As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

After a long, snowy silence, the live broadcast signal over the Pacific Ocean was finally switched back to the studio.

The host was pale and incoherent, trying to summarize the absurd few minutes with grand terms such as "an extraordinary phenomenon beyond comprehension" and "a turning point in human history."

But any language seems pale and powerless in the face of that scene—an SS-level world-ending crisis was casually put into someone's pocket like picking up a pebble from the roadside.

The crisis ended in a way that almost humiliated the human capacity for tension.

It's like child's play.

However, the mess it left behind was even more troublesome for official agencies in various countries, especially the China Supernatural Abilities Bureau, than for a hundred "Abyss Echoes".

First, they needed to appease and explain to the "man in gray." This was almost an impossible task.

Ultimately, following emergency global consultations, a vague joint supplementary statement was released.

The gist is that "there exists a higher level of protective power or phenomenon that is incomprehensible," and it is temporarily classified as an "X-level unknown entity."

At the same time, the public is urged to remain calm and trust the existing social system.

The statement itself is like a lame joke, but at least it's an explanation.

The real storm comes after that snap of the fingers.

The global awakening is not evenly distributed, nor is it universally celebrated.

Some people become arrogant after gaining power, and small-scale conflicts, boasting, and even criminal behavior begin to occur in the streets and alleys;

Some people panicked or even suffered a mental breakdown due to the sudden change;

More often than not, people feel lost, bewildered by the sparks appearing in their palms or the illusory numbers (serial numbers) that appear before their eyes.

The Bureau of Supernatural Abilities' phone lines were overwhelmed with calls, ranging from inquiries like "What should I do if my fingers are electrified?" to reports like "My neighbor can lift a trash can and throw it to the second floor," with the number of incidents increasing exponentially.

The elite special operations team, originally focused on dealing with high-threat alien beasts and major superpower crimes, had to divert a large number of personnel to maintain basic order, register and guide new awakened individuals, and handle civil disputes related to superpowers.

On the streets and alleys, patrolling police officers are now accompanied by civilian staff from the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities (who are so busy they don’t even have time to change out of their uniforms) who are responsible for initial screening and reassurance.

The news was playing the "Basic Code of Conduct for Superpowered Individuals (Provisional)" and "Initiative on the Proper Use of Newly Acquired Abilities" on a loop, with the tone becoming increasingly serious.

The world is chaotic. Occasionally, you might see someone using telekinesis to snatch the last bag of potato chips in a supermarket, or someone on a bus might freeze the windows due to emotional distress...

Overall, however, the social framework remains intact, and after the initial shock, the state apparatus has begun to reconnect and operate with astonishing efficiency.

Chaos ensues, but within a controllable range, a "new daily life" with a touch of magical realism is rapidly taking shape amidst the chaos.

Meanwhile, within the superpower system, a more profound and disruptive transformation is taking place.

The old SABCDEF rating system, based on energy readings and practical performance, became a historical reference almost overnight after the emergence of the "All-Spirit Sequence".

A new, more brutal, and more direct standard of strength was instinctively perceived by all those with supernatural abilities:

Previously, being able to kill an A-level alien beast independently was one of the key criteria for advancing to S-level.

The new consensus in the Wanling Sequence is that only those who can independently kill an S-class alien beast are qualified to be initially recognized as true "strongmen".

This "strongest" might only rank in the dozens or less in the entire hierarchy of spirits.

The standards for evaluation were suddenly raised to a suffocating level.

Some of the original A-level and B-level assessors may find themselves ranked five or six thousandth after sequence awakening.

Meanwhile, some of the original S-level individuals, such as Li Yu and Chen Zhe, have seen their rankings decline.

This means that, according to the new, vague but widely accepted unspoken rule of "sequence is power,"...

They need to prove themselves again, and challenge threats at the S-level (old) or even higher levels that they never dared to imagine before, in order to gain recognition and resources similar to their rank.

Pressure, immense pressure, weighed heavily on the hearts of every superhuman aspiring to become stronger.

The old order was broken, and new, steeper pyramids were taking shape.

In the underground of the Superpowers Bureau, an emergency strategic meeting has been going on for more than ten hours.

The air was thick with smoke (despite the air purification system), and everyone's eyes were bloodshot.

"The statistics are in."

The person in charge of data integration had a hoarse voice.

"Nationwide, among the top 1000 newly awakened individuals, 132 have been initially identified. Among them, 17 are in the top 100, and none are in the top 10. The highest-ranking individual is a young man who awakened voluntarily in the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, at Sequence 47. His abilities are preliminarily determined to be related to 'Earth Pulse'."

Old Zhou and Zhou Zhengguo had solemn expressions.

The first 10 sequences, especially the one that is currently suspended and should theoretically exist (sequence 001), became their biggest source of doubt and expectation.

The level of power displayed by the gray-clad man made them realize that, in the face of the "earth-shattering and sky-collapsing" ending predicted by 004, their existing top-tier combat power (even Lilith and Hyotei) might still be insufficient.

They must find the "seeds" of the new era.

Those newcomers with the highest potential for advancement are nurtured at the fastest speed and at all costs.

"Find them."

Zhou Zhengguo spoke with absolute certainty, his eyes now etched with deep dark circles.

"Especially those with potential high-sequence potential, the top 500 should be highlighted. Activate the highest level of the 'Torch Relay Plan,' with allocated resources and special policy approvals, to transform them from clueless newcomers into pillars capable of standing alone and even fighting against the apocalypse in the shortest possible time! We don't have three years left, the time may be even shorter!"

Commands were passed down through the ranks.

While dealing with the daily chaos, the massive machine that is the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities has begun another silent but urgent search and screening operation.

Local police stations received urgent orders to conduct a comprehensive search using the new "All-Powerful Sequence" sensor (an hastily developed, crude version capable of scanning sequence fluctuations over a wide area).

Jiangcheng, Special Abilities Branch.

Chen Zhe and Li Yu had just finished dealing with an incident involving two newly awakened individuals fighting over a park bench, resulting in a "miniature flame and acid exchange." Both of them looked somewhat tired.

Back at the branch office, I saw that my colleagues were all in a hurry, and the air was filled with a tension that was different from the usual tasks of dealing with alien beasts.

"Latest instructions," the branch chief said, convening an emergency meeting with a serious expression.

"The General Administration has ordered a full-scale search within the jurisdiction for all newly awakened individuals whose potential is assessed as high... no, for all those with a clear sequence response and potentially high ranking. Teenagers, in particular! They're the highest priority! Those who have become arrogant and disruptive after gaining power, apprehend them, register them, and deal with them later. Right now, our primary task is—finding them!"

Looking at the updated list and blurry sequence fluctuation map on the internal system, Li Yu felt a heavy weight in her heart.

The world has changed, and the pressure has increased.

She subconsciously thought of her brother, Li Xian, and the way he calmly said "I know" that day.

My brother is just an ordinary person in this increasingly dangerous world...

She secretly resolved to work harder to protect her family.

At this moment, at the center of the vortex, Li Xian, who should theoretically be at the top of the "sequence of all spirits" but is unknown to anyone, is experiencing his own "troubles".

At home, Fat Orange has been somewhat restless ever since the moment the global awakening began.

He often grinned at the air, or suddenly stared at Li Xian for a long time, his heterochromatic eyes full of doubt and some kind of deep meaning.

"Meow! (Translation: Something's wrong, something's really wrong! This cat feels the world has become... so 'crowded,' and there are so many messy 'smells'! And you...)"

Fatty Orange circled around Li Xian, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Li Xian slumped on the sofa, remotely peeling an apple using the newly optimized [Consciousness Cutting], the peel falling evenly into the trash can.

He knew perfectly well what Fatty Orange was wondering about, and he could clearly feel that the free energy in the air was a hundred times more active than before.

Countless faint or slightly stronger sequence fluctuations, like fireflies in the grass on a summer night, flickered and spread throughout the city.

"Shut up and eat your dried fish."

Li Xian cut the peeled apple into small pieces and used his telekinesis to place them on the plate in front of Fatty Orange.

"The sky won't fall down."

He paused, then added.

"Even if it collapses, I'm tall enough to hold it up... well, I don't want to just stand there for now."

He has a clear understanding of the position of his sequence 001, but that is all he has.

He is allergic to words like "cultivation," "responsibility," and "saving the world."

Life is pretty good now. He has food, drink, and cats to pet. His sister and Chen Zhe, those two silly kids, have something worthwhile to do (although it's dangerous, he can cover for them). It's a bit chaotic outside, but that hasn't stopped him from going downstairs to buy snacks.

As for the high-sequence individuals that the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities is desperately searching for?

What does this have to do with Li Xian?

He glanced at the television, where the news was showing footage of special agents from the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities successfully persuading a newly awakened individual who had used his water-controlling abilities to create a fountain display in a plaza (causing a short circuit), and then taking him to register for "positive energy" purposes.

"Tsk, so busy."

Li Xian shifted into a more comfortable slumped position, picked up his phone, and started browsing the funny news stories about the new awakened individuals that had caused that day.

The city outside the window remains bustling. Chaos continues, but it also breeds a new order and an unpredictable future.

The prophecy of 004 ​​hangs like the Sword of Damocles, and the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities is frantically searching for a spark of hope.

The biggest "spark" himself is dedicated to researching how to use the micro-management techniques of [Flame Core Control] to bake himself a perfect caramel-colored toast crust.

Sequence 001's daily routine of slacking off continues stubbornly against the backdrop of dramatic global changes.