The bus shuddered to life with its familiar metallic groan.
"Next stop: Xinnan Station. Prepare to exit."
As the vehicle steadied, Song Shi leaned against the handrail and activated her brainlight. Her morning conversation withShe had chatted with Wang Ding for a long time this morning.
Pain exploded in her skull, and the force of it slammed her forehead into the corner of the seatback in front of her.
Right at that moment, the bus accelerated. Song Shi staggered backward. A hand reached out, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her to the floor.
The commotion drew the attention of most passengers. They turned to look at Song Shi sprawled on the ground, whispering among themselves.
She pushed herself up, ignoring their stares. Holding onto the seat for balance, she turned around to find the culprit.
To face a group of Renxi High students who'd boarded at the last stop.
The ringleader lounged against his lackey, uniform hanging open to display a chunky silver chain that matched his smirk. His ID badge swung mockingly: Jin Xianhui, Class 2-12.
“No powers awakened and you still have the guts to come back to school?” He said, patting the chest of the boy next to him. His eyes stayed on Song Shi, but he was clearly talking to his lackey.
No one ever knew when one might snap and go on a killing spree.
So when faced with someone labeled as such, and after having just ganged up to punch her and drag her by the hair, Luo Xu was overcome with terror.
He could already picture the entire bus getting blown apart, his own limbs scattered across the wreckage, and his parents having to collect what was left of him.
He’d heard just yesterday that a bus nearby was bombed by a berserker-type high-risk differentiator, and a brave high schooler had saved everyone onboard. He had thought, Those people were lucky. He never expected his own turn would come so soon.
Someone save me. My legs are going to give out.
Jin Xianhui, still leaning on Luo Xu’s shoulder, was the first to notice him trembling. He yanked Luo Xu back and smacked the back of his neck hard.
“Idiot. You’ve got me here, what’re you scared of?”
He turned back to Song Shi and crooked a finger at her.
"Next stop: Xinnan Station. Prepare to exit."
As the vehicle steadied, Song Shi leaned against the handrail and activated her brainlight. Her morning conversation withShe had chatted with Wang Ding for a long time this morning.
That conversation made her realize that while she had a basic grasp of this world’s various abilities, she was completely clueless about everything else, its history, the origins of exotic beasts, politics, economy, technological development, societal structure… She knew none of it.
There was a lot she needed to catch up on.
She pulled up some relevant websites and browsed them carefully, committing the information to memory.
“Xin Nan Station has arrived.” The mechanical voice came again.
The bus braked. Due to inertia, Song Shi pitched forward slightly, but she quickly stepped forward and steadied herself without even looking up, still engrossed in absorbing information from her lightbrain.
Thud!
A sudden, heavy blow struck the back of her head.
There was a lot she needed to catch up on.
She pulled up some relevant websites and browsed them carefully, committing the information to memory.
“Xin Nan Station has arrived.” The mechanical voice came again.
The bus braked. Due to inertia, Song Shi pitched forward slightly, but she quickly stepped forward and steadied herself without even looking up, still engrossed in absorbing information from her lightbrain.
Thud!
A sudden, heavy blow struck the back of her head.
Pain exploded in her skull, and the force of it slammed her forehead into the corner of the seatback in front of her.
Right at that moment, the bus accelerated. Song Shi staggered backward. A hand reached out, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her to the floor.
The commotion drew the attention of most passengers. They turned to look at Song Shi sprawled on the ground, whispering among themselves.
She pushed herself up, ignoring their stares. Holding onto the seat for balance, she turned around to find the culprit.
To face a group of Renxi High students who'd boarded at the last stop.
The ringleader lounged against his lackey, uniform hanging open to display a chunky silver chain that matched his smirk. His ID badge swung mockingly: Jin Xianhui, Class 2-12.
“No powers awakened and you still have the guts to come back to school?” He said, patting the chest of the boy next to him. His eyes stayed on Song Shi, but he was clearly talking to his lackey.
“You’re new here, so let me introduce her to you, our school’s infamous berserker-type high-risk differentiator.”
His tone was dripping with mockery.
The boy next to him, Luo Xu, visibly flinched at the words “berserker-type,” instinctively taking a step back.
It was a conditioned response that humans in this world had developed.
Even if they’d never met a berserker-type high-risk differentiator in real life, the endless stream of news stories, bombings, robberies, serial murders, terrorist attacks, committed by awakened berserkers was impossible to ignore. They dominated media platforms, constantly trending, and sometimes happened frighteningly close to home.
People had grown up under the shadow of the berserker type.
His tone was dripping with mockery.
The boy next to him, Luo Xu, visibly flinched at the words “berserker-type,” instinctively taking a step back.
It was a conditioned response that humans in this world had developed.
Even if they’d never met a berserker-type high-risk differentiator in real life, the endless stream of news stories, bombings, robberies, serial murders, terrorist attacks, committed by awakened berserkers was impossible to ignore. They dominated media platforms, constantly trending, and sometimes happened frighteningly close to home.
People had grown up under the shadow of the berserker type.
No one ever knew when one might snap and go on a killing spree.
So when faced with someone labeled as such, and after having just ganged up to punch her and drag her by the hair, Luo Xu was overcome with terror.
He could already picture the entire bus getting blown apart, his own limbs scattered across the wreckage, and his parents having to collect what was left of him.
He’d heard just yesterday that a bus nearby was bombed by a berserker-type high-risk differentiator, and a brave high schooler had saved everyone onboard. He had thought, Those people were lucky. He never expected his own turn would come so soon.
Someone save me. My legs are going to give out.
Jin Xianhui, still leaning on Luo Xu’s shoulder, was the first to notice him trembling. He yanked Luo Xu back and smacked the back of his neck hard.
“Idiot. You’ve got me here, what’re you scared of?”
He turned back to Song Shi and crooked a finger at her.
“Trashcan, didn’t you see how bad you scared my bro? Get over here and apologize.”
“N-no, it’s fine…” Luo Xu quickly waved his hands, trying to retreat. But Jin Xianhui’s strong arm held him in place. He was caught in limbo, face pale, unable to meet Song Shi’s eyes.
Seeing that Song Shi still hadn’t moved, Jin Xianhui gave her a once-over.
“N-no, it’s fine…” Luo Xu quickly waved his hands, trying to retreat. But Jin Xianhui’s strong arm held him in place. He was caught in limbo, face pale, unable to meet Song Shi’s eyes.
Seeing that Song Shi still hadn’t moved, Jin Xianhui gave her a once-over.
“Didn’t awaken any powers and now you can’t even understand human speech? Also, where’s our breakfast? Didn’t we tell you to have it ready for us every morning?”
“Trashcan?” Song Shi echoed the word, letting out a laugh filled with cold disbelief.
At this point, there was nothing left to question.
“Trashcan?” Song Shi echoed the word, letting out a laugh filled with cold disbelief.
At this point, there was nothing left to question.
The body’s original owner had been bullied.
Her classmates had even given her a demeaning nickname.
“What the hell are you laughing at? You’re a damn tumor in the Federation!” Jin Xianhui snapped.
Her sarcastic smile stung his pride. With so many people watching on the bus, he felt his authority being challenged. Shoving Luo Xu aside, he raised his hand to slap her.
Judging by how practiced the move was, Song Shi could only imagine how often the original owner had been beaten before.
She’d been on guard for his movement. The moment he raised his hand, she stepped back.
His palm missed, cutting through the air with enough force to whip her hair back from her cheek.
Her classmates had even given her a demeaning nickname.
“What the hell are you laughing at? You’re a damn tumor in the Federation!” Jin Xianhui snapped.
Her sarcastic smile stung his pride. With so many people watching on the bus, he felt his authority being challenged. Shoving Luo Xu aside, he raised his hand to slap her.
Judging by how practiced the move was, Song Shi could only imagine how often the original owner had been beaten before.
She’d been on guard for his movement. The moment he raised his hand, she stepped back.
His palm missed, cutting through the air with enough force to whip her hair back from her cheek.
“You dare dodge?!” he roared, face flushing red with rage. He reached with the other hand to grab her collar.
Song Shi sidestepped. Jin Xianhui couldn’t retract his hand in time, and it swiped past her chest. She lifted a leg and kicked hard into the crook of his arm.
Jin Xianhui yelled in pain and pulled back. In that moment, Song Shi grabbed a dangling hand strap and launched herself into the air, kicking him squarely in the chest.
His solid frame was knocked backward. He tried to grab onto his lackeys to slow the fall, but it wasn’t enough to stop his momentum.
Song Shi sidestepped. Jin Xianhui couldn’t retract his hand in time, and it swiped past her chest. She lifted a leg and kicked hard into the crook of his arm.
Jin Xianhui yelled in pain and pulled back. In that moment, Song Shi grabbed a dangling hand strap and launched herself into the air, kicking him squarely in the chest.
His solid frame was knocked backward. He tried to grab onto his lackeys to slow the fall, but it wasn’t enough to stop his momentum.
All three of them crashed to the floor.
The whole bus jolted from the impact before settling.
Song Shi landed steadily, still holding onto the strap, looking down at them from above.
A message flickered across her mind:
[ Counter Abuse Progress: +1%]
Her gaze darkened.
The sudden turn of events had stunned the rest of the bus.
Most of the passengers were students from Renxi High, headed to morning classes.
Renxi High had only a handful of berserker-type high-risk differentiators. Because of that, and for various psychological reasons, the student body was extremely fixated on them.
A punching bag like Song Shi, who had berserker genes but no awakening, was notorious throughout the school.
They had expected to see her humiliated.
Instead, they witnessed this.
Jin Xianhui was already back on his feet, one hand on his chest, the other held by Luo Xu.
The murmur of gossip buzzed around him like a swarm of biting insects, shredding his pride. His rage surged. He shoved Luo Xu aside, clenched his fist over his chest, and charged at Song Shi.
He had never learned how to fight. He was running purely on anger, swinging blindly without form or technique.
Song Shi wasn’t exactly trained either. In her past life, she’d only learned some basic self-defense. Against anyone with real combat experience, she’d be overwhelmed.
But her advantage lay in the body she now inhabited, one blessed with terrifying natural strength.
Even without awakening, the berserker genes inside her were very real.
Her speed, strength, reflexes, even her healing, were far superior to the average person.
That’s how she had survived the glass chamber at the lab, fended off Qin Yi’s deadly subordinate, and outrun the Dire Wolf Beast long enough for help to arrive.
She raised her arms and blocked.
Jin Xianhui’s punch, which had carried all his weight, lost most of its force on impact.
He lacked her reaction speed. His body was still barreling forward.
Just then, the bus braked again, speeding up his stumble.
Luo Xu shouted, reaching out to grab him but failed.
Song Shi dodged to the side. Her back pressed against a seat, and the student sitting there curled up in the corner to get out of the way.
Jin Xianhui’s momentum was unstoppable. He couldn’t halt even if he wanted to. He could only watch as Song Shi slipped past him.
As he flew by, Song Shi stuck out her foot.
Already unable to stop, Jin Xianhui tripped hard and went face-first toward the floor.
Instinctively, he widened his eyes and reached out to catch himself.
But he never hit the ground.
Instead, a choking pressure closed around his neck, like death itself had clamped down, lifting him off the floor and crushing his windpipe.
Gasps erupted from the nearby passengers.
Through teary eyes, Jin Xianhui caught a glimpse of their horrified expressions and the hand lifting him like a rag doll.
“You’ve got a surprisingly sturdy necklace.” Song Shi said coldly.
-----
The whole bus jolted from the impact before settling.
Song Shi landed steadily, still holding onto the strap, looking down at them from above.
A message flickered across her mind:
[ Counter Abuse Progress: +1%]
Her gaze darkened.
The sudden turn of events had stunned the rest of the bus.
Most of the passengers were students from Renxi High, headed to morning classes.
Renxi High had only a handful of berserker-type high-risk differentiators. Because of that, and for various psychological reasons, the student body was extremely fixated on them.
A punching bag like Song Shi, who had berserker genes but no awakening, was notorious throughout the school.
They had expected to see her humiliated.
Instead, they witnessed this.
Jin Xianhui was already back on his feet, one hand on his chest, the other held by Luo Xu.
The murmur of gossip buzzed around him like a swarm of biting insects, shredding his pride. His rage surged. He shoved Luo Xu aside, clenched his fist over his chest, and charged at Song Shi.
He had never learned how to fight. He was running purely on anger, swinging blindly without form or technique.
Song Shi wasn’t exactly trained either. In her past life, she’d only learned some basic self-defense. Against anyone with real combat experience, she’d be overwhelmed.
But her advantage lay in the body she now inhabited, one blessed with terrifying natural strength.
Even without awakening, the berserker genes inside her were very real.
Her speed, strength, reflexes, even her healing, were far superior to the average person.
That’s how she had survived the glass chamber at the lab, fended off Qin Yi’s deadly subordinate, and outrun the Dire Wolf Beast long enough for help to arrive.
She raised her arms and blocked.
Jin Xianhui’s punch, which had carried all his weight, lost most of its force on impact.
He lacked her reaction speed. His body was still barreling forward.
Just then, the bus braked again, speeding up his stumble.
Luo Xu shouted, reaching out to grab him but failed.
Song Shi dodged to the side. Her back pressed against a seat, and the student sitting there curled up in the corner to get out of the way.
Jin Xianhui’s momentum was unstoppable. He couldn’t halt even if he wanted to. He could only watch as Song Shi slipped past him.
As he flew by, Song Shi stuck out her foot.
Already unable to stop, Jin Xianhui tripped hard and went face-first toward the floor.
Instinctively, he widened his eyes and reached out to catch himself.
But he never hit the ground.
Instead, a choking pressure closed around his neck, like death itself had clamped down, lifting him off the floor and crushing his windpipe.
Gasps erupted from the nearby passengers.
Through teary eyes, Jin Xianhui caught a glimpse of their horrified expressions and the hand lifting him like a rag doll.
“You’ve got a surprisingly sturdy necklace.” Song Shi said coldly.
-----
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Pretty please next chapters. :)
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