Endless Star Dreams

Chapter 1: Lin Chen

Bathed in the brilliance of the full moon hanging in the vast sky, a young man walks alone on the silent and deserted streets. Slowly lifting his gaze to the bright moon, a hint of helplessness creeps into his expression. This young man is Lin Chen – a figure with delicate yet childlike features, moderately handsome shoulder-length hair, deep coffee-colored eyes, standing at 1.74 meters tall. Clad in a short T-shirt and jeans, he exudes a casual demeanor.

"Ah!" On a nearby street, a middle-aged man inexplicably lets out a scream, his expression contorted in pain. Yet, the ordeal is far from over. The middle-aged man's forehead breaks into a sweat, veins bulging. After a few seconds, blood starts trickling from his seven orifices, and he collapses heavily to the ground.

"Sigh... another case of mutation." Lin Chen sighs, shaking his head as he prepares to leave. Just then, the transformed middle-aged man becomes extremely aggressive, casting an ugly and ferocious gaze toward Lin Chen, eager to bite. "Hehe." Watching this scene, Lin Chen chuckles softly. Swiftly, he leaps into action, executing a graceful sidestep and delivering a powerful side kick. The transformed middle-aged man is sent flying several meters, convulses for a moment, and then succumbs.

Lin Chen lightly brushes off his pants and departs leisurely. "The difference between advanced students and novice practitioners is just a step. I wonder how long it'll take me to reach that level," Lin Chen murmurs to himself. Shortly after, he spots several tall buildings not far away. "Heh, home sweet home." Lin Chen smiles and quickly heads towards his residence.

"Brother!" After climbing 32 floors without breaking a sweat – a characteristic of an advanced martial arts academy student – Lin Chen enters the house. Familiar voices reach his ears, belonging to his younger sister, Lin Mei. Lin Chen is not the only child; five years after his birth, his sister Lin Mei came into the world. The siblings share a close relationship, discussing everything. In Lin Chen's family of four – father Lin Feng, mother Liu Mei, and sister Lin Mei – their 72-square-meter home may be small, but it is filled with warmth and harmony.

Lin Feng, a simple construction worker, earns a meager income, sufficient to make ends meet. Liu Mei engages in small-scale business to contribute to the family's well-being. In short, they live a modest and humble life.

It is precisely because of their modest circumstances that Lin Chen strives relentlessly. Whether it's getting into college or becoming a practitioner, Lin Chen is unwavering in his dedication, driven by the desire to protect his family.

"Little Mei, Mom, Dad hasn't come back yet?" Lin Chen asks after taking a sip of water. At this moment, a slightly worn but kind-looking middle-aged woman steps forward – Lin Chen's mother, Liu Mei.

"Brother, Dad is still at work." Lin Mei takes Lin Chen's hand, her charming eyes fixed on him. Observing Lin Mei, Lin Chen is surprised to see how beautiful she has become during her middle school years. He can't help but imagine that when she grows up, she will captivate countless hearts.

"Sigh, Dad works so hard." Lin Chen ruffles Lin Mei's head affectionately. "Chen'er, if you don't want Dad to work so hard, you have to strive harder yourself," Liu Mei says, gently patting Lin Chen's head.

"Yeah, Mom, I will." Lin Chen replies with determination. Afterward, they have dinner and Lin Chen heads to his room after washing the dishes. Seeing this, Lin Mei understands that Lin Chen needs to study and doesn't disturb him, displaying a mature understanding.

Closing the door gently, Lin Chen sits down at his desk. He opens the history book for the liberal arts, revealing a pivotal moment in human history:

In 1998, a virus named T was developed in the Akshan Mountains of the United States. Due to mishandling, the virus leaked, leading to a series of murders in the Akshan region. After a police investigation, it was discovered that the perpetrators were zombies, and the mastermind behind it all was the Umbrella Corporation. The virus spread rapidly, and Raccoon City, the closest to Akshan, was the first to suffer. The city was overrun by zombies, prompting the United States to realize the severity of the situation. The government issued orders for a nuclear strike and imposed sanctions on all business and stock market activities related to the Umbrella Corporation, eventually leading to its bankruptcy.

However, the nightmare did not end there. Six years later, in 2004, Europe also discovered the virus. The daughter of the President of the United States was kidnapped and taken there. The U.S. government sent special agent Leon Kennedy Scott to rescue her, and he succeeded.

Nine years later, on June 25, 2013, a new virus, the C-virus, was developed on top of the T-virus. The new Umbrella Corporation was revealed as the mastermind, orchestrated by Simmons, the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Despite Simmons being eliminated in the end, the virus had already merged with the air, spreading everywhere. Humans and animals were infected, becoming powerful, and bullets were ineffective against them. Humans realized the severity of the situation and had no choice but to fight against the hordes of zombies and monsters.

Later, survivors developed antibodies in their bodies, absorbing the virus's superactive properties and enhancing their cellular activity. Physical abilities became extraordinary, with an ordinary person easily breaking previous world records. Humans grew stronger, gaining the capability to combat zombies and monsters. Humans started training relentlessly, aiming for greater strength and fighting for survival.

However, scientists discovered a problem. Simple hand-to-hand combat seemed disadvantageous because monsters had powerful defenses, and fists dealt minimal damage. Realizing this, scientists began researching and producing weapons specifically designed for powerful individuals to combat monsters. World space agencies discovered a metal harder than diamond on Mars, named Pyronium. Scientists crafted weapons, including knives, swords, guns, and sets of combat armor. These innovations added strength to humans' struggle against monsters.

In 2023, marking the tenth year of competition between humans and monsters, three individuals appeared and changed the situation – Wang Fu Huang, yes, they were three sworn brothers. Upon their arrival, they displayed tremendous power, forcing high-level monsters to flee into the sea. Wang Fu Huang and his companions communicated with them, establishing a boundary between land-dwelling humans and ocean-dwelling monsters. Wang Fu Huang and his brothers knew that this temporary peace would not last. Thus, they founded martial arts academies to train humans continuously, strengthening their power. Some powerful individuals were dubbed "practitioners" – warriors who fought against both monsters and other formidable adversaries.

Later, humans discovered manufacturing blueprints for some firearms in ancient civilization ruins. Laser guns were the primary focus. After three years of research, humans developed these laser guns. Experimental results showed their formidable power, capable of killing high-level practitioners. With a full-powered shot, they could even eliminate beings surpassing high-level practitioners. Notably, conventional firearms were ineffective against high-level practitioners due to their robust defenses and physical strength. Laser guns proved to be a revolutionary weapon.

Subsequently, in addition to nuclear

 weapons and the Fire God 7000, humans gained another weapon in their fight against monsters – laser guns. Nuclear weapons, unless detonated at the core, inflicted maximum damage on monsters. If not hit directly, the remaining monsters mutated due to nuclear radiation. Humans refrained from using nuclear weapons unless absolutely necessary. The Fire God 7000, named for its rapid rate of fire (7,000 rounds per minute), was a powerful weapon but not easily portable. Consequently, humans and the remaining monsters engaged in an increasing number of battles.

After over 20 years of war and 30 years of development, humanity went from having over 200 countries to just five independent nations: the United States, the European Union, African Union, Australian Union, and Huaxia Union. Among them, Huaxia Union was the largest and strongest, as Wang Fu Huang and his three brothers hailed from there. Each nation established six safe cities, and Lin Chen resided in the sixth safety city of Huaxia – Liupan Safe City. This was his hometown.

Countless young people were striving to become stronger, either to enter university or become practitioners. Simultaneously, they were striving for survival, having been taught that Wang Fu Huang saved them and provided them with a space to live. They were also taught that only by becoming strong could they survive in this chaotic world.

Therefore, in this tumultuous world, countless humans were working hard, fighting for survival and struggling to become stronger!

Chapter 2: The Sword

Slowly closing the "History of Catastrophes," Lin Chen couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. Through history, he learned that humanity once lived in peace and prosperity, carefree in urban life, either working or studying. However, everything changed completely due to the outbreak of a virus.

"Now, it's been over 50 years since the catastrophe..." Lin Chen turned his gaze towards the window. At this moment, rain began to fall gently, a continuous drizzle with no end in sight. How many nameless homeless souls were out there in the world? A catastrophe had caused countless human casualties, shrinking the living space to a minimum. But what could be done about it?

Only the practitioners could confront the monsters, but their numbers were scarce. The vast ocean was now devoid of human presence. Humans would be killed if they ventured into the ocean, but they lacked the m