"My son!"
Tao Ran woke up from his sleep to the sound of a woman's piercing scream. He quickly got up from his bed and walked over to the window. As he opened the window, he witnessed several soldiers dragging a boy, who appeared to be around his own age, followed by a middle-aged woman who was the source of the screaming.
The young boy was crying with tears streaming down his face, his eyes filled with helplessness. The woman rushed forward and grabbed the boy's leg while he cried out, "Mom..."
Many people had already gathered in the hallway. Everyone was accustomed to this type of situation, and their faces showed a sense of numbness. The woman grabbed onto her son's feet, but two of the soldiers who were arresting people stepped forward and dragged her back.
The woman screamed, and the boy, in despair, yelled, "Don't touch my mom! Don't touch my mom!"
The leading soldier said, "Be careful!"
Tao Ran witnessed the boy suddenly being engulfed in blue flames, which spread to the soldiers holding him. The soldiers screamed and released the boy, while the woman on the ground shouted, "Run!"
The fiery boy turned and fled, but the officer in charge was prepared and fired a shot at him. The boy fell to the ground, and the flames that were burning on his body quickly spread to the neighbor's curtains. Within a few moments, the boy was reduced to ashes.
The fire spread quickly, and a middle-aged man walked in and urged Tao Ran, "Hurry up. This place is going to burn down too."
That person was the original host's father, named Chao Feng, while the host's name was Chao Ge.
As Tao Ran followed Chao Feng out, he turned to look back at the two burning soldiers. The soldiers writhed in pain on the ground and were quickly reduced to ashes, just like the boy in no time.
The boy's mother knelt on the ground and wailed in agony. Her son had just died in front of her.
Tao Ran shuddered, and Chao Feng held his hand, comforting him by saying, "Don't be afraid, Dad is here."
All of the people living in the dilapidated building gathered in the open space downstairs. The officer who had shot the fiery boy stood in front of the crowd and asked, "Do you think it was cruel?"
No one dared to speak, and the officer continued, "He didn't have to die. The two innocent soldiers didn't have to die either, but he tried to resist, causing harm to himself and others."
At this point, the officer seemed a bit sad and said, "The country has not given up on the humanoid race. The government is also actively searching for ways. These humanoids must be controlled, otherwise when everyone in the world becomes a humanoid, human beings will truly be extinct."
Tao Ran lowered his head and asked Xiao Mei, "When will I meet the supporting female character?"
Xiaomei replied, "Soon."
Tao Ran expressed his concern, "In the previous few worlds, my identity was connected to the supporting female character in some way. At the very least, I had a chance to see her. But this time, I couldn't find the name Chao Ge in the novel from beginning to end."
Speaking of this, a trace of embarrassment appeared on Xiaomei's panda face, and he said, "Don't worry, host. You will soon meet the supporting female partner, I promise."
Tao Ran said, "Then tell me how am I going to meet her?"
Xiaomei said, "Do you remember the scene where the male and female protagonists met for the first time in the novel?"
Tao Ran pondered for a moment before responding, "The male protagonist and his men attacked a temporary camp, killed everyone inside, and found the female protagonist hiding in the water."
"Yes," Xiaomei said, "It's the supporting female partner who helped the male protagonist kill everyone. She is his right-hand, and you were also among those who were killed."
Tao Ran: "......"
Tao Ran drifted off for a while, and the officer's speech was coming to an end.
"In any case, if you encounter any humanoid beings, you must promptly report it to the local authorities. You can rest assured that there will be no danger to their lives after they are taken away. The government just gathers them in one place to prevent accidents..."
Tao Ran listened indifferently, thinking to himself that it was all a lie.
The novel he had transmigrated into was a post-apocalyptic novel. But it was not the kind with zombies or environmental disasters, but another kind of apocalypse that made people feel helpless.
Tao Ran had read numerous novels that depicted natural disasters or zombie outbreaks. Despite the suffering and desolation portrayed, humanity always had a glimmer of hope for survival. However, this apocalyptic world was different.
Ten years ago, the first superpower emerged in humans, and soon they appeared all over the world.
These superpowers resembled the ones depicted in movies and television shows. Some could generate electricity, others could conjure fire from thin air, and some could even transform their bodies into metal. All sorts of extraordinary abilities emerged incessantly. Initially, from high-ranking officials to ordinary individuals, everyone was exhilarated, considering it a testament to human evolution.
The government gathered these individuals and assembled them into armies or assigned them tasks beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. Initially, everything seemed harmonious, and these superpowers were esteemed and held in high regard, possessing a social status that surpassed others.
It wasn't until nearly ten years later that everyone realized that something was wrong, because these superpowers all had one common trait, which was that they had no offspring. Whether they mated with other superpowers or with ordinary people, they could not conceive the next generation.
Governments worldwide initiated research, leading to the revelation that superpower humans were sterile. Furthermore, the influence of superpowers extended to ordinary people as well. Those in close proximity to superpowers eventually became superpowers themselves.
What do these two characteristics mean? They signify that, sooner or later, every individual in the world will become superpowered. And when that occurs, iit means that human beings will not have newborn babies, marking the end of human procreation.
People with supernatural powers only have supernatural powers, and their lifespan is no different from that of ordinary humans. In this way, in less than a hundred years, the human race will disappear from this planet.
The scientists were in a state of desperation. They had exhausted every possible avenue, even resorting to restart the much criticized and controversial human cloning experiments, yet all their efforts proved futile. Cloned superhumans couldn't survive beyond a mere ten days, while clones of ordinary individuals still suffered from cell genetic issues, rendering them unable to overcome challenges associated with lifespan and disease.
In order for humanity to ensure its continued existence, leaders across all nations simultaneously issued a unified order: the eradication of all the superhumans.
Consequently, superhumans were stripped of their classification as humans and labeled as "humanoids"—beings similar to humans but not considered as such.
Caught off guard, the humanoids faced a brutal massacre. By the time they mustered enough strength to resist, only a handful of them remained scattered across the world.
However, humanoids continued to be born, and the government made it mandatory to report to local authorities immediately whenever new humanoids appeared. Furthermore, frequent testing was implemented to identify any concealed humanoids among the populace.
Consequently, ordinary individuals found themselves isolated within militarized protection zones, and despite the government's encouragement of reproduction, the population continued to dwindle.
The persecuted humanoids sought refuge in a secluded location and established an organization dedicated to resisting the oppressive measures imposed by the government. Qin Ke, the male lead of this story, assumed leadership of the humanoids' organization in China, assisted by Kui Qingqing as his capable right-hand person and the female supporting character in the narrative.
After the officer finished his speech, his gaze fixed upon the building engulfed in flames behind him, and said that it was no longer possible to live in this place. The displaced individuals, now homeless, would temporarily accompany the army to a garrison while awaiting the construction of new homes before they could return to this place.
Tao Ran sensed that the day he would encounter the female supporting character was approaching. This was because, in the original storyline, the original host had perished at the temporary garrison, which meant that the house had not been repaired at that time, so it all happened before they could leave the garrison.
Looking at his silent son, Chao Feng thought he was frightened today, and reassured him, saying, "Don't be afraid, Dad is here."
Tao Ran glanced at Chao Feng, aware that according to the book, Chao Feng's fate would mirror that of Chao Ge's, both succumbing to their demise in this temporary garrison. Tao Ran was taken care of by him over the past few days so if possible, he would try to save him. He couldn't just watch him meet the same tragic end.
Tao Ran asked, "Dad, can we not go to the camp?"
Chao Feng said, "We can't."
Tao Ran was taken aback by these decisive words. He questioned, "Is there no relative's house where we can stay?"
Chao Feng replied, "Son, your dad isn't much liked, and you're well aware of that."
Tao Ran, "....." Well, pretend I didn't say anything.
Tao Ran joined the army's procession to the temporary shelter, while Chao Feng went to gather tents and other essential supplies, and started to set up the tent. At this time, a woman Tao Ran had seen but could not name came to talk to him with her daughter.
After listening for a while, Tao Ran understood that she, as a woman raising a daughter alone, was having a hard time. Since the country now encourages reproduction, there are rewards for childbirth and such. She wondered if she and her daughter could come over to marry Chao Feng and Tao Ran, respectively? Since the government permitted couples to receive separate housing after marriage, the mother and daughter wished to avoid living in tents and sought assistance from Tao Ran and his father.
Tao Ran glanced at the girl, who was around the same age as him and quite attractive. He wondered what Chao Feng was thinking and whether he would agree to it.
After a moment of contemplation, Chao Feng rejected half-heartedly.
He made it clear that he had no interest in the girl's mother, but if Tao Ran liked the girl, he wouldn't object to the young couple from being together.
Tao Ran stood up and said, "Dad, I refuse as well."
The girl's mother's face immediately turned extremely ugly. The girl seemed to like Chao Ge, and pitifully looked at Tao Ran, "Don't you like me? Am I not pretty?"
Tao Ran replied, "You're very pretty, but I don't like you."
The heartlessness displayed by the father and son dealt a heavy blow to the mother and daughter. The girl's mother cursed and left with her daughter.
After setting up the tent, Chao Feng returned with food from the cafeteria and asked Tao Ran, "Why don't you want to? In today's world, monogamy is not forced any more. Even if you meet someone you genuinely love in the future, it is still possible for three people to live together."
Tao Ran replied with a straight face, "Dad, I don't want that. I want to be with someone I truly love."
Chao Feng smiled and affectionately ruffled Tao Ran's hair, remarking, "As expected of my son, you're exactly like me."
Of course, Tao Ran's true thoughts were that he had to follow the script and be with the supporting female character. If he were to accept this girl now, how would he deal with his future wife?