A World Worth Protecting - Chapter 22: It’s Crushed

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

The dimensional rifts link the earth to the Xingwu continent. This is the dawn of the martial arts era!

I will be useless if I don’t practice martial arts? Don’t worry, I have a system that allows me to pick up attributes. When other people drop attributes during their training, I can pick them up secretly.

Huh? Did you just say that beating up people will make them drop attributes too? In that case…

You defeated a sword skill genius. He dropped Enlightenment×2, Sword Talent×1… You’ve picked them up. Your insights have improved and you’ve gained a beginner stage sword talent!

You defeated a blade skill talent. He dropped Blade Battle Technique×1, Malicious Blade Intent×1… You picked them up and learned a rare blade battle technique! You’ve also figured out Malicious Blade Intent and have become extremely fierce!

You defeated a physique talent. He dropped Physique Scripture×1, Holy-Blood Dominant Physique×1…

You picked them up and learned a new top-grade scripture! You are exceptionally lucky to have received the Holy-Blood Dominant Physique. It can change your physique completely and you earned a god-level title 'Endless Health'.

Someone killed a powerful star beast and dropped Spiritual Sight×1 and Blank Attribute×60… You picked them up secretly and receive a spiritual eye talent as well as 60 points to add to any of your current attributes!

You defeat many opponents in your life. You accidentally kill an innocent devil and split the universe into two when you’re practicing your blade at home. You burst the sun with your fist and the world is engulfed in darkness…

That’s when you realize… You’re invincible!

Yu Youyao had a nightmare. In her dream, she was married to the Marquis’ son, Song Mingzhao, and had become a mere medicine-human for her third sister, Yu Jianjia. After having blood extracted from her heart for three years, Yu Youyao’s life was nearing its end, so her wrist was slit and she died just like that.

Upon waking up, her heart thumped wildly and she decided to choose the first man she saw to escape that tragic fate. Thus, she clung onto the leg of her maternal cousin who had come all the way from the You Kingdom. “Cousin, I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.”

Zhou Linghuai looked at the girl nestled in his arms. She had a lovely face and puppy eyes. Despite his usual ruthlessness, he suddenly found himself unable to reject her. And so, he became Yu Youyao’s protector, helping her to take revenge on those who bullied her, fend off the schemes of others, and reject all of her suitors. He even helped her attain glory and magnificence.

Once Yu Youyao reached adulthood, events started to progress according to her dream. The Marquis’s son, Song Mingzhao, had indeed come to request for her hand in marriage. However, Zhou Linghuai pressed Yu Youyao against the wall and said in a low voice, “You’re mine. You can’t marry anyone else!”

[Unique Trait – Those you meet will remember you. No matter what happens, they will remember you forever.] In a world on the brink of ruin, people summoned to save it are categorized as heroes and extraterrestrial workers, abbreviated as “foreign workers.”For some reason, I became a foreign worker who is loved by transcendents that view humans as mere insects.