one piece: gene extraction and fusion system - Chapter 264: Shadows in Motion

Winner of the 2017 Joara Novel of The Year Contest-

In a world plagued by Morgellons, a deadly disease that turns humans into non-human creatures, people have chosen to abandon their humanity in order to fight against the bloodthirsty corpses. In the end, there will be no humans left on Earth.

But that harsh world is, in fact, a world fabricated merely for entertainment. A world for humans to live in exists neither inside nor outside.

This is the story of a boy who, while living a miserable life, stares at the stars as he desperately tries to keep his humanity.

Gradually, he found that he couldn’t leave this adorable kid, as well as his beautiful and stubborn mother.

Xia Xingcheng was about to get engaged to her childhood sweetheart, but her vicious half-sister, the daughter of her stepmother, set a trap for her out of jealousy. After a nightmarish night, her fiancé thought that she had cheated and canceled the engagement. Heartbroken, she chose to go abroad alone for a living.

Five years later, when her father threatened her with her grandmother’s health and forced her to return to attend her sister’s wedding, she had to come back with her four-year-old son. Although the child had been accidentally conceived, he was the only comfort during struggling to survive abroad. Coincidentally, they had run into the child’s father, Mr. Sheng, on the plane. But neither she nor he was able to recognize the other. However, perhaps blood ties were that mysterious, the kid sensed that this handsome and powerful man was his father! Although she had never thought of looking for the child’s father, fate had arranged for him to appear whenever she was about to be harmed by her shameless family. Gradually, he found that he couldn’t leave this adorable kid, as well as his beautiful and stubborn mother.

In his old world, Elric had nothing—no powerful family, no elite degree, just relentless hard work and a passion for healing. Dismissed as a third-rate doctor, he shocked the nation by saving a congressman’s life and becoming an overnight celebrity. But just when his career was rising, tragedy struck.Now, Elric opens his eyes in a world unlike any he’s ever known—a land of swords, sorcery, and strange beliefs. Reborn in the countryside of a magical kingdom, where even a common cold is blamed on spirits, he’s the only one who understands how the human body truly works.With no palace, no power, and no one to trust, Elric sets up a humble clinic in a rural village. Armed with science and sarcasm, he treats the sick, challenges ancient traditions, and slowly earns the awe and fear of a world ruled by magic.Mocked as a fraud. Hunted by rival healers. Feared by nobles and mages alike.But this world is about to learn—Even a third-rate doctor can change history.

Can't a man maintain his dignity while preparing for the end of the world? Is that too much to ask?

The Tower was all I knew... all any of us knew, and just like that, it was gone. Monsters the likes of which I'd never seen ravaged the land of my ancestors. They burst through the outer walls and stormed the city. No one could have been ready for that. But now... Now I have a second chance.

After the collapse of the known world, I woke up to find myself on the First Floor of the Tower. I was young and healthy, 18 again, and sitting in the same classroom that marked the worst days of my life. Confused and excited, I accepted this gift, deciding to use my vast knowledge of the future to climb the Tower in preparation for the end of the world.

Maybe I'll help some folks along the way? Who knows. Survival comes first.

The clock is ticking, and I'm left with only a century to build a Deck powerful enough to survive the end. Things to do... What's first? I need Essence, and I need power. I'll have to climb the Tower to acquire both of these. Some of the zealots will try to stop me, need to look out for those. What if-

“Hey, kid! Hand over the pouch or-”

Stab

Sorry, where was I? Ah... there's a spot of blood on my suit. What a lousy morning.

In this world of blood and fantasy, century-old Rowan Wilder has to not only survive, but thrive as he powers his way to the top of the Tower. The Demonic Plague that has twisted the creatures on the upper Floors is the least of his worries. Cane in hand and Summons by his side, he'll have to tear his way through the monsters, as well as the humans who want to stop his ascent. Of course, he can maintain a sense of decorum while he faces these trials, right?