“He just awakened the Mechanic Sequence!” Nana announced. Everyone looked at Chen Ye with surprise or envy.
“Mechanic Sequence? Seriously?”
“Hiss… lucky bastard!”
“That makes four Sequence Beyonders in our convoy. We’re getting stronger.”
Four? Chen Ye’s mind raced. So there’s one more besides Nana and the giant.
He glanced at the barefoot young man. Him?
Nana tipped her head toward the motorized tricycle, her chin held high. She seemed pleased to have discovered another Sequence Beyonder.
“Captain, you remember what this looked like last night. Look at it now! Only a Mechanic Sequence Beyonder could do this. Not bad, having another mechanic on the team, is it?” She gave Chen Ye a hearty pat on the shoulder.
The survivors murmured in agreement. Their gazes lingered on the modified trike, then drifted back to Chen Ye. The women looked at him with starry eyes; the men, with bitter jealousy.
Sequence Beyonders were legends. Everyone had heard the stories, and Apricot Blossom Town had proven their power was real. To be under the protection of another one… just the thought made hope kindle in their desperate eyes.
Mechanic Sequence? Presumably it was a kind of Beyonder with powers involving machinery.
With his Upgrade System, he did seem a little like one.
“Congratulations on awakening as a Sequence Beyonder. A whole new world awaits you.”
The distinctive barefoot man stood and held out his hand with a sunny smile.
Chen Ye felt as if the door to the world of Sequence Beyonders had opened halfway for him.
A wisp of steam rose from a teacup.
It was his first cup of tea since the apocalypse. He had never cared for it before, but now its fragrance was refreshing.
He had been invited into a tent with Chu Che and Nana. Only the three of them were there.
“Let’s do formal introductions,” Chu Che said, his voice smooth. “I’m Chu Che. Pathfinder Sequence.”
“Chen Ye. Um… the Mechanic Sequence.” If they were sure that was what he was, he might as well play the part.
“There’s one more you’ve seen—the big guy, Iron Lion. He’s a Titan Sequence, currently recovering from his injuries.” Chu Che took a sip of tea. “You must have just awakened, right?”
“As a newly awakened Beyonder, you must have many questions. I was just as confused when I first awakened. You can ask me anything you wish to know.”
Chen Ye thought for a moment. “What is the Mechanic Sequence?”
Chu Che gave him a surprised look. Newly awakened Beyonders should receive some basic information from their genes. Why did this man seem to know nothing? He set the doubt aside and sipped his tea.
“As I understand it, the Mechanic Sequence grants an extraordinary talent for machinery. Mechanics have an innate intuition for how machines work and the principles behind them. It is a support Sequence, and would be one of the most desirable in peacetime. A pity…”
Chen Ye nodded slowly, absorbing the information. Chu Che’s explanation opened a window into this hidden world.
There were more than a hundred Sequences, each with its own abilities. Chu Che knew only a few; much remained unknown, with the global apocalypse only a few months old.
They fell into categories such as combat, support, and supernatural Sequences. Some countries even had unique ones: the Xia nation had the Sword Immortal and Heavenly Master Sequences, while the island nation had Ninja and Shikigami Sequences. Nana followed the Xia nation’s Sword Immortal Sequence, with an innate gift for the sword.
“Anomalies actually began appearing in 2025. It was not so serious at first, and governments around the world could still just about cope. People had already begun awakening as Beyonders then.”
Chen Ye listened intently. This was history he had never heard.
“Anomalies cannot be killed. Only Sequence Beyonders can fight them. But you saw for yourself: we can have some effect, yet low-level Sequences find killing one difficult, perhaps impossible. The White-Dress Scissor Lady is not even particularly powerful among Anomalies, but Iron Lion and Nana together could only escape with their lives. Iron Lion lost an arm to survive.”
“Human Beyonders are still far too weak against Anomalies. And Anomalies keep growing stronger. Humanity’s future… looks bleak.”
Chu Che spoke slowly and methodically. The more Chen Ye heard, the heavier his heart became.
The Anomalies already present had brought human society to collapse and turned great cities into Forbidden Zones for Humanity. Yet they were still evolving and growing stronger.
Did humanity still have hope?
Human cities had become Anomaly nests, Forbidden Zones for Humanity. Chu Che also answered a question Chen Ye had long wondered about: why the convoy had stayed safe. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping dot com.
“I’m a Pathfinder,” he said. “My Sequence has zero combat power. But I can sense the ‘aura’ of Anomalies within a certain range. I find the safe paths between the danger zones.”
That explained it. Why they never got ambushed on the road. Why they ran so frantically from the town before nightfall.
Anomalies were drawn to people, and a larger convoy attracted more of them. The survivors had to keep moving to evade pursuit. They had no destination; staying alive was their only aim.
He looked Chen Ye in the eye. “That’s why we need you. A fourth Beyonder makes the convoy safer. Welcome to the team, Chen Ye.”
Nana watched Chen Ye with bright eyes.
Chen Ye shrugged. What choice did he have but to join?
He shook Chu Che’s hand. “By the way, Captain Chu, does the convoy have gasoline?”
“We do. But what do you have to trade for it, brother?”
Trade?
“Everyone in this convoy must scavenge their own supplies or trade for them.”
Chen Ye stared at him. I’m a Sequence Beyonder now. I still have to barter? No perks? You just welcomed me to the team!
“Tell you what,” Chu Che said, seeing his expression. “How about we hold an internal market? We just came out of a town; everyone’s packs are full. It’s a good time to exchange resources.”
He winked at Chen Ye. “As long as you can pay the price, you can trade for anything you want.”
Chen Ye’s mind began to whir.
An internal market?
Perhaps he could trade for the materials he needed to upgrade his tricycle.
He began to look forward to it.