Zhou Zheng, in a daze, was brought to a secluded courtyard by Lan Xi and the others.

The courtyard was filled with various plants, and in the center stood a three-story building with a villa-like design.

Once Lan Xi and the others had carried Zhou Zheng into one of the rooms, he finally snapped out of his stupor.

"Young master, please rest well."

After setting Zhou Zheng down, Lan Xi and his companion exchanged a glance, didn't wait for Zhou Zheng to respond, said a few words, and then left the room, their footsteps fading away.

Zhou Zheng tried to react, reaching out to stop them, but only managed to utter a weak "Hey" before his hand fell powerlessly.

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Zhou Zheng was still in a state of confusion.

On the way back, Zhou Zheng was bombarded with countless fragmented memories, memories that were originally in his brain, now flooding in, adding a set of memories that didn't belong to him, memories that Zhou Zheng couldn't accept.

Suddenly standing up, Zhou Zheng found a mirror in the room.

A completely unfamiliar face stared back at him, young, with a small but muscular build, unlike his previous slightly chubby and weak physique from staying indoors.

No one could explain how Zhou Zheng had occupied this body, nor how he had arrived in this New World.

Staring blankly at the mirror, looking at a face that wasn't his, Zhou Zheng found it hard to accept this absurd yet real fact.

The person whose body he occupied was also named Zhou Zheng.

***

Memories seemed to awaken, a segment of the body's previous owner's memories, first in fragments, then piecing together into a complete memory, unfolding like water.

Simply put, this world called the New World was just Earth after a disaster, with the human era only reaching the year 2020.

The appearance of the Cataclysm completely altered the structure of this world.

The New World now resembled a post-apocalyptic world from movies, with cities becoming nests for Toxic Corpses. The terrifying Cosmic Storm not only granted these zombies immortality but also enhanced their strength, allowing them to evolve in various ways.

Under the Cosmic Storm, even Earth's flora and fauna were endowed with terrifying power.

Zhou Zheng found himself in a city called Siege City, established by the remaining humans, built on a hillside. The entire Siege City housed a population of 30,000 to 40,000. His "father" was the leader of this Siege City.

In his memories, his father Zhou Hongqiang was a Fifth-Stage Martial Artist, who, during the Cataclysm, acquired a power known as Star Power, and through continuous training, advanced to his current Fifth-Stage Martial Artist level.

In Siege City, there was another Fifth-Stage Martial Artist, Yu Jianzhong, the brigade leader of the city.

As for Zhou Zheng himself, he was deemed a failure because he had been an Apprentice Martial Artist since the Cataclysm struck, and after two whole years, he had made no progress. Not only was his father utterly disappointed in him, but others also saw him as a hopeless case.

The New World was a place where strength was revered.

Firearms still played an important role, but for a martial artist above the third stage, cold weapons were more practical. Martial artists above the third stage had strength and speed that ordinary firearms couldn't harm or hit.

In fact, life in Siege City was not easy.

Around Siege City, there were numerous Mutated Beasts and some Toxic Corpses, making it a dangerous place.

***

"I actually transmigrated..."

Zhou Zheng rubbed his painfully aching chest and collapsed weakly onto the bed.

Yu Jianzhong's recent kick had been quite ruthless, nearly breaking his chest bones, leaving no room for mercy.

The room was spacious and bright, with simple furnishings. In the center was a 1.8-meter Mengsi bed, a wardrobe against the wall, and a large desk by the door, on which sat a 28-inch white Haier all-in-one computer.

Outside the window, occasional noises drifted in.

Zhou Zheng got up from the bed and walked to the window.

Siege City, built on a hillside, and with Zhou Zheng's room on the third floor, offered a view of half the city from the window.

Though he had received the previous owner's memories and was not unfamiliar with Siege City, Zhou Zheng was still struck by the scene before him.

The view was of terraced buildings, constructed layer upon layer.

These buildings varied in style, all built using limited materials. Yurts and tents were the most common structures, followed by wooden houses, interspersed with small cement and brick buildings; houses built from local red-brown rocks, stacked piece by piece.

What he saw represented backwardness and poverty, akin to towns in underdeveloped countries.

Beyond these buildings was an incredibly grand stone wall.

Huge stone blocks formed a wall like the Great Wall, with sharp angles, giving a sense of impregnable security. The ten-meter-high wall enclosed the entire settlement, forming a protected city.

On the city wall, a few hot weapons were deployed, and some alloy cold weapons leaned against the wall.

Outside the wall was a smooth, long slope.

Below Siege City, a vast expanse of cultivated farmland was filled with crops, with tiny figures busy in the fields. The lush green fields were dotted with people in various colored clothes working.

Suddenly! A sharp metallic sound rang out, a warning from the patrol on the wall.

Dozens of figures appeared below the wall, scaling the ten-meter-high wall with ease, like martial arts experts using lightness skills. Each carried weapons, both hot and cold, with knives and swords of various kinds.

"Chirp!"

A clear bird call, like the chirping of a warbler.

But to everyone's ears, it was different.

Zhou Zheng felt his eardrums vibrate, the bird call carrying a certain power, its sharpness reaching everywhere. Glass items in the room vibrated violently, nearly shattering. Still water surfaces rippled under the bird call, like raindrops hitting them.

After the call, there was a sound of something cutting through the air.

Looking up from the window, a massive shadow swept across the sky, casting a shadow in the sunlight.

The invisible pressure made it hard for everyone to breathe, showing the immense power of the giant bird.

At that moment, a figure rushed onto the wall, letting out a long howl to the sky.

The howl was like a rainbow, contending with the bird's call, the two sounds clashing, creating a sonic boom that made one's blood surge, nearly uncontrollable. Especially the eardrums, which buzzed as if deafened, the two sounds showing their formidable power.

The shadow over Siege City eventually left, sensing that the people below were not easy to deal with.

"Impressive!"

With the previous owner's memories, Zhou Zheng knew that the giant bird with the clear warbler-like call was not a benevolent creature, but a Giant-Beaked Raven with Fifth Tier strength. Mutated, its beak had become enormous, its voice changed from a caw to a clear, pleasant sound, yet it was a very ferocious mutant bird, its beak as hard as alloy, capable of shattering metal and stone with a peck. Its feathers were impervious to bullets.

The one who contended with it was Yu Jianzhong, the brigade leader of Siege City, with the strength of a Fifth-Stage Martial Artist.

The departure of the Giant-Beaked Raven restored peace to Siege City.

The people living here were long accustomed to this life of constant death threats, always brushing it off with a smile.

Coming back to his senses, Zhou Zheng found it hard to accept.

"This is the New World!"

---

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan