The night was as dark as ink, erasing the once-thriving city. The skyscrapers on the horizon had turned to rubble, and between the broken walls and ruins, a pungent stench of burning filled the air. Dust floated in the sky, as if the planet itself was slowly dying. The ground occasionally trembled uneasily, like the growl of a giant beast, reminding everyone that the Earth was far from stable.

Lin Ye stood on a desolate bridge, overlooking the street below. He watched as people scrambled toward the only escape they had left—fleeing in every direction, some screaming, others crying, and some trampled by the chaotic crowd. Buildings creaked ominously as they teetered on the verge of collapse, as if about to bury everything beneath them at any moment.

Lin Ye glanced down at his hands, covered in grime, and then at the overcrowded crowd. His expression was cold and empty, without urgency or fear. It was as though he was completely detached from everything around him.

“Running the rat race?” he muttered softly to himself, a sly grin forming on his lips.

He moved slowly, deliberately, as if in stark contrast to the frantic crowd. He wasn’t in a hurry to leave Earth, and in fact, he almost wanted to stay and watch it destroy itself. This was the scene he had been waiting for—the collapse of the world, the dissolution of order. For someone whose mind was often clouded and who was considered unstable…

“If Earth’s going to be destroyed, might as well be a witness, right?” he thought.

Just then, a low, cold voice echoed in his mind, as if reverberating directly within his brain:

“The Wasteland Scavenger System has activated. Scavenger life signs detected. Initial task: Collect specific items to enhance survival capabilities.”

Lin Ye froze for a moment, instinctively looking around. There was no one in sight, and the surroundings were as chaotic as ever. Suddenly, a line of faint text appeared before his eyes, as ethereal as mist but sharp enough to sting:

“Task: Collect a rusted metal shard. Reward: 1% increase in strength. Item located 10 meters away.”

Lin Ye stared at it for a moment.

“1% increase in strength…”

He frowned, then looked down.

“Meaningful.”

He suddenly felt the weight of something, a strange sensation of power.

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Lin Ye wandered aimlessly through the ruins, occasionally hearing cries for help and screams, but he paid them no mind. The chaos around him seemed to fuel a strange sense of satisfaction. It was in such confusion and despair that he felt the most “alive.”

Ding! Task update: Collect old electronic components. Reward: 1% increase in speed.

Lin Ye raised an eyebrow and glanced ahead, where piles of rubble lay, searching for a discarded electronic component. He easily stepped over a few fallen bodies, bending down to retrieve the item. The system’s voice echoed again, cold and mechanical:

“Speed increased by 1%.”

“Collecting junk gives you power boosts?” he thought, already getting used to the system's presence and even starting to look forward to the power it provided.

At that moment, the system issued a new task, directing him toward a collapsed building in the distance.

Lin Ye’s eyes glinted for a moment, and without hesitation, he headed toward the ruins. The air around him grew colder as a building loomed ahead, its broken form forming a haunting silhouette.

He ventured deeper into the wreckage, searching for the items indicated by the system. Each item he found subtly boosted his strength and speed. This slow, steady enhancement might seem trivial to an ordinary person, but for him, it provided a tremendous sense of security. It set him apart from the normal scholars, and that difference exhilarated him.

“Picking up trash to grow stronger…” Lin Ye muttered to himself, a twisted smile creeping across his face.

As he reveled in the feeling of power the system gave him, footsteps and faint voices reached his ears from the distance. Lin Ye furrowed his brow, turning to look. He saw a group of newly initiated survivors approaching.

“There’s someone over there!” The leader of the group called out in surprise. They didn’t seem to expect to encounter anyone else in the depths of the ruins, especially not a lone man. The others quickly closed in, armed with crude weapons.

“You alone here?” a burly man asked loudly, his eyes scrutinizing Lin Ye.

Lin Ye didn’t answer. Instead, he gave them a faint, indifferent smile, his gaze scanning the group. Perhaps it was the coldness in his eyes that made them hesitate. The man repeated his question: “We’re members of the ‘Earth’s Core Alliance,’ looking for supplies. Are you… alone?”

Lin Ye still didn’t respond, his gaze now fixed on the newly appeared task in his system—“Collect the survivors’ items, Reward: Strength increased by 2%.”

His eyes sharpened, like a predator zeroing in on prey. He slowly raised his head and gave the group an eerie smile. “Mind lending me what you’re carrying?”

The men exchanged uncertain glances. Before they could react, Lin Ye shot forward with lightning speed, his figure moving like a shadow. In a few quick strikes, the men collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Standing beside the fallen bodies, the system's voice echoed:

“Strength increased by 2%.”

His blood surged within him, his heartbeat quickened, and an exhilarating rush swept over him. The thrill of scavenging, of growing stronger, was intoxicating. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, as if savoring the moment.

“As long as I keep picking up trash… and getting stronger… I’ll survive, maybe even control this place.”

Just then, the system issued another task:

“Go deeper underground, find the lab entrance. Reward: 5% increase in base physical ability.”

Underground? Lin Ye narrowed his eyes, his gaze drifting toward the deeper ruins. It seemed that everything above ground no longer satisfied his curiosity. With renewed purpose, he stepped forward, disappearing into the dark night.