Chapter 1: Where It All Began

When indiscriminate killing is only for the sake of justice, destruction for protection, violence to end evil, waging war merely to pursue peace, killing to protect more people… Having become a monster, he suddenly felt that this world was so simple and lovely.

……

Year 2240.

This city was the pinnacle of the world.

Named “Dongchuan Guang,” it was a city that had already flourished two hundred years ago, only to be utterly destroyed by a nuclear bomb two centuries ago.

Two hundred years later, it had risen again to become the world’s most dazzling city.

Whether by day or night, it teemed with crowds, bustling traffic, endless noise, and vibrant activity. It was never still.

Major corporate tycoons, global celebrities, high-ranking officials, and famous stars all gathered in this city.

Towering skyscrapers stood in orderly rows across the city.

Luxury cars, beautiful women, extravagance, and debauchery—for the wealthy, this was paradise.

But for ordinary dreamers, the city was also paradise… and simultaneously hell.

It was filled with infinite opportunities and challenges, yet also countless traps. Here, everything could be bought with money, including human lives.

This city could embrace anything—the righteous and the criminal, justice and evil, light and darkness—all could be absorbed within.

Throwing money around was common. The rich lived in extreme luxury, spending gold like dirt, creating a city both colorful and utterly absurd.

But no one could have imagined that a century ago, due to a viral outbreak, it was completely destroyed by a nuclear bomb, filled with deadly radiation, lifeless, leaving only a ruined corpse.

And two hundred years later, because of one person—a savior—it had risen again.

***

Dongshang World Building stood at the bustling heart of the city, in the most prominent location of the world’s most prominent city.

It was the city’s heart.

With 280 floors and a height of over 2,500 meters, it pierced straight into the clouds.

Now, on the rooftop terrace, a man sat at the edge, braving the strong wind, looking down upon the entire city from above.

He was not old, appearing to be in his twenties, with ordinary features. But his eyes and expression exuded an air of authority, and the confident smile on his lips made his sharply defined face full of charm… and danger.

He wore black casual pants and a military green trench coat, sitting casually on the railing. The wind whipped his coat and hair, but it did not disturb his composure. He still wore a leisurely expression as he gazed down from over two thousand meters.

“The night view of Dongchuan Guang never gets old, no matter how many times I see it,” the man said to himself with a smile.

Looking down from such a height, the city’s neon lights twinkled in a riot of color. The people below were less than ants—if anything, they were like cells, because they were simply invisible.

“Bang~” At that moment, the terrace door opened.

Two people walked out: a sunglasses-wearing man in a suit, and a foreigner dressed in a detective-style trench coat like Sherlock Holmes.

“What strong wind! Oh~ my hat!” As soon as he stepped onto the terrace, the foreigner’s hat was blown away. He tried to chase it, but it had already flown over the edge, beyond the two-thousand-meter height.

“Oh~ oh, friend, friend, welcome, welcome.”

Hearing the door open behind him, the man sitting on the edge immediately turned and stood up, smiling and extending his hand.

“Hello, hello~” The detective-like foreigner spoke fluent Chinese and shook hands with the Chinese man.

“Lord World Serpent,” the sunglasses-wearing suit man greeted.

“Alright, you may leave. I’ll handle the guest myself.”

“Yes, Lord World Serpent. I’ll take my leave now.” With a bow, the suit man turned and left.

“Lord World Serpent, hello. I’m a writer. My name is Carmen. This is my name…” The detective-styled foreigner spoke respectfully and excitedly.

He was thrilled—he couldn’t believe he was actually talking to this world giant. He was just a relatively unknown writer, so he couldn’t think of any reason why the man known as World Serpent would agree to meet him.

World Serpent was a mysterious man. Few in the world had seen his true face, but few didn’t know who he was.

He was the savior of the world, the founder of this city, and the owner of the Dongshang World Building.

His influence was so vast that he could sway the fate of the entire world.

When he was happy, the whole world was happy.

When he was displeased, the whole world suffered.

And Carmen actually got to see his true face—it was the honor of a lifetime.

But this man was far different from the World Serpent he had imagined. No matter how he thought about it, he never expected World Serpent to be so young and gentle in demeanor.

“Please, friend, no need to call me ‘lord.’ Just call me ‘mister.’ And don’t call me World Serpent—just call me Nameless Serpent. I prefer the low-key name ‘Nameless,'” the Chinese man said with a smile.

“Well then, Mr. Nameless Serpent, here is my card. Please accept it,” Carmen replied respectfully.

World Serpent took the card, glanced at it, scratched his head, and smiled. “So, Mr. Carmen, shall we chat here or go inside?”

“Um… Mr. Nameless Serpent, let’s go inside,” Carmen said, struggling against the strong wind.

“Alright, let’s talk inside.”

With that, World Serpent led Carmen into the building.

Along the way, they passed all kinds of people, mostly in business suits, looking busy. The two of them, dressed casually, seemed out of place, but…

“Good evening, Lord World Serpent.”

“Good evening, Lord World Serpent.”

“Good evening, Lord World Serpent.”

Everyone they passed greeted the man in front, including some big names that Carmen himself recognized.

World Serpent nodded and smiled at each of them.

It was then that Carmen confirmed that this young man was indeed the legendary figure—the sheer presence he exuded, a constant confidence.

They arrived before a magnificent door.

“Mr. Carmen, please come in,” World Serpent said, opening the door and gesturing.

“Thank you, thank you.”

Carmen bowed and entered. Once inside, he was astonished again. This room was completely different from what he had imagined—very ordinary, almost shabby.

There was nothing but a bed, a wooden table, and wooden stools. The window on the wall, which offered a panoramic view of the entire city, seemed oddly out of place.

“Make yourself at home,” World Serpent said, closing the door and sitting on a wooden stool by the window, smiling at Carmen.

“Ah… oh, excuse me.” Carmen quickly sat on the stool opposite World Serpent.

“So, Mr. Carmen, let’s have a chat.”

“Alright, please wait a moment…” Carmen pulled out a pen and notebook from his pocket.

“A pen and paper? Where did you find such antiques?” World Serpent asked with a laugh.

“It’s a family heirloom, Mr. Nameless Serpent.”

“Interesting… Let’s get to the point. Mr. Carmen, tell me why you came to see me.”

“Well, Mr. Nameless Serpent, I’m a writer. I’d like to interview you about your experiences and write a legendary novel based on your story,” Carmen said.

“Such a good opportunity? Alright, go ahead with your interview.” World Serpent turned to look at the beautiful view outside the window.

“Thank you, sir. Then, if I may be blunt, Mr. Nameless Serpent, you are not purely human, are you?” Carmen asked calmly, but his heart was trembling.

Rumors had long circulated that World Serpent was not human, but it remained a mystery—a legend that no one knew for sure.

“…”

World Serpent fell silent, turning back to gaze calmly at Carmen.

“…”

Carmen also fell silent, but he immediately sensed something wrong in the atmosphere. It felt like he was being stared at by a venomous snake; cold sweat broke out on his palms and back.

“You’re right. I am not human.”

The eerie atmosphere vanished with World Serpent’s reply.

“Really… really?” This time it was Carmen’s turn to be shocked.

“Yes, I am not human. Have you heard of Monster Mimics? That was what humans called us two hundred years ago. To tell the truth, I have lived for two hundred years and witnessed quite a lot.” World Serpent resumed his smile and spoke to Carmen.

“Two hundred years?! Is that true… then can you tell me your story?” Carmen said excitedly, quickly jotting down World Serpent’s words.

“Two hundred years ago, the rise and fall of this world. Back then, we still commonly used pen and paper, but now everything has been replaced by e-books.”

“I witnessed the rise of legendary monsters and their fall…”

“I fought against the strongest human and saw her die quietly before me…”

“I battled the most powerful artificial monster…”

“I witnessed the nuclear explosion of this city two hundred years ago…”

“But I didn’t get to see the war between humans and monsters—the Third World War…”

“I witnessed this ruined world over a century ago…”

“I fought myself…”

“I participated in the war between humans, monsters, and machines…”

“I witnessed the departure of family, friends, and lovers, and then this hypocritical era of peace.”

World Serpent sighed, turned to look out the window again, and smiled, but his words held no trace of humor.

“All of this started from that moment…”