After organizing the relevant memories in his mind, William couldn't help but sigh: “I really landed in a good era. All the pits have already been stepped into by those before me, and I don’t have to walk through them myself. Feels so good,” he said, grabbing the handrail of the cabin and pushing himself up.
He swiftly climbed out of the divine landing pod and walked a few steps to the other corner of the less than 20-square-meter small room.
From a green package, he pulled out the last high-energy nutritional supplement. William lightly twisted the cap, and it automatically popped open. He drank it all in one go.
"Burp..." He let out a burp, having drunk too quickly.
The taste was tangy and sweet, quite similar to jelly. As the food entered his stomach, William felt his fatigue rapidly dissipate, since he hadn't eaten anything in the past 15 hours.
“Not bad,” William said, looking at the empty bottle in his hand, but his mind was already calculating how to claim more high-energy nutritional supplements.
“During the initial phase of the Divine Domain opening, one can claim ninety high-energy nutritional supplements at once. This month's excellent student welfare includes thirty more, plus thirty low-level nutritional supplements from the social welfare system. Today, I can collect all of them at once,” William thought, and immediately put on his uniform and shoes before heading out the door.
He turned left as soon as he stepped outside, striding down the dimly lit hallway, skillfully avoiding the obstacles in the path, and reached the end of the corridor. He pushed open the soundproof door with force.
A futuristic, sci-fi cityscape appeared before William.
Countless flying shuttles zoomed through the air, following the direction of holographic signs. Buildings were interconnected by massive platforms, stacked layer upon layer. Neon lights and billboards flashed incessantly, creating a cyberpunk-like atmosphere.
Although it was no longer a surprise to William, as his memories of this world had already been ingrained, seeing the futuristic cityscape in person still gave him a sense of awe as a transmigrator.
William knew that the civilization of humans was not a pure cyberpunk society, but the scene before him was just a coincidence of his living environment.
He casually waved his hand, and the silver metal bracelet on his right wrist lit up. Among the car traffic in the sky, a shuttle detached from the projection zone and flew towards him. It performed a beautiful arc in the air before coming to a smooth stop right in front of him.
Without hesitation, William hopped into the unmanned shuttle, and the internal voice immediately spoke.
"Dear passenger, please tell us your destination." The female voice was warm and soothing, not at all unpleasant.
“The nearest large welfare center, the one on the ninety-seventh floor,” William replied as he settled into his seat.
“You are currently at 36th floor, unit 653. The journey will take 27 minutes. Please remain patient,” the intelligent voice said before falling silent, and the shuttle slowly started, merging into an upward projection channel.
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Looking out of the window at the rapidly retreating scenery, the memories of the city gradually became clearer in William's mind.
Human civilization had already claimed a foothold in the nearby starry sky, governing nearly ten thousand star systems. Although he wasn't sure how many true gods there were, their number definitely exceeded a thousand.
This was the capital city of Aelvia Star in the Third Star District of human civilization, the city of Zhonghai. With a permanent population of over a billion, this bustling metropolis had developed into a highly futuristic, multi-layered city to accommodate its massive population.
In this world, there were no high-rise buildings like William remembered from his previous life. Instead, massive structures extended upward from the ground, serving both as residential buildings and the very framework of the city. Platforms between buildings interwove, creating outdoor spaces for people to move around.
The higher you went in the city, the better the environment. Above the 150th floor were considered the top-tier regions, where the powerful and wealthy lived. Between the 100th and 150th floors were luxury apartments, home to society’s elites and the middle class.
Between the 50th and 100th floors were regular residential buildings, where the common people resided.
Below the 50th floor were essentially slums, or social housing. No natural sunlight reached those below the 50th floor, with all lighting artificial.
Since arriving in this city, William had used the enrollment notice from Zhonghai No. 2 High School to successfully complete his settlement procedures. The house provided by the social welfare system was located in the 36th floor zone, which meant he would never see natural sunlight. That’s why his area resembled a cyberpunk world.
Fortunately, this was a world with advanced black technology, and the city’s air and ecological circulation systems were excellent. Otherwise, living below the 50th floor could turn the area into a living hell due to humidity and disease.
“Dear passenger, your destination is just one minute away. Please check your belongings and prepare for arrival. We wish you a pleasant journey,” the intelligent voice interrupted William's thoughts.
Before he knew it, William had already arrived at his destination, the large welfare center on the 97th floor.
The surrounding environment was entirely different from the area where William lived. The public lighting system was neat, and the uniform soft lighting gave a clean and welcoming impression.
As the shuttle came to a stop, William immediately jumped out of the vehicle, ignoring the long queue outside the center. He walked briskly to a side door at the welfare center.
This was the student-only access, a benefit for top students in human civilization. There was also a military-only passage nearby. A large portion of resources in this society was concentrated on education and military development.
Basic social welfare could guarantee no one would starve to death, but in terms of education, it was completely free. Outstanding students, no matter how poor their families were, could still enjoy the same educational resources as the rich.
The Ministry of Education was a powerful institution, and in this world, it was managed by true gods, meaning there was no corruption within the education system.
Upon entering the welfare hall, William looked around. This was his first time visiting a large welfare center. He had previously only gone to a medium-sized center for his monthly student benefits.
He was here mainly to collect the ninety high-energy nutritional supplements awarded for successfully opening the Divine Domain.
As William looked around, a staff member approached him promptly.
"Excuse me, how may I assist you?" the staff member politely inquired. There was no contempt in her gaze. He was wearing the Zhonghai No. 2 High School uniform, which made him part of a privileged group in society.
Not only could he ride public transportation for free, but he could also skip the queues at public service institutions. Every month, he was entitled to 30 high-energy nutritional supplements—thanks to his identity as an outstanding student.
"Hello, where can I claim the nutritional supplements?" William smiled as he answered the staff member’s question, raising his right hand to show the silver bracelet on his wrist.