"Ah?"
When Qin Siyang heard this, a chill ran through his body.
"Not just Blue Star, but even other planets in the universe were affected too?"
"That's right."
Zhang Kuang nodded, "According to my research, the impact of the apocalypse arriving that day was not limited to Blue Star. Unless my observations are wrong, everything around us was affected."
Qin Siyang sat frozen in his chair. The hairs on his back stood up as he silently looked at Zhang Kuang, unable to speak for a moment.
A few seconds later, he picked up his cup and took a sip of hot water.
The warmth spread from his throat into his stomach, and only then did he calm down a little.
As for Zhang Kuang's second research finding, Qin Siyang had no way to judge it.
They still had not figured out everything inside the Safe Zone, so discussing the universe felt too far away.
He could only keep the shock to himself.
Qin Siyang took a deep breath and asked again, "Principal Zhang, then what is the third major finding?"
"The third point is that on the day the apocalypse arrived, some people had already awakened Sequence abilities."
"What?", Qin Siyang was startled, "People awakened Sequence abilities ten years ago? How is that possible?"
Zhang Kuang sighed, "Not only did they awaken Sequence abilities, they even developed God-Hunting tools and became the real rulers of the Safe Zone after the apocalypse."
"When theory classes talk about the arrival of the apocalypse, they always credit it to the so-called [Unknown Heroes]. Unknown heroes? Hah! It's not like they died wrapped in horsehide on the battlefield, so where did these unknown heroes come from? In my eyes, those people who awakened Sequence abilities early and carried out research are the so-called [Unknown Heroes]."
Qin Siyang gripped his cup tightly with both hands, "Principal Zhang, how did you conclude that someone had already awakened Sequence abilities long ago?"
Zhang Kuang scratched his messy hair, "From a theoretical perspective, since the Safe Zone and the United Government already existed, then how did all the other factions suddenly appear? Why did so many forces that refused to obey the United Government emerge all at once? There had to be people behind the scenes with power beyond ordinary humans."
"From a practical perspective, on New Year's Day five years ago, the day supposedly marked as the first Sequence awakening inside the Safe Zone, I also awakened a Sequence. But because I was cautious, I didn't make it public. Two days later, on January 3rd, I found a chance to meet alone with the so-called first Sequence user in the Safe Zone, the man who could turn his hand into a revolver. Guess what I discovered?"
Qin Siyang's eyes sharpened, "Principal Zhang... what did you discover?"
Zhang Kuang looked at him sharply, "His memories had been altered!"
When Qin Siyang heard this, goosebumps spread across his body.
'The first Sequence awakener had his memories altered by a Sequence ability?'
Zhang Kuang continued, "All his memories before January 1st, 2005 had been changed. And the power that altered his memories was extremely strong. It could even repair itself. If I had met him just a few days later, I definitely wouldn't have found any traces of the tampering."
"So I can conclude that before him, someone else had already awakened a Sequence ability. As for when those people awakened, based on other clues, it should trace back to the day the apocalypse arrived."
Qin Siyang quickly asked, "Principal Zhang, do you know who that first awakened Sequence user was? Why didn't I learn about him in school?"
"His name isn't important, because he didn't contribute much to humanity's survival inside the Safe Zone. Two months after awakening his Sequence ability, he disappeared outside the Safe Zone."
"Disappeared?"
"Mhm! Calling it a disappearance is just a way of saying it. It's basically certain that he was either killed by gods or killed by people. Either way, someone probably wanted him silenced to hide certain secrets connected to him."
The dark circles under Zhang Kuang's eyes once again covered his tired gaze. He shook his head, trying to wake himself up a little.
"I believe that for some unknown reason, a very small number of people awakened Sequence abilities first on January 1st, 2000, and arranged many things in advance. They were the first batch of Sequence users. Five years later, people like us started awakening Sequences, making us the second batch."
"When Sequence abilities first appeared five years ago, many things quietly confirmed my theory."
"Half a month after the Sequence awakening began, the United Government discovered Sequence potions that could strengthen Sequence users and also established the Administration Bureau's policy of collecting round armor plates."
"Less than a month after the Sequence awakening began, the three major chamber of commerces had already taken control of the Safe Zone's economy and announced that materials from god remains could be traded."
"Two months after the Sequence awakening began, the Annhilation Church and the Samsara Church started large-scale massacres with many followers who had awakened powerful Sequences."
"Three months after the Sequence awakening began, the four major mining families took control of the largest new mineral deposit discovered in the Safe Zone so far. Even the United Government and the military could not force them back."
"Half a year after the Sequence awakening began, the Five Glory and Five Pillar Universities were fully established, with presidents and professors already in place. Many highly advanced Sequence theories of unknown origin also started spreading."
"There are many people whose plans clearly did not begin after the Sequence awakening."
"Because their preparations were too complete. Too thorough."
"Like migratory birds flying south because they know winter is coming. Like snakes and rats crossing the road because they sense heavy rain approaching. They... they knew that Sequence abilities would erupt among humanity inside the Safe Zone, and they had already arranged everything."
"Everything was part of the plan."
This was Zhang Kuang's summary of his third discovery.
Qin Siyang asked, "Then Principal Zhang, do you know who belonged to the first group of awakened Sequence users? For example... Old Li?"
Zhang Kuang smiled, "If he had awakened his Sequence early, would he have ended up like this? Old Li awakened his Sequence on New Year's Day five years ago, same as me."
"Anyone around you whose history can be traced, anyone who struggled step by step after the apocalypse to climb to where they are now, none of them belong to the first batch of awakened Sequence users. Basically everyone you currently know is not part of the first batch."
"Qin Yingguang and Chu Xiao'ang only gradually gained power after surviving repeated military coups and assassination attempts. Zhao Longteng and Zhao Longfei rose to where they are now with help from powerful backers. Xiao Zhigang and Tang Wanjing became ministers because they were highly capable and had strong backgrounds. Old Li and I relied on our own research and advanced steadily until we became successful."
"If there's anyone who might have awakened a Sequence ability on the day the apocalypse arrived, I can think of four candidates."
"Who?"
"United Government Secretary-General Gu Weiyang, old commander Qi Tian of the Qi Legion, the Safe Zone's top comprehensive researcher Zhu Haifeng, and the leading authority on God-Hunting tool research, Zhong Dingming."