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Lin Hao's last memory was a blur of coffee stains, crumpled exam notes, and the faint sound of his own heartbeat giving up. Eighteen years old, three days from the college entrance exams, and he'd pushed himself too far. "Just one more practice test," he'd muttered, before his vision went black and the world decided he was done.
Now, he was standing in a room that looked suspiciously like his high school auditorium, except it was ten times bigger, with glowing blue runes etched into the walls and a floating holographic screen hovering over a stage. Hundreds of teenagers stood around him, buzzing with excitement, while a robotic voice blared from nowhere and everywhere at once.
[Welcome to the Class Awakening Ceremony, New Shanghai Cohort 2045! Prepare to receive your class and talent!]
Lin Hao blinked. "Wait, what?" His voice was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. He glanced down at himself—same lanky frame, same slightly too-tight school uniform, same bad haircut he'd been meaning to fix. But this wasn't his high school. The air smelled like ozone and metal, and outside the massive windows, he glimpsed a skyline of towering, fortified skyscrapers surrounded by a shimmering energy dome. Beyond that? A wasteland of jagged rocks and glowing red eyes in the distance.
"I'm… alive?" he muttered, pinching his arm. It hurt. Okay, not a dream. Then it hit him like a truck full of exam prep books. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Did I reincarnate? In the middle of *another* exam prep nightmare?"
[Correct, user Lin Hao!] A chipper, slightly sarcastic voice echoed in his head, making him jump. [Welcome to Earth 2.0, the Gameified Apocalypse! You died of exhaustion in your previous life—lame, by the way—and have been reborn in this post-apocalyptic hellscape. Population: 20% humans, 80% monsters. Fun, right?]
"Who's talking?!" Lin Hao spun around, earning weird looks from nearby students. No one else seemed to hear the voice.
[I'm your personal System, designation: Smartass-9000. Call me Sassy for short. I'm here to guide you through this world's mechanics. Spoiler: It's like an MMORPG, but with more death and worse Wi-Fi.]
Lin Hao's brain short-circuited. "System? Gameified? Monsters? I just wanted to pass my math exam!"
[Too late for that, buddy. You're in New Shanghai, one of the seven surviving super-nations. Everyone awakens a class at 16 to fight monsters and prep for the Global College Combat Exams. Fail, and you're monster chow. Ready for your class awakening?]
Before Lin Hao could protest, the holographic screen above the stage flared to life, displaying a student's name: *Zhang Wei, Combat Class: Flame Swordsman, Talent Rank: A*. The crowd erupted in cheers as a cocky kid with spiky hair strutted forward, flames flickering around his hands. The next name appeared: *Li Mei, Support Class: Starlight Healer, Talent Rank: S*. More cheers. Lin Hao's stomach churned. This was *not* his high school.
[Your turn, Lin Hao!] Sassy chimed. His name flashed on the screen, and every eye in the auditorium turned to him. He shuffled forward, tripping over his own feet and earning a few snickers.
A glowing orb descended from the ceiling, pulsing with energy. It scanned him, and the screen flickered.
[Lin Hao, Life Class: World Weaver, Talent Rank: SSS]
The auditorium went dead silent. Then it exploded.
"SSS-rank?!"
"A Life Class? What a waste!"
"World Weaver? Is that, like, a glorified tailor?"
Lin Hao froze. "SSS-rank? Life Class? What does that even mean?"
[Congrats, you're one of only 13 SSS-rank talents in the world!] Sassy said gleefully. [But yeah, Life Class means you're not slinging fireballs or healing wounds. You get skills like cooking, sewing, or farming. Super useful when monsters try to eat your face.]
"Cooking?!" Lin Hao hissed under his breath. "I'm supposed to fight monsters with a spatula?"
[Oh, it gets better. Your true talent is Immortal-rank, the only one in existence. It's disguised as SSS-rank to keep you from being dissected by shady government labs. Your talent, Infinite Craft, lets you master *all* Life Class skills. Also, you'll awaken a random Life skill every 10 levels. First skill incoming…]
A warm glow filled Lin Hao's body, and knowledge flooded his mind. He saw visions of sizzling pans, fragrant spices, and a skill name that made his jaw drop.
[Skill Unlocked: Cook the World in a Pot (Level 1) – Transform a designated area into a culinary masterpiece. Heals allies, damages enemies, and smells amazing. Range: 10 meters. Cooldown: 1 minute.]
The crowd was still whispering about his "useless" class when a deafening roar shook the auditorium. The energy dome outside flickered, and a massive, six-legged beast—part wolf, part nightmare—crashed through a wall, its claws dripping acid. Students screamed, scattering as teachers shouted, "Level 10 Corrupted Dire Wolf! Combat Classes, engage!"
Lin Hao stood rooted to the spot, clutching his schoolbag like it could save him. "Sassy, what do I do?!"
[Fight, dummy! Use your skill! Or, you know, die again. Your call.]
"I'm a cook, not a warrior!" But the wolf's glowing eyes locked onto him, and it charged, spraying acid that melted the floor. Lin Hao's survival instincts—or maybe his exam-stress reflexes—kicked in. He raised his hands, and a glowing wok materialized out of thin air, floating in front of him.
"Cook the World in a Pot!" he shouted, mostly because he had no other ideas.
A 10-meter circle of light flared around him, and the air filled with the scent of sizzling garlic and chili oil. The wolf's front leg, mid-swipe, was suddenly encased in a steaming hotpot broth. It howled, stumbling back as the broth *burned* its fur off, revealing pink, tenderized flesh. The surrounding students gasped as their minor scrapes healed, their energy surging from the delicious aroma.
[Damage dealt: 500 HP! Healing applied: 200 HP to allies in range! Bonus effect: Wolf is now Spicy-Flavored!]
Lin Hao gaped at the wok, which was now simmering with a glowing red broth. "Did I just… cook a monster?"
[Yep. And it smells like five-star takeout. Keep going!]
The wolf roared, shaking off the broth and charging again. Lin Hao panicked, swinging the wok like a baseball bat. It connected with a *clang*, sending the beast skidding across the floor. The crowd stared, dumbfounded, as the SSS-rank "cook" battled a monster with kitchenware.
"Take this, you oversized furball!" Lin Hao yelled, activating his skill again. This time, the broth turned into a *Spicy Tentacle Stir-Fry*, wrapping the wolf's legs in sizzling, vine-like noodles. The beast thrashed, its HP dropping rapidly as the noodles tightened, releasing a mouthwatering aroma that made nearby students drool despite the chaos.
[Critical Hit! Damage dealt: 800 HP! Wolf is defeated!]
The wolf collapsed, dissolving into glowing loot: a *Corrupted Fang* and a *Mysterious Spice Pouch*. Lin Hao's [System] pinged.
[Level Up! Lin Hao is now Level 2! New Skill Unlocked: Seasoning Slash (Level 1) – Throw enchanted spices as projectile weapons. Deals 100-200 damage, applies random debuffs. Range: 20 meters.]
Lin Hao stared at the loot, then at the wok, then at the crowd now chanting his name. "What just happened?"
[You just turned a dire wolf into dinner and became a school legend. Also, you're trending on New Shanghai's X platform. Hashtag: #SpatulaHero.]
The auditorium doors burst open, and a stern-faced teacher stormed in, holding a tablet. "Lin Hao! Your performance was… unorthodox. But effective. Report to the principal's office immediately!"
Lin Hao gulped. "Am I in trouble?"
[Quest Issued: Feed the Principal a Dish to Earn an A-Grade Exam Pass! Reward: 500 EXP, Rare Ingredient. Penalty for Failure: Detention in the Monster Training Grounds.]
"Are you kidding me?!" Lin Hao whispered. "I just fought a wolf, and now I have to cook for the principal?"
[Welcome to the apocalypse, kid. Better start chopping onions.]
As the crowd cheered and the teacher dragged him toward the principal's office, Lin Hao couldn't shake the feeling that his reincarnated life was about to get a lot weirder—and a lot funnier.
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CLIFFHANGER
Lin Hao stood outside the principal's office, wok in hand, as the [System] taunted him with recipe suggestions. "Sassy, how am I supposed to impress a principal who probably eats dragon steaks for breakfast?" Before Sassy could reply, a shadow loomed through the office window—a Level 50 *Abyssal Wyrm* curled around the principal's desk. Lin Hao's jaw dropped. "Is that… the principal's pet?!"