Alex spun into the vortex in his palm, his body tumbling like clothes in a washing machine. Dizziness gripped him. When his senses cleared, he stood in a dense forest.
The sight tightened his chest.
It mirrored his arrival in the X-Men world. Back then, he'd landed in a tech shop, returning to the same shop later. Now, he was back in the forest where a peak second-level violent bear had chased him and Claire last time.
Luckily, time had passed in this world, and the bear was long gone.
Worried for Claire Parker and the others, Alex crept toward the cave where they'd hidden before.
In this forest, caution was survival.
Three years since the apocalypse, most humans had turned into zombies. Some, like Alex, became Awakened, gifted with strange powers.
But animals weren't spared. Some became zombie beasts, others evolved into enhanced creatures—like that violent bear.
Whether zombie beast, evolved beast, zombie, or Awakened, strength was measured in crystal points, reflecting energy within.
For Awakened, single-digit crystal points marked first-level, tens for second-level, hundreds for third-level, thousands for fourth-level, and beyond.
Higher levels demanded more points, making advancement grueling.
"How many crystal points do I have now?" Alex wondered, edging toward the cave, assessing his strength.
Before entering the world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, he'd hit second-level, exactly 10 crystal points. Now, his power felt sharper.
Most martial masters there, he realized, were second-level at best.
The cave was a short trek, about a thousand meters from his arrival point.
Luck held—no evolved beasts crossed his path. But the cave was empty.
Relief washed over him. Claire Parker and the others had left, likely safe.
Certain they'd returned to the Greenridge base, Alex prepared to leave the forest and find them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots nearby shattered the silence.
Following the sound, Alex saw a little girl sprinting toward him, panic on her face. Gunfire echoed behind—she was being hunted.
Soon, a burly man in his thirties appeared, clutching a rifle, firing at the fleeing girl.
The girl, about ten, wore a tattered white dress, streaked with dirt. Fear etched her delicate face as she ran.
She was an Awakener, too. Her speed and agility let her dodge bullets time and again.
The apocalypse hardened hearts. Once, Alex would've ignored this.
But after crossing worlds, his cold edge had softened. A grown man hunting a child sparked fury in him.
"Stop!" Alex roared, stepping out to shield the girl.
"Huh? Alex? You're alive?" The man froze, eyes wide with surprise.
His words sank Alex's heart.
As Greenridge base's young master, being recognized wasn't odd. But meeting a familiar face here, in the wild, was.
"You're a base guard?" Alex asked, spotting the iron tag at the man's waist. "Since when do guards hunt little girls?"
"Heh, at the base, I'd watch my step," the man sneered, ignoring the question. "But out here, your head's my ticket to a fat reward from the leader."
He swung his rifle toward Alex, greed glinting in his eyes.
Alex raised his palm, unleashing Magneto's ability.
The rifle's barrel twisted downward. A shot rang out, bullet burying in the dirt.
"What? You're Awakened!" the man screamed, wrestling his gun's unnatural pull.
The White Dragon sword darted forward, guided by Alex's flawless Dugu Nine Swords. In a flash, the man's head rolled.
Alex marveled at Magneto's ability.
In the world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, it tamed cold weapons. Here, it bent steel buildings and firearms, just as versatile.
Turning, Alex eyed the girl.
Her fearful face met his gaze, and she stumbled back, a startled rabbit.
"Hey…" Alex sighed inwardly.
This broken world forced even kids to face its darkness young.
Forcing a gentle smile, he asked, "What's your name? Where are your parents? Why're you here?"
Her silence held, but his warmth eased her guard slightly.
She kept her distance, wary.
Alex pressed with questions, hoping to learn her story, maybe find her family.
She stayed mute, watching him—neither clinging to her savior nor fleeing.
Ten minutes of one-sided talk wore Alex's patience thin. He turned, pretending to leave.
But as he walked, the girl's footsteps trailed him, keeping her distance…
Alex trudged through the forest, his mind on the guard , a heavy weight settling in his chest.
First, his father had founded the guard team to protect Greenridge base and scavenge supplies. Never did Alex imagine they'd turn on him, their blades aimed at his throat.
Second, that they'd stoop to hunting a little girl—how far had they fallen? Was this the vision his father had for Greenridge?
The guard's attack sharpened Alex's wariness. At Greenridge, he'd need to tread carefully.
Some still honored his father's legacy, calling Alex the young master. But Ethan Holt ruled the base now.
A third-level Awakened, with crystal points rumored over 300—far beyond Alex's current strength.
Darkness fell as they walked. Alex's stomach growled. Glancing back, he saw the little girl clutching her belly, her hunger plain.
Her pitiful look drew a quiet smile from Alex. After a brief search, he spotted a massive snake, thick as a steel pipe, two meters long.
With a flick, he sent the White Dragon sword to slice it clean. By an empty lakeside, he lit a fire and roasted the meat.
The girl stood seven or eight meters off, eyes locked on the sizzling snake, hunger clear, yet too scared to approach.
When the snake was cooked, Alex carved off a small portion and offered it to her.
She flinched as he neared, retreating in fear.
Her reaction sparked both frustration and pity in Alex.
He was annoyed at her distrust despite his efforts, but pitied a child, once innocent, now sealed off from the world, trusting no one.
Sighing, Alex wrapped the meat in a leaf, set it on the ground, and returned to the fire.
Once he stepped back, the girl crept forward, snatching the food.
After devouring most of the snake, Alex's hunger faded. He sat cross-legged, practicing the Yi Jin Jing, planning to camp in the woods tonight.
The Star Absorbing Skill had drained his ten years of Small Huandan's power, but the Yi Jin Jing's cultivation flowed smoothly.
Worthy of Shaolin's treasure, it forged pure inner strength and honed the body.
The girl, having eaten, watched Alex curiously. Seeing him still, she yawned, curled up on the ground, and fell into a deep sleep.
At dawn, Alex opened his eyes, feeling the Yi Jin Jing's pure energy surge within. He glanced at the girl, awake now, her big eyes studying him.
When he met her gaze, she startled, backing away. Yesterday, she'd kept seven or eight meters between them. Today, she stopped at six.
Alex noted the shift, a small smile in his heart.
Leaving her in the wild wasn't an option, but her wariness could complicate things at Greenridge.
After a moment's thought, Alex decided to stay in the forest a few days. Once she trusted him, he'd take her to the base.
Over the next days, Alex spoke to her now and then, always sharing food.
He never slacked on his cultivation, his inner strength growing daily.
At first, the girl was skittish, but time softened her guard.
By the seventh day, when Alex offered food, he didn't need to set it down. She'd snatch it from his hand like lightning, then retreat a few steps, eyeing him cautiously while eating.
"She's only two meters away now," Alex thought, nodding. "A few more days, and she might trust me."
Glancing at his palm, he saw black lines forming—the computer pattern.
When complete, it would trigger his third world crossing.
Tap, tap, tap…
Footsteps broke his thoughts. A towering figure, over two meters tall, like an iron fortress, approached.
Each step thundered. Clad in heavy iron armor, he carried a massive war hammer on his shoulder.
"Huh? Two others stuck here like me?" the man said, spotting Alex and the girl, his tone surprised.
Alex drew the White Dragon sword, eyeing him warily. In the apocalypse, humans could be deadlier than zombies.
Early in the collapse, many died not by zombies, but by human hands.
"Easy, don't point that toothpick at me," the man said, his voice rough, waving a hand. "We're all trapped in this forest. No need to fight."
Calling the White Dragon sword a toothpick was a stretch, but his sheer size was intimidating.
"Trapped? What do you mean?" Alex frowned, surprised.
"You don't know? How long you been here?" the man asked, curious.
"About ten days," Alex estimated, factoring in his seven days since returning and the unknown time in the world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
"No wonder," the man nodded. "Haven't thought of leaving?"
"I was about to," Alex said.
"Forget it," the man said, shrugging. "Thousands of zombies are circling outside, blocking the path to Greenridge. You've been here ten days—didn't notice the lack of evolved beasts?"
"Yeah, that's true…" Alex paused, nodding.
He'd met no beasts returning to the cave or since. He'd thought it luck or stealth, but now it felt eerie.
"Seven days ago, zombies in Ashen City, twenty kilometers from the base, went berserk," the man explained. "Tens of thousands poured out. Survivors in the wild took heavy losses. Zombies have nearly sealed off Greenridge's exits."