In this world, anyone who failed to open a Divine Domain by eighteen wasn't even qualified to tighten screws in an electronics factory. Their only option was to go to the front and become an all-you-can-eat buffet for Abyssal monsters.
On the athletic field of Jiangcheng No. 3 Divine Academy, a suffocating tension weighed on every eighteen-year-old student.
This was the world Lin Yuan had faced every day for the eighteen years since his transmigration.
A world of martial might and gods, resisting an invasion from the "Abyssal Void."
Humanity's means of fighting its enemies and obtaining resources was to open a [Divine Domain] at eighteen, cultivate followers, and kindle a Divine Flame.
White light flashed ceaselessly before the awakening array.
"Zhao Qiang. Failed to sense the Astral Realm. Awakening unsuccessful. Next."
"Liu Bo. Divine Domain area: three hundred square kilometers. Starting environment: swamp. Talent: E-rank [Poison Resistance]. Next."
"Chen Fei. Divine Domain area: one hundred square kilometers. Starting environment: barren land. Talent: F-rank [Plant Growth]. Next."
The instructor's voice echoed across the field.
Dozens of students went through in succession. The best talent among them was only E-rank.
Their Divine Domains were pitifully small, too.
Lin Yuan stood near the back of the line, unconsciously rubbing his fingers against his trouser seam.
He was a transmigrator, and an orphan adopted by a disabled veteran.
The old man had spent every bit of his discharge pay and welfare money on nutrient solutions to strengthen Lin Yuan's body.
If today's awakening failed, all that money would have gone down the drain.
Everyone else gets a system when they transmigrate. I've waited eighteen years and haven't seen so much as a pop-up.
Lin Yuan grumbled inwardly.
"Su Yueying, step forward." The instructor's voice suddenly rose.
The crowd parted of its own accord.
Su Yueying, the academy's most beautiful girl, stepped onto the array and pressed her hand against the awakening realmstone.
A blinding column of pure white light shot into the sky, scattering the gloom cast by the Abyssal monster projections above the field.
Numbers flickered across the light screen before finally settling.
"Divine Domain area: one hundred thousand square kilometers!"
"Starting environment: Holy Light Plains!"
"Talent: S-rank [Holy Light Judgment]!"
"Starting kin: Silver-grade Light Elves!"
For two seconds, the entire field was silent. Then a tidal wave of exclamations erupted.
"A hundred thousand square kilometers! An S-rank talent! Jiangcheng hasn't produced a genius like this in over a decade, has it?"
"The Su Family is a major financial power. She already had mountains of resources coming her way, and now she's awakened the Holy Light Plains? She's going straight to the top!"
The instructor's face glowed. His earlier indifference became an intensely welcoming smile. "Miss Su, the Holy Light Plains are exceptionally well suited to cultivating advanced races."
"If you need it, we can arrange special access to the academy's A-grade resource vault."
Su Yueying gave a slight nod, her expression composed. "Thank you, Instructor."
She left the array. Every student along her path lowered their head instinctively, awed by a future high-ranking god.
"Next, Lin Yuan."
Lin Yuan straightened his washed-out school uniform and walked toward the realmstone.
Deliberately hushed whispers immediately rose from the crowd.
"That's Lin Yuan, the guy who's always first in theory? I heard he's an orphan."
"What good is theory? In a world of gods, background and talent are what matter."
"The old guy who adopted him is a cripple living on welfare and cheap liquor. He can't even afford starting resources. Even if Lin Yuan awakens, he won't be able to feed his followers."
Lin Yuan ignored them.
He stopped in position, raised his hand, and pressed his palm against the realmstone.
His consciousness tore free of his body. An immense force dragged it into the boundless Astral Realm.
Within the emptiness, Lin Yuan sensed the space that belonged to him.
It expanded rapidly. Ten thousand, fifty thousand, a hundred thousand... three hundred thousand square kilometers!
An astonishing area!
Yet Lin Yuan's heart sank.
Across those three hundred thousand square kilometers, there was no water, no greenery. Only cracked, charred earth.
There was no sun overhead. Nothing but an endless fall of ash.
Not a trace of life. A true dead zone.
At the same time, a violent tremor ran through the depths of his soul.
Two completely different notification tones exploded in his mind at once.
[Synchronizing data with the external light screen—]
[Name: Lin Yuan]
[Divine Domain Area: 300,000 square kilometers]
[Starting Environment: Scorched Earth]
[Talent Assessment: F-rank Talent—Wasteland Descent]
[Overall Rating: F- (Extremely dangerous. Abandonment recommended.)]
The light screen on the field displayed the same information.
The students had gasped at "three hundred thousand square kilometers." Now, reading the rest, they burst into laughter and sighs.
"Three hundred thousand square kilometers of garbage dump!"
"Scorched earth with Wasteland Descent? Even the toughest weeds couldn't grow there. Put followers inside, and every last one will starve or choke on poison gas within a week."
"That's rough. First in theory, handed a death sentence in practice. What a waste of all that space."
The instructor's smile faded. He looked at Lin Yuan beside the realmstone and shook his head.
"Lin Yuan." His voice returned to its former coldness. "A large Divine Domain is a good thing, but environment and talent determine its potential."
"If you force yourself to kindle a Divine Flame and develop followers, your domain's collapse will backlash against your soul. At best, you'll suffer severe brain damage. At worst, you'll die on the spot."
"Go to the logistics office and collect your government compensation. Settle down and live as a mortal. There's no shame in that."
Lin Yuan stood on the platform with his head bowed, his shoulders trembling slightly.
To everyone watching, he was a proud top student shattered by a devastating blow.
None of them knew that he was biting his tongue hard, using the pain to hold back his wild elation.
Deep within his mind, the second notification shone with a dazzling dark-gold light.
[Extreme mutation detected in the soul—]
[Hidden Unique Talent Awakened: SSS-rank—Creation Extraction]
[Effect: Ignores all planar laws. The host may extract "conceptual traits" from any substance, corpse, or damaged Divine Domain core, such as Toughness, Reproduction, Berserk, Division, and Divinity, and bestow them upon followers or Divine Domain buildings.]
[Warning: This talent exceeds the current universe's tier. Concealment mode has been activated automatically to prevent detection. All external examinations will permanently identify it as the F-rank talent "Wasteland Descent."]
A unique talent. SSS-rank. It ignored the laws themselves.
Lin Yuan knew exactly how much that meant.
Gods in this world had countless methods at their disposal.
Plundering resources, devouring Divine Kingdoms, and enslaving lesser gods were commonplace.
Some evil gods specializing in soul laws could even strip other people's talents out of them alive.
If he revealed an SSS-rank talent in front of everyone today, countless Demigods and True Gods would descend upon Jiangcheng tonight, cut him into pieces, and throw him into a laboratory.
The tallest tree caught the strongest wind.
Stay under the radar. He absolutely had to stay under the radar.
An F-rank wasteland was the perfect cover.
Lin Yuan slowly raised his head. His expression was three parts resentment, three parts desolation, and four parts despair.
He bowed deeply to the instructor.
"I understand, Instructor. Thank you."
His voice was hoarse. Just right.
Lin Yuan stepped down from the array.
The crowd parted again, but this time out of avoidance rather than respect, as if his bad luck might be contagious.
He had barely returned to the line when a fleshy body bumped into him and an arm hooked around his shoulders.
"Old Lin, don't lose your nerve!"
His best friend, Fatty Wang, lowered his voice.
"I just awakened the E-rank talent [Meat Processing]."
"My starting environment's a huge grassland."
"From now on, I'll get you all the offal and scraps from my family's meatpacking plant! I'll deliver them to your Divine Domain regularly!"
"As long as there's meat, your followers won't starve!"
Lin Yuan looked at the cold sweat beading on Fatty's forehead in his anxiety.
The tension inside him eased a little.
Fatty Wang's family owned a meatpacking plant. He was a moderately well-off rich kid.
He had helped Lin Yuan out plenty of times before.
Lin Yuan reached out and patted his friend's broad back.
"Thanks, Fatty. Don't worry. I can take it."