muster, a testament to the enhancing effects of the drug Yan Feng consumed.

Despite the sudden speed, Zhen Xuegang still managed to barely halt Yan Feng's assault. But his eyes revealed a mixture of shock when he saw the familiar effect. A frown marred his face as his gaze turned colder by the second.

"You... How did you get that?"

"Hmph! Surprised?!"

Before Zhen Xuegang could say anything, a punch materialized before his eyes. In that split second, he was forced to defend and raised both hands to block the blow. But the impact sent him staggering back instantly, his feet stumbling from the insane force.

Zhen Xuegang grunted, feeling the jarring impact reverberate through his bones. 

"What's wrong?! How does it feel to be the weaker one for once, Zhen Xuegang?!"

No wonder Yan Feng finally ate the food provided to him. The pill he had taken required significant nutrition to reach its optimal effectiveness. Furthermore, this pill had no lasting side effect, in fact, the user would retain a portion of its effects even after it ended.

Strikes upon strikes continued to assault Zhen Xuegang's senses, his vision filled with nothing but a flurry of attacks. The power disparity between him and Yan Feng made it difficult for Zhen Xuegang to properly block even a single one of them. He was forced to do evasive maneuvers and redirect the incoming blows, desperately trying to avoid the full force of the assaults. For the first time ever, Zhen Xuegang encountered difficulties in a one-on-one fight.

Yan Feng, fueled by a rush of adrenaline, became more chaotic, violent, and unpredictable. Finally, he could see the desperation of that man's face.

Well, how could he not? Even with his Close Combat Skill raised to level 10, the max level. Yan Feng had never before held the advantage against Zhen Xuegang. However, after upgrading the unfinished pill he had kept in his Supreme System's inventory into the Perfected state, an opportunity presented itself.

Through the telepathic skill he had painstakingly acquired, Yan Feng had coordinated with Su Xing to distract Zhen Xuegang's A.I, all to gain a chance to face him alone. But now, as he unleashed his fury upon Zhen Xuegang, Yan Feng regretted being so hot-headed. He should have found another way without sacrificing so many of his comrades.

"But I can't help it! This fucker is getting crazier day by day! God knows when he will turn this earth into hell!"

Even with the assistance of the System, Yan Feng struggled to fully suppress Zhen Xuegang. Perhaps if he had obtained the Supreme System a few years earlier, before Zhen Xuegang had amassed such vast resources and authority, he might have had a chance. But that's a lie. Upon discovering the restricted areas concealed beneath the building, Yan Feng realized that Zhen Xuegang had the capability to destroy the global society and force it back to the stone age whenever he want. Thus, he was determined to eliminate Zhen Xuegang before he completely lost it.

But…

"You! Why are you not going down?!" Yan Feng exclaimed in frustration. In the first few minutes of the fight, he had been able to dictate the flow, but now it seemed as if the effects of the pill he had consumed had vanished without a trace.

'System!! You said the effect would last for 10 minutes!!'

DING!

[Indeed Host! The pill is still in full effect!], the mechanical voice in his mind responded.

Yan Feng's heart sank as the realization hit him like a punch in the gut. If he was still supposed to be in full strength, didn't that mean Zhen Xuegang was the one getting stronger?

'This fucker could still grow stronger? This doesn't make sens–.'

All of a sudden, Yan Feng's hands were seized. Yan Feng tried to break free, but it was all for naught, Zhen Xuegang was already stronger than him.

In one swift motion, Zhen Xuegang pulled the hand downward to force Yan Feng's face to follow suit before having a devastating knee striked his chin. And when Yan Feng's hand was finally released, Zhen Xuegang grabbed his face, forcing it through the floor and creating a massive crack in the fortified floor.

Taking a deep breath, Zhen Xuegang readjusted himself. It had been quite some time since he had to exert himself. Meanwhile, Yan Feng struggled to support his bleeding head, his trembling hand filled with a mixture of horror and disbelief as he gazed upon the creature standing before him.

"You... monster..."

Zhen Xuegang ignored his remark and looked at him with eyes that brought shivers to one's spine. "I don't know how you got that pill. But if I ever see it again, death will be your wishful paradise."

That pill was developed by Zhen Xuegang a long time ago. After he got the Universal Basic Income to take effect across the country, he intended it to boost the overall health of the population and enhance their body immunity.

But it was never fully realized, Zhen Xuegang had stopped the research and destroyed everything related to it. So he had no idea how Yan Feng got a hold of it and even perfected it.

Yan Feng ground his teeth in frustration, a sense of helplessness washed over him. He knew he couldn't give up, but he already tried everything to stop this madman!

In a fit of frustration, Yan Feng pounded the floor with his fist, 'Dammit! If only I got the System earlier!'

This all began six years ago, a year after Yan Feng had obtained the Supreme System. The man who was once hailed as the greatest genius reemerged into the world. Initially, Yan Feng believed that he had finally found someone who could match him, a companion to rebel against the rampant injustice. However, contrary to popular expectations, Zhen Xuegang chose to live-stream his experiments and share his research with the world.

At first, people regarded it as a blessing, seeing the greatest genius pioneering humanity's advancement. But as time went on, Zhen Xuegang's experiments grew increasingly deranged and questionable. He disregarded all ethical considerations, achieving countless breakthroughs in a matter of months or even weeks, things that were meant to take decades if not centuries to accomplish.

The first disaster that struck was the emergence of two breakthroughs. Silk, a material that could mimic human skin with no difference to the naked eye. Unlike silicone-based skin, this material was easy to manufacture, cheap, and easy for the human skin. Countless cosmetic brands began golfing it up and advertised its revolutionary capabilities to improve one's beauty.

But as people became adept at using it, Zhen Xuegang released a voice synthesis software called VoiceReplica. The technology could capture the nuances and speech intonations unique to an individual in a matter of seconds. All you need is just a 5-minute recording of someone else and you now have a digital clone of that person ready to say anything that you ask.

With both breakthroughs, the slow-rising problem of deepfake suddenly exploded. Videos of countless influencers and political figures sprung out of nowhere and countless misinformation and blatant malice were publicized on the internet. The so-called video evidence became almost irrelevant since anyone could easily forge it with a bit of skill in makeup. However, this was nothing compared to what happened a month later.

The second disaster came in the form of quantum computing, predicted to be 50-100 years ahead of its time. Anyone could possess their own pocket-sized quantum computer, leading to a virtual world with no anonymity or security. It became possible for anyone to unearth information about anyone else, even from years ago or from the most securely guarded accounts. Most encryption methods became obsolete as quantum computing obliterated any semblance of virtual security, rendering services like banks defenseless. It was a time when governments, organizations, and even the elite had to unite to preserve the fragile economy, a feat that could only be described as miraculous.

By that point, the powerful groups attempted to put a restriction on Zhen Xuegang's suicidal behavior, but it was clear that Zhen Xuegang was ahead of his time. His virtual firewall was impenetrable, and his android guard possessed technology that was deemed science fiction by conventional standards. Even the government could not touch him in any way. Any armaments of level 5 or above were immediately detected and neutralized by him. With each passing month, Zhen Xuegang shared groundbreaking discoveries in various fields, ranging from technology and biology to engineering and chemistry. His relentless pursuit of research pushed the boundaries of what was considered possible, leaving the rest of the world behind in the dust.

The law couldn't keep up and hold the people accountable with the ever-evolving technology. But if one couldn't keep up with the new inventions, they would be eaten by others who did. Even governments were locked in a race against various terrorist organizations on who could adopt the inventions released by Zhen Xuegang.

All they could do was watch while Zhen Xuegang treated the world as his playground, his own personal sandbox.

When Yan Feng witnessed Zhen Xuegang leaving his prison, confusion fueled his trembling words. "Why…? Why are you doing this?"

The motives of power, money, and influence was insufficient to explain Zhen Xuegang's actions. Did he find amusement in watching society crumbling, relishing the chaos that ensued as society scrambled together to hold it all?

Yet, Zhen Xuegang chose to disrega–

"Is it because of what happened 10 years ago?"

Zhen Xuegang's reaction was immediate—a momentary freeze that didn't go unnoticed by Yan Feng. Realization dawned in Yan Feng's eyes, had he stumbled upon a weakness?

"I understand your pain! But there was nothing more you could do! You've tried your bes–"

Bam!

Zhen Xuegang kicked the young man to the other side of the room.

"Guk..."

Blood kept trailing from Yan Feng's mouth, it felt like his lung had collapsed, if not for using the Supreme System's help, he would have died from the impa– All of a sudden, Zhen Xuegang brought his leg right at Yan Feng's stomach.

BAM!

"So you dig up my history? That's very brave of you."

"Cough cough! …Bastard, it was cough… known worldwide!! It was every– gggggaaaggggghhh!!!"

Zhen Xuegang stomped him deeper to the ground to shut his damn mouth.

"Yan Feng, the sole son of the fallen Yan family, you entered an average college with average academic scores and sports, a true nameless Joe."

When Yan Feng heard that, he harrumphed in great difficulty.

"So what? Cough.. are you surprised that I came from a normal background?"

Zhen Xuegang's lips curved slightly, and with a cold glint, he continued.

"…Was what was known publicly. In truth, his family had moved their assets and people overseas and left their only heir to fend himself alone."

"W-what?!"

Yan Feng's eyes slowly widened as he couldn't believe what he was about to hear.

"With his father's instruction, he entered the 'nameless' institute at a young age and became the sole graduate of what was considered the cruelest curriculum by far. But despite his great achievement, he entered an ordinary college and met a girl named Su Xing, the lost daughter of the great Chen family. The reason? He was tasked by the mistress of the Chen family to eliminate her to erase potential competitors… but alas, that mistress was completely played by you, turns out you two are childhood sweethearts, so you took that job to keep her safe while you sabotage and overthrow the Chen family."

"H-how did you…" With each hidden history peeled layer by layer, Yan Feng felt fear digging into his heart.

"But overthrowing one of the great families by yourself was certainly no easy task. In fact, you died once didn't you, Yan Feng? And yet you got 'miraculously' revived, and since then, unexplainable miracles began to happen around you, from taking out foreign items out of nowhere to a sudden surge of strength in time of crisis to even instant mastery over any subject. What was considered inhumane feats was like an everyday jog to you."

Hairs rose all over Yan Feng's body, did Zhen Xuegang find out about his System? That's impossible! He never told anyone about it!

"And considering you managed to hide that pill all this time, I'm certain of it Yan Feng, you're different. You're not 'normal'."

"I-I…"

Zhen Xuegang's gaze turned colder and more cruel.

"Now tell me, why? Why are you not 'normal'? What's your secre–"

Zhen Xuegang stopped his questioning, his eyes frowned while he scanned Yan Feng's condition, the hands that tried to break free from his leg had long stopped resisting. The face that was once filled with confidence and determination was replaced with pure terror and eyes trembling in fear. Yan Feng's breathing was irregular and loud, yet his body screamed silence and quietness.

Zhen Xuegang recognized this reaction, this was despair.

True despair had manifested in Yan Feng's heart and the seemingly undying hope that once brimming with light was nowhere to be seen. Silence filled the room as Zhen Xuegang thought quietly.

While each passing second lasted like an eternity for Yan Feng, all of a sudden, Zhen Xuegang released his leg. And before Yan Feng could process what had happened, a card dropped right beside him.

"You're free now."

This was a clearance card, and from Zhen Xuegang's words, it should give Yan Feng enough authority to leave the building.

…But why? Yan Feng watched as Zhen Xuegang walked away quietly. Did he pity him? Did he lose interest in him? Just why?

"W-wait cough…! S-stop!"

And as though to answer his question, Zhen Xuegang turned his head and looked at him from the corner of his eyes. And at that moment, the blood in Yan Feng's body froze as he heard the quiet words reverberating silently.

"Prepare yourself. From tomorrow onward, I declare the world as my enemy."